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!

to be or not to be

In my earlier post I said something about "hope" in regards to nursing school being related to my life for the next two years. Does everybody go through the whole questioning what you're doing thing in regards to nursing school? To even be accepted into nursing school is a major achievement, and for many it comes after a lifetime of dreaming of being a nurse.



I don't quite think it's been a lifetime dream for me, but rather since I figured out I was worth it, and could do it....which came after getting out of the Air Force and realizing my dream. While on active duty, as a medic I worked closely with many great nurses, some not so great. I can remember thinking that I was never smart enough, or confident enough to be a nurse. Confidence is something I constantly try to achieve...daily. It comes easier with age.



So now that I've worked my butt off, to get where I'm at today, and I find myself questioning my choices, all too often. It doesn't help that I'm burned out on school...or that I would just love to be working-right now!!-bringing home the almighty paycheck.



Do I take the easy road and quit? Is it just me being lazy? Scared? What will I miss over the next two years? Baseball, games, the guys' social events, simply the chance to play a board game with them because I'm busy studying? This doesn't even take into consideration working after graduation. Many times new nurses are put on night shift...ugh. Although there are many advantages to nights, such as less bureaucracy, there's still the fact that nights are tough, especially if you're no longer a night owl. Or there are evening shifts..but that would ultimately mean missing those things I cherish.

So what will I regret more not accomplishing my dream, or missing out my kids' lives while they're still young? Or is there room for it all? Why do I second guess myself?

impending doom

That's what I'm/we are in for. This past week our class was notified about ATI testing. (For non-nursing people who might be reading, ATI is a prep program for NCLEX-National Council Licensure Examination-how a RN truly becomes a RN.) I had been previously warned, so was not as shocked as some...until they told us the price for this semester's portion. Yeah, how does $109 sound...especially if you weren't expecting it? Subsequent semesters the cost will be $89. As far as I can tell the only forewarning given was in the nursing student handbook. Now after reviewing it, it would be apparent that cost is involved...had you read it. How many people actually read the handbooks? I do, really. But didn't remember the section on ATI, but like I'd already said, I had been forewarned-by another source. So on top of all the other reading we've been doing, we're now going to have more reading.

In other news...we received our test results for both Nur100, and Nur105. You may have read a couple of posts ago about my 96% in Nur100. Can we say cloud 9? Unfortunately, that's not the case for Nur105. I received an 82%, and evidently that was one of the highest grades in the class! What does that say for the test? That score was raised from the original 77%, after the instructor threw out 2 questions. 82% is a "C" in my program, and a "D" is failing. Let's be clear, anything 79% and below is failing.

It seems like not much else is going on. Hark! That's not true! The guys are doing well. They're very tolerant of me an my quirks. Let's face it, for the next two years everything is going to be relative to nursing school. (I hope, but will address that hope later.) So this past week in lab we learned asepsis, and safety. We were able to bring our practice gowns, non-sterile gloves and masks home, as well as a set of sterile gloves and a dressing tray. Practice makes perfect right? So I decided it would be funny to see the reaction on the guys faces. I donned my PPE (personal protective equipment), and set forth. First victim was AW. He was sitting at the computer, with his back to me. I walked up to him and said, "Boo!" He startled and exclaimed, "What the heck are you wearing?" As not to ruin the fun for Big B and LB, I quickly went out to the great room, sauntered in like nothing was any odder than usual. Yeah, well if they didn't think it already (fat chance of that), they certainly think I'm crazy now! Minnie, our 1 yr old Lab, who is very timid with strangers was very scared. And I'm her person! Even hearing my familiar voice didn't bring her around to coming within 3 feet of me!