Adelle has mentioned several times recently that she wants to be a doctor.  She enjoys gathering random items from around the house to be used for her doctor equipment (stethoscope, thermometer, tongue depressor, etc).  And she really enjoys playing with the play doctor equipment at Grandma and Grandpa Grish’s (we got to visit a couple weeks ago).

On Wednesday this past week, Adelle decided to play doctor.  I was curious to find out what equipment she would be using this time.  She was holding on to her play tool box complete with hammer, saw, screwdriver, etc.  I was instructed to lie on the couch while she checked the baby out.  I wasn’t sure what to think when she pulled out the saw and said she would be cutting my stomach open.  She told me that she wanted to cut me open, pull the baby out to check it, put the baby back in, then hammer me back together again.  I tried to explain that doctors normally use an ultrasound machine to look at the new baby, but there was no convincing her that the saw wasn’t necessary.  So, she “cut” me open with the saw to check out the baby then used the hammer to put me back together.  Should I be concerned??

Work was amazingly productive on Thursday of all days…the day before a 4 day weekend. It was so enjoyable and productive that I actually regretted leaving for the weekend. Days like that are few and far between. I work as a design engineer and the majority of my daily tasks are usually clerical instead of actual engineering or design. On the other hand, Thursday was action packed with CAD modeling and problem solving and design work and thinking! I actually had to use my brain to do my job! Wow…that is a very invigorating feeling.

Anyway, this weekend has been very fun and relaxing. We visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (~1 hour away) and did some hiking and took photos and just relaxed for a nice drive. That was the first “sight seeing” we’ve done since moving. I hope to ascend my first 14'er (14,000-ft tall mountain) in another few weeks. It turns out that there is a paved road all the way to the top of Pikes Peak. So…it may not be much of a work out (aside from breathing more from thinner air), but there will be spectacular views.

I am concerned about Adelle’s mental health…I think she may have a multiple personality problem. She spends each day as one of approximately 30 personalities (including combinations of individual personalities): Cinderella, Ester, Cinderell-Ester, Grandma Grish, Grandma Burnside, mommy, princess, jewelry shop owner, etc. She also whispers to herself and has an imagination that may involve playing Cinderella or school or any number of other scenarios. Being a first time parent, am I over reacting? She I be concerned? Or should I be thankful that she is playing quietly in the other room? I think the later is what I will choose to believe.

This past week was a major milestone at work…the test of PA-1. That’s Pad Abort – 1. PA-1 is the “ejector seat” for the Orion space capsule. Similar in concept as an ejector seat for a military jet aircraft, this will abort a failing rocket launch in hopes of preventing another Challenger event. The test was a complete success. The rocket shot up into the sky and reached ~600-mph in ~3 seconds…that’s a LOT of acceleration. All of the forces involved with accelerating up and then down and all around will cause most astronauts to pass out AND lose their lunch (or breakfast or dinner…depending on the time of the launch!) I didn’t work on any of this hardware, but I will be supporting future launches and tests. Anyway, check out the video…it’s really cool.