Diary of a Residency Widow: Bring Me a Dream

Dear Mr. Sandman-
We need to talk. Over the years we have had a fairly good relationship, much better than your counterpart Mr. Alarm-Clock. I look forward to your nightly visits, yet lately on nights when my dear husband is away on call you've been consistently tardy. Don't you know it is rude to leave a lady waiting? 1am on a weeknight is unacceptable and unsustainable on a regular basis, afterall I have a dog that likes to get up early and a job to get to in the morning. Please don't tell me that you're like Santa Clause and won't come by until everyone in the family is tucked safely in bed before you come. I don't buy it and I know that you visit Buster regularly when he's home alone. We never had this problem during the years before I got married so I didn't think it would be an issue now. I'll cut you some slack since there is always going to be an adjustment period when it come to new things but I hope it is short lived or we have a long three years ahead of us. I would appreciate if you rectify this situation sooner rather than later.

Sweet Dreams,
The Residency Widow

Tales from Residency: I am Woman Hear Me Roar

The intern year of residency is a trying time defined by sleep deprivation and feelings of inadequacy as they encounter new situations whilst becoming comfortable with the new level of responsibility that rests on their shoulders. They go to work each day not knowing what the shift will bring. However, one thing is for sure...they will come away with some great stories.



Nate's first stop on the intern road was obstetrics at Maricopa County Hospital. He's had to pick up a number of spanish words and phrases that they don't teach you in High School but he's on his way to fulfilling his quota of delivered babies. After one delivery they asked the father if he would like to cut the cord but apparently he wasn't quite comfortable with the idea and respectfully declined. The attending then turned to the mother and asked if she would like to instead. She emphatically responded, "HECK YES," took the scissors, bent forward and cut her own cord. Now that's the strength of a woman; taking matters into her own hands when her husband was too squeamish to do so.

I guess I still have some work to do since I still look to my husband to kill any bugs in the house.

Cooties and Cupid

We've been teaching most of our Sunbeam class since they were two going on three-years-old. In the early days they didn't seem to care about the differences between boys and girls, or if they did it didn't affect them. Sure the girls would gravitate towards playing with dolls and ponies while the boys constructed guns from Lego blocks or zoomed cars across the room but they weren't bothered to be together. Lately we've sensed a change in the winds.

Our Sunbeam class is mostly boys, which on any given Sunday can mean that the girls are out numbered 4 (or sometimes even 6) to 1. Now once upon a time this wouldn't have been a problem but lately I'm hearing more complaints from the girls such as "I don't want to be the only girl," or "I don't want to sit next to a boy." One week we got lucky and had 3 girls in class. Trying to capitalize on this rarity, Nate had them sit next to each other, which proceeded to backfire as they morphed into their own little group in another world making it next to impossible to grab their attention.

On the flip side the boys, or at least most of them, are becoming more interested in the girls. A while ago I wrote about our first little Romeo, and his romanticsism is spreading. Recently one little guy, we'll refer to him as I.A., was helping us set up the classroom he started telling us about his girlfriend. When I asked him what was his girlfriend's name was, he responded, "um, um, um...[long pause]...I don't know." He has also previously mentioned in sharing time how when he gets big he wants to have a girlfriend. Not to forget the day that little girl H. joined our class he told her she was really pretty and asked her if she would come over to his house and be his girlfriend.

Little girl H has quickly become the boys favorite as they all want to sit by her. She's cute, and sweet, and blonde. Not to sound like a bitter brunette but I find it funny that even at 4 years old, the blonde gets the most attention. Her first day in our class the little boy sitting next to me leaned over and asked me what her name was. I told him her name and he then turned to her and said, "H I love you, you're my friend."

They may come on a little strong but I think it sweet how unabashed they are about their feelings. The girls on the other hand....well, maybe one day Dr. Nate will have to give everyone their cootie shot.