March 2 - March 8

Monday, March 3: Monday was sort of a snow day. There had been lots of freezing rain the day before. When we woke up, the roads were fine and driving was safe, but Tyler’s school was canceled, along with all of DISD’s schools. My school opened a bit late (noon), but since my lecture is in the afternoon, it didn’t affect my schedule at all. I talked with my professor, and she agreed to let me take the test on Wednesday because of the elementary school closing. These nursing school professors pretend to be harsh, but they’re softies at heart :) McKay got me roses just because :) 

Tuesday, March 4: I had my second pharm test, and it is a good thing I got an A on the first test because this one was awful. I still have a high B average in the class, so if I do well on the rest of the tests, there might still be hope for an A in the class. McKay and Jamie picked me up to take me to lunch at Si Long, an Asian fusion restaurant in Uptown that we love. I got this amazing Panang Curry that I have been craving ever since. Jamie cheerfully ignored her bowl of noodles.

Tyler’s school put on a fun back to school night, a “Bear Hunt” pajama party night. McKay was there with both the kids, and I broke away from studying on campus to be there for a little over an hour. Seeing Tyler’s face when I got there made the lost hour of studying completely worth it. He was so happy to see me :) Jamie had tons of fun being with all the big kids.

Wednesday, March 5: I took my make-up assessment test on Wednesday, and it went really well, another A! Tyler got a purple at school, and to celebrate, McKay took the kids to get ice cream at Braum’s. Tyler only has to get three more purples to get something at the gift shop at Legoland, per our deal. McKay helped me practice for my practicals: these fruit have had dry sterile dressing changes, and also wet-to-moist wound packings. And that bottle has been catheterized several times.

Friday, March 7: I didn’t do so hot with the practical check-offs, but the good news is that there is a second round of check offs available later in the semester, so I can try again. (Note to self: do not turn your back on your sterile field again!) For what it’s worth (read: pep talk to myself), my clinical instructor said everything else I did was fantastic, but breaking sterile field was one of only two pass or fail items – boo-hoo. I drowned my sorrows in a pint of Chocolate Brownie Bluebell, and then went to pick up the kids. We watched Frozen together, and when McKay got home, he and I watched the first part of Top Gun with Rifftrax.

Saturday, March 8: To burn off some of my sadness over the practical, the kids and I ran to the park with Bronixie. We had a ton of fun playing, and then we threw a ball for Bronx for a while. McKay baked a cake for the Hinckley dinner the next night, which he is doing more and more of lately, and they are delicious!

Funny Things:

In searching for a birthday present for Patrick and Michelle, I stumbled across some tumblr fan fiction about the world of How to Train Your Dragon. Did you know that this is a thing? The good news is that there is a subcategory of this that has them attending Hogwarts with Rapunzel. Thank you, tumblr.

Jake: Do you want to go on a treasure hunt?
Me: Jamie? Want to go on a treasure hunt?
Jamie: No, I already go on a treasure hunt. I just go to a restaurant with grandpa (Eatough).
Me: did you go to a restaurant for a treasure hunt?
Jamie: No, I just go to get some macaroni and pizza

Jamie was not into running while we were jogging to the park. She kept shouting at me around the hood of the stroller, “No running club, Mommy! No running club!”

Tyler and McKay plying on the iPhone:

On Monday morning, Tyler and Jamie were watching a funny movie on my phone. They looked so sweet, I couldn't help grabbing my camera:

February 23 - March 1

Tuesday, February 25: My pharmacology lecture was on anticoagulants. McKay and Jamie came on campus to see me at lunchtime, and they brought me lunch from Potbelly’s. While we sat in the lobby eating and talking, all my classmates who were on their way in or out went crazy over how cute Jamie is. They even thought it was cute when she wailed all the way out the door because she didn’t want to leave me. McKay and Jamie went to the library, where Jamie got the same Goodnight Moon book she always does. Even though we own a copy. And even though this particular copy is in Spanish (Buenas Noches, Luna). This is Jamie, in a nutshell :) I took my nursing concepts test that afternoon, and got another A. I am glad I’m stocking up some high grades, I feel like I’ll be needing them to average out the second half of the semester, which I hear is the hardest :( I let Tyler pick out what he wanted for dinner, and he decided on Sweet Potato Gnocchi, his favorite dinner. Like every other night, Jamie refused to go to sleep until she had said goodnight to Bronxie. He jumps on her bed and onto her, licks her face and she laughs and says “Oh, Bronxie” fondly, before grabbing him around the neck and wrestling him down for a hug and a kiss. He is normally gnawing on her fingers during this, and wriggling, trying to escape. This is also Jamie in a nutshell :) 

Wednesday, February 26: Jamie always needs something to look forward to in order to be excited about school, and she always gets excited about packing a snack for school into her little princess lunchbox, and then putting the lunch box into her princess backpack. She normally picks peanut butter crackers or craisins to take with her. Her teacher commented on it the other day, saying “I always wonder what she’s going to pull out of that little bag every morning!” I had my assessment lab over the cardiovascular system, I’m a little nervous to learn this stuff because now I’m responsible for knowing how to care for anyone with a heart problem; it feels safer knowing nothing! I met my visiting teacher Barbara at La Madeleine’s, which was much less stressful than cleaning my house :) . She gave me a cute little Easter sign for our home. I’m actually starting to know the staff there because last semester, I treated myself to Parisian Eggs Benedict after each test. Now if I did that this semester, I’d gain thirty pounds, because there are several tests each week. But it was kind of fun saying hey to the staff again. After school, the kids played in the back yard while I studied pharm. The days are getting long and warm enough for them to spend hours out there, digging holes, building castles, and chasing Bronx around all afternoon. Tyler got a kick to the shin playing soccer with McKay, and when he came inside crying, I showed him my permanent indentions in my shins from my days of soccer playing. He was impressed.

Thursday, February 27: Donut day!

Predictably, I studied all day long. Tyler had running club, and he did nine laps this time, tying Jesse and Alan! I was so proud of him. I hauled the kids off for an impromptu Target trip to get new clothes for Jamie. Why do they keep growing? After perusing the toddler section there and seeing all the cute little shirts, I started to wish they made their baby clothes in adult sizes. I’d totally wear this stripy number.

Friday, February 28: During concepts, we had a practice lab all day for practicum check offs next week. We also got pulled aside for our midterm evaluations with our concepts clinical leaders. I’m doing well it seems! McKay and Tyler went to a dinner party at the Benac’s. Jamie and I stayed home for a fun, fun night of studying and bubble baths!

Saturday, March 1: Took the kids to the McDonalds playplace so they could have a bit of fun while I carried on with the incessant studying. They got Legoland cups with their Happy Meals, to their pleasant surprise. I met with my study group and we studied our brains out for a few hours. We are all very ready for spring break :)

Funny Things:

Jamie always says goodbye to the books she drops into the drop box at the library, and names them as they go. “Bye, two movie and two books!”

Jamie really likes playing baseball with McKay. McKay will basically aim the ball at the bat for her, and when she throws it back, she pauses, gives McKay an insane grin, and then throws it like two feet.

Tyler: Has one full month of greens now!

Jamie: Always wants her hair in pigtails “like Sandy!” (from the Croods). 

Jamie: For some reason, Jamie equates being muddy and dirty with having to go to the doctor’s. After playing outside and getting outrageously dirty, she ran screaming through the house when home teachers were over, “I don’t want to go to the doctor! I don’t want shots!”

Tyler: After Jamie coughed on him in the car: “Jamie! I’m trying to escape being sick!”

Tyler: “I ran nine miles!” (He ran nine laps.)