Not such a tame world....

On the Eight Day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me....

Da Girls

Brace yourself -- this one is a long post, and possibly a tear-jerker. [Mascara alert!]

I honestly think that I'm one of those lucky women who was born without sisters, so that when I grew up I would search them out and pick my own. And they know who they are, but for the rest of my blog-o-sphere: in the order we met, the ladies are Heather, Kirsten, Kim and Jill.

Good Grief! I don't even know where to start, to tell you what these women mean to me. They are my sounding board, my safety valve, my sanity when I'm at the end of my rope. They can talk me "in from the ledge" as well as talk me into buying that really cute pair of shoes, or a great scrapbook gadget. [Oh wait!I'm usually the one talking them into buying the scrapbooking stuff....That's why they call me "the Enabler"! ] They have let me cry on their shoulders and they have cried on mine. We have shared so much of our lives, to such an extent, that we know each other better than some of our relatives do. In time of need or time of joy, these are the people I call first. They are my speed-dials.

Since I don't actually have a photo of all of us together, as we do operate on different schedules, I'll slip in a few timely photos:

Heather, AKA Mrs. H

I met Heather almost 5 years ago as a result of our scrapbooking addiction. We were the two core members in a monthly crop group, so we ended up getting to know each other because for three hours monthly, we were the only ones present & talking. She's boosted me up through all the adoption drama, and then the subsequent post-adoption trauma-dramas. When I started doing medical examiner work & needed to practice blood draws, she volunteered to be my guinea pig. She takes credit for getting me hooked on the Twilight series, although I've carried that to an extreme on my own, thank you very much! Her daughter is a couple years ahead of Tabitha, and I find myself using her as my developmental touchstone; i.e her daughter started liking blue at age 10, got pierced ears at 10, contacts at 11, etc. Of the local four of us, Heather is the organizer. She keeps us in line & desperately tries to keep us focused. [Although as soon as the wine is open, that's a losing battle....] When I was hospitalized with my pulmonary emboli, she visited me every day in the hospital & brought Coca-Cola offerings with her. She is my reality check and more often than not makes me realize that I'm harder on myself than anyone else is. I love that she's addicted to all things fleur-de-lis and Louisiana, and that she let her husband decorate their den in LSU gold & purple. It makes me sad that one day they want to retire to Louisiana, but I guess that means she better have an awesome guest room!

Love ya' H!!

 

Kirsten, AKA Mrs. K

[Although is some earlier posts I interchange Mrs K with Ms. K....Call it editorial license!]

 

OK. For starters, this photo makes me laugh because my baby is so badly wrapped. I promise I know how to do better than that and that I didn't always have the sloppy babies. Also, K & I didn't agree to wear the same color shirt; just worked out that way. This was Valentine's Day 2006, so I guess we both just "think pink"!

Moving right along....

I had the pleasure of meeting Kirsten in November 2004. She came to shadow me for a day at the newborn nursery group to see if she'd like to join us. We hit it off that day in spades! And I actively set out to recruit her. "SCORE! " was how it felt the day I knew she'd taken the job. Whew -- Have we covered some ground since Spring 2005 or what!?! She's up to four kids and I'm at one. We won't even count critters nor job changes. But through it all, when I need to talk to another physician/pediatrician I trust her implicitly. We'll brainstorm about interesting patients. We'll review outcomes. She is my closest clinical sounding-board. She was a scrapbooker when we met, but we've definitely encouraged each other to branch out & try new creative endeavors, including photography & sewing. I cheered her on to dip into blogging and she's bolstered my flagging confidence as I build my locum tenems practice. The process of medical training tempers you as an individual and only another physician can fully relate to the sacrifices and choices made to do this job, and at that level Kirsten is one of the few people in the world who really "gets me". I love that even though she lives 4 hours away now, when we do see each other we pick up right where we left off. We try to talk weekly on the phone, but calls vary depending on family & work demands. Kirsten is my fellow creative braniac.

Love ya' K!!

 

Kim, AKA Ms. K

I met Kim in August 2006 and after just a few weeks I knew we would be close friends for life. She has seen me at some of my lowest lows and highest highs. When I had crushing chest pain at 2:30am on an August morning, after I woke Michael up and EMS was en-route, Kim was the next person I wanted near by. Without hesitation she was at our house and consoled Tabitha as I was taken to the ER. Other than clothes & shoes [due to size differences -- I'm Gulliver remember!!], there's probably not much that we don't share in our lives. She's my fellow crafting junkie; my fashion re-styler; and my fellow Twilighter. She's taught me everything from "how to use peanut butter to get bubble gum out of Tabitha's hair" to "how to buy a bra" and lots more in between. If Heather is our Organizer, then Kim is our Energetic Dreamer. She's the one who wanted to start going to scrap retreats and Heather's the one that searched out the go-to crops. It amazes me how much enthusiasm is packaged up into such a tiny person. I can be exhausted and flopped on the couch, but get Kim going and the momentum will even get me, Mrs Inertia, on the move!

K! Love ya' more than you know!!

 

And last, but hardly least is Jill, AKA Mrs. J

She is the newest to our group. I met her about 15 months ago. She is just slightly older than me, by about 6 months, but much more young at heart! I'd classify her as a "Rev, Rev, Va-Room" Girl. She decides on a goal and she decisively accomplishes it. I love that she is so confident and doesn't tolerate any grief. I feel a little bit braver just being around her. [And those who know me well, know that I identify much more strongly with the Cowardly Lion than the Scarecrow -- "avoid conflict at all costs"...] She brings wisdom & counsel to our group in ways we haven't even experienced yet. Kim & Heather are slowly working to bring her "into the scrapbooking fold" and I'm just on the sidelines for moral support when she needs it! I am looking forward to many more years experiencing this friendship develop. [And I promise to get a better picture of us - Tabitha took this one and it was all I had to work with!]

 J, I know it's been just a short time for us, but it's been intense! Love ya!!

So there you have it. These girls are my peeps, my support group, my sisters and I love that they accept me unconditionally, flaws and all. I couldn't make it without ya'll!

Hugs & Purrs, Girls!!

 

On the Sixth Day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me....

"Da Boys"

AKA: Matt, Billy, Jeff & Tony. Michael is in the middle.

The above photo is from our wedding 13 years ago, back when none of them had grey or thinning hair. :-) These four men and Michael form the "core group". There's a couple others who sort of float in & out, depending on when they're in the area.

I''ve now known them all for 16 years. In order to date Michael, I ended up being vetted by Tony and his girlfriend one night at Mama's Pizza in Fort Worth. Talk about pressure. Meeting his parents wasn't as tough! Of course, given today's mobile society, how rare is it to have friends that go back 35+ years to grade school? Through all their shared experiences & adventures, they are more a group of brothers than "just friends." I'll never forget Matt's Best Man toast at our wedding, when he welcomed me to the family, and I feel like I've always been included. Around our house, we refer to them as Tabitha's Uncles, because "close family friends" just doesn't explain enough.

And should the need ever arise, I would not hesitate to call on any of them for help. They've slaved through back-breaking moves. They played key roles in our adoption process, from being character witnesses to Matt fingerprinting us on multiple occasions. [Relax -- he's a police officer!] Tony saved my senior level biology grade in college at 2am when Michael & I crashed at his house for an emergency print job on my term paper, which was due at 8am that day. [Nothing like the last minute & then having a fatal printer error....] Billy provides the moral compass & reality check. And Jeff is my partner-in-crime when it comes to experimenting to find the perfect recipe for a Pumpkin Pie Martini. [We're still working on it -- I'll let you know when we succeed.]

The three years of my residency when Michael & I were away from home was much harder on him than me in some ways. I had all my fellow residents to commiserate with. Michael was without "Da Boys" and our family. So when I finished and he wanted to "go home" I was more than willing. And there was never any question that home would be up in North Texas. Early on, we were fairly close geographically speaking. Not so much these days. But they meet semi-regularly for lunches, sushi dinners & "guy" movies. Then we try to get all of us, "Da Boys, spouses, kids, etc", together once a year. I look forward to those times when we actually pull it off. There's talk going on now about a possible New Year's Day Rock Band tournament. Looks like this year, I need to update the group photo!

So Boys! Cheers!! This one's for you!!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me... Five Gold Rings....

Actually, more precious than golden rings, I'm lucky enough to have lots and lots of kids in my life. Tabitha obviously, but besides her are all the others who brighten up my life.

Going in chronological order, oldest to youngest (and using initials only for privacy's sake) :

Miss A.

She gets credit for being Michael's and my first "niece" to experiment with. Her parents were expecting her when Michael & I first started dating, so we've watched her grow up. We can't believe she's soon to start driving! This was her at 4 years old and at 14 years old:

  

After Miss A the family went to the boys! Lots of nephews in fact. 

First up is Mr. J.

My brother's oldest son, this little guy was born a month before I graduated from medical school. I got to meet him at 5 weeks old. He's sprouted quite a bit since then. Here's one of my favorite photos from Summer 2008. He has the honored role of "First Nephew". And when he visits me, I never know when I'm going to get a sneak hug attack!

Next up is Mr. C.

He's my brother's younger son and he has two speeds: full go and off. This little guy and I didn't hit it off the first time we met. As a matter of fact, I really didn't like him at all. Personality-wise he struck me as a carbon copy of my Dad with a serious cranky twist. Granted he was only 6 weeks old at the time....Still he's improved considerably since then. I look at him now and see lots of family resemblances between him, my Dad and myself. He cracks me up when he visits. He has the family stubborn streak from both sides, so he can be a bit more of a challenge -- but this past summer he learned that he couldn't "out-stubborn" Aunt Theresa. So here's 6 weeks old up to 6 years old:

 Mr. J holding Mr. C
 
 

Mr. J, Tab, Me & Mr. C

Next up are nephews #3 & 4, aka "The Twins"

These two are the sons of Michael's sister. They're closing in on 4 years old soon, but in the meantime, they are all go, Go, GO! Watching them grow-up is amazing. By virtue of being twins and born a tad early, they had some developmental issues to overcome. That hasn't slowed them down much overall. Recently, they've really started talking and some of the sentences they come up with are just startling! It makes me so grateful that after the boys arrived, my SIL & BIL moved back to Texas. I know they miss the mountain states and the four seasons, but living just 20 minutes away is well worth the sacrifice in my book. As the boys get older, I can't wait to start them on "Summer Camp with Aunt Theresa". One of these days, I'm going to get all four of my boys together, as well as my TomBoy Tabitha, and I'm going to get my group photo. It's just all about timing!

So here's B & W: [No! That's not short for "Black & White!"]

That was then:

And this is now:

Les Petites

The next main group of children in my life that I treasure are referred to as "Les Petites". These are the sons & daughters of my closest friends. I see them often enough that I'm known as "Tia Theresa".

In chronological age you'll find:

Miss A., Miss H., and Miss E. Here they are with Tabitha when we went to the New Moon Premiere:

Each of these girls brings a different element to my life. Miss A could be my carbon copy from the age of 13. I so relate to her on so many levels that it almost breaks my heart. She also holds the title of being Tabitha's first "American" friend. Until a recent move, Miss H & Miss E were at our house often enough that we refer to them & Tabitha as being "next-door sisters". Miss H tends to be super serious, except when she's not. Whichever she is, she is always entertaining to talk to. And her younger sister Miss E. The Delightful Miss E. She is sweetness & innocence & kindness rolled up into a firecracker package. It can be hard to keep up with her when she gets going, but she is never boring.

Now keeping the numbers even, are the three boys. And I'll admit it -- I have a huge soft spot for these three guys. Had life turned out differently, had I unlimited funds, had Russian adoptions not become so difficult, etc ad nauseum; then I would have a little guy of my own. But I don't. So I am fortunate that my friends so willingly share theirs and these guys all like to hang with me.

Mr. E is the oldest. He just turned 5 and honestly I can't believe how big he's gotten. I remember when just two years ago, we'd play a hair ruffling game & he thought that was the funnest stuff ever. Now? Don't even think about touching the hair.

  

Next up is Mr. D. He's a recent addition to the group, but his Mama has fit in very well to make our fourth. He's very much like his Dad - strong & silent. But once he warms up a bit, he is all personality. He's coming up on 3 soon and I have a feeling that he'll give us a run for our money.... It tickles me to no end though, that when we're all together, he'll ignore everybody else, just to give me high fives! Talk about feeling like "The Chosen One!"

And then there is Sweet Mr. X.... I have a huge sweet spot for him. I heard him being born. I saw him at 4 hours old [both as "Tia" and Dr.] and then have seen him at least weekly ever since. He's rapidly approaching the terrible twos, but watching him grow up has been the next best thing to having one of my own. It simply thrills me when he walks right up to me, throws his little arms up, and demands to be picked up to my level. He knows how to make himself at home at our place, and he delights in tearing apart my work bag so that he can play with my stethoscope. Since I see him the most -- I've got WaY too many pictures of him, so he gets two: [the second shot isn't the sharpest, but I love his "look".]

So these young ones add to my life. There are many others who didn't get a mention as I see them only periodically, but I think of them often as well.  The ones above get credit for keeping me young and entertained, and they allow me to see the world through new eyes time and again. I think this quote sums up this post well:

I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring.  ~Liz Armbruster

 

So "Here's lookin' at you Kid!"

 
 
 
 

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!!

Happy 10th Anniversary to a couple of my closest friends from medical school. We all bonded during Gross Anatomy. [Had a really great "Gross" card, but didn't want you to be offended.] And over the years, in spite of long seperations, we manage to pick up where we left off, every time we talk.

So this was 10 long years ago & I'm really proud of you two making this marriage work.

Any way, as a coping mechanism [That's my story & I'm sticking to it!] we share a warped sense of humor. So guys, this e-card is for you!!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Do this young lady a favor....

And say a few prayers on her behalf today.

This is Miss H. She's the daughter of one of my best friends, Mrs. K. We joke that Miss H. is my "next door daughter" because [you guessed it] she lives next door. Long story short, about 1.5 years ago I diagnosed a fracture in her foot that has not really ever healed. I finally got her in to a great pediatric orthopedist and at 7am today she's supposed to have surgery to try to help repair the injury. Unfortunately, this site was damaged more than we knew prior to the MRI last week and the growth plate is affected. I've been doing a lot of reading on this particular injury & repair this past week and more so than other injuries there are so many things that could go wrong. And I so desperately want everything to go right....

So do me a favor....

And go visit this link here to vote for my scrapbook layout that I entered in a contest. You have to e-mail Rena which layout you like the most. I'm entry #4 -- The one with the photos of Zoe. We were supposed to work from this sketch for our design. Personally, I think #3 & I were the closest to the original plan -- but obviously I like my layout better. :-)

Considering that today has turned out to be just emotionally crushing in the classic "If it can go wrong, it will!" sort-of-way, I really could use a little bit of happiness -- like a half-price scrapbook retreat.

Eight weeks ago when I threw my pulmonary emboli, I also threw the plans I had for Labor Day Weekend out the window. My friend, Mrs. H and I had already booked ourselves a stay at this particular retreat for that particular weekend. We had kibitzed for months about where  & when we wanted to go, and then suddenly we had found "the one". Then the week before, the hostess had to cancel & our money was refunded. Mrs. H was determinedthat we were scrapbooking that weekend, and by some serious internet sleuthing, she found a substitute retreat closer to home for the same weekend. Unfortunately, since I was hospitalized at the time, I couldn't go. I also couldn't get a refund. So I sent Mrs. K in my place. They had a blast and I sucked oxygen from nasal cannula while I tried to get myself thrown out, uhmm, discharged from the hospital. They got lots done & kept texting me pictures of the layouts as they got them finished. They were a little slow on the uptake when I sent them back a picture of my hospital balloons on my living room mantle, to let them know I did get home. But by all accounts, the retreat was well-run & they enjoyed themselves. Still.... Mrs. H & I would still like to get a chance to take a road-trip [with hourly breaks for me, "Clot-Girl", to get up and walk around....] and try out something new. As my working time sheet has been lean for the past two months, every penny counts. So winning this would go a long way towards me getting to go.

So vote for me! Choice #4.

And "Thank you for your support...."

Announcing my new neighbor....

Baby X. made his arrival today at 15:50pm. Mrs. K & Mr. M are enormously relieved to have a very healthy and normal baby boy. Mr. M called my cell phone and in the excitement set his phone down, so I had the pleasure of hearing Baby X's first cries. All are happy & doing well and we expect them to come home sometime over the weekend.

Vital Stats:

• Weight - 7 pounds 13 oz
• Length - 19.5 inches
• Hair - a fair amount and it's mostly Blonde!
• Cuteness - Overwhelming! He arrived very quickly and didn't suffer from the usual "smoosh-ness". So professionally I'd have to say that he's dag-gum cute.
• Name - On my blog, it really is Baby X. since his first initial is "X". Michael is of course thrilled that his middle name is "Michael" -- but I like the cachet of referring to "Baby X."

And here's Mrs. K  and Baby X. with Mrs H. & I....

Let's talk turkey....

The turkeys on our mantle this year.

So we had a great Thanksgiving at the home of some close, close friends. Really they're more like family since Michael & Mrs. E grew up together. I think I'll start referring to these type of people as the "Framily" in our lives.  As usual the food was superb. The conversation was fabulous. And Tabitha was amply entertained by the arcade games, the new playmate (5 year old girl was in attendance this year) and then when all else fails, let her at a laptop for some Webkinz time.

Then because this is after all Thanksgiving in Texas, the unexpected happened & we had SNOW!! Go figure. My New England relatives had a day in the 60's and we've been between 49 and below so far today.

So some pictures from today:

This year's batch of chocolate covered strawberries. Let it not be said that I show up empty-handed....

This is what we call "Happy Turkey Face"....

And then while there aren't too many things my daughter misses from Russia, apparently snow is one.

So I asked Tabitha earlier tonight what she was thankful for and number 1 was "Food", followed by "Family" and then "Pilgrims & Indians".  Not too shabby for a 9 year old.

Me. I'm thankful for family, friends and "framily". The multiple blessings in my life. And especially that today is not yesterday.

Yesterday was a day of firsts. They started at 5:30am when I woke up from some abdominal pain that subsequently turned out to be my first kidney stone. Apparently I passed it fairly early & easily since my CT-scan later in the afternoon turned out to be negative. All things being relative of course. Turns out this is yet another delight that runs in my family. Guess it'll be more water & fewer cokes in my future. A much better first was that I had my first official Kid Calls house call client in the afternoon! So I guess my practice has officially opened. If I can get one more house call visit in this next week then I'll have met my goal for this first month. Keep your fingers crossed.

So here's to another Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope your holiday was happy as well!!

You'll be happy to know....

That Fondue for Idiots, does exist and it looks like this:

Thank you Central Market!!

Seriously. I was calling my friend Kirsten at 3pm to tell her about my life as an adventure & to get ideas on where to buy fondue fixin's for twelve. At the same time I was hopping in the car to go shopping.

Perhaps I should back-up a bit....

Turns out that Michael is one of a gang of five core guys referred to as "Da' Boys". They've all known each other since the dawn of time. [Well, OK. Maybe it is just a really long time.] Earlier this year, Jeff had the idea of all of us gathering once a month for a potluck dinner that changed locations & themes. We hosted May & had Mexican for May 5th. The dinner has bounced around Dallas/Ft Worth since then.

So then we signed up for September at our place and suddenly, three weeks ago I realized that I needed to plan the darn thing. Ummmmm, with a complete lack of inspiration I watch Food TV and nothing came to me. Switched over to Fine Living & they had a new series called "The Art of the Cocktail". Hmmmm, that might be an idea. Somehow, that morphed into a general 1960's-1970's era fad called Fondue. At the time, as I sent out invitations, fondue for twelve didn't sound that daunting.

At 3pm on Saturday, with only 2.5 hours to go until everyone arrived -- Yup! I was fairly certain that I had lost my flippin' mind. Central Market to the rescue. And my girlfriends to the rescue too! Major kuddos to Mrs. K & Mrs H. for loaning me family fondue pots on short notice. Mrs K's sister even sent along a dozen fondue plates with all the sections for sauce. And the really funny part is that I went from 1 fondue container to 4 in the span of 45 minutes. It was like fondue pots popping out from everywhere! I also learned that those mini-crockpots can serve as a chocolate fondue server as well. Hey, Necessity is the mother of Invention!

Michael had done a fabulous job getting the house cleaned & prepped, and when I got home at 4pm I went into super chef mode. He laughs, but I was slicing & dicing with the best of them. I have a favorite knife I use the most & he stayed on stand by in the kitchen to keep sharpening it for me as I attacked the prep work.

I did in fact manage to pull off one heck of a dinner party. No one left hungry; most actually left feeling too full. The kids were all enormous fans of chocolate dipped marshmallows and I've got the photos to prove it! And then we even managed to get the kitchen cleaned up before bedtime. Truly a success!!

Just in case you're ever in the mood to try this, I did learn a couple of lessons to keep in mind:

• Prep all the meat and spiking it on bamboo skewers is very convenient. Then sanitation worries about raw meat & cooking utensils can be much less. But watch out for bamboo splinters, they are vicious!
• For the folks who really like to do the cooking, designate a community "cooked" plate that they can put the goods, so that everyone can get some meat to eat and it cuts down on pot traffic jams.
• For cooking the meat in oil, put the oil in the electric fondue pots. It's much easier to regulate the oil temperature. [Figured this one out the hard way, after the Sterno pots couldn't get the temp high enough. It was hysterical watching us transfer cheese out of the pot that the oil went into and then getting more cheese heated up.]
• Rival's stainless steel, electric fondue pot ROCKS! [Please note that I'd like one more of these as a Christmas present....hint, hint.]
• Darn near anything is fabulous with enough cheese.
• You really can fondue Meatballs!! And they are fabulous. About 3 minutes in oil at 350-375 and they get a little crispy crust. Yum!
• The can of Sterno keeps stuff warm/hot for about 1.5 hours. Then it smells really bad & makes awful noises as it runs dry. Do Not Be Alarmed!!
• Once the kids see the marshmallows, they will not be persuaded that chocolate dipped fruit tastes just as good as chocolate dipped marshmallows
• It's really nice to have intentions of custom making the cheese fondue, etc -- but seriously, for a party of twelve, just get the bulk stuff. That way you don't have to grate cheese for 4 hours. And the novelty factor alone of fondue-ing should not be discounted in regards to it's appeal.

I'm sure I learned a few other tricks, but these are the ones that stand out.

More pictures for your viewing enjoyment!

And what we call "Happy Marshmallow Face"!!

A Blast from My Past....

happened earlier this evening.

Turns out that this whole "training to be a doctor" thing really robbed me of the time & energy required to stay in touch with people over the years. So color me gob-smacked when on Friday, I found a note on my desk at the pediatric office to call a long lost high school friend. Keep in mind that I had a very difficult time in high school. I was the geek-y, quiet, shy bookworm who worked hard to make good grades. I certainly never "fit in" and at best my claim to fame was earning a letter jacket by being on the academic decathlon team. Yup, I lettered in being a really good test-taker....<sigh>

So in general, high school people were not really high on my list of people to keep up with over the years. Well, the only two people I really would have liked to stay in touch with were my good friends Lauren & Scott. Lauren & I were fellow "language nerds" and shared at least a German class together as well as all our AP classes together. Back then we had a similar sense of humor and a fairly dry, sarcastic view of the world. Scott & I shared a fascination with penguins and all things Agatha Christi. There was nothing better than a high spirited lunch debate regarding the superiority of Miss Marple vs. Hercule Poirot. Yup, I was a real wild child in the day....<sigh>.... so Not!

So I was completely floored to have a note & phone number to call Lauren back. I'd lost touch with her about 3.5 years ago when we had relocated back to North Texas and I'd just never gotten caught back up. So I called & left a voice mail earlier today and just a bit ago she called me back. It's amazing that her voice today is exactly the same as how it had been in high school. I knew instantly that I had the right number when I heard her voice on the message. So she called me back and we spent almost 1.5 hours talking and catching up.

We've both had some ups & downs, but it seems like for the time being, we're both in pretty happy place right now. Even more amazing is that nearly 20 years later, we still have a similar take on things and there have been some big similarities in our lives. So for right now, we're going to commit to staying in touch more frequently, try to visit if the opportunity comes up, and really work the e-mail. I passed on my blog info, so Hi There Lauren, if you're reading!! <me waving madly from half a country away>

So I guess the next step will be tracking down Scott. I shudder to think that I might actually have to go to my 20th high school reunion next year....