7 awesome things I learned this week:

1. Sami will actually play in the sink for an hour! And unlike last year, she doesn't soak everything.  I stopped letting her play in the sink because when she was done I had to soak up the floor, counters, and changer her clothes.  Too much work for a few minutes of fun.  But no longer!  As  you can see, she does get wet, but at least it's now so worth it!

2. I can actually sew! Ok, maybe that's going a little too far. I guess I should say, "I actually sewed something!" Years ago my sweet and generous friend, Jill, gave me a sewing machine. I bought a pattern from "Sewing For Dummies," but finally gave up feeling very dumb and frustrated. But I was inspired by my sister-in-law and tutored by my mother-in-law and feel like I am ready to take on another hobby! I know that this isn't much, just a cover for a composition notebook. And I am too embarrassed to take pictures of the insides because it's very crooked.  But, hey, it is my first try so I'm giving myself some leeway.☺

3. Prayer and chocolate can make any day better. (I already knew this but re-learned it this week.)

4.  My friend Suzanne told taught me how to make my glass cups look like new.  They were looking very murky from the hard water.  You just fill up your sink with equal parts of warm water and white vinegar, and put your glasses in, let them sit and wa-la! It was like magic!  My glasses look new.  J has mentioned the "new" cups three times now.

5. I don't have PCOS. Last week a PA diagnosed me with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  It's a hormone disorder that affects fertility, among other things. I was very distressed.  The PA basically said, "You have PCOS, but I can't tell you much about it so you have to go see a specialist (you can imagine how well that went over with Jonathan when I told him about it-he firmly believes you shouldn't diagnose unless you can answer any/all questions). I already had an appointment to see a new OB doc, and I took the same lab results to him and he said there was no indication that I had it.  (J didn't think I had it either but he freely admits that OB is not his thing.) I definitely feel confident in the OB rather than the internal medicine physicians assistant and am greatly relieved. Not to mention that I love this new OB, and Jonathan was able to come with me to this appointment and he was very impressed with him too. So I feel blessed. (Thanks, Whitney, for telling me about your amazing OB!)

6.  This video on vulnerability is so interesting and insightful.  I found it so true for my own life, and I am recommitted to living in gratitude and being joyful in the ordinary.  It's 16 minutes but so worth your time. I can't tell you how many times I have said, "my life is so good, I wonder when something bad is going to happen."   I am going to try to stop "foreboding joy."
http://mollyirwin.typepad.com/mollyirwin/2010/08/on-vulnerability.html

7.  One of the sweet & oh-so-cute young women that I work with has a new etsy shop that is so awesome!  Juliette makes and sells flower clippies and headbands.  Her prices are so reasonable and she hand delivered me my order the same day and refunded my shipping.  I took this picture of me with my new goods, which I was going to give to the girls but now I am keeping them! Her shop is called Bloomin' Cute, which is so fitting.

Life is good. ♥

Yes, I really did cut the girls' hair.

Jonathan is on another one of those 30 hour shifts.  I texted him that I had cut the girls' hair.  He was shocked, mainly because I've never cut anyone's hair...ever.  So I told him I would post pictures so he could see what a good job I did. Just in case he's a little worried.☺

Here's the deal.  Sami has started running away screaming again when she sees me with a brush and Janie's mullet was just getting to be too much.  If it wasn't pulled back, it didn't look good.  And all my friends cut their girls' hair!  So I thought, "why not save myself 30 dollars and cut it myself?"  I got the girls in their chairs, put on a Dora movie, and gave them each a popsicle.  I did actually think to myself that I should watch a you tube video on how to cut hair before I started, but the girls were ready so I just dove in.  I mean, hair always grows back, right?

And they were perfect! (I don't know why Cost Cutters doesn't give kids popsicles while they cut hair.  It would have saved Sami a lot of trauma.)  Sami's hair was a bit harder because hers is so thick and curls. But hopefully those same features will hide my mistakes.  I think they look so cute.  And if you sit behind me in church tomorrow and notice their hair is crooked or that I missed a spot, please try not to laugh too loudly until I walk away.  Thank you in advance.

I had to take their pictures while they were locked in their Bumbo chairs eating cookie dough because they have learned that I can see them from a cute little screen on the back of my camera.  So now they only want to stand beside me to see what I can see instead of in front of me so I can take their cute pictures. (And yes, Janie's apron is huge-more like a blanket- but Grandma is making her a matching one like Sami's and mine for Christmas!  She is going to love it! Then we will all be so cute and matching in the kitchen.)

Moments I Love

The girls are getting easier and cuter (I didn't think the "cuter" part was possible, but these girls keep surprising me!).  I love that I don't have to pack a diaper bag everywhere we go, I just grab my purse, their sippy cups, and a snack and we're good!  I love watching their imaginations develop.  This week they were playing kitchen and I enjoyed watching them feed each other and feed their dolls.

I owe a lot to Mr. Potatohead.  He's amazing.  He keeps the girls entertained for at least 10 minutes at a time.  And he develops their manual manipulation and teaches body parts.  He's a keeper.

Janie thinks Mr. Potatohead's glasses are her glasses.  She wears them everyday, even though they are a very poor fit and pinch her little chubby face.  She is so funny.

I just love it when school supplies are dirt cheap!  I wasn't sure I wanted to get the girls paint, but I gave in and it hasn't been too messy.  And they paint beautiful paintings for our "art gallery."

I was "tickled pink" (ha-ha) that the girls wanted their nails painted to match mine.  They both sat perfectly still while I applied the paint and they waited until I told them the paint was dry.  They were so excited to show Jonathan their pretty toes.  And we have been admiring our feet in sandals all day.  This is why I love girls!!

The Intern

So how is the intern?  Thank you for asking.  He is working...a lot.  The first six weeks of residency he worked in the ER.  He learned that he doesn't like the ER at all, but he liked the schedule.  He did shift work, so after he put in 12 hours, he left with another doctor in charge.  He only missed one Sunday and it was a blessing for our family to not have him gone ALL the time, especially after coming out of having him home for 2 1/2 months.

But now he is working wards.  I'm not exactly sure of the definition of "wards," but it means that he is taking care of patients that are admitted into the hospital.  And he stays until the work is done.  He knew by Wednesday that he was going to get over 80 hours logged (the law says residents can't work over 80 hours a week) so he puts in 15+ hour days and then works from home.  (He worked from our computer, so I didn't get any Photoshop done, but I'm not bitter about it. Seriously, I'm not.)

But, he still loves it.  It's crazy and stressful and he feels inadequate all the time.  And he hates telling people that they are going to die.  But he loves trying to help people.  He loves helping people leave the hospital, with the tools they need to feel better or at least cope with their situation.  And it will get easier as he gets faster at charting and is more familiar with the computer systems.  

And how am I doing?  Thank you for asking.  I've adjusted my attitude, and I am doing really well.  One day last week Jonathan told me he was going to be home early, which I thought was around 2 pm.  So in my head I made plans.  When he came home, I was going to run errands and go shopping, sans cute kiddos.  But by 4 pm, I had not  heard from him.  By 5, I was upset.  By 6, I was disappointed.  And I was feeling sorry for myself.  But the Spirit reminded me that Jonathan was still working hard, harder than I was (because at that point I was sitting my wonderful recliner).  And Jonathan was trying to help people who couldn't help themselves and I needed to be supportive.  And so when he came home around 7 pm, I smiled and gave him some dinner.  And I learned to make my plans for his scheduled days off, and be pleasantly surprised if he comes home early any other day (which has yet to happen, but I know it will).  And I have a new appreciation for the wives of the bishopric, whose husbands work full time at work and full time at church. I know it's not the same but I never hear their wives complain and that's how I want to be.  

This is a picture of Dr. J after a 30 hour shift.  Usually when he's on call  he gets to rest for at least a couple of hours, but not this week.  So he came home very, very tired (granted, he was making extra special faces for the camera).  He slept for four hours, got up for dinner and played with the girls, and went back to bed for the night and was up at 5:30 the next morning and gone by 6:15.  It will get better though.  

 

We actually have three doctors in our house.  Sami and Janie love stethoscopes.  And I think we have four of them, and one is actually real (yes, they are yard sale treasures ☺).  They give me daily checkups.  So far so good. 

Referee

Sometimes I feel like my main job is referee.  I keep fights from happening and break them up when they do.  The girls are so close in age and like the same things, I just wish they didn't like them at the same time.  And we haven't established "Sami's toys" and "Janie's toys" but thanks to yard sales, I have two (or more) of a lot of toys but the spats still seem to happen.  But what frustrates me the most is when I start yelling at them to stop yelling at each other.  Yeah, not my best parenting skill.

But then I see the girls sitting in the corner giggling together, and I can't help but think that these two really do love each other.  Today Janie started crying and Sami walked over and said "Sissy want a hug" and gave her a hug and a kiss.  And my heart melted.  I am so glad that they have each other.  And I am glad that they are so close together because they will share so many of the same experiences.  When I think about it, I realize that they play together so much more than they fight.  It's just that the fights grab my attention. I just hope they will ask before they borrow each other's jeans in high school and not like the same boy.  Is that asking for too much? 

Just look at this cute little stinker trying to push her sister off the couch.  And just a few minutes earlier they were cuddling and reading together.  And sadly I didn't get that picture.