Radiation Safety Officer

Last week I attended the Radiation Safety Officer program in Las Vegas, Nv. The weather was gorgeous! In the mid-70's, sunshine, bliss! Although I spent the majority of each day inside going to class, I still managed to get an itty-bitty sunburn.

The class, given by Nevada Technical Associates was everything I could have asked for. We even went on a field trip to the Atomic Testing Museum. Woo! Mostly the class was a refresher on subjects that I had already learned, but now I'm certified to be a Radiation Safety Officer.

An interesting tidbit I learned, did you know that the Brazilian nut is the most naturally radioactive food? Often more than 10,000 times more radiaoactive than any other food because of the soil it is grown in. See, you are halfway to becoming a RSO yourself!

On a side note, today is Z's 4th birthday! I will have to post more of that later.

A few life experiences

I HAVE....
Do it yourself! Copy and paste the list into your blog and bold or highlight the items you have done. Here we go....

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language --Double Dutch counts right?
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David -- not in person, but I've seen it.
41. Sung karaoke -- be glad you missed it!
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted -- I'm counting the time I had the artist at Disneyworld scribble me and my bestest
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt --finished it this winter, woo!
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been in love

Hairbinks Vacation notes

Life has been getting craaaazy. Ok, not getting really it's just keeping up the pace with the crazies lately.

We went on our first real roadtrip with ALL the girls. Fairbanks for the Ice Carving Championship. Took the long way up there, so eight hours with three girls crammed into the back seat of the truck.

Ice carvings were ahhhhmazing. And we all had a blast on the ice slides. I love that I am not required (ever) to act like a stuffy adult. I think that's probably why M's daughters like me so much. I love getting goofy, hamming it up. Eventually this will turn into a major embarassment for them, but for now they dig it.

Next we spent some time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum. This is the first time I've been to a musuem with somebody I was sweet on, it was fun to discuss the exhibits and try to lose the kids. Just kidding about the losing the kids part. Mostly. :)

Ride home from Fairbanks (or Hairbinks as Zoe called it all weekend) was uneventful until the little voice in the backseat piped up "I have to go peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" My sweet girl, is entirely a princess girly-girl. We pulled off to the side of the road and I was trying to explain proper ettiquette for roadside pit stops. Eventually I had to just whip it out (figuratively of course!) and show her how it was done. Lots of giggling ensued, but she successful did her business. Five minutes down the road, "Mama, I gotta go peeeeeee!". I'm guessing she had so much fun with her previous adventure that she wanted to try it again. I hope this isn't going to turn into a new phase.

A few miles outside of Willow there was a massive traffic snarl. One moment we're cruising at 55 mph, and then slamming on the brakes for the stand-still traffic. I kept looking for the major accident I thought had slowed us down, when it occured to us... it's the opening of the Iditarod. And the racers start in Willow.

Smart! Perhaps next time, we'll plan that a little better. Overall,, our first little family vacation was a success! No bodily injury, no hurt feelings, minimal bickering. And lots of fun outside playing in the snow and ice. Score! I'm almost ready to start thinking abou twhere we'll go next.

Conversations with an almost 4 year old

Now this may not seem like much to other people with kids the same age, but I am so amazed at the progress my daughter has made since she got into the speech-therapy preschool. Before school, according to the testing she had the vocabulary of an 18 month old (at the age of 3). Now she sings songs, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star being her favorite, and will make up songs as she goes.

Last week.
Me: "You are such a cute punkinhead!"
Z: "I'm NOT a punkinhead mama, I'm a BARBIEGIRL!!!"

Yesterday.
Z: "Spiderman is cool."
This caught me off guard with its randomness, so I burst out laughing.
Z: "Are you laughing at me mama?"
Me: "No baby, I'm laughing because you are awesome!"
Z: "I'm not awesome. You are awesome mama!"

Tuesday after work, I picked up Z at daycare. The kids still waiting for their parents were playing in the indoor gym. I walked through the door to see my daughter laughing and pointing at another child, who was crying. Now this boy wasn't just crying, he was bawling, with streamers of spit and snot.

"Z! That's not ok! Why are you laughing at Peter?" I exclaim. She continues to laugh and point. Uh.... Turns out that the little guy was throwing a massive temper tantrum, and my daughter just thought it was hilarious. Not sure what to do about this, just roll with it I suppose.