What are they trying to tell me?

Title of an email in my inbox: Short on ammo? Check out our awesome deals!

Wise Guy strikes again...

Yesterday, the younger Thing lost a tooth.
He proudly shared this news with me before saying goodnight.
Even showed his weary momma where he'd left the tooth for the tooth fairy

(I had worked a shift at the hospital, where yes, the latest victims of a school shooting were sent: suffice to say, my mind was elsewhere last night...praying for the full recovery of the students injured and praising God for the heroic actions taken by the teacher who tackled the gunman).

Of course between work fatigue and other worries, the tooth fairy failed to make a visit last night.

This afternoon, Mr. Smarty Pants tells me "Mom, I'm just going to leave the tooth fairy pillow in YOUR room...do you think she'll remember to find the tooth if it's there?"

Mr Practical

We had told the Things that when Dad got a job, we'd go out to celebrate.

Yesterday, we learned of two job offers (yeah, sometimes when it rains it pours and this is a good thing!)

Immediately, the younger Thing asked "so, when do we go out to celebrate?"

We reminded him, it is sort of bad luck to celebrate before the first paycheck arrives. In his usual thoughtful way, he said "yeah, that does make sense".

So, I asked him..."when we do go out, where do you think we should go?"

With a hesitant, cautious and serious look on his face, he said "Well, do you think we can swing Arby's?".

I looked to my hubby (who was working hard not to burst out laughing) and said "He gets THAT from you!".

So, hopefully in the not too distant future, we'll be celebrating with roast beef sandwiches!

Reality Check

Yesterday afternoon, I took command of the remote. Midday viewing options are limited, so I tuned into some Wife Swap reruns.

Thing One shouts out "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Mom...not that show! Honest, haven't we been good? Don't make us see how weird other families are. We promise to do our chores".

Score one for the Mom!

Maybe...

Next year I should get a seasonal flu shot.

Because even if it lasted only 12 hrs...those were the longest hours ever. You know: when you can't even keep water down, that's pretty sick. Or, when you think having a baby involved less pain and suffering.

Yeah, let's forget the 'maybe' and go straight to the 'you damn right I will be" getting that flu shot next year.

*and for the record, I'm feeling better now and luckily nobody else in the family seems to have gotten sick.

Tales from the Med-Surg floor

Where has Martha gone? Oh yeah...back to work. Unfortunately, it is not work that I get paid for but rather the final stage of this RN refresher course I've been working my way through since August.

What has changed in the 16+ yrs since I've worked on a med-surg unit? Not a lot. It seems like the hineys have gotten a tad larger...but you still clean 'em up the same way. They've got new and improved "stuff" to make the job a tad easier...but at the end of the day...well....you get the idea.

They have hand sanitizer every where you look. And when you read the patient's charts...you can appreciate why they have it every where you look.

You get to read the chart electronically. And while it is overwhelming at first, by the end of the day, you are grateful that so many things are now point and click. Especially when you end up discharging and admitting several patients over a 12 hr shift. I had 4 patients at the start of my shift and 4 at the end, but only two stayed the same. Do the math: you are one tired out nurse by the time the new shift comes in to take over.

One thing that hasn't changed? Is that little burst of pride you get when your patient looks at you and says "You are good at what you do! Thank you!".