Monday, October 27, 2008

Random thoughts

When I started this night-shift gig, I asked my SIL, who used to work nights, how she "flipped" to get started the first night. It's not like you can just go to bed one night, get up at your regular time, then stay up all day and work all night. Maybe a little bit dangerous for those unsuspecting patients who expect you to actually be awake when they call for help at 2 a.m.

Her advice was to stay up really late the night before, then sleep most of the next day so you're ready to work that first night. It's easy after that. I've found that the only hard part for me is to flip back, especially when I only have two or three days before I have to flip back to nights again.

Naps are good. Naps are really, really good.

I just like to stay up way too late, anyway. Sooo, tonight is "flip night" for me. I took a nap this afternoon, and I'm committed to getting ALL the laundry done before I go to bed tonight. It's only 12:30 a.m., and I have roughly two loads left, minus the load to be mentioned later.

The first of my many random thoughts is this.



This is Grey. And Nana.



I think they look alike (check out the dimples).


What do you think?

And this is Grey's mommy, my sister. On stilts.



We've been known to do stupid things on the stairs leading to the basement at my parents' house. There have been snow sleds involved. And pillows. Lots and lots of pillows.


But this, by far, is the most daring.





Did I ever tell you she was a college pole-vaulter? She's not afraid of anything. As opposed to me, whose biggest risk involves wearing wide-leg pants.



Believe it or not, she really did walk up AND down the stairs on the stilts. I thought she was going to give up at one point, but when no one was looking, she went back down there and got the stilts to give it one more try. Her daughter is just like her.

And the last random thought I have for the night isn't really random. And it isn't a thought, it's a fact. And I promise I'll stop posting catch-up blogs and start trying to blog more regularly, after I do the last load of laundry. You remember, the one to be mentioned later?

Ryan's sick-o sheets. Ryan calls a little while ago, fussing. He'd been asleep for about an hour, and he has sick-o sheets. Man, do I hate sick-o. I just hope it's regular old sick-o, not the shigella stuff that's been going around schools here. I think the only thing worse than having it yourself is having a kid with it. I'll save you from having to hear any more details. Just think good thoughts for us, okay?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

New Soccer Strategy

Apparently, there's a new top-secret, sure-fire way to win a soccer game.



It's the "hands on your hips" trick.



Meredith has it down.



She's really good at it.



Looks like Catherine has perfected the technique, too.



Don't tell anybody, okay? We've worked long and hard to figure this out, and I'd hate for our opponents to figure out our game plan.

Birthday Boy

I've never been a big "birthday party" person. To be honest, I'd rather spend my money on stuff for my kid than spend it all on some party at a nameless pizza place with rip-off video games and bad food. I've been pretty good at convincing my kids of the same. Lately, the thing to do for birthdays at our house is to:
1) have a few friends over, watch movies, eat pizza and cake, play video games, and have a sleep-over,
or
2) have a few friends over, go to the movie, out to eat, and take them all home.

Ryan elected to have party #1 a few weeks ago for his 12th birthday. Yes, believe it or not, I'm old enough to have a 12-year-old.

Don't they look like they're having fun? More fun than at some humongous party at Main Event? I think so. Well, some of them do.

Anyway, we had 5 boys over on a Friday night, and along with our two boys and two girlies, ate lots of pizza, blew out the candles and opened presents. I think Ryan was pleased. What do you think?


We love the Cowboys.