Just keep swimming.......

November 13.....Ha! Who was I kidding? I actually thought that I might have time to update more frequently through out this semester. (I'm almost on the floor in laughter!!!) This has been the "just keep swimming" semester. In order to pass a nursing class you have to have a 75 average. I HAVE A 76.1!!!! woo hoo. It is quite humbling to go from straight A's and the President's List to being excited to have a 76.1 (can't forget the .1). I guess I just didn't anticipate the dry cleaner's losing my super woman cape. That has really thrown me off balance. However, my humor is still intact. That or I'm just so crazy at this point that I'm never sure if it is more appropriate to laugh or cry. Either way, I am passing. And as we have all learned to say in nursing school "A 'C' = RN". Think about that next time you're in the hospital. :)

My clinical experience this semester has been interesting. I've done things to people that just ain't right. I'm at Putnam County Medical Center which is a treat in and of itself. I've participated in three "codes" and trust me its not like ER/Grey's Anatomy......I was waiting for some hot doctor to come running in the room to save the day. It never happened. The cutest guy in the hospital is about 5'7" and we all know that is NOT going to work for me. I still haven't quite found the place where I fit in. I'm feeling the pull towards pediatrics and I'm not talking just sitting around in a pediatrician's office. Maybe pediatric ER or oncology....maybe even NICU....all of my instructors are pushing me to that direction. They all think I'm "great with kids" .....I don't know. I have two more semester before I have to choose an area to work in for Transitions.

Enough about me.....the kids are all tied up...I mean are doing great! School has been good to everybody, making good grades, except for poor Lyndsey. She can never do great in everything, she always has to have that once class that brings her down. This year it just happens to be science. Syd is in speech therapy (we all like to ask her "Syd, how was therapy today?" she doesn't think it is funny) we are working on her S's and Z's. Tyler's football team just won the conference championship last weekend. We play two more games for State and if we win those I believe we go to Nationals which is played in Orlando. I'll be mailing out letters for donations soon....(just kidding)! Paddy, well. He say's his entire name....ALL FOUR OF THEM....when he feels like it. If you count to four he will take over from 5 and continue to 10, if he feels like it. He loves his "Bubba". He wants to go to practice, watch the "dame" (game) and can't wait to meet him at the end of the game when the players are all huddled up. He is a very strong willed little boy. He challenges me every chance he gets. Part of me enjoys the entertainment and part of me wants to pinch his little head off. Praise God that with that strong will comes a very sweet disposition. One of my favorite memories of the past few months was me sitting in the living room floor lecturing Paddy because he peed in his pull up. As I'm lecturing him he just leans right into my face and kisses me. Like that was going to make it alllll better. The girls had to get up and leave the room because they know if they laugh at all the cute things he does when he is in trouble that they are going to be right there with him.

I'm going to add some new pictures and get this thing working again. Life is so crazy but it is too short to not share some of these sweet memories with everyone....and believe me, there are tons. Maybe next time around I'll share the post office story but for now I have to head to school. See if I can't bring that 76.1 up to a 78 with this test I'm taking today. In the words of my hero Dory....."just keep swimming, just keep swimming!"

August 20.........Well, summer is officially over! The kids have survived 3 - 8 hour days at home alone. The new daycare survived "Hurricane Paddy" and I survived my first semester of nursing school. I'm not sure how we all did it but we did! Tyler starts middle school Monday. We went to orientation yesterday and I was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of my baby finding his way around 6 different classes and fighting off all those "hot" cheerleaders he kept eyeballing. The girls remain safe in elementary school for a few more years......but not for long. I begin classes August 25th and we hit the ground running. I only have one class this semester (thank GOD!!!) but I do have clinicals 3 days a week. Those are going to be long days but hopefully focusing on one class vs two will make the semester not quite so difficult. I mean.....I am an experienced nursing student now. ;) I'm also hoping that the new semester will leave a little bit of extra time to post pictures and updates of how everyone is doing. There is going to be lots of excitement with Tyler's football season kicking in and the many activities the girls and I will have with school and I want to share it all. Paddy, of course, just comes along for the ride. He is a ball of excitement all his own. His vocabulary is just about as good as Sydney's. His motor skills are those of a 5 year old......I do believe he is going to be quite the athlete. He has no fear!! He will start in the shallow end of the pool and walk to the deep end until he can just barely keep his nose out of the water then he inches his way over to the side so he can hold on and continue his journey to the abyss. And don't you dare think of helping him......the phrase "no no momma...I do it" is used frequently while at the pool. So, look for more news to come....I'm sure it will all be fun and interesting!