Back to Banner!!

Here is the first day of the new job as well as the boys' first day of school. Other than Stink being home sick with his Mexican flu-bug all was great.

We were so very excited, for school and Mom's new job. Thrilled with the idea of a more consistent schedule with free weekends. Glad to dive into something new to keep me on my toes. Things seemed great! They aren't always what they seem, even with thorough research done. This was a classic case of the grass not being greener on the other side... just as my Grandpa says.

I was sure this was a sealed fab deal. Some reserves but not too many ideas otherwise. Stuck in a high of "something new". Gave away my Banner scrubs and threw away my clipboard with brain sheets and any other sheet laying around. Wrote a sweet sayonara card to my dear 7S.

I'm now back at Banner... and I got my card back during the first shift. My card had a personalized cover card full of kind notes... thank you. I was taken back in, quicker than I ever would have thought. Not only taken back in, but welcomed with hugs and sweet words I will never forget.

I learned a lot. There are flaws and trials in everything of course... but this was the first time I left something that made me realize how great it was to begin with... despite the flaws and trials. It's a unit solid in foundation and full of loyalty, integrity, and honest/caring people. Respect greater for me than I had for it. ***hard to find***

I'm so glad to be back. Back to a place where my hard work and love for my patients is not only appreciated but shown by my other co-workers as well. Which is what matters and just what I need my career to be surrounded with.

Plus the Monday through Friday thing I was finding wasn't as hot as I really thought either. I need a full weekday here and there to fill with my gym classes, lunch dates, school volunteering, good cooking, and errands... in addition to I really hated grocery shopping with the boys.

Change is good. It can sometimes bring new opportunities, or make you thankful for and realize the value of what you had. You know my take!

I love you "Nurse Goddesses" I work with, kiss-kiss!!

A Vent Here, A Vent There

It's been an odd last couple of weeks... just different. It was a tiring shuffle with a brief disappointment there in the mix. I never know what comes before me, and it takes a lot to surprise me these days. But I always face it, with the best face I can show.

We went through the usual routine this morning- back to our usual that is. Glad to be back, btw. I was ready to send my boys off to school. As I get them out the door in the morning, instead of being in my gym wear while smothering my boys with kisses and wet handed hugs from breakfast dish duty, I was dropping them off at school all dressed up. They told me I looked pretty this morning. They examined my colored lips that are usually uncolored at this hour. That caused a brief hesitation before our kissy part this AM. They didn't know where I was going, some meeting I told them. Mom's on a quest... to fix some things that have been bothering my children.

I've been feisty. There are three things that can switch me to this mode. Hunger is a minor one of them. Messing with my kids or patients are major others. Both of those major types put some serious trust in you while they are in vulnerable times. I don't take that lightly, and a different side of me can be seen if I sense others treating those without sincere concern. Your wrongly brave if you get in the way. No one is perfect... not me nor you. I don't ever expect perfection from anyone but I do hold high standards. There is not one reason for me not to have those types of expectations.

I have done some worrying lately, which I believe is unnecessary and counterproductive for me. I don't like to do it and I need to just stop it because things always work out the way they are supposed to. That's always been a hard thing for me to remember though when it comes to my "majors".

The babes came home to a relieved mom today. I squeezed my sweet boys who smelled like sun and school... mom's quest is going in the right direction, and so are you two. I will always do my best to help you with that.

Ok... sigh of relief... things are better... de-feist done. :)

Tooth, Be Gone

Excuse my unmake upped face and dirty feet... I was on a mission.

I had a dangling tooth to pull. I planned this when I stole a glove at Urgent Care earlier that day. I bought a tube of orajel later on in the day. My plans were coming together. Then I broke the news to S. Stink... he was about to have the childhood gap of missing his two front teeth. He was excited... after all the front teeth are the high-dollar teeth according to him and his note to the tooth fairy about his other front tooth he lost before.
He goes around the house acting like he's a vampire... hissing and making this odd wrinkle as if that's what he thinks vampires actually do. To answer your thought, yes, I do feed him. I fed him corn on the cob the other day and just when I realized how cruel that was he had cleaned half of the cob already with his side teeth. It was amusing to watch. Happy hissing love-bug. xoxo

PS- Thank you Benny for the action photo-shoot. ;)

PSS- The tooth-fairy is not cheap!

Belated Birthday Post

We were at church this morning and Benny went with mom as he only sometimes does to "the big service" as he calls it. He told me he was going to miss me over the next three days so could he please go. During service he was twiddling my hair in his fingers and playing with it, putting it behind my ear and then smoothing it out. He took my hand and examined it with his, comparing the size. I thought... this hand of his is going to be so much bigger than mine some day- so I captured that sight tight in my mind. Then I remembered that Benny of mine had a recent birthday that I needed to back blog about.

It was right before our trip on the ship that my sweet boy-Jenny-Benny turned 7. We celebrated it on the very day (July 16th) with a summer slumber party including 10 boys I think. I pulled out the blue "Birthday Boy" ribbon pin that I have had since the boys were really little. They look forward to wearing it on their birthday every year. I want to savor every ounce of their childhood so I got technical with when he actually turned 7 this year. I told him all day he wasn't really 7 until 6:27pm.

I had him in the evening... it was a perfect day. I woke up and was supposed to have a Doctor's appointment with one of my favorite doctors... Dr. Grade. But I woke up with labor pains, strong ones I could even feel in my back. They made me gasp and lean over onto the kitchen counter. So instead of that appointment I met Dr. Grade at the hospital. I didn't have time to curl my hair and put lipstick on for this labor like I did with the Sergeant... this was coming quickly. He was turned the wrong way in my belly. I gave Dr. Grade the look of "I don't want to have a cesarean". She stripped my membranes and externally maneuvered him. Two things that watered my eyes and hurt so bad a wanted to hit her. It worked, so worth it it was. I didn't have curls or colored lips, but I was still beautiful and felt ready to meet my baby boy. I pushed longer this time... about 30 minutes... he was a much bigger baby for me. He came out 8 pounds and 4 ounces, 21 1/2 inches long. He was out, suctioned and laid right on my chest... then nursed perfectly. He slept and snuggled with me all night... which to this day still loves to do. It was nothing but gorgeous moments.

So at 6:27pm and 6:27pm only the boys were allowed to get out their noisemakers and let them reach their peak. I pushed on an air-horn and my house was instantly crazy noisy at his particular minute. Then crazy fun.

We played water games, a few inside games and a basketball game. Benny got tackled with silly string. A couple of boys spent the night for movies and popcorn. I got to wake up to this in the morning:

Wild cotton Benny. I picked him out right away.

Burrowed Sergeant Stink. Took me a minute to figure out who was in there.

I also woke up to some white odd substance in the hallway. I wasn't surprised but shocked that this was it. I mean my feet still stuck to the floor in some spots of my kitchen and the kids' bathroom was a little funky but that was really all. It took me a minute and I figured out that the white crap went to a candle that fell and chipped. For some reason my poor hallway always takes the brunt of the birthdays.

It was surely fun, Benny had a blast... Happy birthday baybshz!! ... I love you. Tons.