Sunday Night Update

I think I'll follow my sister and try to at least update once a week. I'll get back to posts with pictures as soon as my computer and camera resolve their differences. It's probably the fact that I have almost 5 gigabytes of pictures on my computer. iPhoto runs a little slow these days...

Anyway, I took my first microbiology test last Tuesday. I thought it had gone really well, because I really like the professor and feel like I am learning a lot in her class. However, I was disappointed in my grade. At least it was a point above the class average, and 25 points above the lowest grade. I have my first lab practical in that class Tuesday, and I need to spend some serious time studying for it tomorrow. I'll have both kids home with me, and Darren has an evening meeting, so we'll see how that goes.

My pharmacology class still has not progressed. All we are doing in that class is reading some online content and taking quizzes. You can take the quizzes as many times as you want, but I still cannot get my grades to where I want them. I copy and paste the quizzes into a blank Word document, then try to look up the answers. I don't understand how I am getting some of the grades that I am, since I am able to prove most of the answers. I think it's time to get back to reading and outlining the textbook. We're supposed to have a test sometime soon, and I am dreading it. We're trying to talk the professor into having it be a take-home test. She's not very good at communication, and I will be happy to leave this class with a C. I thought about dropping it and taking it again this summer, but it's the same professor. I may as well muddle through it.

I finally bit the bullet and took my HESI test on Thursday. This test is computerized, and it is a measurement of reading comprehension and basic math skills. The scores from this test make up a third of the scoring for entrance to the nursing program. I was shocked when I did better on the math than reading, since I taught reading for so long. Now that the test is behind me, I am ready to apply for the nursing program. I just have to wait for my HESI scores to be added to my online profile, and I'll be ready to go. The deadline is March 2nd, and we will find out in April. I am applying for the program at four schools, and hopefully I'll get into the one here in The Woodlands. If I don't get in, I guess it's back to teaching for me.

Zachary lost two teeth this week, so the Tooth Fairy has been busy around here. She comes at a high price; $5 plus a pack of bubble gum. She'll be arriving at our house later this evening...

Cub Scouts is going fairly well. Zachary's den meetings have been lasting well past the hour they are scheduled for, and Zoe has gotten harder to watch in them, so I am becoming one of those mothers who drop their son off. I hate to do it, but Darren is now going in to work on Thursdays, so I can't leave Zoe with him. I am doing better at not taking on additional responsibilities within the pack, and am looking forward to giving up the committee chair position soon. I don't know when I get to do that; I'm thinking May. I just have to find someone to chair the spring camping trip, spring recruitment, and the end of the year party. Plus, there has to be a replacement for me. Let's hope that happens!

We spent a quiet Valentine's weekend at home. Since finances are extremely tight these days, there were no lavish gifts exchanged, nor was there a romantic dinner for two. Instead, we started the day with heart-shaped pancakes, exchanged cards and gifts (boxes of candy for the boys and me, a stuffed dog for Zoe), watched a movie in our jammies, then went and drove to Town Center. We walked around the waterway, visited the new fancy grocery store there, then went and bought dinner ingredients at our normal store. We came home and grilled steak and potatoes, ate a yummy chocolate dessert, put the kids to bed, watched a movie, and I fell asleep on the couch. Today, we did some laundry and went for a bike ride. I spent a few hours working on schoolwork, and am heading to bed soon.

This is going to be a pretty boring week. I am off work tomorrow and school Thursday, so I am only going to send Zoe to daycare on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are heading to Lafayette on Friday for the weekend, and I can't wait! We haven't been since Thanksgiving, and haven't seen my parents in over two months. We're going to see a couple of Mardi Gras parades and hopefully meet up with some friends. I think the cat is going with us, because I don't want to leave him and have something happen to him. I hope the weather is nice; it's been so strange around here lately.

Good night...

I'm An Original!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I can't think of a creative title right now. The fact that I am posting something at all is amazing, considering I don't have much to say. There's not much excitement in my life right now. I am working on managing everything that I have to do each week without getting too stressed, and that is enough for me.

School is going okay. I still don't like my pharmacology class, and I don't think anyone else in the class does either. I'd drop it and take it this summer, but the same professor is teaching it then. I guess I'll just muddle through the best I can. There aren't any clear expectations, the professor doesn't answer emails, and I think the $108 I spent on the textbook was for nothing, since we don't use it. On the other hand, I am really enjoying my microbiology class. The teacher is very interesting, and I don't feel like I have a lot to teach myself outside of class. We are doing all sorts of cool labs with bacteria, and I think it is kinda fun. I have my first test in that class Tuesday, and I hope I have the same attitude after that.

Work is going well, too. We've gotten into a groove, for the most part. Writing lesson plans is getting easier, and we are able to do more with the kids each week, it seems. I am trying not to let the discipline issues get to me, since I only have them for five hours twice a week, and I don't have to give them grades.

Zachary is doing OK in school right now. He continues to struggle with staying on task and completing work on time, but he is enjoying what they are doing in class. He lost one of the lenses out of his glasses last Sunday, and we are still waiting for the replacement to come in. His teacher commented that he is a different child without the glasses, so hopefully the lenses will arrive in the next couple of days. Zach is into reading, drawing, and playing on the computer right now. He is trying really hard to fit in with the "cool" kids at school, and I am not sure that is going well.

Zoe is still not walking at 16 months. She pulls up, cruises around on things, and gets into everything. She babbles constantly, and I think she talks a lot more than we realize, but it isn't recognizable. She sings along with the alphabet song, and plays on her pretend phone, saying, "Uh huh". She has a new grin that scrunches up her face and shows off her teeth, but I've been unsuccessful in capturing it on the camera. Zoe also loves being outside, and riding in the car. She is cutting molars right now, so we've had some rough nights lately. She's starting to get chubby, so I expect a growth spurt soon.

Darren has been working like crazy for the past couple of weeks. He has a million projects going on for work, and is also trying to get his personal website redone for South by Southwest Interactive in March. I won't be seeing too much of him in the next month; he'll be attached to his MacBook.

Chance seems to be doing okay. We've weaned him off most of his medication, and he is moving around well and eating. The vet thinks it may have been an infection in his lymph system; I sure hope so!

Roux caught a raccoon about ten days ago. That was an interesting evening! He was barking like crazy, so Zachary and I went outside to see what was going on. I saw movement up in a tree, but before I could get to the back of the yard, this big raccoon had climbed down from the tree, landed on the back fence, and Roux had jumped up and grabbed it. Before I knew it, the dog and raccoon were whirling around, both of them growling, with the raccoon attached to the dog's face. I yelled at Zachary to get inside, and we both ran for the house. I could just imagine that thing flying off the dog onto me! A few minutes later, we checked again, and the raccoon and Roux were circling each other in the yard. We enlisted some neighbors for help, because I had no idea what to do. I wanted to get the dog inside without injury to him or me, and without any interaction with the raccoon.

By the time we came home from the neighbors' the raccoon was on his back, breathing hard, and I could see its intestines. Roux was circling it, and I was able to get him inside. He survived with some scratches on his nose and a bite on the corner of his mouth. The raccoon did not fare as well, though. It tried to leave the yard, was unsuccessful, and was curled up next to the fence when Darren came home and tried to hit it with a shovel. The next morning, it was dead, so Darren scooped it up, double-bagged it, and put it out with the trash. I was never so thankful that I am not a man!

On to other things...I have to complete my HESI test for nursing school by the 23rd, and apply by March 2nd. We have a trip to Lafayette planned for the weekend of the 21st, our annual Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts the 28th, and Zach's school carnival March 7th. Besides that, it will be work, school, housework, and taking care of the kids for me. One day at a time...