CHRISTMAS WISHES

We'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here are a few pictures of Andrew that I think are adorable.

Drew with our inflatable Frosty the Snowman (so cute)

My HANDSOME boy, all grown up! :(

Our 1st BIG snow on Saturday. We got a foot. It snowed all day and night. We got out White Christmas!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW

My baby turned 6 on December 12th. He celebrated several time. Once with dad and Sue on the 12th, with us on the 13th, and then with all of us together for a wonderful dinner at a local steakhouse on the 17th. He loved having his mom and dad together with all his family. His grandma Robin was there too , as was Ruthi, Sean and Lily.  Rex was kind enough to treat us all to dinner.

Here is Drew's cake at my house (Cars)

Here are all the kids (see Tanner laying on table)

My birthday boy (i love you A-dog)

Licking Frosting off his cars

Ready to open presents!

Christmas 2009

Here is the Rockefeller Tree this year. It is a 76 ft tree from Connecticut. It is so pretty. Hoping to make it in this year to see it in person. It has been so cold and wet. We've had two snow storms in a week already.

Things To Be Thankful For

I finished my first week of work and it was very successful. I so enjoy what I do and I work for a wonderful family. I couldn't be happier right now. I was just asked today if I'd like to have my hours extended (more pay) so I jumped at that opportunity. It is full time now, MWF 10-5, T Th 8-5. This couldn't have come at a better time. I am excited mostly because the hours don't interfere with my time with my boys in the evening. I am home by 6:00 for dinner and all my other motherly duties; no weekends, no holidays. What more could a single mom ask for?

Thanksgiving was nice this year. We cooked everything under the sun and boy did the house smell good while doing so. The turkey and trimmings were delicious, as was the dutch apple and pumpkin pies. Ruthi and the kids were here so we had a full house which was fun. Sean and Brady made a fun family activity "Family Jeopardy" on the computer. Tanner and I were neck and neck....then he beat me in final Jeopardy.
I am so thankful for my 3 wonderful boys. They are truly the greatest blessing in my life. I love each of them for different reasons. They are all smart, healthy and amaze me everyday by how hard they work to be responsible boys. Tanner is amazing at sports. I look at him sometimes (6'4") and I cannot believe he is my boy. He is absolutely gorgeous and so outgoing. He just finished football (varsity) and started wrestling yesterday. He got straight A's, even with his 3 honors classes; Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, and World History, all while doing sports 5 days/week and weekends.
Brady is the laughter in my life. He is truly a joy to be around. He is always happy and giving. He is my helper. His sense of humor is wonderful and he makes me laugh, a true gift in my life. He got straight A's and has begun after school rehearsals for the school play again this year. He recently got a keyboard from his dad and Sue and has been getting lessons from his friend. He can play several songs now and we have fun playing together. I played a few Christmas songs last night and I was amazed that I could still play. That was exciting.
Andrew is my sweet baby boy. His hugs and kisses melt my heart and make me thankful daily for having him in my life. He has discovered video games (Nintendo DS) and plays all day when he can. He is smart, bright and loves life. He is doing wonderful in kindergarten and loves his teachers (Mrs. Kari & Ms. Ruthi). He is a friend to all and very well behaved and respectful. He turns 6 in a few weeks and while it is exciting it is also very sad for me. My last baby.....
I am truly blessed in life. I have family, extended family, and people I love who love me in return. I am surrounded by love and I can truly say I happy for the first time in a long time. I am healthy, I am employed, I have a nice home, and a belief in my Savior that sustains me daily, especially when times are tough.

I have a down day today, catching up on cleaning etc. I took down my Thanksgiving decorations, and am anticipating where to put all my Christmas stuff. I want my tree up ASAP. I love Christmas. It has and always will be my favorite holiday. The first year or two after my divorce more than ruined the joy of the holidays for me, due to the horrible timing of it, but I am past that now and excited to celebrate with my family. I am so excited for Andrew. I love seeing the joy in his eyes on Christmas morning. That is one of the the best days for being a mother; seeing your children happy. "Tis the Season" as they say, so while I take it all in,  I hope to give to others as much as I get in return.

I am employed!

I am happy to announce that after looking for 5 weeks, I am finally employed. I am doing private duty in-home care. The job is MWF 10-4, T Th 8-2. It is part time for now, but that is okay with me, as it allows me to be home with my kids in the evening. I started yesterday and am enjoying it so far. I respect the family I work for. They are so wonderful and friendly. They are all very caring and willing to help out. The woman I care for is the sweetest thing. I enjoy my time with her so much. Today I went with her son to DaVita Dialysis Center to see the routine for MWF pick-ups after she is done with her dialysis. It was easy enough. For me, the hard part will be getting there alone and not getting lost LOL! She knows the way home. She is a tough cookie and smart as a whip. We get along wonderfully and enjoy each others company. I am hoping after this week (Thurs off) I will get my routine down and feel totally comfortable. I feel good already, as the family is wonderful. I feel welcome, appreciated and respected, which is nice. All of her 4 sons are amazing and caring. I've now met 3 of the 4. I am hoping after next week to get my routine down and be able to get her out of the house once a week to start. Maybe take her for lunch, etc. She gets around good on her crutches, just very slow, which is fine by me. She has a great attitude and gives me the gift of learning to appreciate what I have.

On The Prowl, and then Some

I've been J.O.B hunting to the point that it's become a job, with NO pay. Most places are not hiring. We all know this economy is crap. I had two interviews today and both went well as usual. I was told I'd hear from one tomorrow and the other by sunday. One is in a Gastroenterologist's (group) office, and the other is private duty home care. Will update when/if i hear anything. Thanks for the chat Mom.
I am so excited for the holidays. I still get so excited to spend quality time with my family and those I love. I have the kids for the holidays this year which is exciting. I get Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve into Christmas Day to open presents. They go to Daddy/Sue at noon. I love doing the meal planning, cooking, and goodie making. Ruthi will be here with her kids Turkey Day, but her Ex has the kids Christmas Eve, so she will be here with us.
Our weather hasa been nice. Not too cold, no snow yet, and a moderate amount of rain. The leaves have all fallen and made a mess everywhere. It has been mild up to this point.
I think I'm going to get a few inches or so cut off my hair. It is too long again.
so my health is somewhat not well again. I'm having issues with my blood pressure, so im taking random readings and then have been asked to go into doctor in a week or so with my readings. I'm in the Hypertension range which is anything over 139/89. I'm in the 145/95 range. SO NOT GOOD! I'm thinking it could be part of the reason I'm having so many frequent headaches. We shall see.
Kids are well, life is good, hope the same goes for ya'll.

Halloween 2009

We had a nice Halloween this year. I got to take Andrew Trick-or-Treating finally for the 1st time. We had a great time, despite the rain. We went out with Ruthi & Lily, as Brady and Sean went to a party, and Tanner and his girlfriend went to a party as well. It was a late night so say the least. Andrew was a trooper.  We walked quite a bit. He has a mess load of candy. Here is our Jack-o-Lantern. Andrew was a great helper in designing.

Andrew was a police man this year. Brady was a Jack-o-Lantern (hand carved pumpkin on his head) and Tanner was a jail convict.

This is Tanner and his girlfriend Christina.

Andrew had a fun Halloween Parade/party at school. I will attach a picture of his class and some of the animals he got to pet and feed .

He had a blast playing with the animals. We also trunk-or-treated in the parking lot from parents of children in school. All in all it was an excellent day/holiday.

FUN Fall Activity

Sunday was a beautiful day, although chilly, but as it was not raining, we decided to go to the Apple Orchard (Melick's Farm) for apple picking and pumpkins in Oldwick, NJ.

The kids had a blast climbing the trees to get the MOST perfect apples.

For the most part they each carried their own barrells. They were quite full after an hour.

We then picked pumpkins...

Then the infamous "Hay Ride" backdown the slopes...

Delicious Empire apples...

We ended up spending too much time in line to weigh in and check out, but all in all it was a fun time. The kids loved spending time together. Tanner was down the shore with his friend for the weekend, so we missed him. Ruthi made a delicious homemade APPLE PIE that evening, and it was to die for.

Latest Creations

After the stress in my life wore down, I felt the creativity bug, so I went to the ceramics store and decided to paint.

Halloween Haunted House

Here was a family activity on Monday night. Brady, Sean, Lily & Drew made this cool little house. I of course helped. I did the windows and door, kids did the rest. It turned out so cute.

My Big Boy in the morning....

Peek-a-boo...I love you! This is my little buddy bright & early in the a.m. Can you tell he is not a big fan of morning? I have to drag him out of bed literally...This kid is hilarious!
I LOVE YOU DREWIE xoxo

State Boards Updated

"Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved."
William Jennings Bryan 1860-1925

This is one of my favorite quotes as of recent, and today it came true in my life! I am proud to say I PASSED my NCLEX-PN! I got my paid "Unofficial" results. Not sure what "Unofficial" means but it says PASS so I am gonna take it and celebrate. I read online last night (obsessing) that when you have a lot of SELECT ALL questions, it means you are doing well, and I had more than half of my 85 as select all. I am on cloud 9 right now. Nothing in life has ever felt this good, except for the birth of my sweet babies! Thank you MOM for all your words of encouragment. Thank you Ruthi for all your help with Andrew, a shoulder to cry on when life got too rough, and for helping me study almost every weekend. Thank you Brady for always loving me and saying it daily, and for your hugs and constant encouragment; Tanner for being great with Andrew and always helping to keep him occupied and for helping with dvd to playstation connections while I was studying. Thank you Andrew for being such a good boy and letting mommy study hour after hour. And a shout out to my instructors for everything, and for never giving up on me and pushing me to always do and be my BEST.  I learned so much and I have a NEW life because of it. Nothing is impossible with hard work and dedication!

My Graduating Class

This was just sent to me by a class member and I was happy to get it. This is my class, minus three who didn't show for one reason or another. I spent more time with these guys for a year than my own family. I miss them. From Left: Rachel, Jen, Darnetta, Nacia, Dawn, Christina, Alyson, Lauren, Faatima, Me, Theresa, Aja, Anthony, Monique, Sheena, Susan, Eddie. It was a wild ride, one I actually miss a little.

State Boards

The day finally came, Monday morning bright and early. I have studied hard, and up to the last day. Ruthi helped, Brady helped, I read, did online tests, cd rom tests, did an entire 1400 page NCLEX review book containing 64 chapters, with over 4,000 questions, as well as another NCLEX prep book with 400+ questions. I also did about 3/4 of a 3rd NCLEX review book (2500 questions).

This is an interesting test. Kind of difficult to explain, but it is a computer adaptive test, meaning it adjusts to your right or wrong answers, making subsequent questions easier or harder. A mathematical algorhythm calculates your competence. It was nerve racking. It is a 205question test, with each taker doing a minimum of 85 questions, or the maximum of 205 based on your competency level that is calculated with each question answered; with thrown in questions not graded, but being tested for usage on furture exams.

As I was going along, I was frustrated with the bank of questions I received. No right answer ever jumped out at me like they did in my review books. I found myself becoming quite anxious and insecure. Seems to me like every other question was a "Select All" and I loathe those. As I got question 85 I was prepared for it to either shut off, or continue. I answered 85, hit next and BAM, computer shut off. I flipped out. There is absolutely no way to gauge how you did. You can pass or fail with 85, and pass or fail with more. I took about 90 minutes to hit 85.

As I left, completely stupified, I was handed a pamphlet that said I can pay with credit card online for "UNOFFICIAL" quick results in 2 business days. That will be tomorrow. I am going nuts waiting....the second guessing is horrific. I just don't know what to think. I have been to all my nursing website chat forums and from what I've read shutting off @ 85 is a good thing, but other people had tested up to 170 questions and passed, as well as many people failing at 85. So, I sit here, sick to my stomach...I have completely chewed my fingers up and have not slept well in 3 nights now! I cannot wait for tomorrow...either way I just want to know. If I do not pass, I will receive notification from Board of Nursing as to when I can test again, either 45 or 90 days! If I pass I will receive mail notification with license #, etc. FINGERS CROSSED! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. It has meant everything to me!

Kindergarten Fun

Here is Andrew with some friends at school making the letter "F"

Hoorah...

I finally received my Authorization to Test #. It came today via email. I mulled around a bit, let it sit for a bit, called my mom to share the news, left a voicemail with mom who was unavailable, hung up on mom, cursed at mom under my breath, then got online to check available test dates. As I had chosen one that showed available, I called the State and was promptly told the earliest test date was OCTOBER 5th. I literally, said, "WHAT?" I was livid, but took what was available. I test @ 8:00 a.m. I am excited yet as nervous as can be. This at least leaves me 3 weeks left to study. I will put it to good use. The last 5 weeks plus the next three should be enough LOL!!!

A Day to Remember 9/11

Today marks the 8th Anniversary of the WTC attack. I watched some of the Memorials on television this morning and it brought back so many scary feelings. My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones, and my Thanks go to God again for sparing my children's father that day. This is such an awful day to remember, but also an important one in our history. May GOD continue to bless America!

Furnace Update

I had the furnace replaced on Wednesday and it couuldn't have come at a better time as the temps jumped back into the upper 80's with humidity. It works great. The guys were great, very professional and did a great job. I have an updated emergency switch and they even added a new pump which I did not have before. The old unit drained right to the french drain via pvc pipe, this has a motored pump and everything. Very happy to have th air conditioning working again. Can't wait to use it for the winter.

Down the Shore

At our favorite beach spot in Long Branch. What a nice day. The kids had a blast. Brady and Sean body surfed all day and Lily & Drew had fun in the sand. Ruthi & I were stupid and got sun burned. I am still peeling 4 weeks later. The waves were too big for little ones to go in too deep. There was a really bad current too. I went out once and had a hard time getting back in. I can see how fighting your way back in makes you so tired so fast, that you suddenly find yourself in danger. Andrew wore himself out and slept the whole ride home.

Wanna Hit Some Balls?

Brady & Sean did really well. I took a few turns and hit several in the 150 ft range. Both boys were hitting in the 75-150 ft range. Brady has a great swing. I guess all those lessons are paying off. I've yet to see Tanner and Drew hit balls. One of these days.

Pencil Pusher

I have finally had some time to go through all my school work and get it organized and put away. This is maybe 3/4 of it. HOLY COW! All I did was write and take notes during lecture. It was brutal. Teachers talk at 95 mph, and I wrote @ 55 mph. Hard to believe there could have been more. This is good stuff, important material, so I've decided to keep it for use with my further RN studies, which I have yet to start due to the fact that I have yet to take my Boards still. UGH! This is beyond ridiculous at this point. Still studying daily, doing 200-400 questions + reading.

Furnace Problems

Seems my furnace is not working, which is causing major air conditioning problems. The fan (blower) is crap! My coils keep freezing because there is not enough air flow or circulation across the coils due to the BAD furnace. I've had 3 quotes now and am finally scheduled for new install Sep 2nd. Luckily it hasn't been too hot for this time of year here. And we've had more than our fair share of rain. Humid as heck but temps in mid 70's. Looks like cool temps still until install date. Yay!

State Board Woes...

First off, I could not be more frustrated. I originally mailed in my application for licensure to NJ Board of Nursing Aug 6th. It was received Aug 10th. After 17 days of hearing NOTHING, I called in. Got nowhere, no answers or explanation; just "It takes 10-15 business days for application to be processed." I called back 4 more times and left voicemails with other people I was finally told could help me.

Low and behold, I get the mail Thursday afternoon and in it is a huge envelope from BON. My application was inside. I almost died from anger. Apparently I did something stupid and abbreviated my schools name, rather than writing it out. I was upset, as it appears the hold up was my own fault. I corrected it and quickly mailed it back. Hoping to hear from them with my Autorization to Test soon. I've been studying hard, doing my online tests, and also using my NCLEX review book. I do about 8-10 50 question tests a day and am scoring well. I want to get this test done. Several classmates already taken and passed. DOn't know about anyone else.

Life without School

I have to seriously wonder why I complained about going to school everyday, because I find myself quite bored being home. I miss having a purpose to my day and a place to be. I have been studying hard though and enjoyed a week of time with my kids doing fun things.

Monday, I did something a little crazy. I had a home consultation with the Senior Program Advisor at The College Network. This school is basically an online nursing school affiliated with over 20 Universities in the United States. He came to my home, brought materials, and basically pitched the program; that being the RN program. After 90 minutes I asked a few questions, and decided to DO IT! The draw for me was the 5 yr financing available for tuition broken into monthly payments I can afford (i hope). There is no classroom time, no written assignments, no facility clinicals. I receive course manuals in the mail (also have access to course manuals online) and basically do it at my own pace (read, practice tests, etc) and when I feel ready I call a testing center, schedule a test date and go take the test. I pass, I complete the course for college credit. Available resources are online chats 24/7, 15 hr/day toll free call centers for tutoring questions, and online resources for help. To complete the RN degreee, I will complete 7 NURSING courses, and Microbiology (geared for nursing). The manuals are geared for passing the course exam, and only contain pertinent nursing material. I filled all the forms to have transcripts collected from all 4 schools I've attended. BEST thing is all college courses are accepted with no time limit on tranferability. This is why I only have 8 courses to take. I can start immediately as I was left with the first two course manuals. I will do one course at a time, focus in and get it done, then take the test, with the next course manual to follow. This college network has had over 110,000 RN graduates and the pass rate is 95%. Upon completion of all courses, I have a weekend 2 day clinical seminar where I go to nearest college center (Queens, NY) and go through a mock clinical with a small group of other students. There is another charge for this part of program, but there is also financing available. I pass this, I am eligable to sit for the NCLEX-RN boards. My degree will be from Excelsior. I am NERVOUS as hell, but also excited to not have to basically wait a YEAR to continue my education. I am spending a fortune doing this, so again, I have a lot resting on this. Tuition is almost double what I'd pay if I went to college in town, but this program will allow me to do this at my own pace, and gives me an extra year if needed, plus I can continue to work as an LPN while I do this. Working as LPN will pay for my RN schooling. Based on the fact that I completed my PN program with top 3 grades in class (of 20) I think I can do this. It will be tough, but kids are supportive for the most part and I have a strong desire to be an RN.

I completed and sent in all applications to sit for NCLEX-PN boards. I am currently awaiting my ATT# to call the testing center to schedule my test date. I am doing 200-300 questions/day preparing for the test. Its pretty much all Ive been doing all day. It's DO or DIE!

Life continues to amaze me everyday. I am truly blessed. To look back 4 years ago and compare that to my life now....WOW! In the words of Martha Stewart...."It's a Good Thing."

Pre-Graduation

We all drove over together to get good seats. I had to be there early for group pictures and to get my "lovely" cap put on. No comments on the cap PLEASE! (next entry)