Showing posts with label general family ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general family ramblings. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
15 years
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Good Times Keep On Rollin'....
Things have been mildly frustrating lately, that's the best I can describe life lately...mildly frustrating.....
My last post started with me applying for the nursing program...so let's start there, shall we? Long story short, I didn't get in. There were 276 applicants for 40 spots. Everyone was getting notified about program acceptance except for me, it seemed. I didn't hear anything for 10 days after the initial offers were sent out. 10 very long, hellish days. Everyone kept telling me that 'no news was good news' because it meant I was still in the running. Well, I was still in the running, but just not strong enough to finish. I finally got someone on the other end of the phone that I had been incessantly calling for the last week on a Wednesday morning, and by noon of the same day, I had a nice little lump of coal email waiting for me in my inbox..."Sorry, but you aren't the applicant we were looking for..." niiiiiiiiiiice. I sobbed in a most heart broken manner for about 4 hours. I really, really wanted this! Why couldn't this one thing just go my way for once? Huh? So, I allowed myself to mope and whine for the rest of the day. Self pity is good in small doses once in awhile. My sweet husband came home in the middle of my melodrama and gave me a good, long hug and said, "Sorry...I know how bad you wanted this..but what have you wanted longer? To get into nursing school, or for me to get a teaching job?" I answered to the latter...more on that development later...
So, I didn't get in, I moped for a few hours, and moved on. Then I got a call from the IHC nursing program, making sure I had been 'contacted'. Yeah...I got the contact..thanks a billion! But the sadist in me couldn't stop there, oh no, if you could, pretty pretty please, tell me why I didn't get in? She did...it was brutal. I was in the very final group and in the end, my employee evaluation scores were just not quite high enough. They offered to 40 students and 4 alternates...that's 44...and me....I was number 45. Sigh So, it's not meant to be right now, and I will just have to wait until Spring of 2015 until I start nursing school, because that is where I fall on SLCC's wait list. SLCC has changed their admission requirements as well, and I am one of the last on their wait list, as they are doing away with it. So I could possibly get in sooner under the new requirements, but if I get rejected there, I will still have that spot. So it will eventually happen, just not on the time frame I had hoped for.
So, Rob got a teaching job! So freaking awesome! He is a History and Social Studies teacher for a very small private school here in the Salt Lake Valley, and it all seemed very exciting until he got into it. He has been there for a month and they have already had to move locations. It wasn't the school's fault they had to move...the church basement they were in didn't meet fire code for schooling purposes, and the church congregation decided at the last minute that they didn't want a free remodel of their basement...weirdos...so the school had to find new digs. They have successfully done so, and are at a much nicer and closer location. Hopefully they can stay there for the long term. The kids are a rough bunch, and that is putting it nicely. Most have been kicked out of the traditional public school system, and some have served time. They are very learning challenged and the parental support is minimal at best. Rob's biggest frustration is the fact that these kids don't want to do any work, at all. The pay isn't all that stellar either, but it is pay and we are grateful for it! Well, there are issues with that too, but we have at least gotten ONE paycheck....
I finally took my kids to the dentist last month...I figured that since I was paying for benefits, that I should probably use them before the end of the year! Jaron and Quentin had clean oral bills of health, Brenna and Cade weren't so lucky. Brenna ended up with a cavity that was so severe, that one of her molars had been steadily falling out in chunks. I had known about this for months, but had been waiting for a little extra money, so I could take them in...because I knew that Brenna's situation was going to cost. It probably wouldn't have cost so much if I had just gotten her in sooner. As it turns out, when I took her back to take care of the bad tooth, they had to drill so deep, that some of her nerve was exposed. I suspect that when they did that, they also pushed some of the infection up into the nerve space and it turned into an abscess. Two weeks after this neato keen appointment, Brenna started complaining of horrible mouth pain and headache. I called the office back and they told me that it sounded like she needed a root canal....WHAT? Oh, and they didn't do those there and I would have to find a general dentist to do it. After much calling back and forth, they finally referred me to one..right down the hall from them. I took her in, sure enough, there was a large abscess and they had to open the tooth, drain the abscess, and pack the nerve root with antibiotics. This was only the start of the root canal. The soonest appointment they had to be able to finish the job, was February 1st. Yeah, they are kind of busy there. Then they will finish the job and then she will need a crown. This will all be to the tune of around $700. At least my insurance will cover 50% of it...but still! Yike! One other blessing is that the new dentist will allow us to make payments on the amount until it is paid off...so we can make that work. Rob has voiced concern that the original dentist had some responsibility in creating this very expensive mess and should be held responsible in some part. I really like this pediatric dental practice, but I really don't know how to broach this issue. 'Hey, uh, you kind of caused a huge mess in my daughter's mouth, and I shouldn't have to pay you for it..?' I don't think they will take too kindly to that. But if I never ask, I'll never know...so I need to figure it out. Any diplomatic suggestions?
I switched health plans this year during Open Enrollment from my $200 a month premium plan, that I couldn't afford to pay the co-pays on, to a no premium, high deductible plan with a Health Savings account attached to it. With my first payroll deduction of the amount of my choosing, Intermountain will deposit $750 right off the bat into said account. Bonus! So when I took Jaron in for his yearly visit with the pediatrician in May and he told me that Jaron had scoliosis and needed a back x-ray to confirm how severe it was, I didn't know how I was going to be able to work that one. Now I have a way, I will just have to wait until January to do it. It will all work out eventually, right?
My last post started with me applying for the nursing program...so let's start there, shall we? Long story short, I didn't get in. There were 276 applicants for 40 spots. Everyone was getting notified about program acceptance except for me, it seemed. I didn't hear anything for 10 days after the initial offers were sent out. 10 very long, hellish days. Everyone kept telling me that 'no news was good news' because it meant I was still in the running. Well, I was still in the running, but just not strong enough to finish. I finally got someone on the other end of the phone that I had been incessantly calling for the last week on a Wednesday morning, and by noon of the same day, I had a nice little lump of coal email waiting for me in my inbox..."Sorry, but you aren't the applicant we were looking for..." niiiiiiiiiiice. I sobbed in a most heart broken manner for about 4 hours. I really, really wanted this! Why couldn't this one thing just go my way for once? Huh? So, I allowed myself to mope and whine for the rest of the day. Self pity is good in small doses once in awhile. My sweet husband came home in the middle of my melodrama and gave me a good, long hug and said, "Sorry...I know how bad you wanted this..but what have you wanted longer? To get into nursing school, or for me to get a teaching job?" I answered to the latter...more on that development later...
So, I didn't get in, I moped for a few hours, and moved on. Then I got a call from the IHC nursing program, making sure I had been 'contacted'. Yeah...I got the contact..thanks a billion! But the sadist in me couldn't stop there, oh no, if you could, pretty pretty please, tell me why I didn't get in? She did...it was brutal. I was in the very final group and in the end, my employee evaluation scores were just not quite high enough. They offered to 40 students and 4 alternates...that's 44...and me....I was number 45. Sigh So, it's not meant to be right now, and I will just have to wait until Spring of 2015 until I start nursing school, because that is where I fall on SLCC's wait list. SLCC has changed their admission requirements as well, and I am one of the last on their wait list, as they are doing away with it. So I could possibly get in sooner under the new requirements, but if I get rejected there, I will still have that spot. So it will eventually happen, just not on the time frame I had hoped for.
So, Rob got a teaching job! So freaking awesome! He is a History and Social Studies teacher for a very small private school here in the Salt Lake Valley, and it all seemed very exciting until he got into it. He has been there for a month and they have already had to move locations. It wasn't the school's fault they had to move...the church basement they were in didn't meet fire code for schooling purposes, and the church congregation decided at the last minute that they didn't want a free remodel of their basement...weirdos...so the school had to find new digs. They have successfully done so, and are at a much nicer and closer location. Hopefully they can stay there for the long term. The kids are a rough bunch, and that is putting it nicely. Most have been kicked out of the traditional public school system, and some have served time. They are very learning challenged and the parental support is minimal at best. Rob's biggest frustration is the fact that these kids don't want to do any work, at all. The pay isn't all that stellar either, but it is pay and we are grateful for it! Well, there are issues with that too, but we have at least gotten ONE paycheck....
I finally took my kids to the dentist last month...I figured that since I was paying for benefits, that I should probably use them before the end of the year! Jaron and Quentin had clean oral bills of health, Brenna and Cade weren't so lucky. Brenna ended up with a cavity that was so severe, that one of her molars had been steadily falling out in chunks. I had known about this for months, but had been waiting for a little extra money, so I could take them in...because I knew that Brenna's situation was going to cost. It probably wouldn't have cost so much if I had just gotten her in sooner. As it turns out, when I took her back to take care of the bad tooth, they had to drill so deep, that some of her nerve was exposed. I suspect that when they did that, they also pushed some of the infection up into the nerve space and it turned into an abscess. Two weeks after this neato keen appointment, Brenna started complaining of horrible mouth pain and headache. I called the office back and they told me that it sounded like she needed a root canal....WHAT? Oh, and they didn't do those there and I would have to find a general dentist to do it. After much calling back and forth, they finally referred me to one..right down the hall from them. I took her in, sure enough, there was a large abscess and they had to open the tooth, drain the abscess, and pack the nerve root with antibiotics. This was only the start of the root canal. The soonest appointment they had to be able to finish the job, was February 1st. Yeah, they are kind of busy there. Then they will finish the job and then she will need a crown. This will all be to the tune of around $700. At least my insurance will cover 50% of it...but still! Yike! One other blessing is that the new dentist will allow us to make payments on the amount until it is paid off...so we can make that work. Rob has voiced concern that the original dentist had some responsibility in creating this very expensive mess and should be held responsible in some part. I really like this pediatric dental practice, but I really don't know how to broach this issue. 'Hey, uh, you kind of caused a huge mess in my daughter's mouth, and I shouldn't have to pay you for it..?' I don't think they will take too kindly to that. But if I never ask, I'll never know...so I need to figure it out. Any diplomatic suggestions?
I switched health plans this year during Open Enrollment from my $200 a month premium plan, that I couldn't afford to pay the co-pays on, to a no premium, high deductible plan with a Health Savings account attached to it. With my first payroll deduction of the amount of my choosing, Intermountain will deposit $750 right off the bat into said account. Bonus! So when I took Jaron in for his yearly visit with the pediatrician in May and he told me that Jaron had scoliosis and needed a back x-ray to confirm how severe it was, I didn't know how I was going to be able to work that one. Now I have a way, I will just have to wait until January to do it. It will all work out eventually, right?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Okay.....
Yup, slacking again. But with Facebook and all, it's kind of hard to remember to come back to this blog. So, here I am...blogging in the wee hours of early a.m.
Brenna, straight A's...is anyone surprised? She is taking Art this time around and I thought she would be happier about it but I guess she isn't so happy about the teacher, so that has taken any excitement about the class away. She excels at everything except the mile run. She LOATHES it and she is unable to get anything higher than an A- in P.E. because she can't seem to get her time under the required 10 minutes. We all have to have our challenges, eh? She came home just last week with her 8th grade schedule request. She has an option to take beginning guitar next year and ceramics and because she is so advanced in reading, she will test out of that and be able to take a foreign language. She has signed up for Spanish, Daddy is thrilled!
Jaron, he is very active in Scouts and will soon be moving on to Boy Scouts and campouts and such. He is excited! He is wrestling for Herriman High's Jr. League. He has started taking piano lessons and so far, he seems to love it and is really taking to it. He has really taken off in reading and will actually read for pleasure once in awhile.
Cade is also in wrestling and it seems to have really clicked with him. He really buckles down and focuses during his matches and channels his aggression appropriately and has won a couple of matches. He has bulked up a bit and is actually bigger than his older brother at this point. He is still a video game fanatic, and homework is still his nemesis. He will still come up to me and give me random hugs, almost as if to say'"You're still alright mom....you haven't screwed up too bad.." he's such a random kid, I never know what he will do next! He says the funniest and oddest things for a 9 year old. You can't stay mad at a kid like him...
Quentin is in preschool this year and absolutely loves it. It's almost like an episode of Cheers. Every morning when Quentin shows up on the classroom scene, 15 preschoolers chorus "Quentin!" He is immensely popular, apparently. He is a very cheerful and loving little guy for the most part, until you tell him he can't do something that he really wants to do, then he becomes this whiny little stinky monster and boy can he ever pull of the puppy dog eye pout!! He is also in wrestling with his brothers, but he hates practice. He likes to run around but doesn't like to do the drills or exercises, so practices are a chore. It's definitely an introduction to the sport at this point.
Haedyn is still a little thing and I am milking it for all it is worth! I can hardly believe she will be 2 next month! She has a mouth full of teeth and has started nipping family members on the shoulder or the legs..whatever she happens to be closest to when she is in the biting mood. Hopefully she doesn't expand her biting menu...She is obsessed with dogs and Blue's Clues is her favorite show at the moment. She is showing the potential for having quite the little temper when things aren't going as she thinks they should. She has mastered the ultimate crusty and will promptly tell you off in Haedynese if you are displeasing her in any way. She sleeps through the night and is still fairly easy to soothe. She is our only child that likes to tote around a stuffed animal or two or three...and the softer the better! She likes to rub them against her cheek when she is tired, it's pretty dang adorable! She is in nursery and is doing well and thus far goes in willingly.
I am back in school after thinking that I would have the semester off this time round...that's what I get for thinking! I had already been turned down for Pathophysiology before the end of last semester and then I get a call a week before Spring semester starts telling me that they have room and would I like to fill the spot? NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnYES....I don't when I will get such an opportunity again, so of course, I take it!! I am fortunate to have a buddy in the class, my friend and co worker, Laura. We are pretty much in the same stage of life and near to the same age. She is one of the most genuine, kind hearted, and hard working individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, so I count myself fortunate. The subject matter thus far is fascinating and horribly difficult all at once. I have scored an 88% on my first test, so I am cautiously optimistic that I might have a chance of doing okay in this class. I am on the Salt Lake Community College Nursing program wait list, and I just got my acceptance letter Saturday afternoon stating that I am slated to start in Fall of 2015....WOOT!! They say that my wait time is actually more like 2.5 years and that if I have a CNA licsense, then my wait time might be even less. Here's hoping.... I have also started dieting and exercising. I now consume a high protein high fiber low fat low carb diet and Rob got an Xbox Kinect, so that I can exercise without getting tripped up by controllers and wires and the like. I have been doing this for over a month and all I have noticed so far is that my clothes are only slightly looser, and I have an inordinate amount of rumble in the Bronx going on and so I feel like a bit of a balloon tire. I don't know about this. I keep hoping that my body will adjust at some point. Rob has been really supportive and encouraging...I think he's just plain pleased that I am making some sort of effort to lose my baby weight now that my babies are teens, tweens, and toddlers...it needs to come off, plus, I am tired of it- so it MUST go!
So anywho, that the most recent scoop from this neck of the woods...ta ta for now!
Brenna, straight A's...is anyone surprised? She is taking Art this time around and I thought she would be happier about it but I guess she isn't so happy about the teacher, so that has taken any excitement about the class away. She excels at everything except the mile run. She LOATHES it and she is unable to get anything higher than an A- in P.E. because she can't seem to get her time under the required 10 minutes. We all have to have our challenges, eh? She came home just last week with her 8th grade schedule request. She has an option to take beginning guitar next year and ceramics and because she is so advanced in reading, she will test out of that and be able to take a foreign language. She has signed up for Spanish, Daddy is thrilled!
Jaron, he is very active in Scouts and will soon be moving on to Boy Scouts and campouts and such. He is excited! He is wrestling for Herriman High's Jr. League. He has started taking piano lessons and so far, he seems to love it and is really taking to it. He has really taken off in reading and will actually read for pleasure once in awhile.
Cade is also in wrestling and it seems to have really clicked with him. He really buckles down and focuses during his matches and channels his aggression appropriately and has won a couple of matches. He has bulked up a bit and is actually bigger than his older brother at this point. He is still a video game fanatic, and homework is still his nemesis. He will still come up to me and give me random hugs, almost as if to say'"You're still alright mom....you haven't screwed up too bad.." he's such a random kid, I never know what he will do next! He says the funniest and oddest things for a 9 year old. You can't stay mad at a kid like him...
Quentin is in preschool this year and absolutely loves it. It's almost like an episode of Cheers. Every morning when Quentin shows up on the classroom scene, 15 preschoolers chorus "Quentin!" He is immensely popular, apparently. He is a very cheerful and loving little guy for the most part, until you tell him he can't do something that he really wants to do, then he becomes this whiny little stinky monster and boy can he ever pull of the puppy dog eye pout!! He is also in wrestling with his brothers, but he hates practice. He likes to run around but doesn't like to do the drills or exercises, so practices are a chore. It's definitely an introduction to the sport at this point.
Haedyn is still a little thing and I am milking it for all it is worth! I can hardly believe she will be 2 next month! She has a mouth full of teeth and has started nipping family members on the shoulder or the legs..whatever she happens to be closest to when she is in the biting mood. Hopefully she doesn't expand her biting menu...She is obsessed with dogs and Blue's Clues is her favorite show at the moment. She is showing the potential for having quite the little temper when things aren't going as she thinks they should. She has mastered the ultimate crusty and will promptly tell you off in Haedynese if you are displeasing her in any way. She sleeps through the night and is still fairly easy to soothe. She is our only child that likes to tote around a stuffed animal or two or three...and the softer the better! She likes to rub them against her cheek when she is tired, it's pretty dang adorable! She is in nursery and is doing well and thus far goes in willingly.
I am back in school after thinking that I would have the semester off this time round...that's what I get for thinking! I had already been turned down for Pathophysiology before the end of last semester and then I get a call a week before Spring semester starts telling me that they have room and would I like to fill the spot? NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnYES....I don't when I will get such an opportunity again, so of course, I take it!! I am fortunate to have a buddy in the class, my friend and co worker, Laura. We are pretty much in the same stage of life and near to the same age. She is one of the most genuine, kind hearted, and hard working individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, so I count myself fortunate. The subject matter thus far is fascinating and horribly difficult all at once. I have scored an 88% on my first test, so I am cautiously optimistic that I might have a chance of doing okay in this class. I am on the Salt Lake Community College Nursing program wait list, and I just got my acceptance letter Saturday afternoon stating that I am slated to start in Fall of 2015....WOOT!! They say that my wait time is actually more like 2.5 years and that if I have a CNA licsense, then my wait time might be even less. Here's hoping.... I have also started dieting and exercising. I now consume a high protein high fiber low fat low carb diet and Rob got an Xbox Kinect, so that I can exercise without getting tripped up by controllers and wires and the like. I have been doing this for over a month and all I have noticed so far is that my clothes are only slightly looser, and I have an inordinate amount of rumble in the Bronx going on and so I feel like a bit of a balloon tire. I don't know about this. I keep hoping that my body will adjust at some point. Rob has been really supportive and encouraging...I think he's just plain pleased that I am making some sort of effort to lose my baby weight now that my babies are teens, tweens, and toddlers...it needs to come off, plus, I am tired of it- so it MUST go!
So anywho, that the most recent scoop from this neck of the woods...ta ta for now!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
In A Holding Pattern...
Yup...it's the slacker back for an update! I finished Summer semester and did much, much better than I expected I would. An A in Chemistry and a B in Physiology!!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect I would do so well in a subject I loathe so intensely! Like they say, third times the charm! The key concepts finally sunk in at the right time, I dunno, but hey, it finally clicked, and I will take it!
So now I am retaking College Biology and am very happy with my teacher so far. Finally, a biology teacher that thinks that testing you on what she lectured about AND in the order she presented it, makes sense! I have much higher expectations from this class this go-round. The only downside at this point is the postponement of the nursing program I was hoping to get into. IHC has postponed their next possible enrollment until Fall of 2011 and they have released the next two cohorts from their 2 year contracts. Their are just no jobs available in our region for the new grads. My options are pretty slim right now for school. I can't really stomach the idea of paying for a degree through these private schools, and my grades aren't quite there for the university route. I have been told that my one C+ will exclude me from most, if not all, of those programs. The school I am currently attending has a nursing program, with a wait list...........of five years..........but is it my best option right now. I will probably get in within 2 to 3 years, and it won't be too bad. It will be time I get to spend with my family after all the time I've missed with them over the past couple of years stressing about getting 'done' with school.
Meanwhile...
I have a middle schooler! When did that happen? My oldest child has gone from little girl to young woman seemingly overnight! Brenna is greatly enjoying this new stage in her life and all the educational opportunities that she has to choose from. She chose Choir and Art this year for her electives. Her writing has been noticed by several teachers and she has signed up to accompany in Choir. She continues with piano lessons, somewhat grudgingly, but still moving ahead and progressing.
Jaron and Cade are doing well in school so far and both like their teachers. They are currently on their first off track period and are happy for the break. Jaron has started piano lessons and is very diligent about practicing. Cade is, well, Cade. He is rambunctious and cute and active and curious and hates to be made to do anything that wasn't his idea in the first place.
Quentin will be starting school next week Monday and he wakes up every morning asking if today is the day and if his school is open yet. We got him into a local pre school, and it is all he can talk about! On the information form there was a question that stated "What do you like most about your child?" I replied, "His sweet, sunny, and loving nature. He gives the best hugs!" I sure hope he has a great time in school!
Haedyn jabbers up a storm these days and runs everywhere. True, she occasionally trips over her own feet and face plants, but she is something to try and keep up with! She has sprouted 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom, and she knows how to use them! (Keep your fingers clear, folks!) She enters nursery next month, and Rob and I are pretty excited about it. We've been taking her in for trial runs, and she does pretty well. She may be one of the smallest in there, but she can definitely hold her own, or at least she hollers until the other kid backs off to save their hearing...Really, she is quite adorable, parental bias aside. I love it when she snuggles up to me and pats me on the back, that's one of her newer 'things'.
And for now....that's all folks!
So now I am retaking College Biology and am very happy with my teacher so far. Finally, a biology teacher that thinks that testing you on what she lectured about AND in the order she presented it, makes sense! I have much higher expectations from this class this go-round. The only downside at this point is the postponement of the nursing program I was hoping to get into. IHC has postponed their next possible enrollment until Fall of 2011 and they have released the next two cohorts from their 2 year contracts. Their are just no jobs available in our region for the new grads. My options are pretty slim right now for school. I can't really stomach the idea of paying for a degree through these private schools, and my grades aren't quite there for the university route. I have been told that my one C+ will exclude me from most, if not all, of those programs. The school I am currently attending has a nursing program, with a wait list...........of five years..........but is it my best option right now. I will probably get in within 2 to 3 years, and it won't be too bad. It will be time I get to spend with my family after all the time I've missed with them over the past couple of years stressing about getting 'done' with school.
Meanwhile...
I have a middle schooler! When did that happen? My oldest child has gone from little girl to young woman seemingly overnight! Brenna is greatly enjoying this new stage in her life and all the educational opportunities that she has to choose from. She chose Choir and Art this year for her electives. Her writing has been noticed by several teachers and she has signed up to accompany in Choir. She continues with piano lessons, somewhat grudgingly, but still moving ahead and progressing.
Jaron and Cade are doing well in school so far and both like their teachers. They are currently on their first off track period and are happy for the break. Jaron has started piano lessons and is very diligent about practicing. Cade is, well, Cade. He is rambunctious and cute and active and curious and hates to be made to do anything that wasn't his idea in the first place.
Quentin will be starting school next week Monday and he wakes up every morning asking if today is the day and if his school is open yet. We got him into a local pre school, and it is all he can talk about! On the information form there was a question that stated "What do you like most about your child?" I replied, "His sweet, sunny, and loving nature. He gives the best hugs!" I sure hope he has a great time in school!
Haedyn jabbers up a storm these days and runs everywhere. True, she occasionally trips over her own feet and face plants, but she is something to try and keep up with! She has sprouted 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom, and she knows how to use them! (Keep your fingers clear, folks!) She enters nursery next month, and Rob and I are pretty excited about it. We've been taking her in for trial runs, and she does pretty well. She may be one of the smallest in there, but she can definitely hold her own, or at least she hollers until the other kid backs off to save their hearing...Really, she is quite adorable, parental bias aside. I love it when she snuggles up to me and pats me on the back, that's one of her newer 'things'.
And for now....that's all folks!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
yup...I'm a slacker.....
I check everyone's blogs on a regular basis and have really enjoyed reading everyone's updates, but I have neglected my own blog here....so sad....
I started at Riverton Labor and Delivery about 6 weeks ago, and I still absolutely love it! I work with a great bunch of ladies and I am learning a ton. I have also gone and enrolled myself in school again. Here I was, thinking that I was almost done with all this undergrad garbage and had some sort of chance of getting into a nursing program - at least a waiting list or two - well, that's what I get for thinking....HA!
I made an appointment to speak with the the nursing program academic advisor, all jazzed because I was finally going to be able to get on the waiting list. He looked over all of my transcripts and gave me the most apologetic expression I have ever seen, and told me, "sorry, no". I was crushed...I started to bawl...he looked extremely uncomfortable, I didn't care. I was informed that to even get on the FIVE year (yes, YEAR) wait list, that I had to have all prerequisites done with a C+ or better. I had three classes that were at a C. Then I got told that my College Biology was the wrong type and that I would have to re-do that one as well..(bunch of money hungry grubbers...grrr), oh yeah....AND I got a C...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! So, I moped...I was ticked....and then I enrolled in Biology and Anatomy, both of which have their own separate labs. So....now I am in class Monday through Saturday and working 3 nights a week at the hospital...and I am still doing puppet shows..yup...pretty busy. Though, the shows are kind of dwindling due to the super duper economy, most places can't 'afford' me any longer...yet some of these places can afford nice, big brand new signs....uh-huh..I was breaking them alright!
Oh, and more on the school front...I will be taking Chemistry and Physiology this summer...I just want to be done with it. The adviser mentioned in above paragraph said that my load was an unreasonable one and that I ought to reconsider. I told him I was done waiting to be eligible and done jumping through their hoops and that those C's were earned with little to no effort on my part...so just imagine what might occur if I actually put some effort into the academic foray....could be interesting! OH, and one final burn in the academic dept.......I was also informed that the FCS 1500 (Human Growth and Development) that I took about 14 years ago was now acceptable - GREAT! Except.....I just retook it last semester because I was told that they wouldn't accept it because it wasn't named Psychology 1110, even though it was THE EXACT SAME STUPID COURSE!!!! Oh, but just kidding...we changed our minds at the beginning of last semester, and just forgot to inform you...so sorry! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I could have taken something else that might have actually gotten me closer to my goal....imagine that.....needless to say that I am more than just a little put out with the administration at this institution. Is anyone surprised?
Brenna is still her generally brilliant self. She continues to diligently practice piano, is an avid reader, participates in student council, and is currently trying out the drama scene by participating in her first play/musical with the South Jordan Community Theatre. She is a townsperson in Aladdin. She is almost as tall as I am and growing up entirely too fast. She will be twelve in June....where did all the time go?
Jaron and Cade are still plugging away at school and scouts and just being boys. Quentin is his usually jolly and entertaining self. And Haedyn is getting bigger, not by much, but definitely bigger. She has mastered crawling and is now trying to move on to standing, and she also loves to climb stairs! She may be little, but she is definitely busy!
So, that's all for now folks, and I might not post anything new until the end of the semester....just sayin'.....
I started at Riverton Labor and Delivery about 6 weeks ago, and I still absolutely love it! I work with a great bunch of ladies and I am learning a ton. I have also gone and enrolled myself in school again. Here I was, thinking that I was almost done with all this undergrad garbage and had some sort of chance of getting into a nursing program - at least a waiting list or two - well, that's what I get for thinking....HA!
I made an appointment to speak with the the nursing program academic advisor, all jazzed because I was finally going to be able to get on the waiting list. He looked over all of my transcripts and gave me the most apologetic expression I have ever seen, and told me, "sorry, no". I was crushed...I started to bawl...he looked extremely uncomfortable, I didn't care. I was informed that to even get on the FIVE year (yes, YEAR) wait list, that I had to have all prerequisites done with a C+ or better. I had three classes that were at a C. Then I got told that my College Biology was the wrong type and that I would have to re-do that one as well..(bunch of money hungry grubbers...grrr), oh yeah....AND I got a C...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! So, I moped...I was ticked....and then I enrolled in Biology and Anatomy, both of which have their own separate labs. So....now I am in class Monday through Saturday and working 3 nights a week at the hospital...and I am still doing puppet shows..yup...pretty busy. Though, the shows are kind of dwindling due to the super duper economy, most places can't 'afford' me any longer...yet some of these places can afford nice, big brand new signs....uh-huh..I was breaking them alright!
Oh, and more on the school front...I will be taking Chemistry and Physiology this summer...I just want to be done with it. The adviser mentioned in above paragraph said that my load was an unreasonable one and that I ought to reconsider. I told him I was done waiting to be eligible and done jumping through their hoops and that those C's were earned with little to no effort on my part...so just imagine what might occur if I actually put some effort into the academic foray....could be interesting! OH, and one final burn in the academic dept.......I was also informed that the FCS 1500 (Human Growth and Development) that I took about 14 years ago was now acceptable - GREAT! Except.....I just retook it last semester because I was told that they wouldn't accept it because it wasn't named Psychology 1110, even though it was THE EXACT SAME STUPID COURSE!!!! Oh, but just kidding...we changed our minds at the beginning of last semester, and just forgot to inform you...so sorry! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I could have taken something else that might have actually gotten me closer to my goal....imagine that.....needless to say that I am more than just a little put out with the administration at this institution. Is anyone surprised?
Brenna is still her generally brilliant self. She continues to diligently practice piano, is an avid reader, participates in student council, and is currently trying out the drama scene by participating in her first play/musical with the South Jordan Community Theatre. She is a townsperson in Aladdin. She is almost as tall as I am and growing up entirely too fast. She will be twelve in June....where did all the time go?
Jaron and Cade are still plugging away at school and scouts and just being boys. Quentin is his usually jolly and entertaining self. And Haedyn is getting bigger, not by much, but definitely bigger. She has mastered crawling and is now trying to move on to standing, and she also loves to climb stairs! She may be little, but she is definitely busy!
So, that's all for now folks, and I might not post anything new until the end of the semester....just sayin'.....
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Life Goes On.....and on......and on
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's been a couple of weeks, so I figure I better update! A few weeks ago, I received a couple of missed calls on my cell while I was at work. They were from Rob because the night had been particularly rough. Quentin kept waking up every hour crying and in pain because he could not breathe. His crying would wake up Haedyn, and she would start crying. Rob would get Quentin re-settled and then Haedyn, and then Quentin would wake up again, and the cycle would start all over - poor Rob. I finished my shift at the hospital, took a nap in the back of my van, went to perform a puppet show, and came home. I could hear Quentin before I saw him, he sounded horrible, and I knew he would require a trip to the doctor's office...ugh...I was so tired, I just wanted to go to bed! But I knew I would just get woken up by a sad and tired little boy, so I called the doctor, and they were able to get him right in. By the time I got him there, he was in pretty bad shape. They gave him a breathing treatment, but he didn't improve much. It was then decided that he needed an epinephrine nebulizer treatment. Normally, this would require a trip to the ER, but we were in luck, it could now be done in the doctor's office - it only required a 4 hour observation......WHAT? I had only gotten about 2 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours or so, and I was exhausted, but he wasn't improving, and I wanted to avoid a hospitalization, so I agreed. Poor little man slept through most of the treatment and was just an irritable little creature through most of our stay. I wasn't able to sleep either, as there was really no place to lay down in a pediatrician's exam room, so it was pretty miserable all the way around. Eventually we were able to go home, but the doctor really thought we were going to be back in the ER again that night because Quentin really wasn't showing much improvement after 5 and a half hours of treatment. I took him home and put him to bed and put the cool mist humidifier in his room on full blast, it wasn't long before he was sleeping comfortably. I went down to fix dinner and then Rob had to leave for class. The night didn't end there either...oh no...I had gone and signed up for a Zumba class for a relief society girl's night out. Glutton for punishment that I am, I went. It was a lot of fun even if I was beyond the point of exhaustion. I guess it was good that I was so tired, because I could see that I was the fattest woman in the room, but I didn't really care. I worked really hard during that class and I figured that I would not be able to move the next day. Amazingly enough, I wasn't the least bit sore the next morning!
I have been working a lot of hours lately as well. December is traditionally a slow month in the health care business. No one wants to be in a hospital during the holidays, and so I get cancelled a lot. So I have been putting in 40 hour weeks to hopefully lessen the blow when the shift famine starts. I actually got to put in a shift at the new Riverton hospital this last Wednesday, and I really enjoyed it. I was talking to the night nursing supervisor while I was there, he was someone that I knew from the 8th floor at Intermountain Medical Center, I told him about my dilemma with the Labor and Delivery floor there, and he suggested that I just show up on the floor in the next few days and reconnect with the nurse manager, and see if she will give me an answer. He then mentioned that if they didn't want me, that their unit could definitely use me. The charge nurse was also in on this conversation, and told me that she had already emailed her boss about hiring me out of the float pool. Just a side note, her boss used to be our Education Director in the float pool, and she knows me quite well. So, there might be an opportunity there - we'll see...
My adventure doesn't end there however, as I had to return to Riverton this morning with Haedyn. It seems that croup has visited us again. Haedyn wasn't in as bad of shape as Quentin had been, but I wasn't going to wait for it to get to that point. I had put the cool mist humidifier on her for the past two nights, and she was starting to get worse. When I got to the ER, I was the only one there and was immediately taken back. Treatment was started immediately with a cool mist nebulizer which was followed by a decadron syrup dose which we hid in apple juice. By the end of two hours time, she was hardly wheezing and had stopped coughing. The doctor warned me that she might get worse tonight and that we should bring her back if that did happen. I am working a 12 hour shift right now, and my phone has been quiet, so I think she is probably fine for now. At this point, I am just hoping to remain awake for the next hour or so, so that I can return home, crawl into my bed, and sleep for a few hours. There is a plan that includes my mother in law, sister in law, my daughter, and myself going to see New Moon later on today. I saw Twilight with Brenna when it first came out, and was really disappointed along with a lot of other book fans. I have been promised that this movie is a much better representation of the book....we shall see.....
I have been working a lot of hours lately as well. December is traditionally a slow month in the health care business. No one wants to be in a hospital during the holidays, and so I get cancelled a lot. So I have been putting in 40 hour weeks to hopefully lessen the blow when the shift famine starts. I actually got to put in a shift at the new Riverton hospital this last Wednesday, and I really enjoyed it. I was talking to the night nursing supervisor while I was there, he was someone that I knew from the 8th floor at Intermountain Medical Center, I told him about my dilemma with the Labor and Delivery floor there, and he suggested that I just show up on the floor in the next few days and reconnect with the nurse manager, and see if she will give me an answer. He then mentioned that if they didn't want me, that their unit could definitely use me. The charge nurse was also in on this conversation, and told me that she had already emailed her boss about hiring me out of the float pool. Just a side note, her boss used to be our Education Director in the float pool, and she knows me quite well. So, there might be an opportunity there - we'll see...
My adventure doesn't end there however, as I had to return to Riverton this morning with Haedyn. It seems that croup has visited us again. Haedyn wasn't in as bad of shape as Quentin had been, but I wasn't going to wait for it to get to that point. I had put the cool mist humidifier on her for the past two nights, and she was starting to get worse. When I got to the ER, I was the only one there and was immediately taken back. Treatment was started immediately with a cool mist nebulizer which was followed by a decadron syrup dose which we hid in apple juice. By the end of two hours time, she was hardly wheezing and had stopped coughing. The doctor warned me that she might get worse tonight and that we should bring her back if that did happen. I am working a 12 hour shift right now, and my phone has been quiet, so I think she is probably fine for now. At this point, I am just hoping to remain awake for the next hour or so, so that I can return home, crawl into my bed, and sleep for a few hours. There is a plan that includes my mother in law, sister in law, my daughter, and myself going to see New Moon later on today. I saw Twilight with Brenna when it first came out, and was really disappointed along with a lot of other book fans. I have been promised that this movie is a much better representation of the book....we shall see.....
Monday, November 9, 2009
Yep...I'm bragging...
I just finished with yet another round of parent-teacher conferences. The boys did okay. Jaron got told that he just needed to relax and not stress so much, that he was doing fine. He has made huge strides in his reading levels. Cade is his usual rambunctious self, he has a need to touch everything, it's harmless, but people outside of his everyday life just freak out. His classmates like to use it to set him off. They tattle on him everytime he starts checking something out and then he gets in trouble, and then he gets mad. He hates being singled out, always has. I think if everyone concerned would just quit freaking out over nothing, then he would be just fine. He has also greatly improved in his reading levels and mathematics just seems to come naturally to him, but he hates to write. He seems to be struggling a bit this year, but I am sure that once we straighten things out, things should get better for him.
Brenna, on the other hand, is a whole different story. This child has gone and gotten A's in just about every academic area, especially in language arts. She got B's in Math and Science. She says that since she has gotten her glasses, math has been a lot easier - since she can now see the numbers and problems up on the board! She went and entered into the yearly Reflections contest this year. She created 4 separate entries for this contest, one in 3-d art, one in photography, one in music composition, and one in general fine arts. She ended up placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and received a participation award. She basically placed for every entry, it was amazing! None of the projects have been returned to her, so we are guessing that they go on to the state level competition. She did every last project on her own, granted, she waited until the day before they were due for a couple of them (can you say stressed out mommy?) but she got them all done and turned in! During her parent teacher conference,her teacher showed me her results from last years state end of year tests....she beat the STATE'S top score by a clean 20 points, I was - once again - completely amazed! Yeah...I was proud too...just a little...
Brenna, on the other hand, is a whole different story. This child has gone and gotten A's in just about every academic area, especially in language arts. She got B's in Math and Science. She says that since she has gotten her glasses, math has been a lot easier - since she can now see the numbers and problems up on the board! She went and entered into the yearly Reflections contest this year. She created 4 separate entries for this contest, one in 3-d art, one in photography, one in music composition, and one in general fine arts. She ended up placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and received a participation award. She basically placed for every entry, it was amazing! None of the projects have been returned to her, so we are guessing that they go on to the state level competition. She did every last project on her own, granted, she waited until the day before they were due for a couple of them (can you say stressed out mommy?) but she got them all done and turned in! During her parent teacher conference,her teacher showed me her results from last years state end of year tests....she beat the STATE'S top score by a clean 20 points, I was - once again - completely amazed! Yeah...I was proud too...just a little...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Meeting the Prophet
We had a very spiritually fulfilling day today. My husband and I, along with our 3 oldest children, attended the final dedicatory session for the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was a beautiful service, wonderful talks, lovely music. The kids got really squirmy during the session..the boys did..Brenna managed quite well. We did the Hosanna shout, sang "The Spirit of God" and headed out to the van to return home after the closing prayer was said. Rob suggested we go up to the temple to see if we could catch the prophet as he left. I said sure...Cade just wanted to go home, but Brenna and Jaron were game, so we went.
Rob had worked security detail for a dedicatory session on Friday evening and had been within 5 feet of the prophet as he left for the evening, and so Rob directed us to about the same spot he had been standing that night. They had temporary barriers set up from the front of the temple out to the parking lot, so we knew we were in the right place. All of the sudden there were a lot of security folks milling around and a couple of them approached those of us standing behind the barriers to give us the 'protocol' to follow when dealing with the church brethren. We were not to approach them, they would approach us. They also told us that it would be at least 50 minutes before we could expect the prophet to exit the temple. We were more than willing to wait so that the kids could have this experience! It turns out that that is one of church security's stall tactics that they use to 'thin' crowds. They hope that people will be put off by the possibility of a long wait and that they in turn will leave. No one there 'bought' the wait time, and no one left. Shortly thereafter, we noticed two nice Mercedes sedans pull up to the edge of the sidewalk where we were standing, and the security level increased ever so slightly. Suddenly, I heard the faint strains of "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" coming from the group by the temple entrance. Rob looked to his right and spotted President Monson and President Eyring, he pointed them out to me and the kids, but we couldn't see anything just yet due to the crowd. Gradually they made their way down the sidewalk, greeting fellow members and shaking hands, until the procession stopped right in front of us. President Monson walked right up to my kids and shook each one of their hands, he shook my husbands' hand as well. I was a little too slow on the uptake, and missed out. I was just thrilled that my kids got to meet a prophet in person! As we were walking away, we passed by President Eyring's car as he was walking to it. He stopped, and approached my family and shook all of our hands and thanked us for coming. Brenna was quite impressed with all of it and decided that she was never going to wash her hands again...that lasted until she got home and played with her brothers' geckos..then I made her wash her hands. I told her she could write about it in her journal if she would like, but that a case of lizard caused salmonella poisoning was not an option if I could help it! Jaron was happy and excited about meeting the prophet, Cade...well...when that kid is done...he's done! He was happy to shake the prophet's hand, but it was immediately followed by, "Can we go now?" This kid pulls no punches...what a pill...before we even got out of the van, he wanted to go home! Seriously though, It was a wonderful moment, and I hope my kids remember it for the rest of their lives. I didn't get any pictures..didn't think to bring my camera and didn't have my phone with me..Oh well, this one will go in the heart vault....
Rob had worked security detail for a dedicatory session on Friday evening and had been within 5 feet of the prophet as he left for the evening, and so Rob directed us to about the same spot he had been standing that night. They had temporary barriers set up from the front of the temple out to the parking lot, so we knew we were in the right place. All of the sudden there were a lot of security folks milling around and a couple of them approached those of us standing behind the barriers to give us the 'protocol' to follow when dealing with the church brethren. We were not to approach them, they would approach us. They also told us that it would be at least 50 minutes before we could expect the prophet to exit the temple. We were more than willing to wait so that the kids could have this experience! It turns out that that is one of church security's stall tactics that they use to 'thin' crowds. They hope that people will be put off by the possibility of a long wait and that they in turn will leave. No one there 'bought' the wait time, and no one left. Shortly thereafter, we noticed two nice Mercedes sedans pull up to the edge of the sidewalk where we were standing, and the security level increased ever so slightly. Suddenly, I heard the faint strains of "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" coming from the group by the temple entrance. Rob looked to his right and spotted President Monson and President Eyring, he pointed them out to me and the kids, but we couldn't see anything just yet due to the crowd. Gradually they made their way down the sidewalk, greeting fellow members and shaking hands, until the procession stopped right in front of us. President Monson walked right up to my kids and shook each one of their hands, he shook my husbands' hand as well. I was a little too slow on the uptake, and missed out. I was just thrilled that my kids got to meet a prophet in person! As we were walking away, we passed by President Eyring's car as he was walking to it. He stopped, and approached my family and shook all of our hands and thanked us for coming. Brenna was quite impressed with all of it and decided that she was never going to wash her hands again...that lasted until she got home and played with her brothers' geckos..then I made her wash her hands. I told her she could write about it in her journal if she would like, but that a case of lizard caused salmonella poisoning was not an option if I could help it! Jaron was happy and excited about meeting the prophet, Cade...well...when that kid is done...he's done! He was happy to shake the prophet's hand, but it was immediately followed by, "Can we go now?" This kid pulls no punches...what a pill...before we even got out of the van, he wanted to go home! Seriously though, It was a wonderful moment, and I hope my kids remember it for the rest of their lives. I didn't get any pictures..didn't think to bring my camera and didn't have my phone with me..Oh well, this one will go in the heart vault....
Monday, June 15, 2009
General Updates...because it's been awhile....
I keep telling myself that I need to keep track of all the unique things my 3 year old says. Some of the stuff is just so dang funny. So I will list a few here, and update as new ones are heard/remembered.
'Quentinisms'
chawbwy/chubby - strawberry
gwinch - wrench
benenenenana - banana
pedder - computer
Iseewus - I'm serious
banks/binks - thanks
num nums - M&M's
Donals - McDonald's
McDonals - donuts
dacter - tractor
bishop - spaceship
sicky cup - sippy cup
mook - milk
bee - fly
twain/twuck - train/truck
Weeam - Liam
myfeewex - Felix
budderjewwy - peanut butter and jelly sandwich
chicken - any and all meat
pweese - please
muster - hamster
mymakween - Lightning McQueen car
As is typical of any three year old, most everything he says is prefaced with 'my'. He is generally delightful, as far as three year olds go, he entertains himself, and is happy most of the time as long as he is getting his way! When he is on the flip side of happy, he can often be heard saying "FINE!" with his chubby little arms folded across his chest and running off in a huff to go be in his room. If you bump into him, he will tell you to "Watch you going!" If you reprimand him, he breaks into loud sobs and wails of "I sawwy, I so sawwy!" It's really quite difficult to stay mad at the little fellow for very long, especially when he turns his big brown puppy dog eyes on you. He knows all his letters and most of his numbers, and I won't be too entirely surprised if he is reading in the next year, as he is starting to sound out the letters he so loves to play with.
Cade was baptized last weekend, and it was a very special occasion indeed. Family came from out of town for the event. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing, the Spirit was so strong! The love in the room was overpowering. His Aunt Shauna and myself sang "Beautiful Savior" while his sister Brenna accompanied. Uncle Jesse gave a wonderful talk on baptism, and one of his former primary teachers, Brother Radford, gave an awesome talk on the Holy Ghost that came with a little bag filled with physical reminders of the gift itself. One of the items that came in the bag was a little hand carved wooden heart. Cade walked around with that in his pocket for days. I have noticed that Cade has been trying really hard lately to be kinder and more loving, of course, he is also still the same rough and tumble, rambunctious boy we all know and love. But baptism seems to have really left an impression on him, and I appreciate the subtle change in him.
Jaron earned his Wolf badge in Scouts and has advanced to the Bear den. He really enjoys the scouting program and is looking forward to Scout Camp this year. He has really taken off with reading, and has discovered the Captain Underpants series. He has reached that fine old age where all humor bathroom related, armpit farts, and burps has become ever present. He loves to watch Cartoon Network on the computer, and hates doing his homework. When things don't go his way, you will hear his catchphrase of "Ugh!" ring throughout the house.
Brenna is progressing rapidly with her piano lessons. We got her a MIDI keyboard for her birthday. She doesn't quite appreciate exactly how cool it is, she wanted a digital piano. Brenna is also a voracious reader. She spends hours reading. We go to the library on a regular basis and she checks out a small mountain of books each time and she is generally done with them before the three week time limit is up. She had her 11th birthday on the 6th and invited a plethora of girls over for her party. We had 16 pre-teen girls in the house, it was just a small uproar for about 4 hours or so. They watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ate Chinese food, had their faces painted and generally had a pretty good time. So we officially have a 'tweenager'....more adventures ahead, I am sure.
Haedyn is slowly getting bigger. I have really been appreciating this time that I have had to enjoy her while she is so small. All my other babies just got so big so fast, it is nice that this one is taking her time. Although I am getting a little tired of all her newborn clothes and am wishing that she would just get a little bit bigger so that I can put her in all the cute 3 to 6 month stuff that I have. I took her in about 2 weeks ago for a weight check, and she weighed in at 8 lbs 6 ozs. The MA there said that by her 2 month visit, she should double her birth weight..which means she should be about 13 pounds by now, they would like to see her between 10 and 12 pounds. I have an appointment for her today to get her first set of vaccinations and to re-evaluate her growth. Right now, I am supplementing her with formula per doctor's orders. If she has gained enough weight, then I can cut back on the formula. I am glad she is such an easy going baby. She doesn't care how she gets her food, just as long as she gets it. She sleeps a lot and well, is easy to soothe, and doesn't cry too much. It doesn't hurt that she is also incredibly cute! She has started to interact with others by smiling and cooing, and she tries really hard to control her head so that she can see what is going on around her - but she is still really wobbly at this point. We had her baby blessing done the same weekend as Cades baptism. It was lovely. Rob blessed her that she would be a kind, happy, and healthy child, and that she would look to serve and help others throughout her life. He blessed her that she would listen to her parents, and follow the example of her siblings. She was also blessed that she would enter the Lord's House with a choice son of God to be married for time and all eternity and that she would be able to raise a family of her own. Haedyn didn't make a peep during the blessing, and waited to fuss after everything was done. We had everyone over at our place afterwards, there was a lot of good food and good company. It was a nice weekend overall.
I will probably add pictures at a later date/time. But if you absolutely must see pictures, there are some on Facebook..you can find me under the username momof5foxes............tatafornow!
'Quentinisms'
chawbwy/chubby - strawberry
gwinch - wrench
benenenenana - banana
pedder - computer
Iseewus - I'm serious
banks/binks - thanks
num nums - M&M's
Donals - McDonald's
McDonals - donuts
dacter - tractor
bishop - spaceship
sicky cup - sippy cup
mook - milk
bee - fly
twain/twuck - train/truck
Weeam - Liam
myfeewex - Felix
budderjewwy - peanut butter and jelly sandwich
chicken - any and all meat
pweese - please
muster - hamster
mymakween - Lightning McQueen car
As is typical of any three year old, most everything he says is prefaced with 'my'. He is generally delightful, as far as three year olds go, he entertains himself, and is happy most of the time as long as he is getting his way! When he is on the flip side of happy, he can often be heard saying "FINE!" with his chubby little arms folded across his chest and running off in a huff to go be in his room. If you bump into him, he will tell you to "Watch you going!" If you reprimand him, he breaks into loud sobs and wails of "I sawwy, I so sawwy!" It's really quite difficult to stay mad at the little fellow for very long, especially when he turns his big brown puppy dog eyes on you. He knows all his letters and most of his numbers, and I won't be too entirely surprised if he is reading in the next year, as he is starting to sound out the letters he so loves to play with.
Cade was baptized last weekend, and it was a very special occasion indeed. Family came from out of town for the event. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing, the Spirit was so strong! The love in the room was overpowering. His Aunt Shauna and myself sang "Beautiful Savior" while his sister Brenna accompanied. Uncle Jesse gave a wonderful talk on baptism, and one of his former primary teachers, Brother Radford, gave an awesome talk on the Holy Ghost that came with a little bag filled with physical reminders of the gift itself. One of the items that came in the bag was a little hand carved wooden heart. Cade walked around with that in his pocket for days. I have noticed that Cade has been trying really hard lately to be kinder and more loving, of course, he is also still the same rough and tumble, rambunctious boy we all know and love. But baptism seems to have really left an impression on him, and I appreciate the subtle change in him.
Jaron earned his Wolf badge in Scouts and has advanced to the Bear den. He really enjoys the scouting program and is looking forward to Scout Camp this year. He has really taken off with reading, and has discovered the Captain Underpants series. He has reached that fine old age where all humor bathroom related, armpit farts, and burps has become ever present. He loves to watch Cartoon Network on the computer, and hates doing his homework. When things don't go his way, you will hear his catchphrase of "Ugh!" ring throughout the house.
Brenna is progressing rapidly with her piano lessons. We got her a MIDI keyboard for her birthday. She doesn't quite appreciate exactly how cool it is, she wanted a digital piano. Brenna is also a voracious reader. She spends hours reading. We go to the library on a regular basis and she checks out a small mountain of books each time and she is generally done with them before the three week time limit is up. She had her 11th birthday on the 6th and invited a plethora of girls over for her party. We had 16 pre-teen girls in the house, it was just a small uproar for about 4 hours or so. They watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ate Chinese food, had their faces painted and generally had a pretty good time. So we officially have a 'tweenager'....more adventures ahead, I am sure.
Haedyn is slowly getting bigger. I have really been appreciating this time that I have had to enjoy her while she is so small. All my other babies just got so big so fast, it is nice that this one is taking her time. Although I am getting a little tired of all her newborn clothes and am wishing that she would just get a little bit bigger so that I can put her in all the cute 3 to 6 month stuff that I have. I took her in about 2 weeks ago for a weight check, and she weighed in at 8 lbs 6 ozs. The MA there said that by her 2 month visit, she should double her birth weight..which means she should be about 13 pounds by now, they would like to see her between 10 and 12 pounds. I have an appointment for her today to get her first set of vaccinations and to re-evaluate her growth. Right now, I am supplementing her with formula per doctor's orders. If she has gained enough weight, then I can cut back on the formula. I am glad she is such an easy going baby. She doesn't care how she gets her food, just as long as she gets it. She sleeps a lot and well, is easy to soothe, and doesn't cry too much. It doesn't hurt that she is also incredibly cute! She has started to interact with others by smiling and cooing, and she tries really hard to control her head so that she can see what is going on around her - but she is still really wobbly at this point. We had her baby blessing done the same weekend as Cades baptism. It was lovely. Rob blessed her that she would be a kind, happy, and healthy child, and that she would look to serve and help others throughout her life. He blessed her that she would listen to her parents, and follow the example of her siblings. She was also blessed that she would enter the Lord's House with a choice son of God to be married for time and all eternity and that she would be able to raise a family of her own. Haedyn didn't make a peep during the blessing, and waited to fuss after everything was done. We had everyone over at our place afterwards, there was a lot of good food and good company. It was a nice weekend overall.
I will probably add pictures at a later date/time. But if you absolutely must see pictures, there are some on Facebook..you can find me under the username momof5foxes............tatafornow!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas Happenings
This year I pulled out the video camera instead of the still, so I got absolutely no pics of Christmas. I don't know how to edit and post video, so y'all will just have to use your imaginations...
It doesn't matter how many times I tell myself that I am NOT going to wait until Christmas Eve to take care of all the Santa duties, inevitably, EVERY year - Rob and I spend most of the night wrapping everything that 'Santa' brought. This year wasn't so bad though, we were only up til' 12:30 a.m. We cleaned up and headed for bed around 1 a.m. At 2 a.m. we are awoken to shouts from Cade..."Santa came, everyone! Santa came!" Rob ran down to stop him before he started tearing in to everything, but it was too late - all three olders were up, thankfully, Quentin was still snoring and unaware even with all the racket that Cade was making. Rob sent everyone back to their respective beds and told them to go back to sleep. Yeah, right! Cade tossed and turned and he and Jaron whispered and giggled about what Santa might have brought them, oh, and Brenna was sitting bolt upright in her bed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as well....
Finally Rob relented and let them go down to choose one present to take back to their beds. That appeased them for all of two minutes, then we were once again listening to Cade's restless tumblings and the occasional sneaking down the stairs. He peeked...EVERYWHERE. There were things in the garage..he ran up and reported to his siblings, there was a note from Santa by the cookies..he reported that in the loudest stage whisper possible. He checked out the stockings and gave report as well. That was the last straw - Daddy told him that he was ruining Christmas for everyone, and that he had better get to sleep in a hurry or risk Santa coming back to reclaim all the presents. He finally settled down and I think everyone finally fell asleep around 4 a.m.
Rob and I woke up again around 7:30 a.m. and decided that we would let Quentin have first crack at the presents...this is where I started filming...he didn't care that Santa had come..he was just ultra-tweaked that he had been woken up! He cried and cried, layed on the stairs and cried some more. He finally got over his upset, however and made it downstairs the rest of the way. He was more than happy when he saw all the presents and kept looking at me, saying,"Christmas? Santa?" Then Rob handed him one of his presents.."Mine?" "Yes, yours", we said - and the melee began!
The older kids came down shortly after, and I do believe that all of Santa's handiwork was completely undone in about 15 minutes flat. Everyone was pleased with what they got and Christmas was declared a success, once again!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and has a wonderful New Year!
It doesn't matter how many times I tell myself that I am NOT going to wait until Christmas Eve to take care of all the Santa duties, inevitably, EVERY year - Rob and I spend most of the night wrapping everything that 'Santa' brought. This year wasn't so bad though, we were only up til' 12:30 a.m. We cleaned up and headed for bed around 1 a.m. At 2 a.m. we are awoken to shouts from Cade..."Santa came, everyone! Santa came!" Rob ran down to stop him before he started tearing in to everything, but it was too late - all three olders were up, thankfully, Quentin was still snoring and unaware even with all the racket that Cade was making. Rob sent everyone back to their respective beds and told them to go back to sleep. Yeah, right! Cade tossed and turned and he and Jaron whispered and giggled about what Santa might have brought them, oh, and Brenna was sitting bolt upright in her bed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as well....
Finally Rob relented and let them go down to choose one present to take back to their beds. That appeased them for all of two minutes, then we were once again listening to Cade's restless tumblings and the occasional sneaking down the stairs. He peeked...EVERYWHERE. There were things in the garage..he ran up and reported to his siblings, there was a note from Santa by the cookies..he reported that in the loudest stage whisper possible. He checked out the stockings and gave report as well. That was the last straw - Daddy told him that he was ruining Christmas for everyone, and that he had better get to sleep in a hurry or risk Santa coming back to reclaim all the presents. He finally settled down and I think everyone finally fell asleep around 4 a.m.
Rob and I woke up again around 7:30 a.m. and decided that we would let Quentin have first crack at the presents...this is where I started filming...he didn't care that Santa had come..he was just ultra-tweaked that he had been woken up! He cried and cried, layed on the stairs and cried some more. He finally got over his upset, however and made it downstairs the rest of the way. He was more than happy when he saw all the presents and kept looking at me, saying,"Christmas? Santa?" Then Rob handed him one of his presents.."Mine?" "Yes, yours", we said - and the melee began!
The older kids came down shortly after, and I do believe that all of Santa's handiwork was completely undone in about 15 minutes flat. Everyone was pleased with what they got and Christmas was declared a success, once again!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and has a wonderful New Year!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Most of you already know....
That I am pregnant with our fifth child. Fifth, and final. This is it, no more for me..no matter what the outcome. I used to have this thing about even numbers and that I didn't want a middle child, blah blah blah....and blah. Nope, five is just fine! We get to find out what the lil' stranger is come this Thursday...I, of course, am hoping for a girl, but am fairly certain that I will be adding yet another brother for my only daughter to enjoy. I will most happily be wrong, and she would be overjoyed to have a sister, and not another pesky little brother. Like I said, no matter the outcome, there will be no more!
I am still working for IHC, and still enjoying it for the most part. I have an opportunity coming up here in the next couple of weeks to cross-train over to maternity. I am very excited about this, as this is originally where I wanted to be. I might have had to go a round about way, but I am finally getting there!
I am still taking Chemistry and still wondering why. I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. I really want to get my nursing degree at some point, and this is required. But, ask any nurse if he/she EVER uses any of that miserable subject, and the answer is always a resounding 'NO!' followed by 'worst/hardest class I ever took' sigh....so I will continue to soldier through and hope that I pass, so that I can promptly do mass file delete in the cranial area as soon as I am done!
Halloween is around the corner, and the kiddos are excited! Brenna is a dressy devil, Jaron is a Whoopie Cushion, Cade is the grim reaper/scream guy, and Quentin is a train engineer. We had a test run on the costumes with our ward Halloween carnival, I took pictures, I guess I should post them...maybe I will, at some point.
My mother in law was here for almost two weeks and it was nice to see her again. Each one of the kids got their own 'day' with grandma and greatly enjoyed it. I even got to spend some time with her putting a little something special together for someone, which I enjoyed immensely! Of course, she helped out as well, which is always appreciated. I hope she had a quick and safe trip home, as I didn't get to say goodbye!
So, there, I have posted something for my public...is everyone happy now?
I am still working for IHC, and still enjoying it for the most part. I have an opportunity coming up here in the next couple of weeks to cross-train over to maternity. I am very excited about this, as this is originally where I wanted to be. I might have had to go a round about way, but I am finally getting there!
I am still taking Chemistry and still wondering why. I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. I really want to get my nursing degree at some point, and this is required. But, ask any nurse if he/she EVER uses any of that miserable subject, and the answer is always a resounding 'NO!' followed by 'worst/hardest class I ever took' sigh....so I will continue to soldier through and hope that I pass, so that I can promptly do mass file delete in the cranial area as soon as I am done!
Halloween is around the corner, and the kiddos are excited! Brenna is a dressy devil, Jaron is a Whoopie Cushion, Cade is the grim reaper/scream guy, and Quentin is a train engineer. We had a test run on the costumes with our ward Halloween carnival, I took pictures, I guess I should post them...maybe I will, at some point.
My mother in law was here for almost two weeks and it was nice to see her again. Each one of the kids got their own 'day' with grandma and greatly enjoyed it. I even got to spend some time with her putting a little something special together for someone, which I enjoyed immensely! Of course, she helped out as well, which is always appreciated. I hope she had a quick and safe trip home, as I didn't get to say goodbye!
So, there, I have posted something for my public...is everyone happy now?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Life's Been Busy....
Sorry I haven't posted anything in so long....but as this post title states, it's been a little nutso around here! My new job is going well, I didn't run across one 'evil step-mother' floor like I feared. Everyone was really nice and made sure that I had plenty of opportunities to reinforce old skills and learn plenty of new ones! I have decided that I will stick it out for my 3 months, and at the EARLIEST opportunity, I will ask to be cross trained into Maternity and then transfer into the Women's Float Pool from there. I have worked a variety of different floors already, and none of them have really grabbed my interest as somewhere I would want to stay. I really like the float pool and can't really see any reason as to why I would ever want to be on a fixed unit.
I have gone and enrolled myself at SLCC and signed up for a Chemistry lecture and lab, and I am now wondering if I really want to get into this. My lecture is online, which is cool, because I don't have to be anywhere at any fixed time, but I am already a week behind and have not yet been able to get the book...this will not bode well for me. My lab is Weds. evenings...that's tomorrow..so we will see if I have a snowball's chance of making this work!
I cannot believe how expensive community colleges have gotten! I thought that maybe things were up around $50 a unit...guess I live in the stone age...try $100 a unit! Here I was, blithely signing up for my Chemistry class, absolutely thrilled that there were openings...5 units..no big deal..I can make this work...until I looked at my account and saw the total *faint* $649.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least they were nice enough to break it down for me....$25 lab fee, $135.50 Student fees (since I'll just be the life of the campus activities..NOT!), and 499.00 for the classes.....DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG! I immediately turned around and filled out the FAFSA, with some hope that I will get some financial something before the end of the semester, so far the process seems to be moving faster than I was told it would, but I am not getting my hopes up too high in that department!
My kiddos have returned to school! Brenna is in 5th grade, Jaron in 3rd, and Cade in 2nd. They have been in one full week already. Brenna has been placed in Advanced Spelling and Math, and is running for Student Council. I don't know where she gets it from. I was fairly bright in the language arts and was a basically good student, never the top of the class, but somewhere in the upper ranks. I most definitely was not EVER interested in school politics...in fact, I would run as hard and fast as I could (and I don't run) away from those types of opportunities. As far as I know, Rob was never involved with student leadership either. Now, she did mention something about treats, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that is a strong motivating factor, but she does seem really interested and excited - so I will let her have at it. It will really look good on her record if she is chosen and I am sure it will be an awesome learning opportunity for her. Jaron is plugging along and seems to be doing really well so far. He reads like a champ and is able to do most of his homework independently...YAY! I am assuming that Cade is having the same success...I haven't gotten any notes home to tell me otherwise. He is in a class that has no assigned homework..which has been the bane of his existence...I see all sorts of COMPLETED worksheets arriving home daily in his backpack with almost everything correct. He still doesn't like to read or tie his shoes...doesn't mean he can't..he just won't. "I'm just a seven year old! I can't know that yet!" or my all time favorite when I tell him he needs to make better choices and control himself..."Mom, I told you! I'm trying, but my brain won't let me!" Sometimes...I wish I could just pop the top off and do some re-wiring......he is the one kid that just isn't affected by anything...my little behavioral mystery, that one.
Quentin has been stepping up the antics lately. I had just finished a puppet show when my phone rang. It was Rob on the other end. I have told far too many stories that have started in this fashion...so y'all know it can't be good! Sure enough, Mr. Q had decided to make himself some chocolate milk with the brand new bottle of chocolate syrup I had just bought. I came home to a smallish pond of chocolate on my table, and a near lake of the stuff on my kitchen floor. Thank goodness he stuck to the kitchen and also that Rob came upon him within minutes of him starting this. He is an awfully quick little fellow, and within just a couple of minutes time, he made the said pools on the floor AND covered his entire front side with the stuff. He had a cup and everything all ready (it was covered too), he knew what he was doing, he just lacked the particular fine muscle control to have it work for him. He even recognized that he made a HUGE mess, and attempted to clean it up with one of my good kitchen towels, all the while saying, "Uh oh, MESS!" This time I didn't take pictures of it, I have enough of those..thank you very much (or little?) Plus, I just wanted to go to bed, I had just finished an 11p to 7 a.m shift followed by a puppet show at 9 a.m. - I was in no mood for nostalgic documentation.
So...that has been my life of late...busy, busy, busy. And goodness knows it's only going to get worse (or better????(seriously, folks)????) But, that's another post for another bat-time on another bat-channel...TTFN!!!
I have gone and enrolled myself at SLCC and signed up for a Chemistry lecture and lab, and I am now wondering if I really want to get into this. My lecture is online, which is cool, because I don't have to be anywhere at any fixed time, but I am already a week behind and have not yet been able to get the book...this will not bode well for me. My lab is Weds. evenings...that's tomorrow..so we will see if I have a snowball's chance of making this work!
I cannot believe how expensive community colleges have gotten! I thought that maybe things were up around $50 a unit...guess I live in the stone age...try $100 a unit! Here I was, blithely signing up for my Chemistry class, absolutely thrilled that there were openings...5 units..no big deal..I can make this work...until I looked at my account and saw the total *faint* $649.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least they were nice enough to break it down for me....$25 lab fee, $135.50 Student fees (since I'll just be the life of the campus activities..NOT!), and 499.00 for the classes.....DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG! I immediately turned around and filled out the FAFSA, with some hope that I will get some financial something before the end of the semester, so far the process seems to be moving faster than I was told it would, but I am not getting my hopes up too high in that department!
My kiddos have returned to school! Brenna is in 5th grade, Jaron in 3rd, and Cade in 2nd. They have been in one full week already. Brenna has been placed in Advanced Spelling and Math, and is running for Student Council. I don't know where she gets it from. I was fairly bright in the language arts and was a basically good student, never the top of the class, but somewhere in the upper ranks. I most definitely was not EVER interested in school politics...in fact, I would run as hard and fast as I could (and I don't run) away from those types of opportunities. As far as I know, Rob was never involved with student leadership either. Now, she did mention something about treats, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that is a strong motivating factor, but she does seem really interested and excited - so I will let her have at it. It will really look good on her record if she is chosen and I am sure it will be an awesome learning opportunity for her. Jaron is plugging along and seems to be doing really well so far. He reads like a champ and is able to do most of his homework independently...YAY! I am assuming that Cade is having the same success...I haven't gotten any notes home to tell me otherwise. He is in a class that has no assigned homework..which has been the bane of his existence...I see all sorts of COMPLETED worksheets arriving home daily in his backpack with almost everything correct. He still doesn't like to read or tie his shoes...doesn't mean he can't..he just won't. "I'm just a seven year old! I can't know that yet!" or my all time favorite when I tell him he needs to make better choices and control himself..."Mom, I told you! I'm trying, but my brain won't let me!" Sometimes...I wish I could just pop the top off and do some re-wiring......he is the one kid that just isn't affected by anything...my little behavioral mystery, that one.
Quentin has been stepping up the antics lately. I had just finished a puppet show when my phone rang. It was Rob on the other end. I have told far too many stories that have started in this fashion...so y'all know it can't be good! Sure enough, Mr. Q had decided to make himself some chocolate milk with the brand new bottle of chocolate syrup I had just bought. I came home to a smallish pond of chocolate on my table, and a near lake of the stuff on my kitchen floor. Thank goodness he stuck to the kitchen and also that Rob came upon him within minutes of him starting this. He is an awfully quick little fellow, and within just a couple of minutes time, he made the said pools on the floor AND covered his entire front side with the stuff. He had a cup and everything all ready (it was covered too), he knew what he was doing, he just lacked the particular fine muscle control to have it work for him. He even recognized that he made a HUGE mess, and attempted to clean it up with one of my good kitchen towels, all the while saying, "Uh oh, MESS!" This time I didn't take pictures of it, I have enough of those..thank you very much (or little?) Plus, I just wanted to go to bed, I had just finished an 11p to 7 a.m shift followed by a puppet show at 9 a.m. - I was in no mood for nostalgic documentation.
So...that has been my life of late...busy, busy, busy. And goodness knows it's only going to get worse (or better????(seriously, folks)????) But, that's another post for another bat-time on another bat-channel...TTFN!!!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Back in the Saddle...
Well, I refuse to give up. I guess I owe my extreme stubborn streak to my wonderful Norwegian/Irish/Scottish heritage! I got my first CNA job at Placerville Pines out of sheer persistance, I sat in that nursing home lobby every day for almost a week until the staff director finally approached me and said,"You aren't going to go away, are you? You must really want to work here..." "No, I won't, and Yes, I do!", I replied. She said, "Okay..be here at 8 a.m. tomorrow." The rest is history...
IHC has rejected me twice now, but has also called me up for two more interviews. I completed one interview yesterday for an Acute Care Float Pool position. I got my hopes up really high the last time, so I am trying not to be too preoccupied by all of it this time. The interview went well, everyone was really nice just like last time, but I really connected with the two nurses who were making the decisions..so I have a small flicker of hope that that will keep me in the running.
I have another interview at Primary Children's on Tuesday for the Rapid Care Clinic in the ER there...we'll see how that goes.
I figure that if it worked once, it will work again. I will continue to apply for every available CNA position until they a) hire me to stop me from bombarding them with my applications, or b) block me from their site!
My boys come home later this morning, and our family will once again be complete and hopping with activity! Mostly sibling rivalry stuff...I think I might miss the quiet, but I will be glad to have everyone in one place!
IHC has rejected me twice now, but has also called me up for two more interviews. I completed one interview yesterday for an Acute Care Float Pool position. I got my hopes up really high the last time, so I am trying not to be too preoccupied by all of it this time. The interview went well, everyone was really nice just like last time, but I really connected with the two nurses who were making the decisions..so I have a small flicker of hope that that will keep me in the running.
I have another interview at Primary Children's on Tuesday for the Rapid Care Clinic in the ER there...we'll see how that goes.
I figure that if it worked once, it will work again. I will continue to apply for every available CNA position until they a) hire me to stop me from bombarding them with my applications, or b) block me from their site!
My boys come home later this morning, and our family will once again be complete and hopping with activity! Mostly sibling rivalry stuff...I think I might miss the quiet, but I will be glad to have everyone in one place!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Such a proud moment...
Mountain Top Wrestling Club
Last weekend we took the whole family down to Cedar City for the Utah Summer Games. We left early to take in the Manti Temple pageant and visit a friends cabin in Mt. Pleasant. The cabin was awesome, the temple pageant was decent, we were in good company, so it made for an enjoyable experience. We left our friends' cabin at 4:45 a.m. so that we could make it to Cedar City by 8 in the morning. We got outside the gated community only to discover we had a flat tire. Minor inconvenience, Rob and I got it changed in 20 minutes flat. We made it down to SUU where the games were being held, and then the van overheated, but at least we got to our destination first! Rob ran the boys in and got them registered and weighed in, I topped off the engine fluids and changed the baby.
Eventually, we all got to be in the same location. I was a little worried about the boys' ability to compete due to the fact that they hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, but they seemed fine. The first couple of matches the boys had were against one another. We were a bit frustrated by this, as we had not come all this way for the boys to do what they already do at practice. But not as many contestants showed up to the tournament this year, so it was only them and 1 other boy in their weight division, and that boy was in another weight class, so it was really only Jaron and Cade. Cade won all but one of his matches and ended up with a gold and a silver. Jaron lost one more than Cade and ended up with the silver and a bronze. He was not at all happy with that, Rob and I were immensely proud.
I must digress a bit and let you know that the tournament ran for two days and covered 3 different styles of wrestling: Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Folkstyle. So the boys had 3 different opportunities to medal, depending on how many boys were in their division for each style.
We finished with the first day of competition earlier than expected, due to the low turnout, and headed up to Beaver to our hotel. It was fifty miles away, but still the closest place we could find..Cedar City was booked out due to the games and the Shakespearean Festival. There was a pool and hot tub at the hotel, we enjoyed that immensely! We opted to go to bed rather early because we had to get up and out early again the next morning.
We got to the tourney on time and with no incident. The only problem I saw, was that there were A LOT more kids. Sure enough, there were two additional kids in the boys weight bracket, which meant that someone was going home without a medal. The boys did really well, they only had to wrestle each other once. Cade won his first match ever by pinning his opponent! This was the same kid he had lost to at the State Tourney. I tell ya', it was a thing of beauty! Rob was beaming, and I was so excited and happy for him, that I was almost in tears, the best part was, I got pictures of it!
Although Jaron didn't have any such victory, he did have some spectacular moves that I got pictures of as well.
check out that bridge!! That's a thing of beauty!This day ended with Cade getting another silver, and Jaron, a very disappointed Jaron, was the one who didn't place.
All in all, the trip was a very enjoyable one, and I am sure we will probably repeat it next year! At least next year the boys will be in different brackets and won't have to compete against each other!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner....SO NOT!!!
A few weeks back, in the merry month of May, a new Chick-Fil-A opened at The District here in South Jordan. It is the tradition of this particular restaurant chain to award the first 100 customers through the doors of the new store with a years worth of free combo meals. Rob had done this a couple years back at the Sandy location when they held some sort of anniversary bash, and we really like their food and it was FREE, for awhile anyway...
Back to the story....
This event was very well publicized, and we knew there would be a crowd, as hopeful first 100 participants could begin lining up 24 hours before the scheduled opening. The store opened at 6 a.m. on the morning of May the 22nd. I drove past on my way to a puppet show at 8:30 a.m. and there were already 3 to 4 good sized tents smack in the middle of the parking lot. As soon as I got home from my show at around noon, Rob headed out to stake out his spot. He called me after he got settled and told me just how serious this whole deal was. Once you showed up, you were required to unload your vehicle of everything you were going to need. They had an area roped off in the middle of the lot. Once you were registered and given a numbered wristband, you were restricted to that lot, and if you were caught crossing the line, you were kicked out. They were very strict with these rules, and would do random roll calls to make sure that no one left. I could not make it until much later in the afternoon, because I had another show, the kids were not yet out of school, and Brenna had piano lessons. The minute all that was done, I grabbed the kids and loaded in with all the gear I had loaded earlier in the day. It ended up that Rob was #10, and I was #30..oh, you had to be 18 or older to win the meal tickets, so our kids were just along for the ride.
It just so happened that the weather turned nasty for our little parking lot campout. It rained and was pretty cold for late May. They fed us well and had lots of fun activities for us. They had a DJ and decided to do a limbo contest for some free movie passes. I was a sucker and decided to participate. Now, for some unknown reason, my back was extremely sore. If I had at least, in some small way, used my brain-I would have listened to that red flag and just watched from the side. But no...I just had to try. I made it through the first round, and even made it under a second time. Upon attempting to stand up after passing under the bar, I lost my balance, and pitched face first towards the asphalt. My body, of course, did the best defensive maneuver it could think of and I threw my hands out in front of me to break my fall and save my face. I am a fairly stout (okay...FAT) woman, and I did not land lightly...oh no...all just under 200 pounds of me landed on my middle finger of my right hand. Yeah...it hurt...pretty darn bad! By the next morning it was really ugly and swollen and bruised. I got up at 6 a.m. and got my free chicken meal coupons and went home. My finger continued to bother me...for weeks. It felt like it was dislocated, so I would have Rob pull on it,(no gas jokes here) and I would pull on it trying to get it back into place. Believe me...that wasn't pleasant either! Finally my mother, who is a chiropractor, took a look at it and told me that I really should go to my doctor. I did just that................. 10 days later!!!!!
Dislocated? Sprained? Oh no...try BROKEN!!! They slapped a splint on me and told me I had to wear that for at least 2 to 3 weeks and that I couldn't do my puppet shows. I laughed at them and told them that wasn't a possibility. They told me to wear it as much as I could then and handed me an extra roll of stretch medical tape, and to come back in 2 weeks to see if it had healed.
So far I am doing well. It hurts more if I have the splint on, but I guess that's because it's holding my finger in the right position.
All this for free chicken? Was it worth it? You bet your tail feathers!! That's some dang good chicken....
And if you have a headache from reading all this rambling...I apologize...but I'll get you one of their lemonades if that will make you feel better!
Back to the story....
This event was very well publicized, and we knew there would be a crowd, as hopeful first 100 participants could begin lining up 24 hours before the scheduled opening. The store opened at 6 a.m. on the morning of May the 22nd. I drove past on my way to a puppet show at 8:30 a.m. and there were already 3 to 4 good sized tents smack in the middle of the parking lot. As soon as I got home from my show at around noon, Rob headed out to stake out his spot. He called me after he got settled and told me just how serious this whole deal was. Once you showed up, you were required to unload your vehicle of everything you were going to need. They had an area roped off in the middle of the lot. Once you were registered and given a numbered wristband, you were restricted to that lot, and if you were caught crossing the line, you were kicked out. They were very strict with these rules, and would do random roll calls to make sure that no one left. I could not make it until much later in the afternoon, because I had another show, the kids were not yet out of school, and Brenna had piano lessons. The minute all that was done, I grabbed the kids and loaded in with all the gear I had loaded earlier in the day. It ended up that Rob was #10, and I was #30..oh, you had to be 18 or older to win the meal tickets, so our kids were just along for the ride.
It just so happened that the weather turned nasty for our little parking lot campout. It rained and was pretty cold for late May. They fed us well and had lots of fun activities for us. They had a DJ and decided to do a limbo contest for some free movie passes. I was a sucker and decided to participate. Now, for some unknown reason, my back was extremely sore. If I had at least, in some small way, used my brain-I would have listened to that red flag and just watched from the side. But no...I just had to try. I made it through the first round, and even made it under a second time. Upon attempting to stand up after passing under the bar, I lost my balance, and pitched face first towards the asphalt. My body, of course, did the best defensive maneuver it could think of and I threw my hands out in front of me to break my fall and save my face. I am a fairly stout (okay...FAT) woman, and I did not land lightly...oh no...all just under 200 pounds of me landed on my middle finger of my right hand. Yeah...it hurt...pretty darn bad! By the next morning it was really ugly and swollen and bruised. I got up at 6 a.m. and got my free chicken meal coupons and went home. My finger continued to bother me...for weeks. It felt like it was dislocated, so I would have Rob pull on it,(no gas jokes here) and I would pull on it trying to get it back into place. Believe me...that wasn't pleasant either! Finally my mother, who is a chiropractor, took a look at it and told me that I really should go to my doctor. I did just that................. 10 days later!!!!!
Dislocated? Sprained? Oh no...try BROKEN!!! They slapped a splint on me and told me I had to wear that for at least 2 to 3 weeks and that I couldn't do my puppet shows. I laughed at them and told them that wasn't a possibility. They told me to wear it as much as I could then and handed me an extra roll of stretch medical tape, and to come back in 2 weeks to see if it had healed.
So far I am doing well. It hurts more if I have the splint on, but I guess that's because it's holding my finger in the right position.
All this for free chicken? Was it worth it? You bet your tail feathers!! That's some dang good chicken....
And if you have a headache from reading all this rambling...I apologize...but I'll get you one of their lemonades if that will make you feel better!
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Weight Off My Shoulders....
Well folks, you are viewing the blog of Utah's newest CNA!!! I PASSED! I PASSED!! I PASSED!!!!!!! You should have seen the jumping happy dance I was performing this afternoon in my kitchen...Cade's comment, "Wow Mom! You can jump? I didn't know you could jump!" I guess that is a sorry commentary on my activity level, when one of my children registers excitement over my feet leaving the ground, however momentary!
Also on the venue today was Brenna's birthday. She has achieved her very first decade in life! I am ooooooooooolllllllllllllllldddddd! It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I gazed into those big, dark newborn eyes of hers for the first time, and watched Rob proudly feed his firstborn Oreo cream. Sniff....sniff...where did all the time go? Her party today was certainly an event. I had 8 ten year olds in my house simultaneously, two of which were boys! We had a karaoke party, thanks to the assistance of Jesse and Shauna, and it was a screaming success (emphasis on the screaming)! Really, there were a fair amount of kids who could perform reasonably well and only a couple that you just had to pin a smile on your face and sit on your hands. Jaron really got a kick out of the system and put on quite the show pre and post-party!
Brenna got lots of lovely presents and all in all seemed to have a pretty awesome day!
The Wii Fit that Rob got me for my birthday has also been quite the hit in this house. I have been on it everyday, and I wince everytime I have to climb the stairs. Boy am I sore!!! I think this is seriously the most fun I have ever had exercising! I never seem to get on the thing at the same time every day, so my stats are wildly fluctuating, which the computer never ceases to point out. Maybe in a couple of months it will quit telling me what a weak and unbalanced body I have...one can hope, right?
Til' next time...
Also on the venue today was Brenna's birthday. She has achieved her very first decade in life! I am ooooooooooolllllllllllllllldddddd! It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I gazed into those big, dark newborn eyes of hers for the first time, and watched Rob proudly feed his firstborn Oreo cream. Sniff....sniff...where did all the time go? Her party today was certainly an event. I had 8 ten year olds in my house simultaneously, two of which were boys! We had a karaoke party, thanks to the assistance of Jesse and Shauna, and it was a screaming success (emphasis on the screaming)! Really, there were a fair amount of kids who could perform reasonably well and only a couple that you just had to pin a smile on your face and sit on your hands. Jaron really got a kick out of the system and put on quite the show pre and post-party!
Brenna got lots of lovely presents and all in all seemed to have a pretty awesome day!
The Wii Fit that Rob got me for my birthday has also been quite the hit in this house. I have been on it everyday, and I wince everytime I have to climb the stairs. Boy am I sore!!! I think this is seriously the most fun I have ever had exercising! I never seem to get on the thing at the same time every day, so my stats are wildly fluctuating, which the computer never ceases to point out. Maybe in a couple of months it will quit telling me what a weak and unbalanced body I have...one can hope, right?
Til' next time...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wow...It's bright.....
The Rob Fox family has finally come out of the dark ages of internet-dom and has obtained high speed internet!!! Until 1:30 p.m. MST we were on Juno's dial-up. Don't get me wrong, we knew about high-speed and all, we just couldn't swallow the astronomical charges.
About a month ago, Rob's laptop took one last feeble gasp and gave up the ghost, it was very sad and might have almost bordered on tragic if not for the wondrous talents of BIL Jesse Harris and his nifty flash drive. We were able to save all our photos, documents and such, but we now had nowhere to put them......so Rob went shopping. Generally in the relationship, the woman is the shopper...not so here! Unless it is a scrapbook store, I hate shopping! I have in mind what I want, I go in the store, get it, and get out! Not Rob, he loves to look for deals and he takes the time to research if it is a major purchase. Me, I'm just too impatient. So for us, it is more economically sound to let Rob do the purchasing. Back to Rob's laptop search......
Rob decided on a MacBook Pro and it was quite the steal, so it was ordered and arrived 2 days later. It is a very nice looking machine, if I do say so myself, and we had some enjoyable moments checking it out. Rob comments..."There is no phone jack..." "What?" I say, "How could that be?" It was at that moment that it hit me....dial up is obsolete! How did we get away with it for this long? Sigh....
A couple of weeks later Rob found another killer deal on a desktop and brought that home...once again, no phone jack...alas....what to do??
Bring on the sunglasses folks and welcome to the future!!!
About a month ago, Rob's laptop took one last feeble gasp and gave up the ghost, it was very sad and might have almost bordered on tragic if not for the wondrous talents of BIL Jesse Harris and his nifty flash drive. We were able to save all our photos, documents and such, but we now had nowhere to put them......so Rob went shopping. Generally in the relationship, the woman is the shopper...not so here! Unless it is a scrapbook store, I hate shopping! I have in mind what I want, I go in the store, get it, and get out! Not Rob, he loves to look for deals and he takes the time to research if it is a major purchase. Me, I'm just too impatient. So for us, it is more economically sound to let Rob do the purchasing. Back to Rob's laptop search......
Rob decided on a MacBook Pro and it was quite the steal, so it was ordered and arrived 2 days later. It is a very nice looking machine, if I do say so myself, and we had some enjoyable moments checking it out. Rob comments..."There is no phone jack..." "What?" I say, "How could that be?" It was at that moment that it hit me....dial up is obsolete! How did we get away with it for this long? Sigh....
A couple of weeks later Rob found another killer deal on a desktop and brought that home...once again, no phone jack...alas....what to do??
Bring on the sunglasses folks and welcome to the future!!!
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