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!

Isn't She Lovely?

 

 

I can hardly believe I have a 12 year old child! Where did all the time go? Look how grown up she is! When her Dad saw these pictures, he sighed and shook his head. I thought he didn't like them and voiced my concern. He replied..."The pictures are fine, she's just too pretty..." Yes, she is quite a lovely specimen, isn't she?

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 Glad That Is Over....whatever....

So, I am finally done with this semester....PHEW!!! I took two very difficult classes, and guess what? I only have to repeat one! Yay me! The counselor who advised me that combining Biology with any class was a bad idea, was right. That class was entirely miserable, and so much harder than it really needed to be. I was in this class with some fairly young people, and they were struggling horribly as well. I scored D's on every single test I took. Such a horrible blow to my self confidence, I tell you. I have not EVER done so poorly in a class that I have put so much effort into. I was so frustrated by this course that I burst into tears in the middle of the final, I just knew I was going to fail. I had spent 3 days solid studying for this final, and very little of the covered material was anywhere to be found on that test paper. I was devastated and completely demoralized. My grade was posted by Friday, I got a C, 74.7%, to be exact. I contacted the instructor to see if there was any possible way that I could do some extra research or a paper or anything along those lines to bump me up another 2%, but alas, no, there was nothing to be done. So now instead of getting to apply for the nursing program in August, I will have to wait until December. So, what's another year, eh? I have a goal in sight and I guess I will just keep jumping through hoops until I reach the end. I just hope they don't change book editions between now and Fall semester. I have to have a C+ or better to even get on the waiting list, or to apply for any of the programs available. I managed to pull a C+ out of Anatomy, so I won't have to retake that one, but if I continue with the C's, I won't be able to get in anywhere because there are plenty of people with A's and B's that will get in over me with my bare minimum. So that is my academic life in a nutshell right now....in a holding pattern. I am signed up for Chemistry and Physiology for Summer semester, hopefully this semester goes better than my last...

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 can't believe it finally happened....

I was able to actually speak with the nursing supervisor of the Labor and Delivery unit for Riverton hospital last week Friday. She assured me that she had received all my messages, and that things had just really been crazy. She told me that she wanted me on her team, she just didn't have a place for me at the time. She told me to please keep checking in with her on a regular basis, and that I would be hired as soon as there was a place for me. So I figured the earliest there might be an opening would be this coming Spring, as that is when that unit tends to be the busiest. So, I was planning on a rather lengthy wait. After this conversation, I promptly emailed the nursing supervisor of the med/surg unit at Riverton to inquire about needs there. She sent me a reply the next day stating that she wouldn't be able to do any more hiring until possibly January, and that she would gladly snap me up when she got approval to hire...either way, I was going to end up at that hospital!

I continued to call in for my scheduled shifts, and my extra ones. On Tuesday night I started feeling funny, scratchy throat and burning lungs, no head congestion though...so i thought maybe it was some air pollution irritation...until the fever started and the coughing began. By Wednesday I was totally miserable, and I was scheduled for a 12 hour shift that night, which I worked - it was seriously the longest night of my life. I had a puppet show the next morning which I dragged myself to and through. By the time I got home I was a total wreck. I shoved something down my throat and dragged myself up to my bed. This was about 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon, I didn't wake up until 7a.m. Friday morning. I have never slept that long in my entire life, and I felt much better for it. I still feel kind of crappy, now it's in my head...headache, stuffy/runny nose....maybe that means it's on its way out....

Anyway...on with the story....I was getting ready to head out to a puppet show for my son's entire 4th grade, when my cell started to ring. I, of course, didn't reach it on time, so I immediately redialed the number and Nina Griffin from Human Resources answered. She asked me if I remembered applying for a position in Riverton's Labor and Delivery unit and I replied that I most definitely did, and then she asked me if I was still interested and I said, "Yes, of course!" And then she uttered some of the most beautiful words one can hear from any one in a position to hire..." We would like to extend and offer of employment to you..." I was just giddy with excitement, I couldn't believe it, FINALLY!!! So, my start date is December 27th, I am so excited - I can hardly wait!

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.....