Florida Wrap

We just spent a long weekend in Orlando with Papa and La La.  The resort where we stayed had about 20 pools with fountains, baby pools, hot tubs and heated lap pools. It rocked.  We had kind of questionable weather the first couple of days, but as you can see, that didn't stop us from enjoying the amenities.  The fountains would shoot up if you put your foot over them.  It was at least 30 minutes of entertainment for Ry and Papa.
T, on the other hand, was far more interested in trying to drink the water.
T is big on dinosaurs right now. Any time he see anything resembling one (gator, lizard, robot) we get seranaded with a round of "roar".  The new T-Rex restaurant at Downtown Disney was a big hit.
Papa and T waiting for the carosel.  They couldn't look more alike if they tried.
Generally, I'm not a big fan of the "build a" stores (there is just something wrong about all the bear carcasses in bins), but we had to do the Build a Dino.  Here is the first dino to be stuffed.  He had an umbilical hernia, so we had to get Dino II.  They let you name your dino for the "birth certificate", so we let T type the dino's name.  I present you Ib, the Dinosaur.
Animal Kingdom was fun with T.  The safari was great and we had good times asking T what sound the animals made.  Hippos, apparently, say "moo."
I had to do the ears, but as you can see, they didn't last long.  I actually wore the ears most of the day.
Disney day was a big day for a little guy.  He barely moved when I got him out of the car and didn't move at all when I put him in the crib.

Blech, snow.

The temperature today is hovering around 35 F and it's been snowing/sleeting/freezing rain all day. Yeck.

An unexpected problem

When we lost Elf last year, we knew that Chief would be sad.  The way I convinced Ry to get 2 cats was that they "do better in pairs."  Indeed, they do. 

Since Elf has been gone, Chief has had highly questionable hygiene.  He rarely grooms himself and has lately had a problem of a highly disgusting nature.  There always seems to be residual poo after a stop in the cat box.  And, no, I'm not talking about tracking it around on his paws.  Nope, our kitty friend smears it all over the couch with his bum. Apparently, this was a service that Elf used to perform for him.  Either that, or he's so depressed that he can't even bring himself to perform basic grooming.

In effect, this means that we follow him around with baby wipes anytime he leaves the office.  How do you get a cat to clean its bum? I already change 8 diapers a day, I don't need to chase around a cat bum all day.

Greetings from the House of Mouse

I heart our cat sitter

Our cat sitter is a 10 year-old neighbor of ours who we found from a flyer he put in our mailbox at the beginning of the summer. Let's call him DrummerBoy.  

DrummerBoy is one of those rare little kids who isn't shy or uncomfortable around adults.  He's always wearing groovy hemp necklaces and has his ears pierced. He stops to say hi when we see him out riding his bike.  The first time he watched Chief, he asked if we would send him a postcard from Vancouver since he's trying to get postcards from all over the world.

We are leaving for Florida on Wednesday, and DrummerBoy is once again watching our hairball.  Today he stopped by to get our house key. When he walked in he was wearing a Santa hat.  I said, "It's a little early for Christmas isn't it?"  His older sister roller her eyes and told me he'd been wearing it all weekend.  "It's warm," he explained.  He definintely marches to his own beat. 

Where Are My Cookies?

Image URL: http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/cookie-monster-wtf-is-this.jpg?w=324&h=314

Who Needs Hand Puppets?

Funny man

I just watched Ry fall asleep between sips of his beer.  Why not just put it down? "Because I had to finish it."

Did You Know?

The Daycare Edition

Did you know ...

• Even if the facility is beautiful, the staff lovely and the qualifications perfect, you will cross it off your list because the director is a "loud talker"?
• Centers seem obsessed with "teaching" a 2 year old?
• Daycare directors make snarky comments about other centers?
• There is a distinct difference between a daycare and a preschool?
• Our son isn't going to have attachment issues.
• In fact, he'd probably hang with the mailman if I introduced them.
• Or the supermarket cashier.
• But I digress.
• While there are some basic requirements, choosing a center is more about the feeling you get from the kids than anything else.
• Even though I know it'll be good for both of us, I'll still probably cry the first day of school.
• And I'm really glad I don't have to put him in full time daycare because I had to go back to work.
• Thank you, my love.

Your daily dose of cuteness

Strike Up the Band!

Twelve years later, I can still do high school algebra! I took my placement exam this morning and placed into the (one) math class I have to take to complete my nursing curriculum.  Now I can relax and focus on my skeletal system exam(s) ... because that's relaxing.

As a side note, the people on our campus during the day are a far different crowd from those in the evenings.  I felt like I should be chaperoning the other students in line for the testing center this morning.  It'll be interesting to take daytime classes in the Spring.

On another side note, I've never attended a college that used its testing center to give normal class exams.  The vast majority of the other students were taking exams for their business, criminal science or other classes.  This seems strange to me. Why not just give the exam during the class period?  Has anyone else had this experience?

In which I am doomed

I have to take a placement exam on Friday to (attempt) to get out of retaking Algebra 1.  As I started reviewing the practice exam I realized I am completely doomed.  I can't even remember how to factor or multiply fractions anymore.  Strangely enough, it's some of the more advanced math I can still remember.  Think of me on Friday as I labor through the 90 minute exam. Ug.

In which I rock A&P

Ahhh, having the highest grade on the last exam is sweet, sweet relief.  I felt like such an idiot for the first few weeks of my Anatomy and Physiology class.  Because of the high percentage of students in the class that already work in healthcare, I thought I was starting way behind the line.  And then ... and then my friends, I totally rocked the last exam.  I think I'm going to need it. Our next exam is on the skeletal system.  If it were only the bones, I wouldn't be so worried, but we also need to know the fossas (holes), processes (extensions), depressions, joints and articulations (which bones touch) of all the bones.  I'm going to need the extra points to offset the upcoming exam.

In ur livin rum ...

D-stroying ur produs

This, my friends, is what happens when your toddler is unsupervised with a green pepper for 30 seconds.  Moral of the story: keep your grocery bags on the counter.

Grrr. Slackers

I've been a student for a number of years in a number of different classes.  All of those classes contained their fair share of slackers.  I always figured they'd pay the price for late assignments and poor study habits and didn't think too much about it.  I never took it personally until now.  

About 80% of the students in my A&P class are nursing majors and the rest have something to do with the medical field.  One of my fellow students is "Ann."  Ann is a woman in her 50s who works for the state government as some kind of clerk.  She's a single woman. She fractured her foot at the beginning of class and has been out of work since (and isn't planning to return until the first week of November).  Other than the A&P class she is taking one other class this semester.  So, here's the math, she's not working, doesn't have a family and is taking 2 classes this semester.  And yet, every week she turns in her lab assignments late, usually by doing the assignment during the lab.  She was glad to have passed the first exam.

Now, why do I take this personally? She wants to be a nurse!  She is going to be administering medication, performing treatments and caring for people in life and death situations.  I don't want her to be my nurse.  I know that someone has to be at the bottom of the class, but seriously?  I can only hope that she'll wash out when she gets into the nursing curriculum.

Funniest Exam Review Question Ever

Q: Why do the phraynx, esophagus, anus and vagina have the same organization of epithelium?

A: They are all areas that experience wear and tear.

On the VP Debate

Wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't so spot on.

A & P Fun Fact

The bone that kills you if you get it slammed into your brain is not, in fact, the nasal bone.  It is actually a bone called the vomer and it is inside your nose, not on the bridge of nose.

Quick Update

I haven't blogged in a while. Here's what's been going on since my last post:

• Wed, 9/24: Ry is out of town. T and I spend the day together.
  
• Thurs, 9/25: Getting the house ready for mom's visit.  Ry comes home from D.C. There is much rejoicing.
  
• Fri, 9/26: T and I go pick Mom up at the airport.  T loves the baggage carousel.
  
• Sat, 9/27: Ry watches T so Mom and I can go do girly stuff.  Love you Ry!
• Sun, 9/28: Mom watches T so Ry and I can go on our first date in waaay too long. Love you Mom!
• Mon, 9/29: We go pumpkin picking. I almost lose my shoe in the mud.  T wants to eat every raspberry off the bush.  I have class. Got a 90% on my exam. I would be a little disappointed, but the class average was 74%.
• Tues, 9/30: I have lab. Got an 89% on my lab practical. Again, would be disappointed, but there was only one A.  Perhaps I need to readjust my expectations.  No grade inflation in A&P.  Good old bell curve there.
• Wed, 10/1: We take Mom back to the airport. :(
• Thurs, 10/2: T and I get together with some friends.  T and Q hold hands across their strollers.