Light-Hearted or Light-Headed?

For months now, Carter has been looking forward to his first major hands-on biology project -- the dissection of a deer heart.

The fifth-graders knew about it before the Wisconsin gun-deer season so they could be sure to tell a friend or family member to save a heart for them -- or extras for the kids who don't have a hunting family. That's Carter. We are not hunters.

I did not know he was arranging for one of the neighbor guys to fill this need until one day when I was getting something off the front deck and I noticed a McDonald's bag. I was trying to figure out who would leave their garbage on our deck. How rude! Needless to say, when I opened the bag and peered inside, I was shocked to see a deer heart instead of leftover fries. Ewww.

Admittedly, I am way beyond squeamish. But I was feeling good that Carter was looking forward to this project with no fear. In fact, yesterday morning (the day of the operation) he was telling me how excited he was to see the ventricles and aorta and that good stuff. "Maybe I can use what I learn in real life as a doctor or I can help you understand Grey's Anatomy." Oh, he's so thoughtful.

Last night when I picked him up, I said, "Tell me how it went today -- but leave out the play-by-play details, please."

"It started out good, but then I realized what I was doing and got a little squeamish. I had to sit down for awhile."

"What made you squeamish? Was it looking at it or smelling it?" I asked. "I remember when we dissected in junior high and high school, I just couldn't stand that smell."

"Oh it was definitely the smell," he said. "I don't know why we can't wear those masks like the do on Grey's Anatomy!"

OK, I swear I don't let him watch the show. I guess he's seen enough snippets of it -- plus pictures of McDreamy and McSteamy on my Grey's calendar and trivia game -- to get a clue what's happening. Hey, if it encourages him to pursue a career in medicine, I'm fine with that. I just hope they don't call him McSqueamish.