Tiffany's Gymnastics Meet

Tiff took first place on beam and bars, second on floor and vault, and a first place win all around. Here are her routines :-)

Fingerprinting

I am on the brink of ...something. Stress, finishing my first of two years of nursing school, big tests that determine my future school options, stress...these are some of the possibilities.

My nursing school program at MATC is only a LPN program. I will finish in May, take the NCLEX board exams, and be a Licensed Practical Nurse, if all goes well. Another possible explanation of LPN is "low paid nurses" :-) I have every intention of continuing on to become a RN (registered nurse).

I applied to Weber State University and was accepted to their online RN completion program. YEA!! The program is two semesters long, and will take me from LPN to RN by next April. The class work is all done online, and the clinical hours will be done once a week at a hospital...somewhere. It is perfect for my crazy schedule with the busy five, and I am SO happy! Of course, there is a contingency. I need to pass my current program...check, I hope. I currently have all A or A- grades, so it would take a serious disaster to make that a problem. I need to take microbiology and psychology this summer...check - I already signed up for them through independent study at BYU, and am just waiting to finish finals before I jump in and race through both classes (I hope I can do them both quickly so I can have a summer break!). Pass the ATI (a predictor test that is often taken before actually attempting the state board exams) with a 62 or higher. One shot. Three hour test. If I don't do well enough, Weber kicks me off the list for next fall. EEEK!!

Now, I have already been given the "no sweat, you'll do fine", from many loving and well meaning people (including my dear husband), and, in truth, I should be fine. But, ONE SHOT or I'm out! I will be taking the fun little test this Wednesday. First big hurdle to get over!

The other requirement to accept my acceptance for Weber was to get fingerprinting done on a card and mail it to the FBI for a background check. I had a two week deadline to get this done. So, I went to the police department in Pleasant Grove. The sweet lady that was doing my fingerprints worked for over 30 minutes, trying to get my fingerprints to scan correctly. They do a flat fingerprint and a rolled fingerprint of each finger. The flat have to match up with the rolled. Mine don't match. I have dry hands in spite of all the lotion (must be all that hand washing), and my fingerprints are very flat. The lady in PG advised that I go to the BCI (bureau of crime investigations) in Salt Lake, because they are the "experts", and could do a better job. My trip to BCI was worthwhile - four of my fingers matched this time. YEA! I did sleep with Vaseline, plastic baggies, and socks on my hands the night before, with the hope that my fingerprints would be more visible, but the fellow doing the job informed me that it would take four weeks of sleeping with Vaseline and plastic on my hands to make my fingerprints really clear, and I just don't have that much sleep to give up. Have you ever tried to sleep with crinkly plastic bags on your hands??

If the fingerprints don't clear with the FBI, my only other option may be to live a life of crime, leaving no matchable fingerprints behind. I'm still hoping for nursing school, personally!

Fun in Colorado and Wyoming

Nathan, Cameron, Jason, and Tiffany left me during spring break. They went to Colorado for orthodontist appointment, and then made a stop in Wyoming, "to shoot guns".

I made it into the program I was hoping to get into... which means one year from now, I'll have my R.N.

Ice Skating Outing

A few weeks ago we went ice skating. Every time we go the younger kids get braver and more confident. It is a great family outing!

I will not go to sleep until....

I am a list maker. I make a list. If I complete one or two things on the list, I make a NEW list, and then have the fun of crossing off all the things on the old list that aren't actually completed, but I have put them on the new list so they can be crossed off the old. JOY! This was my list last night...

I WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP UNTIL....

1 -Edit mini care plan 3
2 -Edit mini care plan 4
3 -Finish full size care plan
4 -BILLS - pay them
5 -Levothyroxine handout - finish
6 -Hip Dysplasia board - create it

So, I crossed off number 1 and 2, then did number 4 (that has been on a list for 6 days now - not really a good thing to put off, just so you know). I did half of number 3. Then, in spite of my strongly worded list, I just had to go to sleep. So, today I made a new list that included number 3, 5, & 6, and several other things to do, and enjoyed the momentary fun of crossing the old stuff off of the old list. And so my days go. I am not highly realistic, but I aim high, do what I can, and do lots of other things that I never write down (yesterday, for example; Clinical at the hospital from 5:45 am - 2:00 pm, drive Tiffany to gymnastics, pick up Jason from track, pick up Cameron from basketball, make dinner (oh wait, last night we ate cold cereal...oops), go pick up Tiffy from gymnastics, help Andrea finish her homework, clean up Derek's throw up (another migraine), and change the laundry. Those didn't make it on the list.). So what did you do yesterday?

If you want to read a new blog about my friends amazing journey in the past year after her husband told her that his "business" was actually a ponzi scheme, and the past 16 years had been full of lies and dishonesty, go here: http://www.andreamerriman.com/. It is an amazing story told by an amazing woman!

I am the Best Mom Ever!

My 8 year old has been coughing for a few days. You know, these things could go on forever, but it doesn't mean illness or germs. It could mean allergies, pollution, running around outside with out a coat....So he continued to go to school, of course. On Thursday he said his stomach sort of hurt. I told him to eat breakfast and he would be fine! Off he went to school. At about 1:30 pm he called from school and said he really didn't feel well, and he was getting a headache. Well, since he gets migraines, I took it seriously, and brought him home. He stayed in bed the rest of the day - rules of coming home early.

Friday began with the same "my stomach hurts and I don't feel well" story. I answered back with the same "eat breakfast and you will be fine" story. So, when I got the call at 12:30, and he said "Hi mom", I was ready. "You need to go back to class. You chose to go to school this morning, so just tough it out. You will be fine." With tears in his voice he said (after listening to my mini lecture), "But mom, I just threw up on the playground". "Oh....(pregnant pause, and time to completely reverse my attitude) Oh sweetheart, I will be right there. I am so sorry that happened." I'm especially sure that all the children that got to not only see the throw up at recess but shared in his germs all day were glad he came. I win the gold medal for momness.

Gymnastics Meet

Tiffany competed in a gymnastics meet yesterday. She took first place on floor and third all around. Here is her floor routine :-)