Are You Man Enough?

For Father's day, Shane wanted new shoes. Shane's poor feet have been killing him lately, so he requested a new pair of shoes, soft cushiony shoes to wear around the hospital. I suggested Heelies... you know the ones with the wheels on the heels so he can cruise around the hospital... and go into patients rooms and say, "that's just how I roll." I'm sorry, that was REALLY corny.

I went shopping and bought him some shoes for trail running-- cushiony, rugged, good looking, manly shoes. On father's day he was so excited to see a new pair of shoes sitting there in a box, then disappointed that they were a size 10. Apparently he wears a size 10 1/2...

Funny the things you learn after thirteen years of marriage.

Anyway, every time I try to surprise Shane with a present, it's somehow ruined. Wrong size, wrong color, wrong doodad with not enough memory.... not even close to what he wanted. I give up.

We went back to the store this week to fix things and ended up getting some Sketcher Shape-Ups because he claims they are like walking on pillows. You know those funny looking shoes that have an sole that is about 3 inches thick that is curved like a banana... That's right girls, my husband wears Sketcher Shape-Ups, guaranteed to sculpt and shape the quads, thighs and buttocks and improve posture. Try not to be jealous...

Here is my man in his Shape-Ups... look close!

Jackson and Isaac are also in this picture... They went to work with dad last weekend and got to hang out on the helicopter with the Air Evac team. And as we all know... helicopter pilots are way cool.

Coming soon.... more pictures from take your son to work weekend...

The Not so Lazy Days of Summer

We were at the ballpark until 11:00 last night watching my boys team get slaughtered in their first round of playoffs ... Shane was working so I was there trying to keep a 2 year old and a bored to tears 6 year old from driving me crazy. I feel exhausted and unproductive today. Perfect time to update the blog...

The boys baseball team finished 2nd in our league... and being the youngest team in kid pitch, it was a big accomplishment. District playoffs are around the corner, and then we can actually have our summer back.

I went with the boys to scout camp last week... thankfully one day out of the five days of volunteering was enough to complete my duty. Scout camp in Texas is hotter than hell... and I'm not afraid to say it. The kids were dropping like flies... and smelled like road kill. Despite the heat, the boys had a lot of fun. I actually had a fun time getting my hands dirty and playing with the kids... and the topic of conversation was always entertaining.

Scout 1-"Are those beans you're eating?"

Scout 2-"No they're chocolate covered peanuts"

Scout 1-"I can't eat beans, they give me major gas"

Scout 2- "Oh yeah, well my dad has the most disgusting farts ever."

Scout 1 -"Well, MY dad's smell like sardines that have been roasting in the sun for a week."

This, my friends, is the essence of scout camp. Here are a few pictures...

Mason doing the wrist rockets...

Jackson shooting the bb gun. Who care's how hot it is--just as long as you get to shoot stuff.

Jackson on the monkey bridge.

On the home front, we have ourselves a budding artist. I found this little masterpiece as I was walking down the hall a few weeks ago. After hyperventilating for a few seconds, I realized it was accomplished with a dry erase marker... whew!!!!!! Good call Bella, good call.

On another note... here are a few pictures of the man of the house. Pictures of Shane at work are few... so it's fun to see that he actually is doing what he says he's doing when he's gone at all hours.

Surgery class of 2011. A great group of guys and dear friends.

Good Things to Come

Love this message! Never give up!!

What the?

Yes, I really did see this car at Sonic... and yes, I was shameless enough to look, gawk and then take a picture... so I guess I owe this guy 6 bucks.

The 7th Inning Stretch

Below: Mason steals home... and he's..... SAFE!

Below: Jackson just waiting for the chance to make a great play :) Or trying not to pass out in the sweltering heat.

For the last few months the boys have had a constant schedule of baseball, about a 4 night a week commitment. It's been crazy but there's nothing I love more than watching the boys play baseball and sitting at the beautiful green ball field, listening to the chatter, "hey batta batta!" and eating a snow cone. Isabella has been a great little cheerleader and loves to yell, "smack it out there!!!" (in her chipmunk voice) when the boys are up to bat.

Even Isaac got in on the action this year, playing tee ball. He did a great job despite the the game they lost 30-0 :)-- yeah, playing the team that won the TX State tee ball tournament last year was not a good day for us, and no, I'm not joking... it was a bloodbath. Isaac was one of the few players who knew what planet we were on ... but all of them, including Ike, were sometimes more interested in picking the grass or their noses, than in fielding the ball. It was frustrating and good for some belly laughs all at the same time.

Isaac was an awesome little 3rd baseman and did a great job fielding the ball and tagging kids out.

Running from game to practice to games and more practices has made me realize how tough it must be to be a single parent... I can't imagine doing all of the family management and trying to earn a living at the same time... unbelievable.

On another, yet related note, as we are turning the corner on Residency having completed 4 years of the 5 year program, I have found that time is slowing down... and the impact of Shane's insane work schedule is becoming more profound, the older the boys get. It's the seventh inning stretch --and I'm in a slump.

Shane worked from Friday night to Sunday night, at the E.R. in the Middleofnowhere, TX. It's a moonlighting gig to earn extra money to pay the bills and have a little extra for the kids activities. He worked like a slave all week long -- every kid in this town needed an appendectomy--in the middle of the night...and then he went to work another 48. Someday, not to go on with a pity party here, I want Shane to be home with his kids and not being screamed at, puked on, spit on, bled on, in some E.R. somewhere. It aint always peachy in Lewisland, and that's just the truth.

It's especially tough on the boys... Jackson went through a hitting slump in baseball (actually he was just hoping to get walked every time because he was afraid of striking out) and Shane was asking him if there was some kind of reward that he could give him to hit that ball. Jackson thought for a minute and then quietly said, "Do you think maybe you could take a day off of work?" This literally brought tears to my eyes to hear that - stab me with a knife and twist.

Yesterday, was the last straw. Shane called and told me that some guy came into the E.R. with a sprained ankle and was caught stealing money from 2 of the nurses... he had their purses shoved up his shirt. Shane, being the only Dr. and male person there because this E.R. is in Podunkville Texas, decided to totally go off yelling at this guy who he had cornered... I think he said something like, "*#@%?!... you don't steal from people who are trying to help you!" The guy was trying to get the heck out of Dodge so Shane pushed the emergency lockdown button... no one can get in or out... while the police were called.

I think sometimes in the heat of the moment we lose our critical thinking skills. This guy could have been armed and easily (I don't EVEN want to think of how easily) this guy could have seriously hurt Shane or the nurses. But Shane had a point to prove... no one was going to get away with stealing from his E.R... "Bad boys, bad boys whacha gonna do, whacha gonna do when the angry, sleep-deprived Dr. comes for you!" Apparently the guy was on parole, and went right back into the slammer.

I couldn't sleep after Shane told me this... All the money in the world isn't worth putting up with that. Yet, our police officers, military and many others put their lives on the line every day dealing with these kind of people. I don't know how their wives handle it, I really don't. They have all my respect and admiration.

I don't want him to work there anymore. But, there aren't a lot of options at this point. We're just lucky he has opportunities to work, because there are many who don't, and I need to remember that.

Until the slump ends I guess we'll just keep swinging... Only 1 more year!!!!!