Food!

This past week I have been on vacation. It was a badly needed rest from work - I had a long winter with too many hours spent away from home. With Zeb still in school and a recent loss of a bunch of money (for plane tickets to Utah), we decided not to do anything too big for my vacation. We decided to stick around Dayton and relax and find a few fun things to do.

My favorite thing about vacations is really good food! So for my stay-cation I decided to make a bunch of my favorite foods. I have lately been into trying new recipes and making things from scratch - no boxes, no mixes, no pre-prepared stuff. I started the week with those mini-German pancakes which were easy and delicious. I've also made:

Alice Spring Chicken - almost as good as Outback's - chicken, bacon and cheese baked and drizzled in amazingly sweet honey mustard.  I could eat the sauce by the spoonful (and I'm almost certain Leisy did).

Incredible cheddar scalloped potatoes - I don't remember eating REAL scalloped potatoes. Mom correct me if I'm wrong, but I can only recall eating packaged scalloped potatoes growing up.  They definitely weren't a staple food at my house and I haven't made scalloped potatoes since I've been married.  That will change for sure!!  These thinly sliced potatoes in a creamy homemade cheddar cheese sauce were to die for.  I'm a fan of any recipe that begins with a rue.

I've almost mastered my chicken tikka masala recipe.  Where has Indian food been my whole life?!?  I constantly crave good Indian food but it's so expensive!  I have been trying out different recipes and with Leisy's homemade naan we can pull off a decent restaurant quality Indian meal to stave off my need to drop a ton of money at a restaurant (which gives me more to spend on sushi)!

Homemade macaroni and cheese.  So much better than the boxed kind.  The ultimate southern comfort food.  Paired with a fresh salad with tons of vegetables makes one feel a touch less guilty about being so indulgent in the cheesy goodness.

Brownies - I'm not sure why I've never ventured away from boxed mixes.  I have a few cookie recipes memorized that I can throw together quickly.  Zeb always begs for Dad's "secret recipe cookies".  So why not a go-to brownie recipe for when you need something sweet on a Sunday afternoon - or any afternoon??  I found my go-to recipe that I've already made a second time this week!

Mother's Day

 Zeb was so excited for Mother's Day.  He frequently reminds me that the true meaning of any holiday is to give (his own birthday not excluded).  My mother-in-law sent a package to Leisy for mother's day with the warning "for Zeb's eyes only" on it.  Zeb took the liberty to hide the package from Leisy and bring it out the night before.  When I told him we could wrap the presents together he reminded me - "this package is for my eyes only".  I had to pretend to wrap the presents with my eyes closed - thanks Annie.  

This Mother's Day I actually succeeded in getting Leisy breakfast-in-bed BEFORE she got out of bed.  I never seem to wake up and get breakfast ready before she gets out of bed on these special days.  I made mini german pancakes with triple berry sauce and cool whip.  They were quite tasty if I do say so myself! 

I had Zeb and Ike make Mom-ster day cards.  Cards with home made monsters that open and close their mouths when the card is opened and closed.  They got way carried away in creativity.  Zeb added both blood and snot to his.  Lovely.  Nothing says "I love Mom!" like blood and snot.  Right?

Tough Mudder!!

To finish off my week of vacation I decided to join a group of friends and compete in the Tough Mudder!  What is the Tough Mudder??  

From their website: "Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. By running a Tough Mudder challenge, you’ll unlock a true sense of accomplishment, have a great time, and discover a camaraderie with your fellow participants that’s experienced all too rarely these days.To get through mud, fire, ice-water, and 10,000 volts of electricity you’ll need teammates to pick you up when your spirits dip. To get over 12 foot walls and through underground mud tunnels, you’ll need teammates to give you a boost and a push. Tough Mudders are team players who make sure no one gets left behind." 

Here is my amazing team - Saints and Soldiers - a group of people from church and the Air Force.  A great group of guys who were there when I needed a boost or a push. 

 We had crazy obstacles to get through.  Here I am entering a dark mud tunnel.

 Running through deep mud...

...crawling through mud...

 ...and running through more mud.  Did I mention there was a lot of mud?!?

 Completely muddy and having SO MUCH FUN!!

My team made it through the 11.8 mile course together - cold, exhausted and very proud of ourselves.  I am sore in random places and have a few scratches and bruises.  Zeb was excited I made it home alive.  When he found out what I was doing he was super nervous.  When he heard I made it through okay he included in his night prayer: "Thank you that Dad didn't get electrocuted by those wires and get killed."

Bedtime

Zeb loves rules and loves to follow routines.  He has getting ready for bed down to a science - starting at 8 o'clock sharp.  He cannot go to bed until he is in proper pajamas, brushes his teeth, reads a book and says a prayer.  He will remind us if something has been missed.  We recently added scripture study to the night time routine.  We found the Book of Mormon for kids on the church's website and have been watching a chapter every night.  We watch one new chapter and the story of the brass plates every night.  I think Zeb and Ike can quote the "Brass Plates" chapter verbatim.  

Last night Leisy had an activity and I was in charge of getting the kids to bed by myself.  I gave Metta a bath and got her snuggled into her crib with no problems - she is such a cute little stink.  Zeb and Ike were busy in their toy room.  I went downstairs to enjoy a quite minute alone on the couch after a long day.  Suddenly Zeb was standing next to me with his hand on his hip quite frustrated: "Dad! Why are you just laying on the couch like this," his hands out in front of him pointing at me and the couch.  "We are waiting on you to start our Bible story!"  It wasn't quite 8 o'clock so I told Zeb I was waiting until eight to come up and get ready for bed.  "Well Dad, it's getting dark, and I can't stay up too late because I have school in the morning."  So we watched the next chapter together - Alma's mission to Ammonihah.  

Lately Ike has been SO whiny to me.  As soon as I get home he whines about everything, and wants me to do everything for him.  "I want a driiiiinnk..." "I need help in the bathroooommm..." "I want you to play with meeee..." During the scripture story he started whimpering and I was wondering what he was going to demand of me next.  I took a deep breath and tried to ask patiently, "What's wrong Ike?"  He started to cry, "This movie is too scary for me."

This is what was happening in the movie: 

The wicked people gathered the women and children who believed and threw them, along with their scriptures, into a fire.

Alma and Amulek were forced to watch the women and children die in the fire.

 Kind of intense for a 3 year old.  Oops...  So much for making the scriptures come to life for my kids!  I'll have to be more selective next time.  He had me cover his eyes until Alma and Amulek were saved. 

   

Fitness

1.5 miles, push-ups, sit-ups and waist circumference.  The PT test.  One extra hoop to jump through during residency.  Not only do I have to find time to take the test, I have to find time to train for it.  If I don't pass the test there are some mandatory workouts that I don't have time for!  And any advancements are placed on hold until I do pass.  If you pass you push the next test off for 6 months.  If I get an excellent I push the next test off for an entire year.  

Last year I got an excellent so I didn't have to take the test for another year.  That year came up fast and happened to come up during a rotation when I was working 80-90 hours a week.  The last thing I had time for was working out.  I had to go take my test when I had worked a 28 hour shift - luckily it was slow at work and I had about 6 hours of sleep!  I was able to push the next test off for one more year!

It is nice to have an excuse to stay physically fit enough to complete this annual annoyance.  It's nice that my job cares enough about my physical fitness to make it a priority.  I hope to always be able to run 1.5 miles without dying.  I'm not sure if it gets any easier after residency, but right now it is hard to find time to work out every day.  It's just a part of becoming a doctor I guess.

Kitty Cat and other musings

The other day Ike was asking me to get him a kitty cat.  I couldn't figure out why he suddenly wanted a pet so badly.  He was jumping up and down he was so persistently demanding I provide this cat.  I asked Leisy if he had been playing with cats recently or if they had been talking about pets.  She was as confused as I was.

It took me awhile to realize that he was asking for and demanding that I go get him a Kit Kat candy bar!! He is such a sweet tooth it's ridiculous.  I'm not really sure what made him suddenly think of a Kit Kat.  Maybe he was thinking of the week his Grandpa Oswald came to visit.

Zeb is starting school this week! He is so excited he can hardly contain himself.  He is a little smarty pants and will have a blast in school.  He is growing up, always willing to help and be the best big brother ever.  This week Metta was crying in her car seat and Zeb piped up from the back seat, "Mom! I have a solution to this problem - we need Metta's bottle from your purse"!

And little Metta is turning into a full-on little girl.  She will catch my eye from across the room and start to smile to draw me closer.  She giggles and giggles when I play with her - sometimes they sound like courtesy giggles.  She knows if she stops giggling, I'll stop playing.  She is a fast learner and is going to be mobile before we know it.  She already wants to keep up with the boys.

On Call

Since starting my second year in residency I am now free from the intern work hour restrictions.  Last year I couldn't work more than 80 hours per week and my shifts couldn't be longer than 16 hours.  Now that I am a Senior Resident I work 28 hour shifts every 4th day.  Somehow seeing the sun come up, set and then come up again makes me feel like a real doctor.  So far it hasn't been too shabby either.  I've been able to get several hours of sleep at the hospital and have my pager next to me to answer any calls through the night.  It has been relatively quiet at the hospital at night so the next morning I'm not exhausted.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts because I'm sure the days are coming when sleep will be limited and I'll go home exhausted.  My shift ends at 11 AM when I am "post call".  We have been taking full advantage of those post call days!