Forty-six days

On December 5th I take my final exam for UMUC, for my B.S. in Psychology.

It's been a long time coming.

I am a military wife, an Air Force wife to be exact. My husband retired from the AF, this past August after 21 years and 21 days. As any military spouse will affirm, we make many sacrifices.

Up until recently I've followed my husband from Greece when we were newly engaged, to North Dakota, to the Virginia Peninsula, to Italy, and now back to VA-this time Northern VA, supporting him in his military career.

In 2001 we left the good ole U.S. of A. for a four year assignment to Italy. Prior to this I had been in a pre-nursing program, but had switched gears with the orders to go overseas. I started with UMUC soon after settling in to our new home. Not wanting to write any more papers than necessary, I opted not to go with a major in English, for one in Psychology. At this point I was leaning toward a career in education, and figured a psych degree would articulate toward education or if I changed my mind, again, nursing. There were no other suitable choices for me anyway.

Now that Big B's retired I am able to press on with my career aspirations. After working in the public school system for a couple of years, and always yearning for a career in nursing, I've come full circle and whilst starting that endeavor, am finishing up the B.S.

There are many times I have found that abbreviation fitting.

It is time, and you will hear me from afar as I shout for joy.

strategies for success, and some other schtuff

Nursing exams are hard. That's the bottom line, and I think anyone who has endured, or is enduring, nursing school would agree on some level. I recently found a wonderful resource to help with NCLEX-type questions...the type that frequent the school based nursing exams.

I'd thought about buying one of the many books available, but who has time to read another book, what with all the required reading? So when searching for a book, I came across the CD-Rom version of Professor Nightingale's Test Taking Strategies for Student Nurses. This link will take you to the website to place an order, or you can do the two week free trial. Had I found that prior to purchasing via Amazon, I would have gone that route. It was still worth the $13 spent!

change of subject...

Have I mentioned my girls? You know, normally when people are exclaiming "TGIF!" I am patiently waiting for "TGIM!" Thank God it's Monday. This is because my family, being all people with penises, tend to drive me crazy. By Monday morning I am ready for peace and quiet. Normally.


Oh sure, they look all sweet and innocent.

Have you ever been around Labrador Retrievers???

If so you know they do not have a temperament conducive to a study environment, that is unless they've played themselves into utter exhaustion!

As I'm trying to study...read...concentrate, I am having to referree wrestling matches, do some retrieving of my own taking socks, or shoes away from them, OR let them out 155 times a day. If that's not bad enough our fence is a farm style fence.

Not my fence, but you get the picture-no pun intended

Minnie (short for Minnie Pearl, Howdeee!), the lankier, skinnier of the two girls can wriggle herself in between the spaces of the criss-cross boards. She also jumps, but for some reason she likes to go through instead of over.

If that's not enough to loosen my last marble of sanity, they also like to run around the house at Nascar speeds. We have the perfect "track" for them to do this since out floor plan is open and has a square type flow around the staircase.

As so many of us "older" nursing students endure, I too have succumbed to the stress and strain of school vs. family life.

During class the other day someone brought up, during a non-educational discussion that their hair is falling out, alot, lately. I thought I was the only one! I thought it was maybe the fact that I need to be taking more vitamins...or something. It is indeed stress. It has to be. So what if I'm bald at graduation?

Impaired hair retention r/t stress~just a little nursing humor. Yeah, this fledgling nursing student has just learned about nursing diagnoses.

If you've followed my blog at all you know I've been at odds over my career choice, more specifically over the schooling aspect. When I found out my school is non-accredited I was thrown for a big, huge loop. Do I stay? Do I go?

Our program is being revamped due to inadequacies. I am an information seeker, and therefore the Internet is one of my bestest friends. In researching my school, trying to find graduation and NCLEX pass rates I came across this report.

Yep, you guessed it. My school is one of the one's with a less than 80% pass rate!

Great.

Um, maybe that's why we had such a big instructor turn over just before classes start this Fall? Ya think?

Needless to say I've been looking at other options. There is another community college ADN program, and there's also the option of going into an accelerated BSN program, for that matter there are accelereated MSN programs out there that bypass the BSN altogether. I think I'd, if I were to choose to transfer, would go for the BSN option. It would suit me better to go the more conservative, quicker route, considering I really don't know where I would want to practice advanced-wise.

Then you have to consider the huge difference in tuition costs, and along with that $$$ there is further travel involved just to get to classes. But wouldn't it be smarter to transfer? I am finishing up my B.S. this semester so I could do this.

I am becoming obsessive over this issue. I really do like my classmates, and there's a certain level of comfort there...along with less $$ being spent.

Is it as simple as the difference between a more expensive, higher quality pair of shoes vs. the cheap pair that don't serve you as well or as long?

I've heard conflicting stories. One friend has nursed in multiple states, after having graduated from a non-accredited school years ago, and it's never been an issue for her. Others say "Transfer!" emphatically.

I'm expending too much time and energy on this. The best action for the time being is to finish this semester out, and revisit these options during winter break. I wouldn't be able to apply for Spring admission anyway, because of a couple of prerequisites I lack.

Speaking of, I spoke with my advisor the other day and she wasn't able to give me an answer as to whether or not they would accept my previous A&P credits. I had to fill out a course substitution form, and am now awaiting approval from the powers that be. I'm hoping they'll at least accept the five credits, and just require me to take A&P II.

Before anymore hairs fall out I better do some deep breathing and get on with the task of writing out my method statement for my psych class/ticket out of UMUC.

Oh to be a dog. care free. footloose. fancy free.

Minnie loves to look out windows, and apparently finds the ottoman a bit comfy.

give me an A!

Nur100 Exam #2, the results are in and I'm happy to announce I received a 96%. Which is kind of weird, since that's exactly what I scored last time! No complaints though!

OK, so I'm exhausted. Time for a nap.

who's stopping by?

Really! I'd like to know! I've made some new friends via the blog world, and appreciate their comments. I also appreciate my old friends' comments. So if you would please just take a moment, and let me know you stopped by I'd appreciate that too!

All you need is either a Google or Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, or AIM ID. You can also click "anonymous" and just sign it in the post.

busy days ahead

ugh! double ugh! Momentarily I will be starting my day, post cup o' joe.

Our second test in Nur100 is today, after which we have Nur105 lecture. Because people have complained about the single, lonely, inept hour dedicated each week to our Nursing Skills lecture class our instructor has agreed to add an hour.

This is all well and good except for when she is also your advisor and has informed you that you need to speak to her after class today. I'd emailed her last week about my prior classes transferring-or not-and she said to see her after class on Tuesday, that being today.

So, I've been patiently waiting to hear my worst case, that they wont accept my A&P credits from long ago, or the credits for my how-to-be-a-college-student class I took at the university level for my B.S. How appropriate the abbreviation for that degree is!

What's one more hour when you've been waiting DAYS?

This is all not to mention the fact that for the next 72 hours I am going to be in school-induced, family-related hell. LB has a baseball game tonight...must attend, even at the expense of other priorities. I promised, well that may be a strong word, told, my online psych class, (you know the one I'm referring to? the one that provides my last ticket to graduation with the B.S.?) lab group that I would have my methodology for our lab done by tomorrow night.

That may have to be adjusted!

We have Nur105 lab all day tomorrow, as our group has every Wednesday.

It's sad, but true, I have to go to the cheerleading competition tomorrow night. Have to! It will probably be one of the only ones I go to in the next year and a half. It's the first for this year, districts, and is at our high school.

You're probably wondering about this daughter I must have, that I haven't mentioned before?

Yeah, daughter from another mother! I also like to think of her as my future daughter-in-law, although that probably isn't going to happen...

All this and I have to study for the Nur105 test that we have next Tuesday.

I don't know when I'll be able to blog again...will probably squeeze it in somewhere.

Must go shower, then suffer through another test...wish me luck!

hark! a wise decision

In the past my husband and I have been compulsive buyers. As we've aged the compulsiveness has slowed down.

Case in point, just this afternoon we made the wise choice to not buy a third car-yet. It's not necessary at this point. Our 15 year old has several months until he can legally drive on his own, so he is not in need of a car any time soon. I don't even think he really needs a car as soon as he turns 16 anyway. Not only do we add another car payment, but also the exhorbitant amount of money that we look forward (said with sarcasm) to paying for insuring a young male driver under the age of 25...way under the age of 25!

We should probably invest in this:


No really, he's actually done very well. My biggest complaint is his need to say "I know" whenever I try to tell him anything.

He is 15...

supposed to be studying...

...but am full of tension, so much so I could be plucked like a guitar string and emit a note at the highest decibel possible. If it weren't for melodrama how else could I complain?

So I blog.

This will be dedicated to my second born. AW in first grade, and 7th grade.











He, although he can frustrate me to no end, gives me such joy I can't help but talk about him.



As far as frustrations go he leaves his towel on his bedroom floor, would rather give off the not-so-sweet scent of BO than shower daily (he does shower daily for school), sleep amongst a floor strewn about with clothing, books, CDs, and well, guitar strings. He has his favorite clothing and would rather wear the apparel dirty, than choose something inferior to his treasured choices.

To look at him you'd see this gorgeous, blond haired, blue eyed dreamboat...in all black...with hair that pretty much hides the blue eyes.

All this and he is charming, so much so he doesn't go without the companionship of some pretty girl for too long. Don't fret for too long when one has broken up with him, because within a few short days he will be smiling to the name of a new lady love.

When messaging with the "ex" via Myspace, at her initiation, I'd said something about his eccentricities, more to the point about him being a little weird. His choice in music, and all black wardrobe may leave some a little weirded out. She replied that that was one thing she liked about him, that he's weird. This being said amidst some utterance of regret. Come to find out she'd only broken up with him because they hadn't talked very much.

That happens in middle school, with little chance for anything other than texting or IMing. That is of course unless you live close to one another and can see each other often, outside of school.

The new girl? A freshman in high school, and a varsity cheerleader! They've been friends since they met last year. AW, then in sixth grade, was friends with many of the eighth grade girls.

There's something about him.

He's artistic, smart, funny, kind, and anyone would be lucky to have him in there life!

He is very sweet.

Let's get back to the music. I have a newfound respect for my parents and what I put them through. I used to listen to some music that undoubtedly caused them to question my tastes. Ozzy, Metallica, Guns N Roses, AC/DC, etc. The tide has turned and there are times I think my eardrums may start bleeding...and we don't even have the music up very loud! Ever heard of Slipknot? Be afraid! Actually, aside from some of the content, the music isn't all that bad!

If you had told me years ago that someday I would have a child that would listen to the likes of Marilyn Manson I would have laughed in your face!

And I would be shameful, in the here and now!

He is very sweet, and has a slightly sinister side to him! "He" being my second born.

Disclaimer:

Since so many different people come across blogs, and read them I feel I must defend my parenting, and the content of this blog. My husband and I take part in our children's lives, and their choices. I believe parental control and involvement is the root of how we should monitor our children's choices. Some may disagree with our choice to let our son listen to the music he does. We take responsibility, and we teach responsibility and accountability. We also teach that music, television, movies, etc. are for entertainment purposes and should not be regarded as the way one should live their lives.

If you find any content on this blog offensive, by all means move on...
If you wish to pass judgment, please consider your own imperfections beforehand.

happy thoughts

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.
~Martha Washington


As I sit here at 4:17 a.m., which is so often a time I should never think, I was pondering happiness. I am basically a happy person. Sure, there are plenty of things I would like to change about my life, but even more that content me to no end.

So I thought I would Google "happy", and did so under the Images link. Here is the very first result:



Before the morose thoughts kick in, from stress and fatigue, I better head back to bed! Maybe a game of Freecell to make me sleepy first...and well, it makes me happy!

from my garden

Just a few random shots...

One of the dear hobbies I have, along with scrapbbooking, is gardening-mainly flowers for now. Unfortunately, there's not time for much else, after family and my studies!

a single Rudbeckia bloom


shot at dusk


grand ole flag and a petunia


jacob's ladder, salvia, and some others


basking in sunshine


late summer bloom with autumn colors


black eyed susie and achillea

first experiences as a student nurse

After class today I headed into town to volunteer at the Free Clinic. It was for only two hours, but it was a very well spent two hours. I can't say enough about how nice everyone was, and niceness goes a long way! I was let loose to check clients in, obtain weights, BP, T/P/R, and then stood by while the RN took the meds history. It doesn't seem like too much, but it was great anyway! It was awesome just doing the real thing! I only did two hours, because in November I am going to go along with the local high school's Health and Medical Occupations class field trip to go watch an open heart surgery. This is all to LB's dismay, since it's his class! Oh bother, mom's coming along. I tried telling him the reason I'm going has NOTHING to do with him! Ah, the egocentric 15 yr old male!

We have to do 6 hours of community service, and the field trip will give me the other four needed.

I'd like to give a shout out to everyone who reads my blog, especially those who comment and "follow" me! The support is sooo appreciated!

The rest of this week will be spent studying for Nur100-Intro to Nsng, Exam #2. Can we say bleck? Tomorrow a couple of classmates and I are getting together to strategize for our study group on Friday. The first time we did study group we just kind of bumbled along, and we'd like to have a little more organization from here on out.

Yeah, so there are rough patches, and some smooth ones too. Those of us who have been on the fence, so to speak, are also strategizing on moving forward with a positive, determined attitude. After all we didn't work our butts off to get where we're at to give up!