SWS- Nursing

I was totally made for this!!!


(play along with Cate at showmyface.com and put down YOUR Six Word Saturday post)

What the "deuce"?!

So, I'm bound by these crazy things called "ethics" and "FOIP" and junk like that, so I can't tell you all the totally cool things I'm doing in my clinical for school. Rest assured, I am loving it. Sure, we aren't technically DOING anything yet; I've seriously spent a month of school learning how to properly wash hands, and, just today, how to properly make a bed.

Washing hands seems soooo easy, but I honestly have a midterm exam on doing it properly! I know, right?! My poor 'bingers' (Mimi's word for fingers) are cracking and dry from the antiseptic hand soaps and junk, but I tell ya, they're clean enough to eat off of! ;P
har har

You know, you'd think I'd be all nonchalant about germs and junk when I'm so obviously clean from washing my hands so often, but it's getting super wierd how paranoid I am getting about everything. I sit at a desk and instantly wonder what nasty pathogenic cuplrits sat there before me. The whole idea of going to clinical and touching a freaking PEN scares the ship out of me! What is ON that pen!?!?!?! ew.

And making a bed?! DONT GET ME STARTED. Now I'm all grossed out that I probably haven't washed my sheets in a week or two (whatever, judgy Mc Judgersons, I've been a bit busy lately and the last thing I think of when I fall INTO that germy bed is NOT about the germs.).... besides, even if I DID clean the sheets... Will and I...well...you know.... do I honestly have to finish this sentence?! And don't even-- I know LOTS of couples that are like that. For reals, peeps, what is the dealio with the need to be dirty in a clean bed?! Good times.

Yep. I'm officially beyucked (new word. Patent) by what could possibly be residing on this keyboard. Or the lightswitches. Or...

OH.

EM.

GEE.

the toilets at the college.

It is a sad moment when I realize that I have to use it. I leave my house by 7am most mornings (earlier some others) and don't get back home until after 4:30 or so. I am NOT the "poop-once-a-day" girl. I am happy to report to ya'll that I am a proud pooper. Apparently, Paul Plakas thinks poopin' a few times a day is healthier anyways, so, Paul, this poop's for you. I can NOT wait until I am home. I know a few 'paranoid poopers' who seriously would rather injure themselves than use a public pooh-pot, but me? Nope. When there's a turtle, I let it hit the fan. (okay, so there's no fans in the bathroom.. and I am NOT the only public pooper at the college, so some days, there really SHOULD be a fan. Seriously. light a match.)

Only in the nursing program will you be studying for a test with your girlfriends and the topic of pooping will come up. I mean, defecation.

that us.

jealous, aren't cha?!

Yay and Boo - 2010 fall edition

Okay,
Nay. seriously, I have NO time to be here on the computer. But I hate not posting for so long! And really- there isn't much 'news' to put up anyways.

Nay AND Yay! I've been so occupied with readings and homework that blogging or all the good, fall TV shows are taking quite a backseat. I have too much to do like laundry and all that. Thankfully everything I'm reading is fascinating and exciting to me.

Yay. Thankfully, I am no longer a 'psuedo'mother to 5 adorable kittens. We managed to off all of them on unsuspecting poor fools who took them from us FOR FREE from the front of the grocery store. Nothing says "take my adorable kitten" like my three little monkeys at the doors, holding them. So yay for no more kittens.

Yay that I'll be taking the cat in this week to be 'fixed'. er.... broken... whatever. Potatoe potahto.

Yay that I handed in my first nursing paper. It was on people of a different culture, so Will to me out to the Hudderite colony where I interviewed a family on their health and cultural beliefs. After writing the paper, I got it back. The teacher gave me 100%!! And even asked to use my paper as an example for future classes! I am relieved that my being out of school for 12 years or so isn't totally kicking my trash. BIG YAY.

SUPER yay that I got out of that horrid English class I disliked so badly. And hopefully there's another Yay coming up in a day or two when I should find out about the Biology. Less work = more time with my family.

Nay. My home renos are stalled, currently. It's a work-able kitchen, with appliances and running water, so I'm doing fine with that right now. Since I'm not home all day, it's not really getting under my skin anyways. And Will has SOOOOO much work right now that I'm happy when he just comes home and chills with me.

Yay. I got a new calling for my church. I am the music director in the Relief Society (women's organization). Will is the secretary for the Elder's Quorum, so he has his hands full with that too. House renos will have to wait.

Yay. I have this gym class at school. They're making us do 21-days of change, where we have to change something about our health, journal it each day, and report on is after the 21 days are done. You guys know me-- I'm a juice junkie. Me and my Redbull have quit our love affair and my 21-days of change is about me drinking WATER and only WATER. Boo. I miss flavour and carbonation. But I know it's a really good change for me... even if it sounds ridiculous to most. You guys know I do NOT drink water. ew. I'm on day 9. .... it's going to be a LOOOONG 21 days!!!

Nay. When I went to get my readings done last night, my little Em came into my room to talk about boys and all that. A few hours later, Will and I were feeling copious amounts of anxiety and frustration and fear.. It is NO fun having a teenage daughter. She's such an amazing young woman, though, I just hope she figures that out about herself sooner than later. I remember being her-- EXACTLY like her, at that age, and my heart hurts just knowing what she's going through. Heartache sucks. Finding a personal testimony with so much opposition sucks. Giving into peer pressure sucks. Feeling like you're all alone sucks. As parents, Will and I are realizing more and more each day our role in developing our children's spirituality. As I heard in church yesterday, these children born to us already have a stronger testimony than we do-- it's just our job to help them unwrap it.

Forget school papers and assignments and all that-- dealing with the knowledge that I'm building a spirit is FAR more work than I'd imagined. And, lucky for me, I have a SUPER partner to do it with. Yay.

A New Love

I am SOOOO in love.

yah yah, of course I love Will. And the kids. And my progressing kitchen with the gas stove...

But, really, I am unequivically IN LOVE with school. I really can not express how happy I am to be learning things I've ALWAYS wanted to learn, trying things I used to pretend doing with REAL equiptment and not Fischer Price toys. I get super excited over my nursing courses, and am, somewhat surprisingly, enjoying the communcations and biology courses too. Perhaps, most surprisingly to those who know me best, the class I am liking the least is my English composition course. (which, I have taken before, but they STILL don't have my transcripts.) I'm an "english" girl, but this course--- BLAH BLAH BLAH. And honestly, when I have a patient/client with an issue, I highly doubt that my knowing how to write in APA format will come in handy.

I feel like a thirsty sponge-- LOVING the things the teachers are teaching, and wishing I could jump ahead a few years and just START. Let's all be grateful that I'm NOT, as I'm sure you'd like me to have a bit of further knowledge before I try being your nurse, hey?!

It has been a major adjustment in the house--
Will and I don't get a lot of 'us' time anymore. It feels like we have to physically SCHEDULE time to spend with each other, and I'm usually the one to blame. And really, how 'special' are...ahem..snuggles when they're planned EVERY. TIME?! With homework and a million books I need to read for class, by the time the kids get into bed at night and I get my work done, I'm absolutely exhausted physically and mentally and just ready to crawl into bed. My poor muffin is getting the raw end of the deal, with me not home to prepare meals every night and up and out the door before the kids are even up. He's left to do the early-morning seminary driving and the lunchbox duties, and, like this morning, he's in charge of finding winter coats and boots and gloves that match.

We got our first 'snowfall' today. Thankfully the roads weren't brutal, and the snow was polite enough to remain on the grass.

The drive is about 45 minutes, depending on weather and how many dumb trucks I'm stuck behind. I have been spending the drive there listening to scriptures, thereby doing my own "early morning seminary" like in the highschool years. On the way home, I'm mentally going back over the day's notes and lessons, singing Wicked songs in the process. Although I stress about getting home and fulfilling the other 'jobs' of taxi-cab mom, chef, maid and psychologist, Will and the children are usually very self-sufficient and have often made my job easier.

Although I feel like the old-lady in class (which, surprisingly, I am not even CLOSE to the oldest student in nursing), I am happily finding my grove and LOVING the courses.

Now, to figure out how to add more untired hours into my day to spend with Will. :)

An Update While I Ignore The Homework For a Second

School is two days in, now.

I still feel like a chicken with her head cut off, as I wander around the campus like the biggest "minor niner" with her map and the most confused look ever. I spent tuesday with Will running around buying books and registering. And then, a few hundred dollars later, I went home with absolutely NO idea what I was getting into. When the first day of school actually happened yesterday, I arrived in the class, realizing that everyone else in the course knew what to expect and where to go and who the professors were, etc. Not me.!!! Apparently, they all went to the orientation that I quite obviously did not attend! For good reason-- I hadn't gotten the call by then.

I have had to get paperwork and medical records and criminal record checks...all stuff that was due-- uh-- last week!!! YIPES.

Lucky for me, I went to talk to the lead nurse in charge of the program to ask her where this elusive 'package' was that everyone else had but me. When I told her my name, she nodded her head and said she knew where my package was. She returned with a manila envelope, addressed to me, and sat at her desk with a smile. Then, politely, she smiled and shook her head.

"YOU, Debbi, are SOOOOO LUCKY!!!!"

It was overwhelming at that point, because she was then the THIRD teacher to have said that to me during the day. I was PENCILED into the bottom of every class list. I was the "after thought". I was barely even there! I was in the program by the hair on my chinny chin chin.

One teacher had told the class that there were over 100 people in the program. Now, currently there are still around 109 people on the waitlist!! I BEAT 100 people for this spot?! WOW!

And another teacher said that for the first year, there is usually one (OR FEWER) spots that open up at all.

But when the head nurse said it, it really struck me. I knew I was lucky, but the sudden feeling overwhelmed me and although I felt it before, I am feeling INCREDIBLY blessed for this opportunity to be back in school, doing what I've only ever imagined doing. It all just came together in a mere 20-second phone call, but with Mimi getting into kindergarten early and the school magically finding me a seat, it seems like God opened a window.

I sat in my classes, sponging everything up. Like a child on Christmas morning, just uber excited and hardly able to contain a smile. Everything they said, I wanted to do. Everything they taught, I was ready to learn. I've done two of the courses before (English and Biology) so I may even be able to drop them once the college gets my transcripts. And if not, I already know the material and could use a bit of a 'bird course' to pull up my GPA.

I am overwhelmed to come home each night and be a mom and wife, but the kids are adjusting alright, and after a bit of a 'growth' period, we'll all figure out how to make the cranks turn smoothly. Will helps immensely. Dinner and homework and cleaning and scriptures and lullabies and prayers and then I crumple into bed to begin again the next day.

And I am so happy to do it!!!!!!!!!!

Not JUST for kids!

Yesterday, Will and I were talking on the cellphone about the past year of our marriage. I had slept in until 11 am, and he had called me from work to be my wake-up call so I didn't miss picking up Mimi from kindergarten. I felt guilty for being SO lazy while he was off working, but he simply understood that this week was crazy busy and I was understandably tired. We laughed and sighed, and realized the entire YEAR was crazy busy. I smiled, and replied, "Let's make this year a quiet, calmer year, mkay?"

The phone beside the bed rang. It was the 'big city' college. I told Will I'd call him back, and answered the phone.

You see, I applied to school for this year, but I was on the waitlist, and they told me that they'd let me know if a spot opened up before yesterday. So, seeing as it was now the day after the 'deadline', I knew why they were calling. We're sorry to inform you that you are not able to attend this year. Please reapply next year. And the year after that. And the next 4 years after that until you give up and get a job at Subway. Yah, yah, I know the drill.

The lady in charge of my file was on the other end of the line, and told me that "a spot had been made available."

?????

"Are you still interested?"

UM!!!! IS THE POPE CATHOLIC!?!?! Heck ya, I'm interested!! "Yes, absolutely!" I calmly replied.

So, she tells me that I have to go to the college AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to pay fees and pick up my registration stuff, buy my books and get my supplies, because, you see, SCHOOL STARTS TODAY!!!!

I hung up, and called Will back.
"So, ya know how I said we should have a quiet year?!"
He just chuckled, and said, "I guess it's not going to be so quiet, hey?!"


So, I am now a full-time student in the Practical Nursing program at the college! And you thought my blogging routine was bad this past year... just wait for THIS year!! It is going to be awesome. What amazing things lay ahead. I am starting a life-long goal (no word of a lie on that one, I've wanted to be a nurse since I could talk!) and I'm scared to death but even MORE excited.

I will miss picking up Mimi from kindergarten every day. I will miss being home when the kids are getting home from school. I will be the crock-pot queen. I will have an even MESSIER home, LESS laundry done. I will be stressed about assignments and grades. I will be spending an arm and a leg for gas to and from the 'big city' every single day. I will have to travel in snow and blizzards and days I want to just stay in bed. I will not be able to run during mornings while Mimi is in school.

But, I will be living my dream. I will be on the road to financially securing our family with a steady income, health benefits, and options for Will.

First time back in a school fulltime since High School.
What should I wear!!!!??? ;)