Locked In

Lastnight was an experience I won't soon forget.
4 adults(myself included) and 15 junior and senior high school students were locked in our church overnight for a leadership lock-in. Good times.

After working all day, then going to Independence Center for a family photo, I was dragging my rear by 9pm, which is when this party started.
Quickly the energy of the youth energized me, that and a Diet Mt Dew, and it was FUN FUN FUN.....with some work.

Until around midnight we planned for the next year's Bible study topics, mission trips, fundraisers and group fun activitites. I am excited to be a part of their ideas, and look forward to see how these kids impact their community through volunteer work and mission trips. Hopefully I will get invited to participate, or perhaps weasle my way into the fun somehow.

By 2am the agenda had turned to FUN. Some played Underground Church (hide n seek in the dark with a purpose) while the rest of us talked, laughed, ate snacks, and laughed some more. By 4am everyone was asleep, and by 7am we were all awake helping clean up God's house after our late night shenanigans. I am so thankful for the time we just spent being friends and talking. Makes me feel closer to the kids, closer to the other leaders(who are all rockstars for their energy and ideas) and ultimately closer to God. God is so good.

We only have a few weeks until the school year starts and Bible study will occupy my Wednesday nights. While I am thankful for the summer "off" I am ready to be a part of this group again, and to start studying God's word on a more routine basis. This summer has been a total slack off for me in that area. shame on me.

Aren't you proud of me for not mentioning how tired I am?

Shout out

I need to give a shout out to my all my friends at Western....
I got to go back to WMMHC this morning for a study drug visit(it doesn't really matter what that is......too long a story for my intended short post) and I realized how much I miss my friends. Not to say that I'm not making new friends at my new job.........
But sometimes old friends are just special.
Ladies, you know who you are.
Miss you and thanks for making me feel welcome.
Wish we could have had more time to talk.

little fish

I can't go to sleep tonight without telling the world about my little fish Kate Sinclaire. She started swim lessons 4 weeks ago, not being able to get in the pool without some sort of flotation device. Now, my baby can swim!

Tonight was performance night at swim lessons. Friends and family are invited to attend, sit by the pool's edge, and watch the swim students show off what they have learned during swim lessons. Kate was the youngest (and shortest) kid in her class but she put 110% into every lesson, paid attention to what the teacher said, and then swam her little arms and legs till they were exhausted each night.

Tonight we got to watch Kate swim across the pool numerous times, freestyle and back stroke. She has some trouble floating on her back, but that will just take a little practice. I was so proud of her for jumping in the deep end (9ft!) coming to the surface and then swimming over to the ladder ALL BY HERSELF.

My heart just soars when I see the look on her face that says "YES! I did it!"
Yes you did Kate, and your dad and I are so darn proud of you.

Low Tolerence Tuesday

Today was a day....yikes.
If I have learned anything from my new job it is this.
I am SO blessed to have healthy, happy, well adjusted daughters and a husband to share this parenting journey with.

I have also learned that parents with children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD/ODD need extra prayers. Whether they need extra prayers because their children truly are in need of the medication to be successful or .........because the parents think that if their children are on medication it will make them more successful parents. These parents need prayers. So do the kiddos.
I take ALOT of phone calls every day from parents that want medication to discipline their children, instead of just being better parents. These are "complaints" I received today alone. I am not kidding. Serious parents calling me saying "it is an emergency. My child is having major issues"..........such as:
"My child is talking really mean to me today"
"My child doesn't want to go to bed at night, and then wakes up, at like 7am, just ready to go for the day"
"My child pushed his sister today when they got in a fight"
"My (teenage) son just got into an arguement with his father and I and went into his room, slammed the door, and said he just didn't care anymore"
All of these parents wanted to increase their child's medication.

Then on the flip side, I get these calls from parents that make me want to go hug 'em, really really hard. And give them some ice cream.
"My son is hallucinating right now.....he sees bugs crawling on his arms, and he sees the Grinch over on the neighbor's roof"
"My son is so violent right now I can't leave him alone with his siblings while I go to work."
"We can't leave him alone for even a minute, or even leave the house because of his behaviors right now. He's too big for us to control in public."
Thank you Jesus for my girls. Please be with these moms and dads and brothers and sisters. Let them have the strength to love their sick child.

And then I get a great voice message from a parent that says "Hi Sarah, I just wanted to let you and Dr. know that ______ is doing great. In fact he said this is the happiest he has ever felt. He is so thankful and so am I. We just wanted to let you know."
Man, I LOVE those calls. I wish they happened more often.

Quotes of the Day

Act 1: My office, sitting with a patient going over their current medications.

Me: "So, let's see. You are taking Celexa daily for depression and Ativan as needed for anxiety. How is the Celexa working? Have you noticed any change?"

Patient: "Yea, I don't really take that Celexa stuff much, it's okay I guess. Now, that Ativan, that stuff really seems to be working great!"

Me: "I'm sure it is, sir."


Act 2: Our kitchen table. I am putting Jane's supper on her plate.

"What da heck?" "What dis dat?" (said with wrinkled up nose)



Two kinds of funny. Two very different kinds of funny.
It was hamburger helper if you were wondering.

Summer lovin'

Things I just love about summertime.
-my tan feet in sandals
-summer storms...especially sunshine with thunder
-my two teenagers are around more
-Royals baseball (even tonight when we are losing 14-0)
-relaxing on my new deck furniture and watching the girls on the swingset
-standing in the middle of the cul de sac talking to the neighbors while our kids play outside
-shopping for school supplies
-less rush hour traffic because people are on vacation
-taking a vacation
-Bud light with lime ("It's a summertime beer"-Andy quote)
-grilled burgers and hot dogs, corn on the cob, watermelon...over and over and over again
-not feeling tied to the telelvision in order to keep up with my shows
-taking the girls to the library and checking out 20+ books between the 3 of us
-not having to color my hair as often because the sun-kissed highlights outshine the gray
-summertime just feels more relaxed at work
-going for ice cream at 9pm seems like a good idea

status report

It's the end of my second full week of work. Here is what I know thus far...

I LOVE MY NEW J-O-B.

I do NOT love the fact that I have no free* time now.

The Mayor is seriously mourning the loss of her "life"



*free time: time spent playing with my girls, talking with my husband, shopping with my mom, reading a book, watching the Today show, doing house work/laundry, going to the pool, watching the girls' swim lessons, listening to Tess practice piano, watching movies..........