Finally done!

I honestly can't believe that I'm done with nursing school.  I dreamed about this day for quite awhile (and frequently cursed along the way) but I'm not sure I REALLY thought it would get here.

It's been an amazing ride.  One that I might actually miss a little tiny bit.  I've had my friends and family put up with me, support me, make me laugh, and let me cry.  Without them I know I wouldn't have been able to do this on my own.  I owe them a big huge thank you! 

ADN Pinning December 2013

Pinning was amazing, I admit I'm a sap (as if you didn't know that already).  I didn't really flat out cry but I did get teary eyed plenty of times.  Sitting there listening to speeches and looking around me at my classmates all dressed up and in graduation gowns was very important to me.  I think ceremony is an important part of beginning and ending things.  I don't know that I'll ever feel that way again, filled with joy, pride, excitement and trepidation for the future. 

I know I've said this before but I'll say it again: at 18 I never would have picked nursing as a career, now I can't imagine being anything else.  I know that this is my calling and it will never just be a job but be part of who I am and what I am. 

I've been so lucky to find this fairly early in life.  I never thought I'd be that person.  It is proof that things do fall into place if you are ready for them when they are ready for you.  Thank you to everyone, but especially my husband.  He never gave up on me, he always believed in me (even when I didn't believe in myself), and he has been my rock, my best friend and so much more.  Thank you for letting me use you as a guinea pig and teach you all kinds of gross diseases so that I could learn them too.  Thank you for everything.  Gabe doesn't realize it yet but he deserves a big thank you from me too, for putting up with an exhausted mom, and one who was maybe a little short sometimes, and didn't always feel like playing or reading one more story.  He's an awesome kid and I know that he's proud of me too.  He talked about my graduation the entire week beforehand, and even though the ceremony part was boring (he's almost 7 after all) I know he will understand someday.  I love you both so much. 

Self portrait

Gabe's self portrait. Kindergarten.

3-3-13

My mom scored a huge Playmobil box from a rummage sale. This is just the Circus. Gabe loves it!!

2-24-13

Gabe enjoying the car show

2-16-13

First 3D movie "Wreck It Ralph" last night.

2-5-13

Gabe was a PAWS student! Effort is a big thing for him so I am extra proud. We will be going to the assembly on Friday!

2-3-13

He's cute asleep. He had a sinus headache most of today but seems better now.

1-31-13

Gabe made these at school and brought them home.  I really love this kind of thing!

1-17-13

Reading on his own!

1-16-13

Boy home sick. He's watching Mythbusters.

1-15-13

Walked home "by himself" for the first time today. Really with 4 girls lol!

Gabe's 6th birthday

Today you turn 6.  I am amazed every year how old you are, how big you are and how much you've changed in one year.

This year I've been a bad blogger, picture taker, documenter.  I admit it, sorry kiddo.

You've started kindergarten, got your very own kitten Frieda and have grown and learned so much!  You still love Cars (KACHOW!), trucks, building things, legos and today you even put your new lego set together all by yourself by using the directions!  You can write and draw and spell, it amazes me how much you've learned in kindergarten already!!  You had a winter concert where you were on stage and sang your heart out! I'd been waiting for that part of being a mom and videoing that was so much fun. And while this year has had it's ups and downs you've handled them all and been a great kid through everything.

I love you so very much my little boy, I love that you're a big kid and funny and cute and still give me kisses.  Best Christmas Gift I've ever gotten was you.  Love you.

Kindy Xmas Party!

Gabe Kindergarten school starting

We are a couple weeks into kindergarten and it seems like Gabe is enjoying himself.  Of course getting information out of him is like getting information from a CIA agent, so it's hard to tell.

Now the fun part so I don't forget when he's older:

The school directly across the street from us (90 feet away) was full, which led to a fiasco of sending him to the other side of town, a ONE HOUR bus ride on the way home, etc.  After several emails with the principal and the superintendent of the schools we were told that we would be first on the list if there was an opening at our own school.  So Gabe started school across town at Kennedy Elementary School.  I received a phone call THAT DAY that there was an opening at Woodview.  Poor kid had two first days in a row, one at the "wrong" school and then the second day at the "correct" school.  He was a little confused to say the least, but at least he only had to do one day in the wrong place. 

He seems to like school so far, I haven't had any notes home about him being in trouble so he must be alright LOL!  Here's to hoping things continue to run smoothly!  I quite enjoy being able to see him on the playground during the day, and having him home only 5 min after school lets out. 

Safety Town

Gabe finished Safety Town on Friday and it was great.  I think we learned a lot, him and I both!  He's definitely working on learning his phone number much better now.  He's got his address down.  He learned lots of other things while there too.  I think the most important thing was really that we need to make sure we're working on some of the things I know Gabe needs to learn each and every day so we don't end up overwhelmed and frustrated (both of us). 

I think that it was a great learning experience for him and me.  He got great responses from the teachers about being a good kid and listening well, of course I hear that he's the ham too.  He does need to work on some paying attention skills which I know is the age and the fact that he's had very little structured learning.  I think as a whole he is ready for kindergarten in the fall.  I'm going to bet that we do end up doing some speech therapy but I think at this point I'm going to wait it out and just see how things go when he starts school.

Gabe is really enjoying the summer so far and he loves being outside and especially playing with Matthew and Sarah.  He will play in the pool in the yard all day if I let him, and he will be taking swimming classes next month.  I'm hoping that will help him to get his face in the water and not panic if someone splashes him.  

All in all things are good and we're having a fun summer.  I do wish that we had a car during the day to just bop around places but we'll make it through and soon I'll be back in school and suddenly so will he!

Funk

I really dislike the "new" blogger layout.  It's been that way for a bit now but it annoys me.

Anyhow that's not what this is about.  This is about the funk.  You know what I'm talking about, we've all been there.  You get into a funk, and sometimes for no discernible reason, and can't get out of it.  I'm pretty sure I'm in a funk because it's post party week.  I spent a lot of time planning and thinking about the party that I have post party depression. 

I'm attempting to drag myself out of it! 

To add to it I twisted my ankle and had to skip working out for two days, which is bad because then I don't want to go back to working out.  I know I gotta just DO IT! and then I'll feel better, or not but at least it will be done.  I'm frustrated with eating and working out, things just aren't moving for me right now.  I'm pretty sure I'm not tracking food as well as I need to be but I'm tired of it and it makes me annoyed and cranky (which feeds into the post party depression funk). 

Being off for the summer is a double edged sword.  I love not having to stress about school but I have no purpose when I'm off like this.  I make no money for the family, which stresses me out, and I have no goals like I do during school, which makes me feel productive. 

Gabe is busy doing Safety Town this week.  I think he likes it but it's hard to tell with him because he's a grumpy old man and doesn't like to talk about "school".  The teachers say he's a ham and a good kid so I figure he must be enjoying himself.

Currently we are number 4 on the waiting list for our preferred school.  It should have gone by address but this is a weird year and there are too many kids for this school (which is literally across from my house) and not as many in one of the other schools.  We're all in the same district.  I'm just crossing my fingers that things work out because I REALLY want/need him to be across the street from us.  It is one of the big things that sold us on this house.  So cross your fingers and toes, and even your eyes that before September 3 families with kindergarteners move OUT of our area of town. 

Next week Mike and I start our evening water aerobic class twice a week, and I'm really hoping that is fun.  It will be nice to have something to do together that is adult only too, even if it is a little corny.  I'm glad we're doing it together. 

Life in a nutshell

I'm halfway through my first semester of nursing classes.  I am stressed, overwhelmed, but I love it.  Really!  I love the information that is being crammed into my brain every day.  I love the stuff that I think is gross.  I especially love the people that I am meeting and becoming friends with. 

Of course today I'm home sick with a little boy who's running a temp and worrying that I am missing a clinical day but overall everyone has been doing well during my "absence".  Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on things and Gabe and Mike are being neglected.  I know its only a short amount of time, and half way through the semester, means only 8 more weeks until summer anyhow.  Oh how I love that count down!!  Then I realize how short of a time that it really takes and it will be over.  How fast time goes!!

Ten years ago (on Tuesday) Mike and I got married.  Then I was a boisterous, funny, skinnier ;), very young woman and at 19 that girl would have never considered being a nurse.  She would have balked at the work, thought it gross, dirty, lowly and not fun at all.  Mike and I got married and had no plans to have kids, heck we were lucky to keep our cat fed then.  Now of course Gabe is 5 years old, I'm in school full time, Mike is still/again at FIS (or whatever you want to call it).  We're living in a great house and doing okay no matter the ups and downs we've had.  This 29 year old woman feels light years older (in a good way) than that 19 year old girl and yet I still feel the same deep down.  I'm glad that we've come this far together and I can't wait for the road ahead for life, school and family. 

To those that have been on this ride from the beginning I'm so happy to have had you there through it all, to those just joining us HANG ON! I hope you stick around for the next chapter(s). 

I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached

I better write all this down RIGHT NOW while I'm thinking about it.

Today was my first day of core nursing classes (the ones that really count!).  It was also Gabe's first day of daycare!!  Turns out Mother Nature has a sense of humor and the wind chill was below zero when we left the house, oh so early, in the morning. 

We did get out the door only to forget Gabe's boots, which didn't matter because it was too cold to play outside at daycare but still bugged me.  We got Mike dropped off at work and headed to campus.  I got a good parking spot (benefit of being there at 7:30).  I hauled my backpack, laptop bag, Gabe, his snowsuit, and his backpack all inside the school. 

I dropped him off and he barely said bye to me!  He was the first one there so he went off and was busy playing right away with all the cool toys.

Then I skedaddled to my first class, Pharmacology, which was at 8am.  I get there and we sit around for awhile and at about 8:15 another instructor comes in and apologizes that we were supposed to get an email that there was no class today, that it starts NEXT Wed.  Grrr!!  So now I have 2 hours to kill on campus while I wait for my next class to start.  It was a long two hours.

The next class is Nursing Fundamentals, we get settled in, do the obligatory paperwork, and jump right in.  It was an alright intro and seems like it could be interesting.  It is basically a theory class about the profession of nursing (subtitled "How not to get sued" by me). 

I am done at noon and head over to the daycare to pick Gabe up.  When he sees me he immediately bursts in to tears because they were just starting lunch and I interrupted him LOL!!  There were three other kids there at that point, two girls and a boy.  They all waved and said hi.  I did finally get Gabe to calm down and we took his lunch to go. 

At home he tells me that it was a boring morning because he was by himself for most of it (I think the other kids came around 10).  He did enjoy playing in the muscle room, where they play when it is too cold outside.   He waffles between telling me he's glad he went and wanting to never go back again!

Monday we do it all over again, but only for the afternoon since there was a last minute schedule change by one of my instructors :/ So we'll be on campus together from 12:30-4 and then head right to pick up Mike. 

I have about 115 pages to read this week for Fundamentals, my online Psych class will probably start posting things tomorrow or Friday.  So I'm off and running! Although I won't really be running because my backpack weighs a ton and is already stuffed to the max!

Gabriel Micheal turns 5!

This is the first birthday that has made me teary.  He's a BIG kid now, not a baby, not a toddler. 

Because of Christmas craziness I didn't get this up and posted on his birthday but I want to make sure it's safe somewhere.  

He loves Cars the Movie stuff, Transformers, puzzles, drawing and he would eat cheese in a tortilla or on bread forever if I let him.  He loves to rough house with Mike.  He loves to play with trains on the floor and make up stories and carry around baby animals with names like "punkin" and "batty" (both are beanie baby bats) those bats only eat ham and candy (only if they are good of course!)

He is a funny and smart little boy.  He learns something new every day and he still wants to snuggle and give hugs and kisses to both Mike and me.  He's just an amazing kid.  He's as stubborn as the day is long, but he's also so sweet and still wants me to kiss boo-boos.

I just can not believe that he's five already.  I swear it feels like we just brought him home from the hospital.  I just can not believe he's so big, he's such a tall kid, and such a handsome kid.  I am really proud to call myself his mom.

He loves his new Leap Pad Explorer Tablet that he got for Christmas and Mike and I love seeing what he's taking pictures of and making videos of each day too!!

Done with the fall semester!

I made it through one more semester!  I am officially done with the fall 2011 semester.  A semester of intro psych (which sucked and I'll avoid that instructor like the plague) but I got a B-, Health psychology (which I love that instructor) and I got an A, Medical Terminology which was easy peasy and I got a 97% in LOL, also Modern Cinema which I'm still waiting for a final grade, I'm thinking B+ or A- depending on the paper grade.

The REALLY good news is that I have registered for all my core RN classes.  I am all set to take the really hard ones and the ones that really matter starting in the Spring 2012 semester.  I have all my classes at Mequon campus and New Castle as my first clinical location.  YAY!  Everything is close-ish to home!

I am still working out childcare for Gabe (EEK!!!!) but I'm hoping things are going to fall into place and we won't have to worry about it too much.  I will be at class/clinical 4 days a week and my Dad will watch Gabe on Weds so at least that day is taken care of. 

I am excited, nervous and terrified right now of the future 4 semesters but I also know this is what I want and I can do this.  It will be hard, there will be days (weeks) that suck but I can do this!! This is not a punishment, I want to do this.  I want to be a nurse! 

Christmas is around the corner which means so is Gabe's birthday.  Hopefully I'll have a few posts between now and then, and you'll see me in early January before I disappear again too.  I'm going to attempt to be better here even during the spring because I know I won't remember this journey if I don't write stuff down!

Where did the time go?

Gabe at the pumpkin patch.

It's late October already.  How did that even happen?  Where has the year gone?  I get so wrapped up in the day to day stuff that WOOOSH! it's over with and we're in October!

I love October though because Halloween is my favorite holiday!  I love the pumpkin picking and carving and the decorations.  I almost always have a costume for Trick or Treat so it's weird that this year I don't have anything, all my stuff is either way to big or doesn't fit because it's from high school (LOL). 

Gabe is going as a Dinosaur, possibly the last of the costumes my Grandma made for the grand kids when I was younger.  It's sort of a bitter sweet thing because I love those costumes and wish there were more reasons to wear them. 

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and picked pumpkins.  Gabe of course picked the heaviest one he could find.  Poor Mike had to carry Gabe's pumpkin and his own, I was lugging a pretty big one for myself too. 

This weekend we're headed out to Spring Green Wisconsin for a wedding for our friends Wally and Lannia and I can't wait for the getaway with Mike.  Gabe is staying home with my mom which he loves.  They always do something fun together! 

Then we'll be to the last weekend of October and Halloween and then I feel like the whirl wind starts for Thanksgiving, Christmas and smashing in Gabe's FIFTH(!!!!) birthday and the year will be over with.  How does that happen again?  Geez.  I need to remember that even when a day or a week goes slow the year(s) go so fast.