I remember as a kid finding the occasional copy of Guideposts magazine around our house. I would read them because the stories were positive, easy to understand and short. I also remember hearing about the link between The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale and Guideposts.
It's been several years since I've read a copy of Guideposts, but I was reminded of it today. I was at work in the clinic and saw an adorable. elderly, hard-of-hearing patient. When I asked her how she was (I asked loudly), she replied with a smile plastered across her face "Norman Vincent Peale!!".
My assessment at the end of the appointment was that she's doing quite well, thank you very much!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Daddy's Little Helper...
My husband & I both had a long day at work today, so it was nice to come home and enjoy some time with Kate & Sam. After supper, Daddy got on the floor and both kids scrambled over to play. Kate was so excited she took a flying leap and dove with a thud right on top of Dad. He said in an off hand way, "I made need to get a cup for protection with these guys."
Kate scurried out of the room muttering, "Cup, hmm, cup, cup....I get cup..."
She come back a few moments later with 2 of her sippy cups and handed them to Steve. "Here, Daddy, cup..."
Kate scurried out of the room muttering, "Cup, hmm, cup, cup....I get cup..."
She come back a few moments later with 2 of her sippy cups and handed them to Steve. "Here, Daddy, cup..."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Why Kate Needs to go to Sunday School...
As you may have read previously, Kate was ill with a virus and could not attend Church yesterday.
Here is a conversation heard outside her door last night as her Daddy put her to bed...
D: "Does Jesus love you, Kate?"
K: "No."
D: "Which Bible story would you like to read tonight?"
(Pages heard turning in Child's Bible...)
K: "This one!"
(Sounds of hand slapping book heard...)
D: "Kate stop hitting Jesus...do you want Daddy to put the Bible away?"
K: "No! read this one!"
Apparently she needs more spiritual formation.
Here is a conversation heard outside her door last night as her Daddy put her to bed...
D: "Does Jesus love you, Kate?"
K: "No."
D: "Which Bible story would you like to read tonight?"
(Pages heard turning in Child's Bible...)
K: "This one!"
(Sounds of hand slapping book heard...)
D: "Kate stop hitting Jesus...do you want Daddy to put the Bible away?"
K: "No! read this one!"
Apparently she needs more spiritual formation.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
When the Plans Never Make it off the Page...
As I lay awake in bed this morning, I had such great plans for the day. I was looking forward to reading a bit of the paper, sipping a mocha and then dressing the kids up for Sunday services. Well...it all seemed like a good idea at the time. As I was stretching my toes and plannng my day, I promptly fell back asleep.
When I awoke again, the house was still quiet and with a nod to my husband I drove over to Starbucks. By the time I got home with mocha in hand, the house was getting louder and the kids were stirring...that's when those wonderful Sunday plans began to crash and burn.
First, we noticed Kate's nose (we always notice her nose after the corn incident) it was running like a flooded stream. What we didn't immediately wipe off with a tissue, she would spread across the right side of her face like a Nike swoosh. Then came the coughing and sneezing fits. I never truly appreciated the area a child's sneeze could cover until one sneezed on me...I felt repiratory droplets pelt my face. Finally, it was obvious she was an emotional train wreck. If we looked at her wrong, put the bananas on the plate incorrectly or her brother faked a move toward her tears would erupt out of her eyes. (She could water a lawn when she cries like this.) So we grabbed another box of kleenex from our abundant stash, mopped up the floor and let go of idea of a meaningful worship and sermon.
Even Kate was disappointed when we told her she couldn't go to Sunday school. She just couldn't understand why sharing her virus with everyone was not exactly living the Golden Rule.
So our day went..."naps" that sounded more like a kid playing on a trampoline and cancelled dinner plans (due to virus.)
Even with my day taking a detour, there are still things that bring smiles and remind me why children are so wonderful. I've added a picture of Sam wearing one of my hats and one of him with his Saccharmyces cerevisiae. Sometimes our days go this way and we made an adjustment...hopefully the rest of the week will go a bit smoother.
When I awoke again, the house was still quiet and with a nod to my husband I drove over to Starbucks. By the time I got home with mocha in hand, the house was getting louder and the kids were stirring...that's when those wonderful Sunday plans began to crash and burn.
First, we noticed Kate's nose (we always notice her nose after the corn incident) it was running like a flooded stream. What we didn't immediately wipe off with a tissue, she would spread across the right side of her face like a Nike swoosh. Then came the coughing and sneezing fits. I never truly appreciated the area a child's sneeze could cover until one sneezed on me...I felt repiratory droplets pelt my face. Finally, it was obvious she was an emotional train wreck. If we looked at her wrong, put the bananas on the plate incorrectly or her brother faked a move toward her tears would erupt out of her eyes. (She could water a lawn when she cries like this.) So we grabbed another box of kleenex from our abundant stash, mopped up the floor and let go of idea of a meaningful worship and sermon.
Even Kate was disappointed when we told her she couldn't go to Sunday school. She just couldn't understand why sharing her virus with everyone was not exactly living the Golden Rule.
So our day went..."naps" that sounded more like a kid playing on a trampoline and cancelled dinner plans (due to virus.)
Even with my day taking a detour, there are still things that bring smiles and remind me why children are so wonderful. I've added a picture of Sam wearing one of my hats and one of him with his Saccharmyces cerevisiae. Sometimes our days go this way and we made an adjustment...hopefully the rest of the week will go a bit smoother.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
A New Toy for Kate...
Kate is very lucky. She has a Daddy who is constantly thinking about her and helping her develop. When he travels for business, he tries to bring the kids a little something special. This week Daddy was just doing his regular work, but he came across something he could not resist. He was walking through the medical school, passed the bookstore and brought home a stuffed toy for each of the kids.
Shortly after arriving in the US, Kate was diagnosed with Giardia (an infectious gut disease) that helped us become close friends with the local Health Department. Well, the drugs killed the bugs and we eventually stopped having weekly conversations with our pals at the Health Department. Kate doesn't remember anything about it, but we do. Therefore, Daddy showed up with a stuffed rendition of a giardia...magnified 1,000,000 times. She loves her new little protozoan friend and happily posed for pics with him.
(Sam got a stuffed Saccharomyces cerevisiae...one of the yeast species used to produce bread, beer and wine.)
For those of you who read about Kate's corn up her nose, we got the bills in today. That little elusive kernel cost about $500... How come I paid $.75 for that ear of corn, but is actually cost about $500 a kernel? Economics was never one of my favorite subjects.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A Few New Pics
We decided that Sam looks like he had just made a prison break in this photo.
Kate loves the zoo and won't leave until she goes to the zoo train station to see the train.
Two Steps Forward and One Step Back...
Yesterday was quite a milestone for 13 month old Sam. He took his first steps to his Mama. He had a big smile plastered across his face and I was bursting with pride. He has been cruising from object to object for some time, but he went solo yesterday!
Kate appeared mildly concerned about the amount of attention her brother was getting, so she had to come up with something, too. The best she could come up with in short order was to let her shorts sag and fall off as she ran across the room in front of her brother. I would see her dart by with her shorts sliding down and then find them standing up right where they fell off.
I was watching this paradox of progression in the younger and regression in the older at the same time. It was quite entertaining. Kids certainly make daily life more interesting!
Kate appeared mildly concerned about the amount of attention her brother was getting, so she had to come up with something, too. The best she could come up with in short order was to let her shorts sag and fall off as she ran across the room in front of her brother. I would see her dart by with her shorts sliding down and then find them standing up right where they fell off.
I was watching this paradox of progression in the younger and regression in the older at the same time. It was quite entertaining. Kids certainly make daily life more interesting!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Fun in the Afternoon...
It was a hot afternoon, so we headed out for some time "poolside". Kate recommended that we spike Sam's hair, so he was sporting a slightly different look than he usually wears. He also is quite proud of his physique, so he wanted to show some skin.
Kate & Her Glasses
Any one who knows Kate well knows that she loves glasses. She believes that they are both for safety and for a fashion statement. Here are a few photos of her wearing medical endoscopy safety glasses while working on a sticker project. OSHA will be so proud of her!
Kate's Saturday Morning Routine...
Kate loves the weekend. She looks forward to Saturday & Sunday all week. Saturdays mean a trip to gymnastics followed by a trip to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Gymnastics is called Salto and she wakes up asking about "Falfo". Today was quite challenging as she was introduced to some new skills. Daddy thought everything would be better once they got to the doughnut shop. She stood at the window watching the doughnuts move through the proofer to rise, float through the oil to cook and then move along the conveyer belt to get their coat of yummy icing. Kate misses very little, so it didn't take her long to notice that some of the doughnuts fall off the shelves in the proofer and get stuck. She pointed this out to Daddy and commented, "Doughnuts fall and go boom...that so sad."
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Musings about work...desire, drive, committment
I work in the medical field when I'm not figuring about how to be a good mother and role model. I love my job...it's interesting, challenging and fast-paced. In addition, I have the privilege of watching injured people get better. I work in trauma. I don't think it's as sexy as the medical shows on TV, but that's okay.
There's a myriad of ways people get hurt or manage to hurt themselves. Some of it's bad luck, an accident, dangerous lifestyle, or sheer stupidity. In the end, our goal is to get people back to their lives and as close to their previous level of functioning as possible. People often ask us if "I'll ever be normal again". We tell them they'll be different, after all we didn't build them, but we'll help them through the process of recovery. There's nothing like seeing a patient walk into your office to follow up when you've only seen them horizontal on a gurney in the past.
The most frustrating part of the job is when our patients don't do their part of rehab. They frequently come to clinic complaining of pain, weakness, and lack of progress. When asked if they're exercising or in physical therapy, they will frequently give us a myriad of excuses describing why they haven't followed through. This explaination is then often followed by a request for pain relievers. ...hmmm
This has been eating at me for about a week after I had a patient encounter that followed this pattern. The bottom line is we can fix the fractures, sew up the skin, and take x-rays. However, we can not create the desire, the drive and the committment to get better. Those things are internal and drive us to get better, work harder and set goals. There's no pill for this and surgery doesn't automatically create the desire to get well.
It's sad. Some people are so severely injured that they never get better, but they improve. Some people have the potential to get better, but don't want to.
There's a myriad of ways people get hurt or manage to hurt themselves. Some of it's bad luck, an accident, dangerous lifestyle, or sheer stupidity. In the end, our goal is to get people back to their lives and as close to their previous level of functioning as possible. People often ask us if "I'll ever be normal again". We tell them they'll be different, after all we didn't build them, but we'll help them through the process of recovery. There's nothing like seeing a patient walk into your office to follow up when you've only seen them horizontal on a gurney in the past.
The most frustrating part of the job is when our patients don't do their part of rehab. They frequently come to clinic complaining of pain, weakness, and lack of progress. When asked if they're exercising or in physical therapy, they will frequently give us a myriad of excuses describing why they haven't followed through. This explaination is then often followed by a request for pain relievers. ...hmmm
This has been eating at me for about a week after I had a patient encounter that followed this pattern. The bottom line is we can fix the fractures, sew up the skin, and take x-rays. However, we can not create the desire, the drive and the committment to get better. Those things are internal and drive us to get better, work harder and set goals. There's no pill for this and surgery doesn't automatically create the desire to get well.
It's sad. Some people are so severely injured that they never get better, but they improve. Some people have the potential to get better, but don't want to.
A Scene at our Evening Dinner Table...
Picture Mama & Daddy attempting to talk about their days. Kate is somewhat concerned that she in not actively involved in the conversation and begins to softly sing, "Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle little 'tar...how I wonder how you are...way up high in da sky, like-um diamond in the night..." The parents' conversation continues...Kate becomes increasingly troubled about being left out. The volume increases, "Tinkle...tinkle...TINKLE LITTLE 'TAR!!!" No response...volume increases "TINKLE, TINKLE, TINKLE LITTLE 'TAR...HOW I WONDER HOW YOU ARE???"
Meanwhile, little brother is exhausted and is slowly listing to the right and breathing rhythmically.
The food was fantastic and the company charming.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
A Day at the State Fair
Today was our first trip as a family of 4 going to our State Fair...Kate had a wonderful time seeing all of the animals. Her favorites were the Clydesdale horses, lambs and piglets. Sam had a great time people watching and hanging out in his stroller. Daddy and Mama did our best to avoid meltdowns and enjoyed a little good food...including the famous Cream Puffs...
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Lessons Learned...
Kate's excellent adventure with corn up her nose has come to an end. The odyssey began Monday with a kernel of fresh, Wisconsin sweet corn traveling against gravity into Kate's right nostril. Tuesday morning Kate woke up and again announced she "had corn in her 'nofah'". I asked her if it really was there and she replied, "Yes, corn happy!" Great. There's apparently nothing like having happy corn up one's nose...or as expensive.
We visited the pediatrician Tuesday afternoon on a fact-finding mission to find said happy corn. No luck, this kernel was an elusive one. The next step was to decide if we should let it go and risk an infection or take it to the next level: the otolaryngologist (aka ENT). Since the complications of letting corn marinate in her nose for a few months didn't sound good, we opted for the ENT.
Wednesday we all headed to Children's Hospital's ENT clinic for the "procedures". Kate must have sensed something was up when she met the nurse practitioner. She immediately announced she "needed to go home."
Our very kind ENT, 2 nurses, a resident and myself then positioned our very strong toddler for the exam. First came the high powered microscope...no corn$$$. Then came the endoscope to look into her right sinuses...no corn$$$$. Next, better look on both sides and her ears with the otoscope...$$$$$. Alas, there was no corn, but there was one tired toddler from putting up one amazing demonstration of strength. This happy corn apparently had laughed its way right through the nose, down the esophagus and into her diaper.
I did ask her if she planned on sticking corn up her nose again and she adamantly replied, "no!" Thursday I found her with a Ritz cracker headed north towards the right nostril...
We visited the pediatrician Tuesday afternoon on a fact-finding mission to find said happy corn. No luck, this kernel was an elusive one. The next step was to decide if we should let it go and risk an infection or take it to the next level: the otolaryngologist (aka ENT). Since the complications of letting corn marinate in her nose for a few months didn't sound good, we opted for the ENT.
Wednesday we all headed to Children's Hospital's ENT clinic for the "procedures". Kate must have sensed something was up when she met the nurse practitioner. She immediately announced she "needed to go home."
Our very kind ENT, 2 nurses, a resident and myself then positioned our very strong toddler for the exam. First came the high powered microscope...no corn$$$. Then came the endoscope to look into her right sinuses...no corn$$$$. Next, better look on both sides and her ears with the otoscope...$$$$$. Alas, there was no corn, but there was one tired toddler from putting up one amazing demonstration of strength. This happy corn apparently had laughed its way right through the nose, down the esophagus and into her diaper.
I did ask her if she planned on sticking corn up her nose again and she adamantly replied, "no!" Thursday I found her with a Ritz cracker headed north towards the right nostril...
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