New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar

The irony of course being that I used to go this library to chat up guys that looked like this...not to study for an A+

One man's happiness is another woman's sorrow....

Away Rotations Part of Students Medical Experience-Most Often
-Happen in 4th year.
-Are most often organize through a central service ERAS.  ERAS charges 15 dollars a school.  Some schools have secondary fees.
-A good way for students to visit institutions they are interested in and get feedback from people outside their own medical school.
-1-3 rotations are the norm.

On a personal note Dr. J decided he could fit in 2.  He got news yesterday that his second, first choice hospital had accepted him.  SO in the very near future my hubby will be leaving for nine weeks.  He will do a month at the University of Utah Hospital in the ICU.  He will then have one weekend to get himself to Oregon Health Sciences Hospital where he will do a four week stint in their Emergency Room.

THE HAPPINESS:
-A good way to see if he is still interested in these institutions.
-Time to get in good with the faculty and get more diverse letters of recommendation.
-Time to see our families.
-During this time he can set up interviews at his west coast residency choices.  The interviewing process for Medical Residencies is paid for by the student and interviewing while he is there or flying out from these closer cities will save us a few bucks in an OVERLY EXPENSIVE PROCESS!  Think this doesn't effect you.  Think again.  Next time you feel like complaining about a medical bill take into effect some doctor had to borrow money twenty years before to interview and is still paying it off with interest.

THE SORROW:
-Will be away from his family for nine weeks.  Yes he is already gone a lot but usually the kids at least get to see him around bedtime at least every third day.
-There will be no trade off, no babysitter, no regular adult conversations, no "mommy/daddy" time for nine weeks.
-I will be going to parent teacher conference alone.
-I will be doing Halloween alone for the second time in two years.  I'm seriously contemplating ditching the trunk or treat.  Public family time can sometimes be overwhelming.
-I will be having my birthday alone for the second time in two years...did I mention it was my 30th birthday.  Yes I am definitely bitter :)

If You Like Hunger Games...

Check out Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.  It has that same post apocalyptic teen drama fun.  OK there are a few moments when it gets a little environmentally preachy, not on the level of Happy Feet, where the message totally overpowers the ability to have a good story.  Man I hated that movie.  I'll have a full review later but half way through I definitely enjoy it.  If you haven't read Hunger Games yet what are you waiting for? 

Products I Love

I have the worst skin.  Every little scratch becomes something permanent.  Scar city.  I recently cut a huge chunk off my leg with a bad razor.  Blood was going every.  I looked down and realized I was going to have a huge scar and there was no way a little band aid was going to work .  Then I realized I had these pads in my closet. You pull one out, warm it up in your hand and place it over the wound.  It acts like a second skin.  It was amazing.  I did have to replace it once because there was a lot of blood built up under the first one.  I pulled it off, wiped it off, and put a new one on.  I got no scab.  I had no blood leakage.  I didn't get any of that nasty sticky stuff around my bandage.  Two weeks later I barely have a scar at all.  I will definitely be buying these again.  Interestingly enough the surgeon Dr. J is working with uses a similar product all the time on office procedures.  No more regular band aids for me.   

I found these blankets at target this week.  4 aden and anais for under 30 dollars.  These muslin blankets are the best baby blankets I've ever seen.  They are perfect for swaddling.  They are perfect for covering baby.  They are light, cute, and humongous.  You can buy them online for almost 50 dollars.  Target has them for a much better price.  I know I don't have a new baby but I couldn't resist.  I swaddled Peach in her nap yesterday and she slept so much better then she usually does.  They are also great for playing ghost!

Back to School Night-One woman braves the crowds with three kids in hand.

Tonight was a food failure.  Fast food nation forgive me...I took the kids to McDonald's.  Blame it on back to school night.  At 5:22 I got a call from my loving hubby, he said they had a bowel dissection and a burst appendix to take care of before he came home.  Translation...Mrs. MD you are on your own, one parent, three kids...totally outnumbered...make a plan and you just might survive. 

Equipment-I'm already one hand short so every object needs to be carefully planned.
one umbrella stroller
one baby sling
one squashed fruit (like a fruit roll)
one cell phone
one muslin blanket

Time Line-
By the time all the kids had a chance to chat with their father and say goodnight we were down to less than an hour, no shoes on any feet, nobody fed.
5:30- Have a race to get shoes on.
5:34- Grab and carry equipment with one squirming daughter dancing in the street and the other under arm.
5:40- Stop by bank to get cash.
5:50- McDonald's drive through....let the kids order a "happy meal".
6:10- Get to the school in plenty of time to eat and get parking in front of the building.
6:25- Put baby in sling, middle child in the stroller, have oldest lead the way and open doors.
6:30-7:05 Sit at cafeteria table with 100s of other parents listening to the principal go on and on about how awesome the school is and PTA beg people to volunteer.  Shush baby with squashed fruit.  Placate middle child with cell phone camera.  Have oldest play peek a boo with baby and the muslin blanket.  Sweat profusely with the stress of trying to keep all three kids quiet and seated.  Pray the talking will end soon.
7:05-7:10-Navigate the overcrowded hallways to the first grade wing.  Congratulate yourself on being smart enough not to bring the overly bulky double stroller. 
7:10-7:30-Visit classroom.  Marvel at how cute and young 24 looks (The teacher).  Be amazed at how a teacher barely starting her fourth year can be so organized.  Notice that the kids that came out of the other kindergarten classrooms still grip their pencils incorrectly and are wiggle worms and wonder why your kindergarten teacher was so stringent.  Grab the globe as it comes crashing to the floor thanks to daughter number one.  Set all kids up at the table coloring.  Pack kids back into the stroller/baby carrier and blow a sigh of relief at making it through another passage of time alone as a single parent :)

This Little Piggie...

My fridge stinks, I mean just reeks!  My hubby wanted to practice his stitch work and asked me to pick up some pig feet as volunteers.  Between call days, late nights, and early mornings the feet have been left alone, stinking up the fridge.  Today we decided to toss them.  I'd feel bad for myself but then there is my neighbor.  Her husband an entomologist is constantly bringing home dead birds and snakes to hold in the freezer until he can collect the parasites on them.  Like I said, it could be worse :)

Giggles

Where is a my mom?  Where is my mother-in-law?  Two weeks of extra hands and adult conversation are like water to a parched soul!  It is back to full alone duty.  Thank goodness for a little kid humor to keep the spirits up. 

Captain E-A couple of days ago Dr. J came downstairs and found Captain E doing push ups, "1025, 1026, 1027..."

G Bear-is all girl when it comes to clothes and activities, but when it comes movies and book choices she takes after her brother.  She loves Scobby Doo, Batman, and Superman.  The kids got a Superman book, think comic style.  When I have the kids pick bedtime stories G Bear always brings it. There is a line in the book that says, "I am Earth's greatest super hero.  I am superman!"  When I read that line last night G Bear yells out "Mom Superman is the best man in the whole world.  Right?"  What could I say, the girl has high standards.  Yesterday at dinner she ate 3 1/2 pieces of pizza.

Peach-Peach loves to be sung to.  Eensy Weensy or Itsy Bitsy spider which ever you prefer is her favorite song.  She loves the actions request the song often by started them out.  She also is a great eater.  Yesterday at dinner she kept using her napkin to dab her mouth.  Also when grandma was here she taught her the words ut-oh.  We all get a kick out of hearing her say it.  So cute!

Mole-Wife MD

We were at a indoor BBQ a couple of weeks ago for some friends who had left but were visiting.  There were a bunch of people there including some other friends from another ward.  We were in the hallway shooting the breeze with one of these couples when my husband says, "Sister so and so, this might seem a little awkward, but have you ever had that mole looked at?"  It was kind of an embarrassing moment for her and also oddly enough embarrassing for me.  Here we are having a nice little dinner and my hubby is checking out people's moles.  I teased him probably ten times about this since it happened.  Monday we were at a triward 5th of July BBQ.  As we were driving up we saw this same woman walking up with her husband.  When she saw us she started booking over our direction.  It turns out that mole was cancerous.  After Dr. J brought it up she went to the dermatologist.  They had to remove the mole and do testing to make sure the cancer hadn't spread.  This sweet sister told my hubby, "Had you not said anything, I probably would have waited to have it checked until it was to late."   Amazing...and that folks is how an embarrassing moment became something to make me proud.  I'm really grateful she came and told us that.  I know she didn't have to, but hearing it made my husband feel good.  So what should you look for if you have a mole you are worried about...ABCDE!

Asymmetry-are the sides equal?
Border-is border irregular?  Notched?  Does it have a scallop or is it indistinct?
Color-is there variation in the color?  Is there differences in the shade?
Diameter-is the mole larger than a pencil eraser head?
Elevation-is it raised from the skin?

These are all warning signals.  Moles that are changing a lot...not good news.  If you are suspicious of a mole point it out to your physician!

I Want...

"I want an apple," Captain E says. "No problemo," I tell him.  "I know I've been buying a lot of peaches and nectarines lately.  I'll just pick up some apples next time I'm at the store."  "Not that kind of apples.  I want an apple like nana has.  It is so fun.  Way more fun than our computer."  A light goes off on in my head.  He means my mother's macbook that he spent time video himself on, taking funky pictures, or playing cafe world which I refuse to put on my facebook.  "Oh," I say, "Um that type of apple is really expensive."  "Well then I'll give you half my piggy bank money to buy it," Captain E says.  I tell my mother about this lovely interaction and she is in shock.  "How does he know it is an apple?" she asks.  When it comes to brand recognition...Apple is one of the best in the business!!!!!

Quirky Music

I have this neighbor who is kind of quirky cool, the kind of person who takes off to study abroad in South Africa at 19 and comes back with a husband.  Like I said quirky cool :)  She recently posted on Facebook she had been spending her day watching Darren Hanlon on youtube.  I went to check him out and the kids and I loved him.  Here are two of my favorite music videos so far.  We also found this other music video that the kids totally loved...I mean how couldn't they.  They are the kids who see dress up as an essential part of the day.  Seeing adults dress up in creative costumes...well that was just frosting.  Anyway check it out if you want to waste some time.

Children's Place Summer Stock Up

If you are like me you stock up clothes for the next year when they are on sale.  This is the weekend to head out to Children's Place.  Tons of their summer clothes are on sale starting at 2.99.  I almost completely outfitted the three kids for next summer for under 100 dollars!  If you don't like to actually go into stores they also have stuff online...although not as cheap!