Circumstance

So as you probably have heard, Zach and I are ALMOST on tenterhooks wondering where "The Computer" will decide to send us for residency this year. We find out on St. Patrick's Day in a ceremony at the school. They'll hand out a bunch of envelopes containing all the 4th year students' precious info, and we all open them together. Like a mass mission call! ;)

All this waiting for our fate to be decided has gotten me thinking. How much of my present situation is my doing? How did I get to where I am today?


I never thought growing up, that I would go on a mission. Was sure that I wouldn't once I had grown up. I met a guy prepping to go on a mission and thought- "I could totally do that." So I ended up in Italy. I met people, learned a language- but the country wasn't my decision.



I thought, in 2002, that I was marrying someone who wanted to be a musician. We met doing a musical, started dating after he wrote me a song, courted while participating in two choirs, and took voice lessons from the same teacher. I foresaw duets, serenades, and guitar lessons. A couple of years later, I found out I married someone who wanted to be a doctor. Two whole duets and seven years later cut to a husband at the kitchen table practicing stitches on a pig foot.


About ten months after Mia was born, we realized that if we started on our next baby right then, he/she would arrive before we moved to med school (then, like now, we only knew the time frame, not the state.) Yeah- Mia would still be young, but we'd have family around for support, I'd be familiar with my doctor, and our first two kids would be from our home state and really good buddies growing up. Six months later, cut to Zach and I half laughing half crying as the ultrasound tech started the session by saying "Weeellll, over here's the head of the first baby..."

We didn't choose Ohio either. When it came down to it, there was one option for med school, and it was OSU.

Kind of feels like I've been part of a tossed salad, bouncing around and landing in random places. Yet, here we are. Healthy. Happy. Hopeful. I've met some friends who I don't know how I ever could have done without, and who will now be a part of my life forever.

Where would I be if I'd been able to plan everything?

Lately Anya and Bree have been running around exclaiming "It's my lucky day! Hey- it's your lucky day!"

I kind of believe them.

V-dub's V-Day

It's been a whole week since Valentine's Day, but one of my roses is still hanging on. Our Valentine boxes still get a daily rummaging. I think Mia's box from last year hung around for two months. We really hate losing our holidays around here. :)

The girls got some cute packages from Grandmas, filled with Valentine clothes and treats. Those things are so much fun- like a little party in a box. After those arrived, they were super excited to go to our homeschooling group's Valentine party to exchange V-day cards.

This year we learned from our experience and made bigger boxes with bigger holes. We dismantled Grandma's singing V-day card and rigged Mia's box to play when the flap over her mail slot was opened and closed. Bree and Anya hadn't seemed too excited about our invention, but then Bree asked me the night before the party if she could have a singing box like Mia's. :( Next year... Every year I find something I want to remember to do for the next, ha. There were 32 kids participating this time, so we were definitely feelin' the love.

When we got home we went "Valentining." It has become the favorite part of holidays for these kids- dressing up and handing goodies to our neighbors.
Now we just need more neighbors who are home on holidays..


The day after Valentine's Kael turned seven months old.

Man-I thought he had me wrapped around my finger before? He started babbling "Mamamamamamama." I might as well now be his personal 6-foot marionette.
Could you resist that?
Well, I can't. :)

Going going gone

We've had a few fun things going on lately! The twins started a dance class at the rec center. We signed Mia up, too and decided we'd stop paying $47 bucks a month to put her in Pinell Dance Studio. The free class is just as good for a five-year-old...

Mia lost her first tooth-
...............Going............................going......................... gone!
She put it in her princess bag, so the tooth fairy had a great place to put a certificate and a little tooth fairy note, a sucker (which Mia specifically hoped for, so good thing the tooth fairy heard her, huh) and a "silver dollar."


And she also made her first fairy crown. Aunt Kiley gave us a fun idea book for Christmas, and we're having a hard time choosing which ones to do first- they're all so cute.


We also started on Mim's first science project. She wants to find out which sense is the best for telling foods apart between taste, smell and touch. Her bet is on taste.





If anyone would like to participate, she needs more test subjects this week!

Birth order

I heard that my grandma's motto about raising children was that we're simply supposed to work ourselves out of a job.
Zach and I can't help but notice how fast time is flying when we see how Mia ages five years whenever she dotes on her little brother. She's in such a hurry to be a good mommy.
Funny thing, I remember exactly how she feels. I remember more than one occasion when my mom had to remind me who the real parent of my sibings was, and so it's hard not to laugh as I watch Mia try to teach the twins how to do their dot-to-dots , and as she gives them "talking lessons."
"Say: MOOOmmy."
Two little voices repeat her.
The best is when she paraphrases something I tell the twins, and I know exactly how my mom must have felt dealing with a little echo voice. Good and bad, there's nothing like being the oldest, I tell 'ya.

I'm interested to see if the "middle child" role will affect the twins doubly or not at all, or what.

Here's the current youngest. I'm also interested to see if he ends up being the youngest, or if we decide we're crazy enough to do this again. ;)

You heard Mia say we should send this to Dad? He's been gone the last couple of weeks doing the last six of eleven interviews. The twelfth and very final one will be at OSU next month. We're collecting info on a bunch of states and a bunch of programs, so we can form a list that ranks our preferences. We'll find out where we've "matched" on St. Patrick's Day, it looks like. Luckily, there are good aspects to every program, so we know that wherever we're going next will be just fine. Meanwhile, I'm glad the interviewing part is over. I went from shoveling the walk to nursing the baby in .00006 seconds today. ;) We're so glad when Daddy comes home...