I touched a fish. A live fish...that was attached to a hook...that I baited. All by myself. Because I am a total rock star. Don't you want to make out with me now that you know I'm so awesome? I knew you would...
This is his excited face...don't look at me, I just take the pictures... 
That's right, another week has passed, and it's time for another list of 5. You can't believe you're being treated to this already, now can you?
1. Finn adores mud. And not just any mud, but mud that you find at the bottom of large puddles - namely puddles as deep as she is tall. Which, as you can imagine, makes quite the mess. Not to mention that she had a radar for the stuff - she can seek out the puddle in a matter of seconds, and then play quite happily there. We went to the dog park yesterday. And that's right - she found the mud puddle of all mud puddles. She also got a bath the second we got home...
2. There is still a flood in my apartment, and it appears to be growing. It's now under the front entryway as well as the tile. I am going to have to go down to complain again, which is distressing, because while you would think I would be good at it, I'm actually terrible at complaining. At least, terrible in a way that gets anyone to do anything. It always seems to end up with me apologizing for needing something fixed. I kept hoping that was something I would grow out of, but I am thinking it might not ever go away...
3. I have a renewed faith that people will do what is right when given the opportunity. Not that I ever really lost that faith, but it would certainly be fair to say that it is called into question on occassion.
4. I am starting to get extremely nervous about the MCAT. I don't usually get nervous about things, so this is extremely distressing to me. I have one month and two days left, but I swear I need a lot more time than that to be ready...eek!
5. I STILL have not gotten an oil change. Chalk it up to another irrational fear - not because I fear parting with my oil, but because they always try to tell me to have all of these things done and then I feel badly telling them no. Seriously, how messed up is that?!
First, the bad news. Garrett is sick. As in has-a-fever-of-103-for-no-reason sick. And, since we all know how fun it is to not feel good as big people, you can imagine how much fun it is to be sick as a small person.
Seriously. Can't you tell how much he enjoys it?
But I think he's on the mend. Or at least the fever is gone and he is acting like just a regular 2 year old. Because I assure you - the sick 2 year old version was not pretty.
And the good news is that Bennett started walking yesterday! Because seriously what is cuter than toddling first steps? Not much, especially when I have been cooped up with a sick 2 year old. It makes my very easy to please.
I can't quite figure out how to rotate this, but it's cute even when it's not the right direction.
He's quite proud of his newfound accomplishment.
I finally sat down and started writing my personal statement. Given that I have been putting this off for approximately forever, this is a fine accomplishment. I got quite a bit done, and when I finish it, I shall harass people to read it and rip it apart. Now doesn't that sound fun?
Yesterday I worked on my personal statement all morning.
I spent all afternoon at a malpractice trial.
The irony of that isn't lost on me. But it is probably a good thing that I worked on my personal statement before the trial instead of after...
Would your Sunday be complete without this? I think not!
1. We have had 7 straight days of gorgeous spring weather. While it has made my eyes puffy and itchy, not to mention extremely angry looking, it has been worth it. I heart spring.
2. New people (or person) has moved in above me. Would you like to know how I know this? Because said new person (or people) apparently do no know how to use a washing machine. And how do I know this, you ask? Because I now have 6 huge water spots in various places on my ceiling as a result of their inability to correctly use the washing machine. Not to mention the lake that I had in the laundry room - which is always fun to find by stepping into it in bare feet. Seriously.
3. I have actually made myself study - two consecutive days AND before night fall. This is very impressive and you should all shake your head in amazement, because normally I will find anything to do other than study, especially on nice spring days.
4. I still have not written my personal statement nor asked anyone for letters of recommendation to apply to med school. These are things that I probably should have done yesterday - or even several yesterdays ago. But because tomorrow will eventually become a yesterday, it seems as good a day as any.
5. Last night I got to go out to dinner with my college roommates. One, while I still adore her, I see all the time. The other neither of us had seen since graduation. Well, I saw her once, but since it was the week after I don't think it counts as a totally separate event. Obviously we're really great at staying in touch, huh? But we went to dinner and we had a fabulous time! We have promised not to wait quite so long before getting together again...
20: Number of hours I have spent in class this week
11: Number of above hours that have been spent in lab. It's a good thing I look so good in the lab glasses....
1: Number of holes burned into my jeans from sulfuric acid during said lab. Oops.
20: Number of hours spent studying so far
40: Number of hours I should have spent studying so far...
10: Number of time outs that Bennett has gotten for 'wrestling' Bennett. Which consists of knocking Bennett over and then laying on top of him. Which you can imagine Bennett is not too fond of.
5: Minutes straight that Bennett cries hysterically after each wrestling match
2: Number of hours that the boys nap during the afternoon. At the same time. It's pure bliss, I tell you, pure bliss.
7: Number of days the weather has been beautiful and sunny outside. I think that spring might FINALLY be here to stay. Knock on wood!
8: Number of times I have tried to write my personal statement for my med school application.
0: Number of times I have been successful at writing said personal statement. As it happens, this is also the number of words I have in my current draft of my personal statement. Apparently "Because I want to be a doctor" is not enough for these people.
33: Number of days before Bennett turns 1.
6459: Number of times that I have answered various questions involving where something goes, why it went there, what it might be and how it might get there for Garrett.
Welcome to Friday. I'm quite pleased that it is Friday, particularly because today happened to be the one Friday that I didn't have to get up. Which explains why I am still in my pajamas at 10:30 in the morning. Very happily, I might add.
And today is much better than just any old Friday...it's a springtime Friday. And I love spring! The weather is perfect - the sun in shining, it's just warm enough to wear flip flops if you want to, which means that I can show off my lovely new pedicure that I got yesterday. (And by the way, I got a manicure too, and I look great, if I do say so myself!)
To add to my smashing spring time look, I would like to add that I also have eyes that make you think I might be strung out on some sort of drug. I have never had allergies in my life, but this year, I have eyes that give new meaning to the word angry. They are boodshot and red, and they itch like crazy. Sound like fun? I think so too. It also causes at least three people a day to come up to me and cock their head with a very concerned look and say "Are you ok?!" I'm beginning to think of making up responses, like "Oh, it's nothing...just that I had to take out the trash this morning, and I hate parting with anything" or something like that, just to see what people might say. If nothing else, I bet that a lot fewer would ask me what was wrong!
The weather has actually be nice all week, so the kids and I have been outside quite a bit. We love going to the farm to feed the animals - and don't let the fact that the kids are clinging to me confuse you, I swear that they really love it!
Dear People who decide what shows up on TV:
I, like everyone else, am quite aware of what happened at Virginia Tech on Monday. It was terrible, horrible, awful, and more than that. I appreciate you letting everyone know.
But now everyone knows. The victims have been identified, and everyone has expressed their sympathies at a loss so great.
Now it would be nice if you would leave all of these grief-stricken people alone. Let their phones be quiet, let them mourn in peace. They do not need to give exclusive interviews to anyone or be the lead story on any news cast.
And leave the parents of the shooter alone too. They didn't ever dream that their baby boy would grow up to be this. They didn't ask for it any more than anyone else did. They are devestated to, so let them alone as well.
Everyone wants to know things, and wants to hear the stories, because we are all too nosey for our own good sometimes. But the personal tragedies outweigh the fact that people are obsessed with the horrors of everyday life. So let it rest - if there is new news, please let me know. Otherwise, please leave these poor people alone for a bit - I think that they deserve that, don't you?
The sun has set on yet another day. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like every other day. But this is a day in the wake of yet another school shooting. Which makes it different...at least in some ways.
This was a school shooting at a college instead of a high school, with more victims than before. This one comes just days before the 8th anniversary of Columbine, the school that held people that I knew once upon a time, before I wondered who else might not live to see another sunset because they didn't make it home from school.
I was in high school eight years ago, amazed that anyone would ever come up with an idea as horrifying as shooting classmates. Today, I'm in college - again - and a little less amazed that someone could have such a horrifying idea. A little less amazed, but just as devastated for all the people involved.
One of the many things that seems to be a common thread among school shootings is that the one who holds the gun was - or at least felt like - an outsider or a loner, like they didn't fit in with the crowd. Does that make it okay for them to do something like shoot up a school? No. And does it mean that the people that the shot at deserved it? Absolutely not. It just means that it wouldn't hurt for people to be nicer to each other. Would someone offering a smile in the morning have changed anything? Probably not, in the same way that putting a band aid over a bullet hole doesn't solve the problem. But enough kind words might just keep the bullet hole from ending up there in the first place.
When the sun rises tomorrow, the tragedy will still have happened, and the grief of those involved every bit as painful as it was today. And there are no words to make any of it go away - if there were, they would have been said a million times over by now. But when the sun rises tomorrow, there will be another chance to be a little bit kinder. Because of the many things there are to be gleaned from something so horrible, one is that it never hurts to be a little bit kinder to people...because you never know when it could make all the difference.
...or whiskers on kittens. My new favorite thing is Zicam. Seriously. Run - do not walk - to any store and get yourself a bunch.
I woke up on Saturday with a horrible feeling cold - the itchy eyes, the scratchy throat, the congested head. Can you say fun?! That's what I thought too...that is so not how I say fun.
So off to the Super Target I go, in search of drugs to fix what ailed me, as well as more Diet Coke. In the cold medicine aisle, I grabbed anything that happend to sound like it might help - cough drops, day time medicine, night time medicine. And then I saw it -- something that promises to reduce cold symptoms in severity and duration. I grabbed the bottle -- and there were no drugs listed on it. Now, usually I am not a big vitamins and minerals can cure all things girl (ok, I am NEVER that way) but the weather is about to turn nice again and I figured it couldn't hurt.
I am a convert...who is in LOVE with Zicam. It is less than 48 hours later and I feel fantastic. Not a throat tickle to be felt, and I couldn't be more pleased. I started feeling a ton better in 24 hours, and I was afraid to say anything in case I jinxed it and it wouldn't last. But it did!
So my public service announcement for Monday: Get yourself some Zicam. It's the wonderdrug - sorry, wonder-mineral - for colds.
Five more things to know...
1. I have a cold. This makes the second weekend out of four that I have been sick. I do not enjoy being unwell - I find it inconvenient and unfun.
2. I don't really look like anyone in my family. One sister and a parent has blond hair and blue eyes, the other sister and parent have brown hair and brown eyes. My green eyed, red haired self is quite the mystery. Maybe I was switched at birth...
3. I am terrified of scary movies. I have to cover my eyes and my ears as soon as the scary music starts. If I attempt to watch something scary without doing this I will scream out loud and grab whoever is next to me, usually scaring them to pieces. I would imagine this makes me not much fun to watch scary movies with, but I guess maybe it adds the element of surprise - since you never know when I might make you jump out of your skin.
4. I can't stand naked toes. My toenails have to be painted at all times.
5. I adore scented things - candles and scented oils. I have tons of them (and I use them, not like people who buy them and don't light them) and they make me happy. It makes me feel special to have my house smell good.
A few days ago I took the kids to Wonderscope with Christine and Sydney. Things were going well - the kids were having a great time, and I was more than happy to let them run around knowing that they weren't (probably not anyway) going to break anything.
Everything was clicking along, good times being had by all, so I decided to run to the bathroom -- the chance to not drag the two kids with me was too much to pass up - and so I left the kids with Christine and walked down the hall.
Which, of course, caused Bennett to look very concerned before crawling after me as fast as his little legs could move. But given that being upright is a sign of evolution for a reason, Christine was able to catch him before he made it to the hall.
90 seconds later, I return, hoping silently to myself that Bennett has not spent the last minute and a half screaming his head off, as he does once and a while when I dare to leave his line of sight. But there was a small sigh of relief, as Bennett was happily clutching golf balls, no tears in sight.
My relief was quickly replaced by my wide eyed stare...at Garrett trapped in a plastic bubble that was meant to keep kids from climbing on the tracks. Well, never one to be outsmarted by some engineer, Garrett did them one better and no only climbed on the track, but inside the box. And he was happily pressing his nose against the inside and making faces and looking somewhat like part of a magic trick - you know, the one where someone appears in a teeny tiny box? Poor Christine was trying to get him to duck his head down and crawl out, which I can assure you was just not going to happen.
So I put on my best stern face - which was really just an attempt to cover up the fact that I wanted to laugh hysterically - and dragged the little bugger out by his feet. Which he also thought was great fun. I should have taken his picture first, but I was trying not to encourage him...
Needless to say, we decided it was time to explore a new room after the boy in the bubble fiasco...
I've been tagged...and since I'm feeling easy going, I'll play...
Three Things That Scare Me:
1. Something happening to one of the kids
2. The dentist - don't laugh, I have a SERIOUS phobia
3. Failing. At anything.
Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. Myself...because I do some really goofy things
2. Jay Leno
3. My sisters (ok, so that's two people, but who wants to be technical)
Three Things I Love:
1. Diet Coke
2. Organizing things
3. Naps (not that I ever get to take them)
Three Things I Hate:
1. Bugs
2. People who lack perspective
3. Bad parenting
Three Things I Don't Understand:
1. Why people lie...especially about stupid things that don't matter
2. Politics (Some I understand, but there is a whole lot more I am totally clueless about)
3. Chemistry II
Three Things On My Desk:
1. MCAT Study books/materials - 14 of them to be exact
2. Pictures - of the kids, of friends and family, and of babies that I delivered that people have sent me
3. A can of diet coke
Three Things I'm Doing Right Now:
1. Drinking Diet Coke
2. Watching TV
3. Trying to figure out when I'm going to make up the studying I didn't get done tonight
Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Go to medical school
2. Make a difference to someone by doing something for them that they can't do themselves
3. Learn to make really good pies
Three Things I Can Do:
1. Cook (and well, if I do say so myself)
2. Take good pictures (as a photographer, not as the subject)
3. Organize
Three Things I Can't Do:
1. Say no when people ask me to do things
2. Resist eating sweets
3. Draw...crafty I am but artistic I am most definitely not!
Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. Your instict when it tells you to do (or not do) something
2. Classical music
3. Anyone who is really trying to tell you something important - even if it is something you don't want to hear
Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. People who don't believe in you or tell you that you can't do something
2. Anyone who is excessively negative
3. Anyone trying to sell you something that 'you can't live without'
Three Things I'd Like To Learn:
1. How to knit
2. How to make a cheesecake
3. To be more flexible
Three Favorite Foods:
1. Mexican Food!
2. Garlic Bread
3. Seafood
Three Shows I Watched as a Kid:
1. Full House
2. She-Ra, Princess of Power (and He Man)
3. Today's Special
Three Things I Regret:
1. Trying to grow up too fast as a teenager
2. Not making more of an effort to stay connected
3. Confusing want with need
If you haven't done this meme yet, then I'm tagging you. That's right - now you have to answer your three things!
So orginally I was going to ask if anyone wanted a 10 month old boy, because I had one that I wanted to get rid of. But since I am pretty attached, I decided to keep him.
And then I read Katie's blog, and it was about art. Her brother has a friend that things artists should go out and get 'real jobs'. I'm not quite sure what defines a 'real job' but that's another topic entirely.
But on the subject of art...how many of you actually appreciate the little things...the finer things of every day life. I don't mean going to the museum or the symphony - those are wonderful things, but not my point. My point is how often do you notice the little things that most people miss...the things that are beautiful to you? And if the best violinist in the entire world were playing, would you notice...or would you walk right by?
Pearls Before Breakfast
It's totally worth looking at the article, if for no other reason than to hear Joshua Bell play. He is amazing.
So as it turns out, Sundays are the days that I just give you random information about myself. You know you like it.
So here's some more:
1. The Easter Bunny still visits my parents house. And hides his eggs. And my youngest sister is 21.
2. This year I was the last person to find all my eggs. Just like last year. And the year before...and the year before... You get the picture. I suck at egg hunting.
3. Studying at my parents house isn't any more fun than studying at my own house. And there are a lot more people around to distract me...which does not work in favor of productivity.
4. I watched The Pursuit of Happyness (and I do know how to spell, but that's how it's written in the movie). I thought it was good...a great story, and Will Smith was fantastic. If you haven't seen it you should - because then you'll remember that sometimes good guys do come out on top.
5. My family is hilarious. Seriously...it's good times around here - you should come over sometime, you'll see...
And thus concludes another five things that you didn't know (or maybe you did, but pretend it's all new) about me. Apparently Sundays are not my most intelligent days...
Well, Chuck E Cheese is back anyway. That's right - the kids and I spent yesterday afternoon at the Rat Hole (as I like to call it). And not to worry, Garrett is effectively affected by their appropriate marketing...his eyes grow big and wide and his slips into somewhat of a trance like state when we walk in the door.
All in all, I guess that Chuck E Cheese's (aka the Rat Hole) isn't so bad...as long as you go in the middle of the day when it isn't packed with people who need their entire family together to make up a full set of teeth. Er, I mean full of lots and lots of people...
Several exciting things happened on our visit to the Rat Hole. One of which being that Garrett continued to remain dry. That's right, despite being lulled into a Chuck E. coma, he managed to keep his pull up dry. What a stud.
Another fun thing that occurred was skee ball. Not just any skee ball, but a contest with Christine and I. Because everyone has to have a little fun...and I think that skee ball is super fun! We were pretty evenly matched (or at least as evenly as possible with all of the small hands that were "helping" us). And then we got walloped...by the kids. Sydney and Bennett - whose combined ages don't even make 3 yet - were standing quietly and watching the fact that the adults charged with their care were acting like total dorks. And all of the sudden there were ringing bells and flashing lights. The kids won the jackpot. Seriously - the skee ball machine started spewing out tickets...180 of them! Apparently the machine was possessed, but not to worry, we definitely took the tickets anyway -- possessed or not, the machine obviously wanted us to have them!
But even the tickets weren't the most exciting thing (although I know, how do you top a dry pull up and and a ticket jackpot?). With an allergic reaction, that's how.
There we were, all sitting at the table and munching away on pizza, chatting happily away. I gave Bennett a drink of watered down Hi C Fruit Punch and a bite of pizza and turned to make sure that Garrett wasn't doing anything like pulling all the napkins out of the holder or something equally as interesting. And when I turn back to Bennett...he was covered in hives. ALL OVER HIS FACE. Which probably caused a lovely look on my face, because I think my eyes just about popped out of my head. I pick up his shirt, and they're all over his chest too.
Now, Bennett has always been a rashy kid. Usually a little red spot here, one there, and it's no big deal. But hives all over his face?! Now that is not normal. But I resisted the urge to flip out and run screaming for the closest ER and came to my senses. I didn't get that RN behind my name for nothing after all...
After I took away the juice and the pizza, the hives went away pretty quickly. Bennett continued to laugh and smile like nothing was wrong. Although when I tried to get him to take a sip of the drink again, just to confirm that is what caused the big break out he looked at me like I was nuts and adamently refused. And the rest of the day continued without incident.
But seriously...how much more exciting can a visit to the Rat Hole get?
Everyone knows that I am totally in love with Oprah. Really. I adore her...and I tivo her show every day. Most of the time I keep quiet about my love, but on occasion I do feel the need to proclaim it once again.
And here we are - ready to share the love of Oprah with the world. Yesterday she had a show on about real life heroes. It was fascinating. The show included a 15 year old girl who fought off a bear in her own house, a man who jumped in a lake to save a girl from a submerged car, a mother who saved her children in a tornado, and a unit that had just returned after 7 months in Iraq.
Now, not many people will have the opportunity to fight off a bear in their home. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Although apparently this girl's neighbors had it as a pet. So if you don't know your neighbors, you might want to investigate their pet situation...just in case. But the second story was about a man who jumped in when he heard that a car had rolled into the water at a yacht club. Which brought up the important question - how many people would actually jump in to save someone else? I would think that anyone would, but I'm not so sure that's actually true.
The mother who saved her children will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. And the amazing thing is that she isn't bitter about it at all - she says she would do the same thing all over again. And I believe her -- and she has great looking kids to show for it. And the soldiers from Iraq had their family reunions on live TV...and it doesn't matter how you feel about war or peace or anything else. You can't be anything but in awe of people who give up their lives and safety to help out other people. And when the finally get to come home, you can't help but be overjoyed for them and their families.
It was all about everyday people who did things for others without wanting anything in return. Which begs the question...how many people do you know that would do something like that for someone else?
There are an awful lot of strange things in the news. Since I have had it on this morning, I have heard the following:
*It's going to be about 20 degrees overnight in the next few days. It's April for goodness sake -- what happened to the warm weather?! And now I just heard something about snow...eek!
*Keith Richards told a reporter that he snorted his father's ashes. That's right he said that he mixed his father's ashes with cocaine and snorted him. But not to worry, he also said his father wouldn't mind. Gross! He of course now says it was just a joke, but still...GROSS!
I'm not really sure how you can top snow in april and someone snorting their father's ashes, so I won't even try...
Because I know that you have all been waiting on the edge of your seat, here are five more things to know about me...
1. Sloppy handwriting makes me crazy...and not just a little crazy, a LOT crazy.
2. I honestly believe that what goes around comes around (at least to a certain extent...I'm not making sure not to step on ants or anything crazy like that...)
3. If I wish something hard enough, I believe that it just might happen.
4. If you had told me five years ago what I would be doing and what my life would be like today (or that my plans for tomorrow included naptime, swimming lessons, and organic chemistry) I never would have believed you.
5. I believe that every day is another chance to start over and make the right choices.
And there you have it. Five more things about me...I'm sure you already holding your breath, anxious for more...
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