Kosher Nostra

Morrison Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-20T19:44:00.005-06:00

It's a convenient thing that I write a nice long Christmas letter. I haven't updated the blog in over a year, but the letter provides a quick recap. Maybe I'll blog more frequently over 2011. Maybe not. I have lots of knitting to do, and knitting, it turns out, is just so much more productively tangibly satisfying than blogging.

Dear Family and Friends,
I sit here to begin this letter with a full cup of coffee… Cut! No, not really; I drank half of it while checking e-mail and Facebook and making a couple of phone calls and texting a Navy co-worker. This reminds me that it is so easy to let the little busy things in life distract us from greater callings and blessings. We send this letter with hopes for a restful, reflective Christmas season.

Matt continues to work with Vann Pumping Systems; the company was nearly sold in November, but that hasn’t happened yet, so he still has his job. He worked occasionally at Breckenridge Village, something he’s done for years. Those occasional weekends find the rest of the family accompanying Matt and an entourage of special-needs adults to Subway, Walmart and other fun and exciting places. Matt continues to enjoy taking care of the house and yard; he recently converted to completely organic lawn care and is convinced this is why our grass is greener than the neighbors'. He’s excited about an Intro to Logic class he will be starting online through the Mises Institute in January. He’s currently reading How to Argue and Win Every Time, Spence (editorial comment from E – Should I be worried?), The Hunt for Red October, Clancy, Thinking as a Science, Hazlitt, and Principles of Logic, Joyce.

Elisa started working part-time at Bethesda Health Clinic in April. She loves providing healthcare in a caring, Christ-centered environment, and really enjoys spending time with her co-workers. In May, she spent two weeks in Nicaragua with the Navy Reserve on a goodwill-building mission to provide basic medical care in several small villages. Your taxpayer dollars at work! As part of the yard renovation project, she recently helped Matt plant 20 holly bushes to provide a screen in the back yard. In her spare time, Elisa knits, browses patterns and yarn online and in stores, and thinks about new knitting projects. Elisa’s currently reading The City of Falling Angels, Berendt, the book of Genesis (getting a head start on reading through the Bible this year) and is looking forward to starting Teaching the Trivium, Bluedorn.

Ethan is busy all the time, and it appears that the longer he’s left alone, the more creative he gets with his use of time. He and Noah attend First Christian Church Mother’s Day Out two days a week. His big accomplishments for the year were potty training (oh, wait, that might be one of Mommy and Daddy’s big accomplishments) and really improving in coloring skills, counting, singing the alphabet, negotiating, and picking up toys (again, these last two might be better categorized under What Makes Mommy and Daddy So Tired All the Time). He will be four in January. His favorite color is pink, and his favorite book is Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Willems.

Noah also made great strides this year, literally. He started physical therapy and speech therapy 6 months ago, because at 15 months he wasn’t walking, crawling, pushing up to a sit, or talking much. He is now crawling on his own and walking with help, and while he doesn’t say much, the words he says are important ones. Chocolate, for instance. He says that quite well. Nothing like motivation to get you spitting out three-syllable words at 21 months. His favorite color (according to Ethan) is green, and his favorite books have to do with trucks and animal sounds.

We’ll close with an invitation to drop by any time you’re in East Texas. Our house may be messy (I can pretty much assure it if you drop by unannounced), but our arms are open.

Wishing you Peace and Joy, Matt, Elisa, Ethan and Noah Morrison

Blast from the Past

2009-11-18T22:23:00.010-06:00

April 16, 1999
(excerpts from my journal entry, from back in the day when I kept a journal)

"I kind of wish I could just go to sleep and this would all be over... While I'm wishing, I might as well wish the really impossible: I wish I knew what the next ten years would hold for me either way... or, that I could turn the clock back just a year. People who are really wise and think things through always say they wouldn't go back, wouldn't change the past if they could..."

Ten years later: I had no clue. NO clue what the next ten years would hold. (Probably a good thing. I get fatigued just thinking about it now. I'd have probably opted for something less... exhausting.) I went to Honduras, spent more time in Mexico, helped my parents move from Pennsylvania to Texas, lived in Dallas for a while, then moved to Tyler to start nursing school. Near the end of nursing school, I met Matt. After graduation, I worked in L&D, joined the Navy as a reserve officer, bought a house, married, had beautiful children, kept going to nursing school, and finally finished a Master's. Yesterday, I passed my certification exam, and am DONE with school, at least for now. Still happily married to Matt and still happy in nursing.

I would have been shocked then to see things turn out like they are now. Incidentally, that journal only had two pages written in it. I cut them out, and the journal's much better for it. And no, I would never, ever turn the clock back (if I could) knowing what I know now about myself and life and love.

Not Much Going on Here...

2009-09-24T09:55:00.005-05:00

I've been unmotivated to post for a while; may be finishing school and the general feeling of relief has something to do with it. I've started knitting a pair of socks (below), am still working on a sweater from last year (I knew it was a good idea to start early!) and reading some light fiction.

I'm also wasting a bunch of resume paper by printing maps on it, because I invariably forget to switch out the paper after printing an extra copy of the resume (just in case!) before printing out the map on the way to an interview. Maybe if I did these things in advance, I wouldn't have this problem. :)

A Few More Happy Words

2009-07-21T20:59:00.003-05:00

I'm loving the fact that Ethan demonstrates advanced verbal skills, but in an amazing stroke of irony, I also love the fact that he pronounces some words like a two-year-old:

canaloper = can opener

gunder = thunder

blana = banana

shrubble = shovel

A Happier Post

2009-07-19T16:49:00.002-05:00

My last post was a little cynical, even for me. Here are some things (little and big) that I'm currently happy about:

I finally remembered to use my last 42 cent stamp (and had a matching stamp to go with it).

Ethan sleeps on a little mini pillow that was Matt's as a child.

I've got a meal plan for the week, and a very short grocery list.

Matt's dad came and cut up the limb that fell on our house, determined there was no roof damage, and also got all the little branches off the roof. Also, it's rained twice with no leaks that I can tell.

I got my first job offer.

I'm within three weeks of BEING DONE WITH SCHOOL for a very long time.

I got my orders put in for annual training.

Matt bought a huge bag of peanut M&M's the last time he went to the store.

Who could ask for anything more?

Spicy Tortilla Soup

2009-07-06T20:52:00.008-05:00

This is a super-easy soup recipe. It's a variation on ten-can soup that I found online, but I changed it so drastically that I had to type it up immediately so I wouldn't forget.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 large can chicken, drained
1 small can chopped green chiles

Garnish
6 corn tortillas
oil for frying
avocado slices
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream

Pour all cans into a large saucepan, stir and heat. Meanwhile, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Slice the corn tortillas into long thin strips. Fry until crisp. Drain, and set aside.

Garnish the soup with the tortilla strips, avocado slices, sour cream and/or grated cheese. Be careful! It is spicy. Serves 6.

Please note I didn't say "super-healthy". To make it more heart-friendly (only nurses use terms like that on blogs), substitute low-sodium soup, homemade chicken broth, chopped cooked chicken breast, cooked dried pintos and black beans, and fresh corn. Cut the cheese and sour cream, and skip the step where it says to cut and fry the tortillas. Serve with warm (whole) tortillas, and enjoy.

Does This Lab Jacket Make My Butt Look Fat?

2009-06-17T22:55:00.004-05:00

A quick update on what I'm doing lately: finishing school requires a 360-hour practicum. This means long work weeks doing 9-10 hour days. I've worked with Ellen, ANP, Shana, CPNP-PC/AC, Dr. English and Dr. King. I've enjoyed the experience a lot, and it's challenging as well. A definite highlight: the patient who was taking her sister's amitriptyline (an antidepressant) for her high blood pressure, and it was working wonderfully! Her blood pressure had never been better!

I'd appreciate prayer for the job search, and for the record, I'm pretty sure the lab jacket does make my butt look fat, but it's a security blanket sort of thing, and it's got great pockets, so I'll keep wearing it. Also, I have decided that the whole experience would be better if I could get my hands on some amitriptyline as well, so if you have any you don't want, send it my way. ;)

Bookstore Bliss

2009-05-04T22:23:00.017-05:00

I just did something I never do. I bought a brand new book at the bookstore. Other than textbooks, I can't remember the last time I paid full price for a book. I did not go home to see if I could get it cheaper on Amazon. I didn't look on e-Bay. I didn't wait for it to go on sale, did not pass Go, and did not collect $100. And you know what? I couldn't be happier about it. I would have paid $30 for that book, and when I got to the cash register with my exciting splurge, it was way less. On sale, and I didn't even know it. I love you, B&N.

In other exciting bookstore news, while I was there (out without the kiddos), I managed to find an empty armchair, and read this book

almost all the way through. It helps that the print is about 36 points... like you could read it from across the room if necessary. It was an excellent book, the sort of thing that new parenting classes should include, because taking beautiful pictures of your children is just as rewarding as... I don't know... having a clean living room, and much easier. When you have kids, that is.

Babywearing Project

2009-05-02T14:09:00.003-05:00

I recently made a Moby-wrap style baby carrier, although, "made" might be stretching it a bit. I've wanted to try one of these for a while, so found some online instructions. Turns out, this is a piece of knit fabric, 20" by 5'. That's it. I cut five feet of fabric. No hemming or anything. The trick was learning to wrap it. Incidentally, the fabric piece I bought would make two more, so if you want one, comment or e-mail, and I will send you one (to the first two commenters only). :)

Reading Material for Nursing Moms

2009-04-01T19:32:00.012-06:00

During my last postpartum period (which is a nice medical euphemism for "the emotional roller coaster of psychotic sleep deprivation mixed with incredible joy"), I occasionally wrote posts on what I was reading at the time. Currently I'm reading

The Christmas Sweaterby Glenn Beck
The Wall Street Journal
World Magazine
and I'm about to start
Scarpettaby Patricia Cornwell

I was thinking today about one of the books I read while nursing two years ago. It was a book intended, I think, to be hip and trendy and "insightful" all at once. Unfortunately, this is the sort of intention that often fails. In any case, it was set in New York City; I remembered one character who was cheating on his wife when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened. In that moment of clarity (or horror, or whatever the author was getting at), the man left his mistress alone in her apartment and headed home to his wife, the point being that in moments of clarity (or horror), we act out our true character. I didn't think much about it at the time, but it occurred to me today that the author got it wrong. We act out our true character every day, on a daily basis, doing the mundane and not-so-mundane things we do. It is a nice fiction, appropriate for movies and chick lit, that in moments of horror, who we really are will somehow be better than who we really have been.

Noah's Birth

2009-03-23T12:50:00.006-06:00

Ethan's delivery a little over two years ago was a scheduled induction during the 39th week of my pregnancy. It went so well... Matt and I went out to an early breakfast (because I don't believe in being NPO for too long, and I didn't want to be hungry all day), then showed up at the hospital. I had done all the paperwork beforehand, and things got started around seven in the morning. Ethan was born at 4:18, after two doses of pain medication and 40 minutes of pushing. It went so smoothly. Cathy, my labor nurse, likes to say it was her expert titration of pitocin during the induction; I think it was just good timing overall.

Because we had had such a great experience in the past, I asked Dr. Lieb to schedule an induction in the 39th week again. I made plans to finish up papers and do some cooking beforehand, and left that entire week free. However, little Noah had other plans. The night I went into labor, Matt was at work, and Ethan was sound asleep, so I stayed up late working on baby announcements and watching TV. At midnight, as soon as I decided to go to bed, I started having uncomfortable contractions. I tried to sleep, but woke up at 2 am, still contracting. I tried sitting in a nice warm bath (which, contrary to what a lot of water birth proponents say, became a lot less nice when I had my first contraction in the water), took some Tylenol pm, straightened the house a little, and finished packing my bag. By the time 4 rolled around, I was still contracting, and wanted to go to the hospital to be checked. I called Matt. He said he probably couldn't get anyone up to take his place until about 6... could I wait a couple of hours? I thought so. Then I had another contraction. I called Mom, who got to the house in about 20 minutes. By the time she got to the house, I was thinking I might really truly be in labor, and after a couple of minutes of uncertainty, we packed Ethan up and headed to the hospital. The determining factor was that I realized sitting there that I was starting to feel a lot like I had at the end of labor last time. We called Matt on the way to the hospital.

Mom dropped me off at the door, and I walked straight up to the L&D desk. I said something like, "I think I'm in labor, and I'd better be 7 centimeters. If not, I want an epidural NOW." Suzanne was there; she tells me I had a look on my face that made her believe 7 cm. was a lot more likely than, say, 3-4. They put me straight in a room (the same one I was in with Ethan), and checked me (7 centimeters!). At this point, Suz asked if I had made arrangements with Dr. Lieb to come in. I asked who was on call... a fine doctor, but not one I really, really wanted at my delivery. I told Suzanne I'd rather she delivered the baby, and besides, he took so long to get into his astronaut gear and drape, that he'd never make it. Meanwhile, Angela O. started opening a delivery table, Kelly put in an IV, Suz called the MD, and gave me some Demerol and Phenergan (I believe I asked for 50 of Demerol, but she gave me a total of 25mg, in two divided doses). I rolled over to my side for a contraction or two, felt the Demerol start to work, then had to push. My water broke somewhere around this time. I pushed for another two contractions (Dr. Astronaut never would have made it!), and had Noah. Matt made it to the hospital at 5. Noah was born at 5:10. I had been at the hospital since 4:40. All in all, it was a wonderful night. Birth is so much better in retrospect, but I had been dreading labor a little, and it really was much better than I thought it would be.

Noah had the cord wrapped tightly around his neck, but was born too fast for it to be cut. He ended up with a lot of facial bruising and blood-shot eyes. The bruising wore off after a day or two, but his eyes are still a little red. Suzanne delivered the placenta, too, so by the time the MD got there, he didn't have much to do other than check for clots and tearing (none... Good job, Suzanne!) and inform me that next time, I should get checked sooner. Right. Note to self...
Later, Dr. Lieb told me that with her second, she arrived at the hospital completely dilated, and delivered within a minute of arrival. I bet her doctor wasn't there, either. Mom and Ethan came back up to the room around the time they were getting everything cleaned up, so Ethan got to see him right away.

Noah James Morrison weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz., and was 20 inches long. He's been quite a sweetie, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Naptime

2009-03-08T22:01:00.002-06:00

Now that he is in a big bed, Ethan often gets up during nap time. Today, he apparently preferred the wagon.

Ethan Helps Get Ready for Baby

2009-02-28T08:08:00.004-06:00

After I took Ethan's cozy blankies and pillow out of "baby Noah's bed," I discovered he had also stuffed my lab jacket in there. Appropriate, as Noah and I have been wearing the lab jacket a lot lately.

Why Matt and I Watch TV Together

2009-02-23T10:13:00.004-06:00

Watching TV together enables us to have meaningful conversations like this one:

Me: "You know what I think?"

Matt (half-asleep in bed): "What?"

Me: "I think Kate left Aaron with his real grandmother, and she just loved him so much that she was upset and defensive when Jack asked her about it. They just tried to make it look all suspenseful."

Matt: "Yeah. You're probably right; it's probably something simple like that."

Otherwise, we would have to talk about real things like the economy, what (and how) I am doing in school, which car needs an oil change, funny things Ethan said, where the stamps are, our budget, or what we are having for dinner.

Ethan Keeps Busy

2009-02-22T09:24:00.004-06:00

while Mommy takes a shower. Why is it that he went straight for the mascara?

The Pregnant Belly (or, Noah Unseen)

2009-02-20T22:07:00.002-06:00

Ethan is convinced the baby is hiding somewhere just under my clothes.

Giveaway Mania, Part 2 (The Fun Part!)

2009-01-27T12:39:00.004-06:00

For anyone who wants to join the frenzy (and I will say, this is entertaining for me... I'd rather do this than watch TV), you can enter some of the great giveaways at Bloggy Giveaways.com. They are having a carnival this week... some 1,000 giveaways to enter all in one week. These are my favorites so far:

Careerbags.com Red Laptop Tote at Musings of a Housewife
$100 Visa Gift Card at Unexpected Bliss
$50 Victoria's Secret Gift Card at A Family Completed
$100 Amazon Gift Card at Miss Musing - just for letting her know what your favorite book is. How hard is that? If you win, you could have more favorite books. :)

Giveaway Mania

2009-01-27T12:06:00.011-06:00

I like giveaways. Matt's not exactly sure why. I know people doing giveaways are advertising, and I'm okay with that. Really. I'm inundated with advertising every day... I might as well have something enjoyable out of it. As a matter of mere coincidence (and maybe the fact that I enter several giveaways per week), I won two sweet prizes in the past week. The first was from Maricel at Mhay Cards for her Blog's 1st Anniversary:

and the second was Mr. Beardsley from Intimidnation at Cafe Handmade; Ethan really likes him:

Photos from the Birthday Party Bash!

2009-01-27T11:55:00.002-06:00

I might have overdone it for a 2-year old's party... we actually had two. I am certainly not doing three next year. We had Ethan's friends over on Saturday am, and our family and a couple of friends over Sunday night (this was a felicitous mistake on my part as I sent Leah and Tali the wrong invitation: just one good reason why pregnant women should not try to plan two parties at once). Photos are on Picasa. :)

Ethan's 2nd Birthday

A Total Copy Cat

2009-01-19T20:55:00.010-06:00

Okay, I have been studying all day, so I am tired and don't really have anything to say. I have to admit it: I am totally stealing this idea from my friend Lisa's blog Blessed with Grace; she got it from somewhere else. But it is so fun! I put in my own names. Feel free to send me yours. :)

To find your ROCK STAR NAME take your first pet & current car:
Dinky Volvo (not an impressive start, but the Dinky Volvo below is pretty cute!)

To find your GANGSTA NAME take your favorite ice cream flavor and your favorite cookie:
Coffee Chocolate Chip

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME? Your favorite color and favorite animal:
Green Kitty

Everybody wants a SOAP OPERA NAME, so take your middle name and the city where you were born:
Karen Tucson

Want to know your SUPERHERO NAME? Just add the word "The" plus your 2nd favorite color, and your favorite drink:
The Blue Margarita

Your NASCAR NAME. Take the first names of your grandfathers:
Pedro Calvin

If I ever go into WITNESS PROTECTION you can find me with this name. Your mother’s & father’s middle names:
N.M.N. Lee

TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME? Just take your 5th grade teacher’s last name and add a major city that starts with the same letter:
Um, I have no idea. But here's an idea: Sawyer San Diego

Of course, if you find me in witness protection I will assume it was because you were using your SPY NAME. Add your favorite season/holiday to your flower:
Autumn Columbine
This is my absolute favorite. If you every see a book written by that author, it might be me. :)

Tell your kids their CARTOON NAME by taking your favorite fruit, an article of clothing you’re wearing right now, now add "ie" or "y":
Mango Cordsy

And lastly, your ROCKSTAR TOUR is heading across the northeast...it's called ("The” + Your fave hobby/craft, your fave weather element + the word “Tour”):
The Knitting Lighting Tour

Let's Meet as Usually

2009-01-09T15:39:00.006-06:00

Every so often, I clean out my e-mail spam box. Google does a really good job for the most part, but when I once actually won something in an online drawing I had entered, the message must have said something like, "Congratulations! You have won an online drawing!" because it went straight into the spam. So, from time to time, I peruse the spam box, just to be sure there's not anything legitimate in there.

To be honest, I really don't know why these people bother... aside from the usual male performance-enhancing nonsense, my spam messages contained subject lines that are so straight from some fantasy land, I'm not sure anyone would click on them. Subjects range from the innocuous "You have been approved for MBA" and "Now you can feel good about yourself no matter your wage" (or is it supposed to be age?), to the unlikely "$10,000 in free money!" (I should have never signed up for those online scholarship searches) to the very unlikely "Even your house is paid off," and the just plain ludicrous "Your watch will obey you like a good child." Really, I'm tempted to click, just to find out which knock-off watch is supposed to obey me like a good child, and to find out what culture the person who wrote the subject line came from. Do people in Hong Kong, for instance, prize obedient watches? Do they prize good children? Do they actually have good obedient children? Was something lost in the translation?

The only thing that keeps me from clicking on the spam is the fear of having to glance through more subject lines like, "I'm in trouble! Where are you?" or worse, "Cheap Offer: 10V!agra+10Cializ=$69.95, Combo Pack for your 1st trial! jco mh."

(note: all actual subject lines from my very own spam.)

White Parenting

2009-01-05T14:12:00.012-06:00

I had a moment today. I'd been looking for a good list of microbreweries in the US, and got on Time.com, and found a funny article by an Asian/African-American girl about a satirical blog called Stuff White People Like. Her point was that she liked most of those things, too. She talked about Stuff Mixed People Like, and I could relate a little. So, I went to the blog to see what white people like, and I had my moment. On the first page of this blog, there was a container of sea salt. It appears white people like sea salt. Matt & I have that sea salt in our pantry. Not just any sea salt. THAT EXACT SAME sea salt. I couldn't stop laughing. I understood how the Time author felt. I guess it means I'm white. Or a snob. Or something.

In the same vein, I offer my top 10 list of Stuff White Parents Like:

#10. Bumbo seats
#9. Gymboree
#8. Making homemade baby food; better if it's organic
#7. Baby monitors
#6. Bugaboo strollers
#5. etsy
#4. Anything organic cotton, including breast pads
#3. Wooden toys
#2. Designer nurseries
#1. Cloth diapers

My Instructables

2009-01-03T23:44:00.011-06:00

I've been called off at work a couple of days recently, so I had some time at home I wasn't expecting. In addition to undecorating, doing laundry, playing with Ethan, watching my items for sale on e-Bay, buying other items on e-Bay, grocery shopping, and crafting, I wrote some Instructables.

Two of them were featured on the main page at Instructables.com, and I entered two in their Holiday Gifts contest. Feel free to take a look at the projects, and especially, feel free to vote for my holiday gifts. The prize is a Dremel drill set Matt and I would love to have. We might even fight over it. :)

Make Designer-Style Baby Blocks

How to Make a Grandparents' Calendar & Scrapbook (even if you don't know how to scrapbook)

How to Make Maternity Jeans Using Regular Jeans and a T-shirt

Tummy Time Baby Quilt

Upcycled Maternity Jeans

2009-01-02T14:27:00.010-06:00

It's difficult to go through life with both a love for shopping and a hatred of spending money. I could chalk up my latest project to a great New Year's resolution to save money, but that's not the case. I'm tight with money anyway, so rather than buy new maternity jeans, I stared at maternity jeans on Gap.com for hours, put them in my shopping cart, took them out of the cart, put them back in, almost checked out, then closed the browser, raided my Goodwill stash (sorry, Goodwill shoppers) and made a pair of maternity jeans from regular jeans and a t-shirt.

Here's a link to my Instructable (Instructables.com is one of my favorite sites) and a picture of my 27-week belly (above). Note the drastic difference between that belly and my little, tiny, itty-bitty 25-week belly during my first pregnancy (below). As I recall, several people hinted that it wasn't really a "belly" at all.

Merry Christmas from the Morrisons

2008-12-22T16:48:00.005-06:00

We love to read others’ Christmas letters. We love to hear your updates, your stories, your creative commentary on the year’s events. Writing our own yearly letter is, on the other hand, a bit of a chore. Getting a good picture to go with the letter (since what is a yearly update without the picture?) verges on nearly impossible. Nevertheless, without further ado, we attempt the nearly impossible chore once again:

Matt continues to work for Vann Pumping Systems and with mentally-challenged adults at Breckenridge Village on the occasional weekend, where he demonstrates the kind, patient attitude we’ve admired in him for years. He continues to manage several income-producing websites, as well as our budget. These two tasks afforded him the opportunity to eke out the cash for a big purchase: after stalking his friend Denny at Stereo and Video Center for months, he finally bought yet another large TV. It’s newer and better than the last one. Does that make it worth it? Elisa’s not sure.

Elisa continues to work part-time at Mother Frances Hospital on the Labor & Delivery unit. She has completed nearly all of her Master’s-level family nurse practitioner program and looks forward to graduation in August. Although she’s not in charge of the budget, Matt’s purchase of the TV afforded Elisa some leverage, so her main purchases this year were a new couch and a Queen-sized mattress set. Did we mention that we are not really buying gifts for each other this year? Feel free to give us a call anytime you’re in the area: we now have a guest room complete with a brand new sleeper sofa and large-screen TV.

Ethan, sweetly oblivious to his parents’ materialistic ways, continues to grow, talk, learn, run, finger paint, and pull things out of cabinets. His current obsession is playing in the sink, pouring water from one side to the other, filling containers, dumping them, and generally getting the entire kitchen wet. He repeats nearly everything we say, and loves to sing and dance. Naturally, we think he’s brilliant. Ethan will turn two in January, and will be starting Mother’s Day Out twice a week, giving Mommy a chance to complete her clinical requirements early in the semester.

We all eagerly anticipate the arrival of baby Noah James in March (except maybe Ethan, who really has no idea how drastically his little world is going to change. For that matter, neither do the rest of us). If Noah should turn out to be a little girl despite three very convincing ultrasounds, we’ll be sure to let you know next year.

We pray God’s richest blessings on you this coming year and always, remembering the words of the old Christmas hymn:

All praise to Thee, eternal God,
Who, clothed in garb of flesh and blood,
Dost take a manger for Thy throne,
While worlds on worlds are Thine alone. – Martin Luther

With love, Matt, Elisa & Ethan Morrison

The $3.00 (+One Afternoon) Sock Monkey

2008-11-17T21:18:00.009-06:00

I try to make something for Ethan for his birthday and Christmas. If I don't do it then, when will I? I won't. As evidence of this fact, I present the Sock Monkey. I bought this pair of socks about a year ago at Marshall's, full of good intentions. They languished in a drawer, until today, when I pulled them out to make a Christmas present for Ethan. At first, I was afraid he'd be horribly ugly, but after getting one ear on, he turned into a pretty cute little guy, very appropriate for our little monkey. If it were up to me, I'd name him "Awesome" after a character on Chuck (just because I think the name's funny), but given Ethan's current naming trends (or lack thereof), I think the sock monkey will probably be called "Monkey."

The pattern came from ClubhouseB.com.

Clowning Around

2008-11-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

Laundry

2008-10-16T00:17:00.003-05:00

So, I am now at the point in my life where doing laundry is a major accomplishment. As in, "I did three loads of laundry today. So there, all you full-time working moms who shuttle three kids around to ball games after work and do laundry in the middle of the night when your family is asleep."

I have only two things to say about this:
1) How do you do it? and
2) Do you have any tips/pointers for washing car seat covers and high chair straps? because mine are looking grungy and the thought of washing them is a little overwhelming.

Things I Never Really Realized I Would Enjoy

2008-10-15T22:25:00.003-05:00

I never imagined I would have a child who called himself "Eee Tee." We think of it as E.T., and I am convinced Matt tried to teach him "phone home," too.

I never thought I would have an echo to all my spoken thoughts. If I say, "Look, it's raining again. My goodness," Ethan walks around saying, "Rainin. Mye goo-noose. Rainin. Mye goo-moose," for ten minutes.

I actually never thought I would start talking out loud, non-stop, referring to myself in the third person, as in, "Hum. Mommy really does need to do something about her hair," while driving BY MYSELF to work.

I never really believed all those parents who insist you never get to go to the bathroom by yourself again. I thought I would just shut the door. Ha. Whatever.

I never really believed I would enjoy all of these things as much as I do.

Ethan and the Pumpkin

2008-10-10T11:30:00.010-05:00

See the Album

Less Frustrated

2008-09-21T14:10:00.002-05:00

So, about 1/3 of the frustrations below have been resolved, and I am waiting to hear about the rest (fellow students I'd called to see about changing schedules, MDs I'd called to see what their schedules are, etc.). I have to keep reminding myself of a song I know... "It Will Be Worth it All." I sure hope so. :) The NPs I have followed lately assure me they love what they do. This is one of the biggest encouragements I've had, along with the knowledge that other NP students are having the same problems.

FRUSTRATION

2008-09-18T22:10:00.003-05:00

So, I just counted up. I have contacted 14 nurse practitioners and doctors trying to find preceptors for this semester. Fourteen, folks. And I started this process in early August. So, that makes about six weeks that I have been calling people to see if they will let me come in and see their patients with them. This is without counting all of the NPs I met at a recent East Texas Nurse Practitioners meeting, none of whom were in family or pediatric practice. Of the fourteen people I called, six agreed to work with me. Wonderful, except that the two in pediatrics work for a health system that doesn't (yet) have a contract with my school. So, that leaves four, one of whom only sees adults and already has a student, two of whom are MDs who don't see children, and one of whom is in cardiology.

Now I have a case study due in less than a week on a pediatric patient seen THIS SEMESTER, and guess what... I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY KIDS.

And my preceptor wants to come observe me on a certain Friday, but one preceptor is out of the office that day, the other one has a student that day, and the other two haven't e-mailed me back to let me know if they see patients on Fridays. Frankly, I wouldn't if I could avoid it. So, I have no idea how to ensure I will be doing clinicals that day, other than outright begging and pleading a complete stranger who happens to have MD or FNP after his/her name (and who is not one of the fourteen I have already called) to let me come in and see patients with them for several days prior to as well as on that particular day so that they can evaluate on a five-page form how well I interview, diagnose, treat and write up patients. (And, incidentally, if I find someone who will do this, I will have to rearrange the remainder of my clinical schedule and possibly childcare). Which brings me to my point: all of this has been so distracting from school that I doubt I will be examining, diagnosing, treating, and writing up very well by that point.

When I am an administrator at a nursing school that educates nurse practitioners, remind me to put a system in place that all students have an adequate clinical experience without having to beg people to work with them. That should only happen after graduation, if at all.

I was thinking earlier today that this whole experience will probably trigger some latent personality disorder or bipolar tendencies in me, so that by the time I finish, people will be saying things like, "She used to be such a nice, normal girl before she went to nurse practitioner school." AAARRRGH!!!!

Sewing Area Redux

2008-09-17T11:04:00.004-05:00

So, I buckled down during a couple of Ethan's naps and straightened my sewing area, with pretty pleasing results. It'll stay this way until I start a new project. :)

Now, maybe I should work on the fabric/yarn/crafts/uniforms closet:

Sewing Area

2008-09-15T08:39:00.009-05:00

Her sewing area:

My sewing area:

Needless to say, I am inspired to clean up and organize. I have no idea what the original blog post was about because I stopped reading as soon as I saw that neat, tidy sewing area with about as much space and storage as my own. I think I'll be looking for some fabric-covered boxes, or maybe make some for myself.

A Political PostOkay, okay, A Rant. Maybe even a Tirade.

2008-09-10T21:06:00.009-05:00

Since this blog is mostly about me, and about parenting Ethan, and what we do and think about in our family, I'd love to post right now about how one of the most difficult aspects of parenting a baby is getting the crib sheets on the freaking mattress. (Because it is! and because we have ruined more than one crib sheet just trying to get it where it belongs.) But our family (and by that I mean Matt, and to a lesser extent, me) is pretty interested in politics, so I've got to add my two cents worth to the latest blog fall-out over Sarah Palin:

Apparently, Carol Fowler, the South Carolina Democratic Chairwoman, recently stated publicly that Sarah Palin's primary qualification for the VP ticket "seems to be that she hasn’t had an abortion.” Good work, Carol. You just offended mothers of special needs children, mothers of large families, fathers of both of the above, the governors of all 50 states, and particularly, the governors who have subsequently become President and Vice President. (I might add, that they haven't had abortions either, so maybe Ms. Fowler is on to something. Maybe I'll run for President in a few years, since by this standard, I am eminently qualified.)

This mean-spirited, immature, ludicrous comment, and others like it, are only more likely to increase public support for the McCain-Palin ticket, and my guess would be that many, if not most, parents of special needs children will consider voting Republican this year.

The only thing I can add, other than speculation on how soon this will start being referred to as "Fowler-gate," is that it is really the best anti-Dem strategy since the swift boat incident. Keep it up, Carol! Let's hear some more nastiness!

A further note: Ms. Fowler later apologized, and indicated that her remarks had been taken out of context. Of course. Probably a case of too little, too late, as the damage has been done.

What I Would Buy if I Had an Extra $3,300.00 Lying Around

2008-08-21T13:14:00.003-05:00

Seriously. It's cool. It can hold carseats and groceries and kids, and it's way better than one of those flimsy wagon things you pull behind you.

And, for the record, what Matt would buy if he had twice that amount lying around:

Ethan Climbs

2008-08-19T21:21:00.002-05:00

He's getting a little more adventurous on the toddler playground. Like all first-time parents, we are smitten.

Ethan Climbs

Cathedral Window Quilt Pattern

2008-08-12T13:56:00.019-05:00

I have been so inspired by finding free patterns on other peoples' blogs that I decided to offer one of my own. I wrote these instructions for a class I taught on Cathedral Window Quilting (after learning how to do it from my industrious friend Brite, who has actually finished a cathedral window quilt, unlike moi). This is a variation of a traditional Cathedral Window pattern, easier because you quilt the squares individually then piece them together.

I've been hampered by technology, though, and I can't figure out how to merge the two .pdf pages into one. I also can't figure out how to add a nice "download" button to my sidebar, so it looks as if I'll have to post the images themselves, and you can feel free to download them by right-clicking and selecting "Save image as."

Photo of finished quilt squares courtesy of The Gathering Room.

New Mooches

2008-08-06T20:56:00.005-05:00

I'm still enjoying bookmooching, although it seems I have to look hard for books I want. Here are some I've recently received (and am thoroughly enjoying in the 4.5 minutes I have of free time every day):

Exchange your books at BookMooch.com

Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-07-28T06:28:00.002-05:00

In case you hadn't noticed, I am a sucker for giveaways. I like them. They're quick. They're easy. They're free. In fact, I even win things. Recently, a set of baby caps and an autographed CD. It's like slot machines. You win a little, randomly, and that increases your desire to lose even more money. Amazing, and scientifically proven. But there's nothing to lose here. So, go ahead and take a look at Grosgrain fabulous' sweet handmade and originally designed clothing:

Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

You might even want to enter. :)

Babywearing: The New... Oh, Wait. It's Old.

2008-07-20T21:17:00.003-05:00

I think the recent trend toward "babywearing" and "attachment parenting" has mostly blown over my head, or flitted by me, or something, undoubtedly while I was changing diapers, nursing, or working on my Master's. However, I had a sling that I used all the time when Ethan was little. I still use it from time to time. I like slings. I liked being able to stick Ethan in one, and nurse, and make dinner at the same time. Slowly, of course, but surely. All this multitasking (in my case) and attachment parenting (in other cases) is seen as some new thing. I've seen authors of websites attack the idea of wearing your baby as if it's some new American fad. As if it's better to let little Johnny go off and be independent by himself just because he's growing up in American suburbia and his mommy doesn't work in a cane field. They seem to forget that women in other cultures have been wearing their babies for years... for millennia, really, that it works well, and that is a normal and natural thing for a mother to do who wants to take care of her baby and take care of other business as well. Does it really matter whether that business is in a Central American jungle or an air-conditioned North American house?

In that spirit, I'm posting a link to this contest: Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap). If I win, several of my lovely pregnant friends should rejoice at the gifting potential, and I will, too, because I have wanted to try some of these slings myself, before passing them on (possibly).

Ethan Gardens (Read: Plays in the Rocks)

2008-07-17T21:57:00.005-05:00

I made this playsuit yesterday (yes, in one day!) from a great oliver+s pattern. I had seen their patterns a while back (maybe Matt's mom sent me a link? Maybe we both saw it in Mary Engelbreit?), so when they offered a free shipping deal, I pounced. Kind of. I thought about it for a day or so, because I haven't spent more than $7 on a pattern in a long time, if ever. It was worth it. Besides, they come with sweet card stock paper dolls, so it's really not that much for the pattern, if you consider how much you'd spend for a paper doll.

Now we know what he does while Mommy's at work...

2008-07-16T20:22:00.003-05:00

Pillowcase Dresses

2008-07-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

I haven't made any yet, but my mother-in-law has these lovely pillowcases dresses for sale in her shop The Silvery Moon:

Bookmooching

2008-07-07T20:19:00.014-05:00

I've started bookmooching, giving books away in return for points, that I then use to request books. Here's a sampling of my current inventory:

I've recently read and relisted:
Everything Conceivable by Liza Mundy
and have on my shelf to read:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan

The Problem with Internet-Based Classes

2008-07-02T17:20:00.005-05:00

Internet-based classes are great. I can do the work, listen to the lectures, and write researched discussion posts all from my desk in the dining room, and all while Ethan is sleeping. I'm prone to fall into the trap of rabbit trails, though. I start out trying to find out what the average turn-around time on a GC culture is (2-4 days), and an hour later I'm reading about fatal familial insomnia and trying desperately not to click on over to etsy.

Seems some other people have the same problem: Completely off-topic post about health, fish and clothesline.

Quote from Matt after hearing about my experiences in the ER

2008-06-23T18:19:00.003-05:00

"I guess you get to see first-hand how people like Obama get elected."

Make what you want of that. I thought it was so funny, I had to blog it right away.

We Were There (or, The Perfect Alibi)

2008-06-16T08:37:00.004-05:00

We really did go to see Matt's cousin Jeff on Saturday. I'm not sure who took these pics, but I promise we are the subjects. Other people were there, too, but I'm not at liberty to say who...

The New Toy (and Toys)

2008-06-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

My mom's old Kennmore died recently, so I sold it on eBay and bought a stop-gap machine until I know what machine I really want to buy... this justifiable because I have some projects to finish up. :)

The new machine inspired me to try a new pattern:

So, to inaugurate the machine, I made two baby balls (Tag toys pattern from New Conceptions... what a name!) for friends who recently had little girls.

June Photos

2008-06-08T22:23:00.004-05:00

Ethan June 2008

Click above to see more funny faces as Ethan eats grapes and hams it up for the camera.

Too Much Information: C vs. BC Explained

2008-06-08T20:52:00.008-05:00

A clarification for NP students and current NPs who really can't remember at the drop of a hat which is which: The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards the "Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - Board Certified" (APRN-BC) designation after successful completion of their exams for nurse practitioners. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Program awards the "Nurse Practitioner - Certified" (NP-C) designation after completion of their exams.

The state of Texas requires that nurse practitioners use the specific title of the certification they received, and prohibits "Advanced Practice Nurse" as a title. This is probably because it's vague and covers a wide range of scopes of practice, from Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists to Nurse Practitioners (nine different specialties plus six "by exemption only" specialties are approved in Texas) to Nurse Midwives to Clinical Nurse Specialists (six approved specialties, and ten exemption specialties). For this reason, Family Nurse Practitioners in Texas usually sign their name either FNP-BC or FNP-C, although I've seen NP-C. I am happy to report that this convoluted situation appears to be the result of state legislation rather than RN oversight or the desire to overwhelm patients with long lists of confusing letters.

Image courtesy of Nurse Week.

Update on School: The C vs. BC Dilemma

2008-06-03T09:24:00.003-05:00

I've been tooling around the internet trying to figure out which certification exam I plan to take for my FNP certification next year. It's very therapeutic to remind myself that I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have a simple question: One organization's exam qualifies you to write FNP-C (Family Nurse Practitioner - Certified) after your name and the other organization's exam qualifies you to write FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified), so which is which? You'd think it would be a simple question, but apparently it's not. Someone needs to just put a fact sheet out there. FNP-C vs. FNP-BC. If I find out soon, I'll do it. And it boils down to a mere cosmetic issue. I think FNP-C looks better. Less letters and all. But since I can't figure out which is which, maybe I should choose based on the design of the two groups' websites.

Underlying this question is another one I have: how on earth did we (registered nurses) allow two certifying bodies to emerge for the Family Nurse Practitioner? Does no one but me think it's silly, redundant, and (somewhat) unprofessional?

In other school news, I have decided to transfer to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to finish my Master's. This involves a little more travel, but not much else will change. Now, I'm off to try and find someone who will let me follow them around in the ER to sew people up and such.

Another Shameless Plug

2008-05-21T23:20:00.007-05:00

I have listed about half of my jewelry in my etsy shop (karenelisam, if you want to search for it). I'll be listing more over the next couple of days. Take a look, and enjoy browsing others' shops, too. (Subliminal messages: Look... spend... enjoy... buy... buy... buy!) Interestingly, this burst of entrepreneurial fever happens to have occurred on the same day I purchased textbooks for next semester. Seven of them. Kudos to Amazon for having the lowest prices overall, and kudos to future jewelry shoppers for feeding my education habit.

Environmental Consciousness for the Underachiever, part 2

2008-05-19T11:40:00.005-05:00

In an earlier post, I talked about walking places nearby, like the grocery store, the parks, the pediatrician's office, the pharmacy, and the bakery (where the almond croissants are to die for... or at least, to walk a mile for). An update on that train of thought: how much can I fit in the bottom of Ethan's strollerwhen grocery shopping? $40.00 worth of groceries, apparently. Today's trip was the most I've fit so far:

2 gallons of milk
1 box of Texas toast
1 can of olive oil Pam
1 box of rotini pasta
2 lb. block of Mozzarella cheese
1 avocado
4 bananas
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 loaf of bread
3 packages of yeast
2 cans of spaghetti sauce
1 bag of chocolate chips
36 corn tortillas
1 dust pan

What I didn't do for the environment: tell the cashier to skip bags entirely. I forgot to say anything because I was having too much fun watching Ethan flirt with her and with another nearby baby.

Back Home...

2008-05-12T20:48:00.003-05:00

and grateful for indoor plumbing, air conditioning, my own car, and my own family. So I did okay without the first three, and missed the last until I got home. Ethan showed he's glad to have me back by patting my shoulder repeatedly and saying "MA-ma!" in his sweetest voice. I'm enjoying the time off in between last semester and the summer session by trying to simultaneously accomplish a lot of little things and do nothing at all. We'll see how this experiment goes. And no OCONUS annual training next year.

Sometimes I Feel Like This, Too...

2008-04-10T16:05:00.003-05:00

courtesy of xkcd

Ethan's First Picnic

2008-04-10T10:05:00.001-05:00

New Jewelry for a Cause : )

2008-04-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

Mom and I are planning to sell some things at a crafts fair in May, so I've been busy making jewelry. I hope to sell at least 2-3 pieces, but if I don't, I can just consider the entry fee a donation, since it's to support Children's Miracle Network.

Conversation Between Matt and Me About Nurses

2008-03-26T20:19:00.004-06:00

Matt: "I can always spot a group of nurses from like a mile away."
Me: "What do you mean? In a restaurant or what?"
Matt: "Yeah."
Me: "The scrubs probably give them away."
Matt: "No, not the scrubs."
Me: "Okay, the stethoscopes."
Matt: "Nope."
Me: "What then?"
Matt: "Um, their... demeanor."
Me: "So... by demeanor, do you mean attitude?"
Matt: "You could say that. Yeah."
Me: "So, you're saying nurses have attitude?"
Matt: "Yep. You can always hear their opinion even when you're not part of their group."
Me: "This is hilarious. I'm going to put that quote on my facebook. No, I'm going to blog this."
Matt, as I walk toward the computer, "You could also say, 'Nurses are really sweet until you cross them.'"
Me: "Now YOU'VE crossed the line."

Things that Made Me Smile Today

2008-03-20T20:12:00.007-06:00

Our azaleas

Ladybug at a neighbor's

Casey's old craftsman house
When I first moved to Tyler, Casey and Sarah Jane lived there. Then Casey and Alyssa. Then, finally, Casey and Travis. Other people I know lived there before, but I always think of it as Casey's.

Lizard on a fence post

Ethan on the playground

The Unboxing

2008-03-20T15:27:00.010-06:00

My aunt sent me a box of things from my grandmother. Tomorrow, it will have been two years since Abuela died, and although my aunt set up a memorial website where we could post about her, and my sister-in-law wrote a lovely tribute, I haven't been able to write anything yet. I'm not sure I can, still.

The box contained old pictures and letters to my grandparents from my father, scraps Abuela had saved from when we made my wedding dress, and an empty bottle of her Chanel perfume. It smells like her.

I cried looking through the pictures and reading the letters. I'm not sure why. Maybe because Matt and Ethan never got to meet her, and maybe because she never got to meet then. Maybe because I never knew my father as an adult, and he never saw the person I've become. Maybe because I had a happy childhood.

Why Crude is up to $110 a Barrel

2008-03-19T22:12:00.003-06:00

This is Matt at work. And yes, that is oil all over the ground. I'm just glad it's not all over my carpets. Something... "blew up," I believe is the technical term he used tonight. Babe, I appreciate your hard and sometimes frustrating work for us!

A Post for Knitters

2008-03-19T15:36:00.005-06:00

Mom watched Ethan for us for a few hours while I went in to a staff meeting and some training at work. I've been called off so often lately I'm desperate for a few hours. So while I was gone to work, Mom and Ethan played and browsed free knitting patterns at Knitting Pattern Central. A page was up on my computer, and there were so many free patterns available, I may never buy another knitting book again. I downloaded about 10 in one sitting, including the pattern for these adorable baby socks:

I'm already thinking of making them for a friend who's having a girl. Thanks to f. pea for the picture, and Pickin' and Throwin' for the pattern.

Ethan Chills on Marmee's Swing

2008-03-14T11:09:00.005-06:00

You light up our life, baby boy!

How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Grapefruit

2008-03-12T20:04:00.003-06:00

Every time you eat a grapefruit, give your baby some. Eventually, he will eat it and like it. Or he'll go off to college.

Here, Ethan eats grapefruit so fast I could hardly take a picture with any in the tray. It's not the first time he's had it, but the first time he liked it. He liked it so much, in fact, that he managed to sort it out from the boring, bland, nearly-the-same-color-and-texture tomatoes.

The Dream Car

2008-03-10T10:10:00.006-06:00

So, we bought our dream car on Friday, a Volvo S80. If it had been new, it would have matched the car Matt has as his laptop wallpaper, which really is a dream. It was used, so it matches the pic below. We're excited about a much larger, safer car than the Bug, which we recently discovered needed almost $1,500 worth of work. Although it is supposed to be mine, Matt's got it today, ostensibly so a friend who is a mechanic can look at it. I think he just wants to drive the new Volvo.

Ethan's Birthday Book

2008-03-06T22:08:00.003-06:00

For Ethan's birthday, I made him a little Winkflash photo book about the first year of his life. I put an apple green cover on it, called it "My First Year," and wrote simple text in first person. I'm thrilled with the results, despite the fact that I did it in one sitting late at night. I plan to make one for him every year, but I've been thinking about a colors book next: Ethan in green clothes, holding a green toy, for instance, and the word "green" in a large simple font. This will enable me to preserve a few more brain cells by not having to come up with text that chronicles an entire year. I started looking into some different online photo places, and put the results into an article at Real Clever Moms. Follow this link to get the lowdown on photo books: Creating Custom Photo Books.

February 2008 Pic of the Month

2008-02-25T22:44:00.001-06:00

Ethan Helps Mommy Make Mango Bread

2008-02-25T22:31:00.017-06:00

Mango Bread (from Jennifer Jennings)

2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 c. peeled, diced mango
1/4 c. walnuts
1/2 c. shredded coconut

Mix the dry ingredients (the first five). Make a well in the dry ingredients and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into two small or one large greased and sugared loaf pan(s). Allow to stand for 20 min, then bake at 350 for 1 hour.

To Do List Blog

2008-02-17T22:05:00.006-06:00

I write a lot of To Do lists. I have one on my computer desktop all the time; I only look at and update it about once a month, but writing things down seems to make them happen a little easier. I suppose some other people have found this as well; one of those people has actually found a way to make a career out of other peoples' lists. I visit the To Do List blog from time to time to see what matters to other people, and to see if they've found any must-do's that I should add to my list as well. This one is just plain classic: Ways to Prove We're Ready for Marriage. Top of the list: Do laundry more regularly. You bet. I could work on that one, too. Actually, I think I was pretty regular with the laundry until I got married. I just did it whenever I ran out of underwear. Now, it's a little trickier. My suggestion to the couple wanting to get married: get exactly the same amount of underwear, and wear it at exactly the same rate. This will save you some grief in the long run.

Ethan's Elephant

2008-01-25T16:22:00.000-06:00

This is the little elephant I knitted for Ethan. He's already given it hugs and kisses, and chewed on the trunk, so I consider the project a success. Thanks again to Lorraine and Geek Knitter!

The Obligatory First Birthday Photo

2008-01-25T16:21:00.001-06:00

Bloggers to the Rescue

2008-01-11T10:26:00.000-06:00

I've been knitting a sweet blue elephant toy for Ethan's birthday, but ran out of yarn. No problem, I thought, I remember where I got it... and started to look online. The yarn's been discontinued, so in desperation, I posted on a few bloggers' sites... people who said they'd made something with the yarn, hoping to find a skein or two, to finish the little elephant's head. Two bloggers came to my rescue: Lorraine and Geek Knitter. Thanks!! If I had an award or two, I'd send it to them. As it is, I'll share the love:

Pipe Dreams

2008-01-08T10:25:00.000-06:00

When I'm not doing the things I'm supposed to do, like assignments for school, I occasionally read baby blogs. I came across a new one today, and learned that Halle Berry is buying two of everything for her new baby. No, not twins. Just has two houses, and doesn't want Baby Berry to get confused. So, she's getting two of everything for the nursery, down to stuffed animals. Huh. We take the EXACT SAME pack-n-play and cozy blanket with us when we travel. And we deliberately have ONLY ONE house. How's that for decreasing confusion, Halle?

What I really should be doing is logging on to Texas Tech to find out what I'm supposed to do for my first week's assignments. I dreamed recently that I logged on, and discovered that all I had to do for the first week was download the syllabi, but I'm afraid that's a pipe dream. It will probably be something like, "Assess your immediate (100 mi. radius) community's health promotion resources, and write a 15 page paper detailing current and potential interventions, including management strategies for proposed interventions." Just my luck.

Sweepstakes Update: Jimeale Bag

2008-01-08T10:12:00.000-06:00

I recently won a drawing at Cool Mom Picks (where, incidentally, I go about 2-3 times a week to enter drawings because I am addicted to that sort of thing); unfortunately, I didn't claim the prize in time. However, the gracious Cool Moms wrote Jimeale, who created the prize in question, and she sent me a great diaper bag from her line, anyway. A plus: she donates 15% of proceeds to support a breast cancer benefit, Boarding for Breast Cancer. Click on the picture to see the rest of her bags:

Environmental Consciousness for the Underachiever

2007-12-30T10:16:00.001-06:00

After Ethan was born, we bought a jogging stroller. I had high hopes of actually jogging with it, but we've found we mostly use it for walks to the park and around the neighborhood. I had been wanting a pedometer to measure my walks since the speedometer/odometer that came with our fancy stroller measures in kilometers (only!), and I'm not 100% sure it works. It is nice to know I'm strolling at 10 km/hr, but it's not really useful information.

I had a pleasant surprise, then, when my sister-in-law and brother gave me what must be the Godfather of all pedometers, if it can even be classified as a pedometer. I think it's actually a high-tech training device for athletes. You know, ultra long distance runners, bikers who regularly traverse states, etc. Not one to be intimidated by looking silly in front of triathletes, I charged the thing up, popped it on my wrist and took a walk... to the grocery store, exactly 1.06 miles from home. This brings me to the point of my post, which is actually about being socially responsible, and my hidden desire to live in a community where people walk to work, to school, to the bank and grocery store. We lived in New York City for a while, and walked just about everywhere. Except Harlem and the Bronx Zoo.

I started thinking about how many places I can walk in our neighborhood; it's not exactly Manhattan, but it is conducive to walking. Within a mile, I can count a grocery store, our bank, our pharmacy, our pediatrician, our dentist :), a mom-and-pop gourmet coffee shop, a massage parlor, a passel of expensive boutiques, salons and antique stores, a pastry shop, a park with playground, a church or two... even Matt's favorite Chinese place. Within a couple of miles, we've got a library, a post office, my doctor, both hospitals, a bunch of fast food, barbershops, dollar stores, more antique places, a couple of schools. It's incredible. I'm thinking about going without my car for a week. Except for walking to work (not crazy about that idea at 5 in the morning or at 7:30 p.m. after a 12-hr shift), I think I could pretty much get where I need to go by foot. And this is good, because I don't recycle anything except for aluminum cans, and I do throw away a lot of plastic bags and diapers.

I wonder if the extra gas money saved would make up for shopping at the expensive grocery store? Maybe. The real question is, will I save more money by not being able to get to the mall, or will I end up shopping at the boutiques? Good thing Stein Mart is close.

Sweepstakes Update: Google, The Evil Empire?

2007-12-29T05:55:00.000-06:00

So, from time to time I enter sweepstakes. And I rarely win things, but at least now I know why: Google. In Google's quest to rule the internet, they've added one more weapon to their arsenal: breaking people down by depriving them of hard-won sweepstakes prizes. I won a Jimeale diaper bag. However the prize notification e-mail went into my spam, along with the follow-up letter which went something like this: "If you don't respond by midnight tonight, we'll give your diaper bag to someone else, slacker!" Not really, but I wrote back anyway, a week late, hoping there would still be a cute bag sitting around with my name on it. There wasn't, but they offered me a consolation prize. So, no hard feelings toward Cool Mom Picks. Further update to follow. Meanwhile I will brood on my love-hate relationship with Google as I blog, search, organize and share photos, track internet traffic, and write content for ad-heavy web pages, all thanks to Google.

A Kinder, Gentler Rant

2007-12-28T22:45:00.000-06:00

Every so often, I read political blogs. Unfortunately, they often seem to be rants, and these rants come from all sectors… rants about how the US middle class is causing global warming, and rants about how Al Gore is mistaken (and we shouldn’t believe anything he says because he didn’t really invent the internet anyway); rants about how good things are happening in Iraq and rants about how bad things are happening in Iraq, and both are probably true, just as good and bad things have been happening in that area of the world for at least 4,000 years. Sometimes, I even get caught up in comment threads where people conduct virtual arguments, picking at semantics and occasionally making insightful and even brilliant points. One thing I’ve noticed is the intense contempt some of these writers have for anyone who doesn’t share their opinions… and this in turn makes me respect them less. I try to see their viewpoint, but frankly, it’s hard. I imagine it would be just as hard for them to see mine.

It makes me wonder, as I read a rant with which I disagree, if the labels were reversed, would the content really change? Or would it just be another rant? In other words, I think we would be much better served by constructive problem-solving, rather than by blaming large groups of others for the world’s problems. Instead, the issue at hand is always someone else’s fault.

2007 Christmas Letter and Photo

2007-12-26T13:00:00.001-06:00

For those of you whose in-boxes were full, we've devised another way to foist our year-end thoughts upon you... the 2007 Morrison Christmas Letter and Photo. (If you give something a grand title, it makes it that much more auspicious.)

There’s a lot of balancing involved in writing a good Christmas letter: how to avoid sounding boastful without being boring, how to avoid the presumption of assuming you want to know all about our lives without completely ignoring you… it goes on and on. Then, just as I’ve decided not to write, I get a delightful letter from a friend, and I’m encouraged to go ahead and let you know what’s up, despite all the ambiguous feelings I have about this sort of thing. Here goes:

Due to the birth of our sweet son Ethan, the year passed in a blur. I’m not really sure what else happened, but he was definitely a highlight. Ethan weighed in at 8lbs, 7oz, on January 25, sometime after 4 pm. After several weeks of insomnia and resultant psychosis, our lives settled into a nice routine, and we are so grateful to God for the joy of having a little one around. He rolled over early, crawled at about an average age, and said “Dada” for months before finally mouthing the word “Mama”. Music to my ears. His little hugs, smiles and laughs make up for all the spit up and dirty diapers he’s managed to produce over the past 11 months.

Everything else that happened this year seems to be a little overshadowed by the whole firstborn son thing. We’ll try to dredge the recesses of our memories, however:

Both Matt and Ethan were baptized on the same day in April. It brings a sweet ache to my heart even thinking about it now.

Matt graduated from UT Tyler in May with a BS in Computer Information Systems, and went to work for Vann Pumping Systems shortly thereafter. This allowed me to cut back from three to one to two days a week as a labor and delivery nurse. Ethan loves having Mommy at home, but when I’m at work he either stays with Dad, with Marmee, with Grandmommy, or with a family from church. Matt also continues to work as a houseparent one weekend a month at Breckenridge Village, where Ethan charms his special friends with his slobber and smiles.

I reached a big milestone this month by completing half of my 48-hour Master’s degree, an MS in Nursing that will allow me to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner boards, and bring me a couple of steps closer to an eventual goal of becoming a certified nurse-midwife. Don’t ask how exactly. It’s complicated. I also continued to drill as a Navy Reserve Nurse Corps officer one weekend a month. I enjoy the training, and have memorized more acronyms than should be humanly possible. Not to mention, I finally got dog tags and get to wear camouflage and combat boots.

We so enjoy hearing from all of you throughout the year and especially now when everyone’s so motivated to send letters. What’s up with that anyway?

Matt just read our letter and registered his approval with, “It looks pretty good, actually.” So, I guess my job here is done. We’d like to close with one final thought as we focus on Christ’s birth:

“Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.”
With love and joy,
Matt, Elisa and Ethan Morrison

Ethan Meets Santa

2007-12-20T12:33:00.001-06:00

We had other shots, but this one is classic. I'd love to know what Ethan is thinking... "Is that beard real? Should I pull it?"

The Question

2007-12-19T12:38:00.000-06:00

My brother Marti has recently (and unwittingly) introduced me to a geeky comic strip called xkcd. In honor of the fact that I have finished half of my Master's, and therefore have time to goof off and do things like this, I offer my own parody, followed by a few favorites:

Checking Out the Tree

2007-12-16T23:06:00.000-06:00

No News Is Good News

2007-12-16T22:59:00.000-06:00

We haven't posted in a while. No excuse except things like an 11-month-old, Christmas shopping, finishing up Pharmacotherapeutics, raking most of the leaves in the yard into ten huge bags and mulching the rest, preparing scholarship and student loan applications, going to drill one weekend, then Lubbock the next. Yep. Lubbock, as in 8 hours from here with a baby in the back seat. Ethan's actually a good traveler, so we had a nice trip.

A note on the Pharm class: It's not that I didn't learn much about drugs, because I did, but what I really learned was how little I know about medications. I really don't give many on L&D... about the same ten drugs. As for the rest, I'll just have to cozy up to one of those nice little PDA programs.

More Jewelry

2007-11-19T23:04:00.000-06:00

Some recent pieces:

Sweepstakes and the Like

2007-11-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for sweepstakes. Not the Publisher's Warehouse kind, though, the real ones. You know, where you win real things. I have entered countless drawings and giveaways... from Eddie Bauer to the grocery store to Helzberg Diamonds to the HGTV Dream Home, and (more recently) Lexus. And in the past 10 years I have won, um, one $25 gift card to Amazon.com. It was worth it, though, because I bought two great knitting books. So, on a nearly daily basis, I go to HGTV Pro and enter their daily drawing for contractor gadgets... because if I win it and I don't want it, I can always list it on eBay. And besides, they had a GPS for the car up the other day, and I really could use one of those. All this to say, I have added a button for the Cool Mom Picks Holiday Guide. It's a trade-off. They get advertising, and I have the thrill of entering yet another giveaway. I really do like the Cool Mom newsletter (makes me feel cool, too!), and besides, they have these fun little things where you can enter a drawing for some cool item if you go to the other site and find the answer to a question about the product. (I know it! I'm a sucker for advertising!)

Ethan Swings

2007-11-13T13:40:00.001-06:00

What I'm Reading or Have Read Lately

2007-11-09T21:35:00.000-06:00

Night by Elie Wiesel
Pharmacology for Nursing Care by Richard A. Lehne
The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende

Ethan's First Halloween

2007-10-31T21:29:00.001-06:00

Art, Sort Of

2007-10-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

Art takes many forms. I've recently been perfecting the art of the perfect Cherry Italian Cream Soda. Here's my take on it:

2 parts Club soda
1 part Grenadine
1 part half n half

Pour the club soda over ice in a tall glass. Add the grenadine. Float the half n half on the soda mixture. Top with whipped cream.

I think Kahlua would be good instead of grenadine, but then it wouldn't be an Italian Cream Soda...

Bedecked

2007-10-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

I'm learning to make jewelry with wire, shells, and semi-precious stones. I can't wait to get the right tools and upgrade to sterling silver and freshwater pearls (among my favorite natural materials, because they're not all round). So, I'm practicing technique and macro photography. Any Christmas gift requests, send 'em my way while I'm still buying materials.

Go Figure

2007-10-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

So, now the average on that exam is back up to 84. Felt good while it lasted. As they say in Monterrey, Ni modo.

Now in a Less Sour Mood

2007-10-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

The class average is down to 61 on that same exam, improving my perspective slightly.

Things You Don't Need

2007-10-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Having made a mere 80 on my recent Pharmacotherapeutics exam, I felt in a slightly sour mood, so I'm offering a list of Things You Don't Need Which Are For Sale Anyway:
1. Hypnotic aquarium with fake jellyfish
2. iPod case made from a cassette tape I have to admit, it's a nice recycling idea anyhow.
3. Heat-activated wall paper
4. A toothbrush that costs $169.95

Ethan's Silly Face

2007-10-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

Couldn't Resist

2007-10-14T22:03:00.001-05:00

Three of my favorite people. :) It's such a great photo, I couldn't resist.

What We Did Last Night

2007-10-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

We saw Collective Soul and Live in concert last night... enjoyed both bands, probably because they played their popular songs (translate: the ones I've heard), but Live was definitely the better live band (ha! would be ironic if they weren't), and Collective Soul... dare I say it?... really sounds better recorded, at least from what we heard last night.

Finished Project

2007-10-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

I've finally finished a project for Ethan; I'd started a quilt, and some baby blocks, and have the supplies to smock him a romper... but knitting is definitely the fastest (and therefore, most quickly rewarding).

Things That Make Me Laugh

2007-10-02T09:37:00.000-05:00

Some things Ethan does/likes that crack me up:
1. He loves to watch the bathwater go down the drain... he crawls over and has occasionally put his face so close he snorts water up his nose (only temporarily distressing).
2. He loves the cat, so much so that whenever he sees Bunter his little hands clench up in fists, he kicks his feet, and his whole body goes stiff.
3. He loves to drink leftover cereal milk from a spoon (I suspect it's because I eat Raisin Bran with sugar on the raisins).
4. He thinks fake sneezes, coughs, and animal sounds are wildly hilarious.
5. He finds anything remotely electronic fascinating, especially digital clocks.
6. He loves pictures of babies, including the one on the yogurt container. He tries to give kisses, getting so close to it his little eyes cross, and he's drooled all over about half the pages in my baby knitting books, because they all have pictures of adorable babies (in handknits, of course).

People tell me it gets so much more fun when children can talk. It's hard to imagine it could get any more fun.

Pic of the Day

2007-09-30T18:26:00.000-05:00

Ethan at my parents' house. If you look closely, you can see the two bottom teeth; he's got four more on top.

Photography Practice

2007-09-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

Also known as playing dress-up:

Ethan Plays with Pinecone