Home

I love my home! What I love most about my home is the people who live here. We just have so much love and support circulating. It's hard not to feel it whenever I walk in the door.

Let her rip

We had a very confused patient on our floor, which is not unusual by any means. Our confused patients tend to get frustrated with needing to pee. They usually have a foley catheter in place but still feel the need to pee...and thus they constantly try to get up out of bed, don't sleep, etc.
On one resident came in during one such episode of confusion...
"You have a foley catheter in your urethra that is draining your pee into a bag. Just let her rip! We bring the toilet to you! Part of our all inclusive service that we provide you."

Simple Math

Adam: "Audrey, if we have 12 pieces of bacon and there are four of us, how many pieces do we each get?"
Audrey: "As many as we want!!!"

Why do we simply have blue kinda days?

Melt my heart

Audrey was coloring with Clive outside the other day while Adam and I were weeding. We overheard her saying "Clive I really like your coloring! You do such a great job." <3

Oral Hygiene

Me to my patient: "Do you want to brush your teeth this morning?"
Patient in a very southern accent: "Oh no honey. I only brush my teeth once a week and usually on Sundays."

Romance in the ICU

So I was getting my patient ready for sleep and dimmed the lights down...
"What are you going to do next? Bring in cheesecake and wine?"

Smiley tidbits

- Audrey always specifically addresses me with this problem... "Ewin, my underwear likes to go up my butt and I don't like it so I pull it out."

- I love how when I go to work and the kids are home, they wave to me while I am pulling out of the driveway.

-I love how when I get home both kids run to open the door and greet me.

- I made dinner for Adam and the kids one night before going out with a girlfriend and it made me giddy when I was getting in my car and Adam races out to have a quick make-out session with me... "I just wanted to make sure you had garlic and onion breath to scare away any boys."

- I have to chuckle whenever we are in a public bathroom and Audrey makes a poop she yells at the top of her lungs, "Ewin come wipe me."

- I love Adam's voice for Mr. Knox when he reads the kids Fox in Socks.

- I came across the kids reading stories in the hall. Audrey was actually pretty good as she flipped through the story with telling what the book was actually about. And then there was Clive... he was reading Cat in the Hat and as he turned he just kept saying "Cat in the hat. Cat in the hat. Cat in hat. Cat in the hat."

- I love how Audrey thinks she has special magical powers to close the garage door. She claps twice and poof the door opens or closes.

Special little lady

I love my little Audrey!
We just finished an awesome camping trip up in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons with both kids. At one point Adam's cousin Noah came to join for a night and I realized I needed breakfast stuff to cook for all of us so Audrey and I headed to the store.
She was so excited to come help me and I was thrilled to have special Audrey time! As soon as we got into the car she suggested listening to a song called "Marvelous Little Toy" on the way there and daddy song called "Surfin Birds" on the way back. And so we did... I turned it up fairly load and started rockin out to "Marvelous Little Toy" and Audrey just squealed with joy and promptly joined right in. We sang at the top of our lungs all the way down to the store.
Before going into the store, I told Audrey everything we needed. She was the perfect little helper. She reminded me of items, helped pick out meaty bacon and un-cracked eggs. And she even helped pay the cashier during checkout by handing him my card.
It was a perfect little Audrey date.

Nursing funny

Nurse: "I need to put in a new IV since you pulled the one out."
Drunk gentleman: "Yeah but it's right here in my wallet."

Re-set

It's nice to know I have a partner in life who can give me the time when I need a re-set and one that I can reciprocate the favor.
After returning from a draining camping trip with the kids being grumpy, I needed a few moments without them. So Adam, being the awesome person he is, offered to take the kids biking to the store to give me 20 minutes to take a shower or whatever.
So shower is what I did. And it was GREAT! Exactly what I needed. It was my re-set.
Afterwards, I went downstairs and waited for Adam and the kids to return. He walked in flustered! Apparently, Audrey's bike broke halfway to the market and she becameextremely difficult for Adam.
He walked in and said he needed a re-set. SO... I repayed the favor. Adam took a shower and got his re-set while I fed the kids lunch and put them down for a nap.
We make a great team and I love him for it!

Darth Vader

A patient in the ICU who is requiring a lot of oxygen via a special mask summoned a nurse in to say in the most raspy of voices "I NEED a cigarette".... Ummmm I don't think so and on more levels than one.

Flowers

I usually have a vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. Apparently, I am not the only one who enjoys them. :)

Audrey - Ewin what happened to the flower?
Me - What  flower? I'm not sure which one you are talking about... the ones in the yard?
Audrey - no the one on the table.
Me - Oh. Those flowers died so I had to put them in the trash.
Audrey - Well... well when you go to the store will you get some more flowers.
Me - Of course. I love fresh flowers.
Audrey - Me too!

Drunken Entertainment

I decided after a concert we went to that I like dealing with drunks away from work. They are quite entertaining.
While we were sitting in the long line of cars waiting to exit the venue we overheard a couple...
"If you loved me you wouldn't mind if I was sexual."
Heheh.... she was very drunk and I almost felt bad for the boy since he was trying so hard by chasing her around the parking lot to try to get her into the car.
It's nice to deal with this sort of entertainment vs the frustrating ones at work.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Aunt Elyssa and Uncle Zach came to visit this last week and boy did the kids have fun with them! Every morning the kids would ask if they could go down and snuggle with them... Daddy and I were no longer the favorites. :)
They happened to bring along a couple of gifts for the kids. After a recent trip to Florida, they brought back the story The Cat and the Hat, along with thing 1 and thing 2 t-shirts (very fitting), and thing 1 and thing 2 dolls.
I was talking to Audrey about how nice her gifts were and she was quick to reassure me. "Don't wo-wy Ewin, the dolls awn't weal. They'we just pwetend."
For those of you who don't remember, thing 1 and thing 2 were the two things in the story that destroyed the house right before the kid's mom came home.
Do you think my over compulsiveness for a clean house is really that apparent even to a 4 year old? :)

Back to the Grind

So the time has come... time to go back to work. Although I really love what I do, I hate working the night shift. And I especially hate it when I haven't seen the kids in a while and then I have to work the night they are with us.
Even Audrey seemed concerned.
After she saw me in scrubs she asked, "Erin are you going to work?"
Me: "Yep. I have to go to work tonight."
Audrey: "But ... but is your knee all better?"
Me: "It feels good enough to go back to work. But don't worry. I'll be home in the morning and we'll make breakfast together."
Audrey: "Are you still going to sleep here at night?"
Me: "Yes Miss Audrey. I will still sleep here."

Happy Mother's Day

This is a shout out to my mom! She is THE most amazing woman I know! And I know that there is no way I can do her justus here on my blog but none the less she deserves a shout out!

My mother is a woman who can do anything! And yes I mean anything. As kids, we could often hear her singing "I can bring home the bacon and fry it up too!"
She is so loving and caring that she is often found helping those less fortunate. She is the one who showed us that sometimes we get more out of an experience of volunteering then we could ever bring.
She is the strongest woman I know too! She grew up with a lot of adversity and she often had to look within for the courage to continue.

She is a woman who can sew up a storm. You would never know the things she makes are handmade. She can cook for an army and do it well. And she can also host a dinner for two in the middle of a field with complete gourmet grace. She knows how to fix just about anything! If I can't find an answer on the internet for something around the house, I go ask her. She knows all about different wood working tools and she loves to use them. We one time went to a shop of used tools.... It was so packed in the store of used tools and foreign looking ones to me, yet my mother just glowed! I thought she might have been in heaven.

 She is a successful business woman, a successful mom, a successful grandma and a true role model for the epitome of being strong and still feminine. SHE ROCKS! I love you Mom!

Tulips on Pearl Street

 Audrey ROCKS her funny faces!

MY FAVORITE FOUR KIDDOS!

 She's a climber! Her daddy I know is proud! 

And Clive... What a gentleman! You are too sweet with Miss Adeline.

Party Girl!

Audrey's 4th Birthday Party

Knock knock Jokes

I remember thinking I was so funny with my knock knock jokes when I was little. Well, this morning I heard Audrey take a stab at a knock knock joke....
Audrey: "knock knock Clive....no Clive you're supposed to say whose there?"
Clive: a much garbled "whose there"
Audrey: "Banana Head.... Now Clive you are supposed to say Banana Head who?"
Clive: "banana wana ooh"
Audrey: "Banana Head Stinky Head."
And of course giggles abound.

One down, a few more to go...

Audrey heard me making phone calls the other day and this conversation ensued afterwards...
Audrey: "Ewin is your last name Spwing?"
Me: "Close... It's Erin Spring-ett. What's your last name?"
Audrey: "Be-sen."
Me: "Yep. You're right."
Audrey: "Well... well...well you could be Ewin Spwingett Be-sen."
Me: "No. I would have to be married to your daddy to be a Be-sen."
Audrey: "Well you can mawwy my daddy."

Beauty

I've been struggling a bit lately. I don't know if it has been more of a gradual thing since I injured myself or more of just a newer problem with my current state. I suspect the former. It is hard to normally be self confident so as not to worry about things like looks or being attractive, etc. Our society puts so much emphasis on this already that I have always felt it is in one's self interest to be their own cheerleader in being confident in their own skin. This is, after all, what really matters. Even if others try to reassure you of your beauty, it is never really heard unless you believe it yourself.
Anyways, I haven't been able to work out as much and then with actually having surgery I find myself looking in the mirror wondering who is this person in front of me. She's overweight, has a huge contraption on one leg and walks like an unsteady giant instead of an elegant woman. I am glad my situation is only temporary.
But it did get me to thinking about others who may not be as fortunate. For example, breast cancer survivors. Often times their bodies are so altered through mastectomies and loosing their hair, etc that I've heard they have a hard time feeling beautiful, and I can see exactly why. Of course their hair will grow back but part of what has defined them in our society as woman is their breasts and with those gone I would imagine it is a hard undergoing to re-build your self-image and especially to re-build in a positive light.
And then there are woman who are stunningly beautiful per societies standards and yet so so ugly on the inside. Even they don't have the self-assurance and self-confidence which is evidence from how they tend to be mean and ugly to those less fortunate in order to build up their pseudo self-confidence.
I guess I don't have any real inspiring conclusion to this post other than I have never thought ill of people with disabilities or deformities and I certainly try to see the beauty in everyone. I wish there was a way to instill own's one self-assurance and self-confidence so that no one looks in the mirror and wonders who that person is in front of them. I wish we could all have peace with the individual things that makes us who we are and thus beautiful.

I found a keeper...

I have the most wonderful man in my life! I recently had knee surgery. Actually, just last week. I was so concerned about how things were going to go with me being on the couch for 6 weeks. Adam has been wonderful. It seems as though I have been a little emotional at times or unsure while being in a brace and crutches. Adam just seems to know exactly what to do or say. He'll hug me right when I need a hug, tell me I'm beautiful right when I'm feeling like an umpa lumpa or suggest we go a movie even when we have no idea what is in the theaters. He wanted to do some climbing this last weekend since it was our weekend off from the kids. He picked a place close to the road with little to no walk-in and invited his friends to meet up at our house. Then, as though he knew, but was fearful to ask in case I wasn't up for it, he suggested we offer breakfast for his friends. I love to entertain and it was so nice to have something to look forward to including making a coffee cake for friends. And then on top of that Adam packed two camping chairs and set me up to lounge while him and his friends climbed. It was glorious to be out in the sun. And it is so wonderful to have found a keeper such as Adam!

How cute is this...

A patient in our unit was scheduled for surgery. He hand wrote a card and ordered an abosolutely beautiful flower arrangement for his wife. He had it delivered during his surgery while she was in the waiting room. During his time of illness, he still thought of his wife and sent her some reassurance. I think it made all the female nurses on our unit sigh with how sweet that was.

I love my family!

I came home this morning after an exhausting night shift and an anxiety filled pre-op appointment. I was so tired that I was on the verge of tears. I walked into the house and everything seemed surprisingly quiet... So I continued upstairs. I walked around the corner and was immediately met with a ecstatic shreak from Audrey. They were trying to surprise me and were quite successful at it. Next we talked about how silly it is that I sleep during the day so then everyone piled into bed with me. Adam read the kids and I a good night Erin story. They each took turns giving me a hug and a kiss and then when Adam leaned over and gave me a hug both Audrey and Clive people piled on top. I love people piles! I felt so loved. :)

When I am old and ill...

Please don't talk to me about the troubles of the world. Bring me flowers, hold my hand and read me stories of grand adventures. Oh and bring kids' art work too...

Serious Dinner Conversations with an almost 4 year old...

Audrey: "Ewin have you been to bounce town?"
Me: "Of course... with you and Clive silly. Why are you thinking of bounce town?"
Audrey: "Because I love that place... and look thewe's bounce town."
Me: "What? In your ice cream?"
Audrey: "Yeah. Wight thewe."
Me: "Show me."
Audrey: "Wight thewe. See the doow?"
Me: "Ohhhh...."
See for yourself... there is certainly a door.

Roar!

So Miss Audrey and Little Clive have some pjs that they LOVE LOVE LOVE. But the problem with kids is they keep growing. SO unfortunately they are getting ready to out-grow their coveted pajamas. GASP! I know. Terrible!
So brilliant me decided to go find the same type and style. And what's even better is that I found them for both kids so they match.
Roar baby!

Super Heros!

These are my favorite kind! Out to save this world with lots of hugs, kisses, giggles and sillies. 

Here Daddy.

So Little Miss Audrey... She's not my daughter, but she is certainly my girl.
I am sure over time more of her personality will show through with my stories but for now let it suffice that she is almost 4 years old and one that can rough and tumble and yet stand back and take it all in.
The other day she had a toy that her little brother wanted and offered it to him and then took it right back. Her daddy and I were right there and told her that it wasn't nice to offer and then take it away and she didn't quite understand so Adam took her beloved Lamby. He held it out and offered it to her and then when Audrey would reach for it he would pull it back. He did this about ten times until she became a little frustrated and he finally turned Lamby back over to her. Audrey continued to play with her brother for a few minutes and then she came back to where we were sitting...
She held out her Lamby and said "Here Daddy." Adam reached up to take Lamby... and completely unexpectedly she reneged on it and let out a rip roaring laugh. Ah she's a quick one.

Back-handed compliment

For those who don't know me, I am a nurse. I love being a nurse and more importantly I love being a critical care nurse. I currently work in the ICU and it is an environment full of life long memories....
I tend to pick up little statements from my patients and this is just one that ended up making me chuckle.
"You look like an awfully cute nurse but I don't have my glasses on."

Ah Blogging

Ok. So I finely decided to break down and join the blogging world. My sister has a wonderful blog and has kept after me to start one of my own... So here it is. Probably won't compare to my sister's but none the less.
So why "Me and My Ready Made?" I have been blessed to have one of the most wonderful men on this earth be in my life and along with him, he has two beautiful kids. My dad once asked me "Is a ready made family what you want?" And, well, quite simply yes! So here is to my adventures... Me and My Ready Made.