So What Are You Saying?

As part of my job, I help a variety of different people who have had strokes, brain injuries, or anything else that could affect their brain or swallowing abilities. Because this is the population I work with, I will often hear some very funny comments that are unedited, off the wall, or just (for lack of a better word) crazy. Here is one such example:

(Background: I have been working with this same patient for 3 long weeks trying to get him to remember to tuck his chin when he drinks (no reason to explain further - it's just safer for him). I have worked with him twice a day during meals to remember this silly little strategy. Despite my constant efforts, creative thinking, and threatening, he still can't remember to tuck his chin. I think I was finally at my wits end today - and clearly he was too.)

Me: (As the patient is drinking) Tuck your chin, tuck your chin. Please don't forget to tuck your chin.
Patient: (With his head up) Doesn't it look like I'm tucking my chin?
Me: No - as a matter of fact, it doesn't.
Patient: Fine (then takes another drink without tucking his chin).
Me: What are you doing? Why aren't you tucking your chin?
Patient: You know what, sometimes you can be such a PITA!
Me: A PITA? What's that (thinking he had finally lost all sense)?
Patient: Don't you know? You must be the president or something.
Me: What are you talking about?
Patient: It's how I would describe you - PITA.
Me: But what's that supposed to mean?
Patient: Well, that you are a Pain In The Ass.

Great. Despite all my efforts at saving his life (literally), I'm still a PITA. The best part of the whole thing is that I wouldn't be such a PITA if he would just remember to do what he needed to do. Oh well, I guess these are the comments and times that prove how much I really love my job. Hopefully there will be more funny comments to come.

Cuddle Bugs

So, I'm not sure what exactly was in McKinley's milk today, but we must have put some extra sweetener in it or something, because she was an absolute doll today. She smiled all day long and would do some of the cutest things just to get you to smile or laugh at her. The cutest moment of the entire day was when she just walked up to Carson and started hugging him. McKinley isn't much of an affectionate girl, in fact, she usually only gives hugs or kisses under duress - and even then, only if SHE feels like it. So, for her to give out cuddles so freely - even to her most favorite person in the whole wide world - is a big deal. Of course we caught the phenomenon on film for proof later that she does, in fact, have a sweet and sensitive side.

So True

We all had a fantastic Christmas yesterday. I was so excited for Christmas to start that I woke up every half-hour starting at 3:00 am until I finally just bit the bullet and got up at 5:30 and got myself ready. I ended up turning on the TV in the family room really loud to get my family to all wake up with me. The kids were an absolute hoot opening up their presents. Carson was thrilled that Santa remembered to bring him everything he asked him for - and was even convinced that he knew Santa would bring him some of the things he didn't ask for but still got, and McKinley exclaimed with an emphatic "Oooohhh, Wow!" every time she opened up another present. It was such a great year because it was the first time that both kids were really excited about Christmas. My favorite comment of the entire day was by Carson - he summed up the excitement for me very well:

Carson: (after unwrapping all of his Santa presents and looking around at his loot) "Wow, Mom. I'm really spoiled, huh?"
Me: Yes, you really must be.
Carson: Yeah, I think so too. (Then, with a little giggle) Ok, let's open up more presents!

I hope everyone else had a fantastic holiday!

Cookies Anyone?

Carson and McKinley have a regularly scheduled play date with one of my dearest friends and her daughter. I have actually had this friend since I was about 5 years old. We grew up across the street from each other and now live just minutes away from one another. Both our daughters were born a few days apart, in the same hospital. It has been fun sharing new adventures with each other, and now our kids are following in our legacy. This last play date Angie (my friend) decided to be daring and let the kids frost and decorate cookies. We were both apprehensive about them getting too messy, so we de-robed their upper bodies. It was great to watch each of the kids' personalities come out. Carson was very detailed and specific in the placement of his M&Ms, Dakota (Angie's daughter) was quite serious and focused on frosting her cookie, and McKinley bypassed the cookie all together and went straight for the sugar source by eating the frosting off her knife. It was a lot of fun and added one more wonderful memory I get to share with her.

Compromise

We just recently moved into a new house, and with that, has come a few compromises when it comes to decorating (more on Ben's part than mine). This year for our Christmas decorations, Ben decided he wanted to deck out our house in as much Utah paraphernalia as possible - due likely, to the Utes' great season. There were several things I had to nix straight away and some other things we tweaked together. In the end, I feel like we ended with a great compromise. I was able to get my very traditional white lights surrounding our house, and Ben was able to get an enormous red "U" on the top of the roof for all drivers to see from our street and on Legacy Highway. As crazy as it sounds, it does look pretty neat.

Happy Birthday

Yesterday was Carson's 4th birthday - wow, where does the time go? We had an all-around great day going to Kangaroo Zoo and then back to our house for some lunch and cake and ice cream. Carson had an absolute blast, and really did look and act older to me. I am really starting to hate each stage of growth he goes through - I just need him to stay little forever.

So, Happy Birthday baby boy. I love so many things about you - your heart-warming smile, your sweet and sensitive nature, your helpful attitude, and your wonderful comments. You are truly a joy in all our lives.

Daddy Day

As some of you might know, I work at a hospital as a speech-language pathologist.  Because I work at a hospital, someone has to be there to help people get better every day.  So, some of us have very different schedules.  My schedule is that I work for 7 days and then I have 7 days off.  It probably sounds crazy, but if you think about it - it's sheer bliss.  I only work the equivalent of 27 weeks out of the year, but get paid for working full-time.  It's great.  One of the draw-backs to that schedule, however, is that I work every-other weekend.  This means that Ben is in charge of the kids for two weekends out of the month.  He is in charge of the day-to-day cares like keeping the kids alive and out of harm's way.  That's really all I can expect out of him.  He tries to put together respectable looking outfits for the kids and to do their hair (pretty laughable sometimes when you have a little girl to put bows in), but they somehow always end up looking homeless.  I really must admit, he tries.  But, this last weekend when I called home to see how my family was doing (and yes, to make sure my kids were still alive), I asked Carson what he was doing.  Here is our conversation:

Carson: "I'm eating Lucky Charms."

Me: "Oh, that's a pretty good breakfast."

Carson: "Yeah, but I'm just eating marshmallows."

Me: "Ok.  Well, what else are you going to do today?"

Carson: "Um, probably eat donuts and cookies too."

Fantastic.  Well, I guess all I really can hope for is that he manages to keep the kids alive.  There's certainly no hope for their teeth or early-onset diabetes, but hey, at least their alive.

The Joy of the Holidays

We finally got around to setting up and decorating our Christmas tree yesterday. I say "finally" only because Carson has been asking me when we were going to put it up for about 2 weeks now - not because I like to rush the holidays, and especially not because I like to rush decorating. Both kids were hilarious and loved putting it all together. It was also the first year where everyone had an active role in the construction of the tree, which added a new and interesting element. Here are a few photos:

McKinley delivered the ornaments to Carson, who passed them off to Ben (just before he realized he could put them on the tree himself), who then hung them on the tree. It sounds complicated, but I think everyone liked having their own "job."

Yes - she looks homeless, but still as adorable as ever.

What a big helper.

These precious moments are what make the holidays one of my favorite times of the year.

At Least You Have an Excuse

You know the old phrase: "So what, did your mother drop you on your head or something?" Well, I have officially turned that phrase into a reality. McKinley (my 1.5 year old daughter) and I were shopping for cards the other day when she reached out to grab one of them and physics took over. She toppled head-first out of the cart towards the ground. Unfortunately, I was just one step too far away to catch her. Now, before you send the cops out to arrest me for being a negligent mother, you should know that I was able to absorb some of the blow with my leg and arm as I reached out to protect my poor baby. Despite my efforts, she still ended up with a goose egg on her forehead and a very remorseful mom. McKinley, as history has told us, is a very tough girl who is able to shirk off most pain and move along as though nothing ever happened - and she certainly didn't disappoint in this instance either. The good news (I guess if there could be good news in this story) is that if she ever does something truly idiotic in her later years she has a legitimate excuse. So, if someone ever asks her, "were you dropped you on your head or something?" She can respond with a simply truthful and emphatic, "Yes!"

Victory

Well, if you can't tell from the name of our blog, this is a family of true-blooded Utes. Truthfully, the biggest offender in our clan is my husband, Ben. If scientists were to study the genetic make-up and molecular structure of him, they would find little tiny red and white "U's" attached to every cell in his body. Thankfully, his beloved Utes defeated the ever devious "Team from Down South" (think Harry Potter and the phrase "He who must not be named," and you will better understand why we are not allowed to speak the name of his fierce rivals). No, Ben does not - nor did not - play for the U in any capacity. The only thing he can really take credit for in the last night's game is that he has been a fan since birth and that, of course, his mere presence at the game last night resulted in the team winning. The biggest victory of all, however, is that now I am able to have a very happy husband and household for the next 11 months (losing does not agree well with his system). So, thank you Utah. For not only winning (and, I must admit, slaughtering) last night's opponents, but for giving me peace for the next year. It truly was a victory for all.

Hello World

So, against all better judgement, I have decided to create a blog. Blogging to me, just seemed like one more thing that I didn't really need to add to my already crazy life. But, after talking with countless people about how amazing blogging is, I decided to try it. If nothing else, I figure this can be a great way to share some of the funny little day-to-day things that happen in my children's lives that I will surely forget in a few years. So, here you go...the first comment made by Carson, my 3 (nearly 4)-year-old son:


Carson: "Mama, what you doing?"
Me: "I'm making a blog."
Carson: "What that?"
Me: "It's just a new way of talking to different people all around the world."
Carson: "About me?"
Me: "Well yes, and everybody else too."
Carson: "Oh...what you say?
Me: "I don't know, is there anything YOU want to say?"
Carson: "Hi everybody. I like school."

Great. I hope we have more exciting things to share in the future.