Update on Nursing School

Clinicals are finally posted, it didn't work with our schedules for Scotts work and the kids school so we will have to find a way to make it work.

 1st 8 wks I'm in Springfield for Geriatrics 7 to 4 wednesdays
 2nd 8 weeks I'm in Manassas at a clinic for acute/chronic care 8 to 4 wednesdays.

Other classes spring semester are :
Intercultural communication 12 wks,
Abnormal Psych 1st 8 wks,
Clinical Psych 2nd 8 wks,
Nursing Lab 2 hrs every tuesday for two 8 week sessions,
nursing lecture 5 hrs every thursday for two 8 week sessions.

I got out of taking drug dosage calculations because of my diagnostic math test scores, thank goodness, cause I'll be busy enough!

The only frustrating thing I've found so far besides general stress is that they waited so long to post our clinical rotations and for someone like me that had a family and kids it's important to know things asap! We now have to start interviewing babysitters and figure out how to pay them because we still don't know anyone here :(  Hopefully we can find someone in the 4 weeks that I have until clinicals begin. Wait I lied... there is a 2nd frustrating thing, I already took psych, in fact I took about 10 psychology classes and have credit for all of them but my nursing school has rules that the psych cannot be transferred in from ANY school it has to be taken at their school. So... here I go again with another round of psychology, at least it will be easier this time around still its time out of studying for my other classes and more time away from family. Frustrating!!!

Almost time for a family vacation!

We are super excited and can't wait to hit the road. We are hoping the weather will hold out for us, it has been a nice 75 degrees and sunny in myrtle beach but when we leave this Friday they are saying mid 60's and rain during the week!! Let's hope not.... but we'll make the best of it either way. We own a timeshare so that makes taking these trips super cheap, the condo's didn't cost us a dime we just pay for gas, food and activities. I already booked the activities taking full advantage of online discounts and coupons (I'm super cheap!) so I think we will have a blast! Also planned the restaurants and did a rough estimate of food cost, hopefully it will be LESS then what we budgeted but we are a family of 5 and eating out can be pricey. Scott is taking the kids crabbing for the first time ever, it should be interesting to see what happens!



Here is a quick 35 second video of where we are staying the first day and night, Wyndham Sea Watch Plantation at Myrtle Beach. And a pic of the room layout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXHSJB4EylM



Here's the layout and the short 1 min video for where at are staying the next 7 days and nights Wyndham Ocean Boulevard at Myrtle beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3LOzrEGlU




Schedule: (possible indoor / outdoor activity swaps due to weather)

Friday October 28^th:                                Leave VA at 6am

  Breakfast:  Food in Car

  Check into Condo (1 bdrm deluxe) Wyndham SeaWatch Plantation at 2pm

                                                                  Lunch: Hard Rock Café $50

Enjoy the pools, hot tubs, lazy rivers and beach for the day

Dinner: Hamburger Joes $35

Saturday October 29^th:                          Breakfast: Eggs and bacon

Check out at 10 am

                                                               Alligator Adventure Park

                                                                 Lunch: Jimmyz Original Hibachi House $40

                                                                 Check into Condo (3 bdrm Presidential) at Wyndham Ocean Blvd 4pm

                                                                  Dinner: Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show 4:30 pre show 6pm showtime

Sunday October 30^th:                            Breakfast: Potoatoes O’brian

Nascar Speed Park (all day wrist bands) 11 am

Lunch: Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy $40

                                                               Shop Broadway at the beach outdoor mall

                                                                Shop Barefoot landing shops

                                                                 Dinner: Planet Hollywood $50

Monday October 31^st:                          Breakfast: Eggs and bacon

Ripley’s Aquarium

                                                              Ripley’s believe it or not

                                                               Lunch: Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville $50

Ripley’s Moving Theater

                                                               Ripley’s Mirror Maze

                                                                Ripley’s Haunted Adventure Haunted house

                                                                Dinner: King Kong Sushi $50

Tuesday November 1^st:                           Breakfast: Omelets

Beach day, Condo day

                                                               Pools, hot tubs, lazy rivers

                                                                Lunch: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro $50

                                                               Beach rentals, jet skis, parasailing, crabbing

                                                               Dinner: Condo-cooked crab pot (hopefully) $15

Wednesday November 2^nd:                     Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy with Sausage

     Wonderworks

                                                                  Hang out at condo, beach pool, board games

                                                                 Take our beach Christmas family photo before show

                                                                  Late Lunch Early Dinner: All you can eat Original Benjamin’s Seafood Buffet 4pm $75

                                                                  Alabama Theater for the Christmas Spectacular Show 7:30 pm

Thursday November 3^rd:                         Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs

   MagiQuest Interactive Game (2 hrs)

                                                                  Lunch: Original Shuckers Raw Bar $40

   Beach, pools, hot tubs, condo time

                                                                 Family Kingdom Amusement Park

                                                                Sky Wheel

                                                                Dinner: Homemade Seafood $20

Friday November 4^th:                           Breakfast: Breakfast Burritos

Lunch: Cheeseburger in Paradise $50

Free day until 4:30 pm

                                                              Dinner:  Medieval Times Dinner and Show 4:30 pre show 6pm showtime

Saturday November 5^th:                       Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and bacon

Check out 10 am

                                                              Lunch: Drive Thru, or something we see on drive home $20

Drive home from SC to VA

                                                              Dinner: Eat at Cheeburger Cheeburger in Richmond, VA. Arrive home around 6pm $40

I Got Accepted to the Momentum Nursing Program!!!!!!!

Library at the NOVA Medical Education Campus

My Letter

George Mason University

George Mason University

It's official my letter was waiting for me in my mailbox when I got home from our New York trip. I was accepted into the advanced nursing program!  Basically what it is:  Its the momentum program, it moves FAST.  In 32 1/2 months I will have 2 Bachelors Degrees (BSN Nursing, and BS in Psychology) and add two more Associates degrees to the one I already have (Associates in Business is the one I have, Associates in Science and Associates in General Studies will be the new ones)  So in May 2014 I will graduate from George Mason University and have 5 degrees under my belt.  I have to say I am very excited!!!! It was a long shot applying to this program and I'm so glad I kicked butt on the TEAS exam, I think that's what got me in.

The only foreseeable drawback to this particular program is that they make your schedule, pick your classes, and times for clinicals etc..... which most likely will interfere with the kids school, bus schedule, and scotts work schedule in Washington DC.  So we will most likely have to have a babysitter daily. So I'm currently looking harder at the sitters on the sitter city website, but can't really do anything until I see my schedule.

So all in all a very exciting day!!!!

Spear Family Update (Disney Trip, School, Work etc)

Once again I have fallen months behind on this blog. I will attempt a quick update and try to keep up with it this time.  Let's see... what’s happening now.

April Fools Spaghetti and Meatballs (its cupcakes!)

Scott is finally enjoying his new job at Naval Reactors in Washington DC. He has a project he's working on which is keeping him busy. They have sent him to California for 5 days, and Pennsylvania for 3 days so far and they have plans to send him to Idaho for 3 weeks, and Newport News VA for 3 days sometime this summer. Although they are talking about changing it and making the Idaho trip 1 week and Newport News 3 weeks. So it’s up in the air right now. We miss him when he's away but luckily it’s just short little trips. Back in September he was gone 6 weeks for OCS and the kids really missed him so I'm grateful for this duty station and all the time he is able have with us.  He is still getting used to the traffic and the driving, he spends 3 to 4 1/2 hours a day on his commute. Did I mention traffic in DC is horrible? Scott bought a new car that gets double the gas mileage of his mustang. He bought a 2005 Mercedes Benz and he loves it, he's getting 35 mpg now.

Aurora's princess makeover

Epcot

 We also just has a wonderful trip to Florida, extremely last minute. I went with the kids for 4 days and then Scott came and joined us for the last 3 days (He had to work). We did 2 days at Universal Studios and got to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which was amazing btw). Then we did 4 days at Disney and went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. The kids had a blast!

Animal Kingdom

Hollywood Studios

The kids are doing well. Jennifer is starting to hate doing homework and beginning to test the waters around here with a pre-teen attitude. But she's changed a lot and has come a long way with honesty and discipline so we are very proud of her progress. The move was hard on her, she hates moving and losing friends. Aurora is doing really well in school she is doing math and reading above her grade level which is excellent. The girl has her nose in a book constantly, reminds me of me when I was her age.  Both of the girls are still in their second year of girl scouts and really enjoying it. Aurora is working on her daisy journey patches while Jennifer is working on her brownie science try-it badges.  Michael is enjoying kindergarten, he still struggles with speech. We had a 3 month wait for a ENT surgeon appointment only to have to wait an additional month because the doctor went on emergency leave. So now that appointment is next week and hopefully we will get some answers. His doctor (in Virginia) now believes that the tongue is tied fine and does not need to be cut (two doctors in NY said differently) She believes it’s a tongue muscle issue so that is why we are off to see the specialist. I just hope something goes our way; it has been over 2 years of struggling with speech for Michael.

Magic Kingdom

Hogsmeade Village, Universal Studios

The kids at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Hogwarts Caste

PHEW... almost done.   Now what am I doing?  I am still working part time at AMC, hoping to quit soon though because I'd like to work locally and not have to drive 22 miles to work each way. I am going to School now I started in January.  I haven't finished my Bachelors degree in psychology yet, but I plan to finish it in the future (I am 5 classes short). Instead I have decided to try to go for Nursing. I am working on the pre-requisites right now and getting ready to take the TEAS exam. I need to score at least a 78% in all sections to apply to the program. But just qualifying doesn't mean I will get in, as they keep telling me over and over again its highly competitive and they have up to a year waitlist if you don't get in right off the bat. So this stresses me out tremendously. Testing is not my forte I have test anxiety big time. But I have my study manual here and will keep doing the practice tests. Classes end May 8th, then my summer semester begins May 16th. So summer will be busy busy. My Grandma Thelma will be coming here for the summer to be with the kids while Scott is at work and I am at school which is so helpful and it’s always so nice to have her here.

Well that about wraps it up. I will try to keep up on this blog from now on :)