You are holding what?

As promised real human brains, heart valve, lungs, and more.

At the zoo they had a Latino Festival set up. We walked around to all the booths and the one that caught my eye and the kids eye was the 'health care' tent. Imagine that.

We learned how to make 'pills' from capsules and colored sugar. The kids enjoyed it but it left me thinking--should we really teach kids that pills are candy? Anyway, we than counted out our own monthly prescription of skittles. Again associating pills to candy?

The next table shown us how to remove staples after a surgery. They stapled together paper towels and the kids tried to remove the staples without riping the paper towel. Lets just say they need more practice!

My favorite table was next, a man dressed in a lab coat with four or five things hidden under a towels. I seen disposable gloves so I knew it had to be great. My youngest and I head over. One he can start a conversation and I would be able to peak under those towels. This nice man is in his last year of school to become a surgeon. He peeled back the towels and there sat a full brain, a half a brain, a smokers lung, a non smokers lung, and a heart that had a valve transplant. I was glad to see that my youngest was into it just as much as I was. He put on some gloves and got to hold them all.

Maybe I have the next surgeon as my son...

The Zoo

Yesterday the kids and I went to the Blank Park Zoo. I have never been there and was a little apprehensive of going because I am used to Omaha Zoo, which I think is an amazing place. Lets say I was not disappointed in what I saw...




I was highly surprised when I seen their giraffe exhibit. The giraffes were at eye level when you stood on the platform. This was the closest I have been to a giraffe...I wanted to reach out and pet one...

Real human brains, heart valve transplant, counting pills, feeding goats and more to come....

Mediation

If anyone knows me and my situation they would know why I am in need for a mediation counselor with my ex-husband. Well today I spoke with a counselor I worked with to see who they would recommend. After going into great details with this counselor she was amazed about all that was going on and commended me on my professionalism.

I contacted the counselor office where she recommended and gave a brief description of my circumstance and asked to set up a mediation appointment with a counselor and my ex husband. I asked if they would mail him a letter to have him contact them with a good day or how that works out. The receptionist stated that I would need to contact him to get a good time to set up the mediation. I nicely explained if I could that than I wouldn't need the mediation.

Needless to say I have an appointment at the end of the month to speak with a counselor about possible mediation...I guess I will see how this works out.

Defense tactics

Yesterday I had defensive tactic training.....and now today I am sore!

So I registered for this class...Defensive Tactic Training...and when I arrived I walked in to a class full of men. I stated out loud "wow, I feel out numbered". All the men 'promised' to take it easy on me. By the time that the class started there were about 6 of us females to the 15 men in the class.

So mind you a police officer teaches this class. One by one we had to demonstrate the tactics on each other. Different pressure points, holds, and well other defensive tactics. If the police officer thought we were 'faking' doing them because we didn't want to hurt each other he would come up and do the move on us.

Lets just say I am pretty sore on my arms, wrists and my collarbone. I will say though that I really enjoyed the class and did learn a thing or two. Anyone want to test the newly learned tactics?

Hard work...

...or should I say hardly work...

How was my day at work you ask?

How would you like to go to work and play connect four and UNO? That is what I did today.

The clients weekends drag by so I thought I would bring in some games to help a few hours go by quicker. As it turns out we all had a lot of fun. We had a few interruptions with the phone ringing but all in all it did make my day and theirs go by quicker.

Tomorrow....a movie! (I won't be able to watch it with them....somebody has to 'man' the station!)

Working on the weekends there is not a lot of 'groups' or 'counseling' that they attend so they have a lot of free time where they sit and think about wanting to leave the unit or worse yet....using.

If I made one of their nights...than that makes me happy.

The big debate...

...when to go 'home'?

I haven't been back to my hometown since March. I really didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to see. Sorry 'bout that y'all. Although I was there in February, for a wedding, and got to see most everyone--I miss my family and my friends.

Maybe one of these weekends I can get up there to visit. That is kind of hard with working 50-60 hours a week. Yup, that is how many hours I've been averaging. Add in the full time schooling and I barely have enough time to take a deep breathe.

My dad still has my graduation presents that he bought in April and is holding them till I come up to visit. My sister is moving. I forgot the smell of Phantasia....something I never thought I would do.

Yup, I think it is getting time to visit 'home'.

LPN

I am State of Iowa Board of Nursing....APPROVED!

Too bad I am not putting it to use...

Tutor...

I am seriously thinking about hiring a tutor!

This term I am taking statistics and for some reason I can not grasp any of it! Maybe it is because I am taking it online and I have to 'self teach'.

It is infuriating!

Does anyone want to tutor me?

No sleep...

Well I worked overnight last night; my first overnight in years! Of course this is my ex husbands weekend to have the kids and he was a no call no show. Go figure. I got off of work and picked up the kids from the babysitters and well beings they have slept all night they were not going to let me sleep. I got about a two hour nap in--not bad--heh. Now I get to get ready to go back to work...

In all actuality it was a busy night last night and that made the night go by fast. We had two admits and a little incident to send one of the patients to ER. So it was an eventful night.

Today I hope that my eyes can stay open to complete the shift...

Neglect

I have been meaning to get on and blog this last week and I didn't. Honestly nothing is really going on in my life. That is a first.

I have been working full time at the hospital, taking classes full time, and add that to being a single mom full time--Time has been very limited but I am happy.

I volunteered to work overnight tonight and second shift both tomorrow and Sunday than back to my normal days on Monday. What was I thinking? I haven't stayed up past midnight in months...so it seems.

I have been going through all my belongings and thinning everything down. The girls that live on the unit have already expressed that they want all the clothes that the kids and I are getting rid of. So I will be donating all of the clothes to the girls on the unit for them and their kids. I just have to get myself to sort them--it will get done.

Yesterday I was told that I was 'hated'. SURPRISE! It makes me smile to hear that.

Umm...we had a huge 'adopted' family reunion this last weekend--camping style. A lot of people showed up and it was a long but fun weekend that lasted from Friday to Monday. When the people started to drink--I left.

Anyway, if anyone knows anything about statistics...um I'm looking for a tutor!