I finally finished up my financial aid stuff for spring quarter! Assuming all goes well, oh please oh please, I will be taking psych 110, English 111, and Math 281. I'm hoping to get them all online also.

Next up is completing my paperwork for financial aid for fall 08. I think I have most everything done for it. Rough numbers have been entered for taxes so hopefully by friday I'll have the taxes filed and can put those numbers into my financial aid packet.

I'm still plugging away at the online math, averaging about a chapter a day. Really, most of this is review from middle school for me, but it makes me feel good to accomplish something anyway. A side note about math... Mike is in Math 281 Statistics right now and really struggling. Really really struggling. Last night he came up to me and wanted to drop the class, insisting that it's just too hard. Yeah, I probably should have been more supportive, I know this is supposed to be a really hard class. I offered to see if I could help him make heads or tails of it and he basically tossed the books in my lap and told me to go ahead and take the quiz he took and see if I was really that much better at it than he. I didn't think this was fair since I had never peeked in the book before but ok, whatever. I got a 100%. Ooops. I have again offered to help him along in the class. Heck, if I'm going to be taking it next quarter some advanced studying can't hurt...

It's been crazy around here with grandma and the kids this last week. I've not carved out enough time to make progress on PICC, but it remains on the to do list.

The big deal of the week was the visit from the state case manager for my grandma. Once a year or so they have to come out to reevaluate grandma and see if we should have more or less C.O.P.E.S. hours, note any medical changes and generally make sure her home is safe for her and we aren't neglecting her. I was really nervous that since we have hospice involved now and they come out to give her baths and offer other help that they would reduce our hours. The social worker had said it was possible. As it turns out our monthly hours were increased by 20 hours! My kids can be signed up for chess club! Chess club is after school on Thurs and Thurs was one of our short days for help. Unfortunately our care giver would be leaving a half hour before I would have picked up the kids and it's not so easy to just move hours from one day to another. Now I will have someone here late enough that I can pick the kids up.... yay!

Why is all this on my nursing blog? Umm, cause I kinda feel like I'm a manager of my grandmas care in a way that could be somewhat similar to a long term care facility.

Since my schooling is on hold for this quarter I'm taking this opportunity to get in some studying early. I've found a link to a colleges math 97 lessons online. I've set myself a goal of a chapter a day until I get through it all. I think I've also found a similar resource for biology, chemistry and A&P. Not that the computer can totally get me through the science classes, but it would be nice to have a little understanding going in.

So far I have received one rejection from the 5 applications I sent out. Silly, but it really got me down for a couple days. Like somehow that one rejection meant that I'd never get any job anywhere. Ugh, am I a drama queen or what?

I have been really fighting getting my CNA. Sounds silly I know, but even knowing I needed it for nursing school I was desperate to find a way around it. Let's face it, I'm here doing the work of a CNA and more every day. The idea of going to work in a LTC facility and then coming home and doing even more every day was something I knew I could not do. I had begun considering taking the CNA class to say I had the certificate but never actually using it. Then on new years eve I was browsing the web while the kids watched one of the count down shows and the end of a commercial caught my attention. It was for this organization. (there is a link there it just isn't showing in a different color for some reason) THIS I can do! This is something that I have dreamed of doing since Kaleb was an infant. How odd that I saw a news program about them when Kaleb was 4 or 5 months old and then heard nothing until now! I'm going to contact them since they are looking for CNA's and see if they would be willing to put me through the class in exchange for me signing a contract with them. If not I'll find another way. They are even close to me!

I submitted applications for 5 different hospice positions last night. Mostly just office type stuff, but at least it's getting my foot in the door. Hopefully hubbys company will get our tax forms to us quickly so I can get my financial aid done and ready for spring. Hurry up and wait.... ugh.

Right now I don't know what I'm going to be doing in Jan, and it's really got me down. I went in last week and talked to the nursing director of Pierce college. We planned out my prereqs and projected when I would be applying for nursing school. Even signed up for classes for winter quarter... but push comes to shove and the finances just aren't there until I get my financial aid going.

Because of how things are between hubby and I right now I'm not comfortable doing the phlebotomy class in Jan. Maybe I'll take the second winter quarter class... we'll see how this plans out.

So for now I'm stalled again. This will happen if I try hard enough.....

Last week Mike and I managed to wrangle a babysitter for the kids and grandma so we could attend Pierce Colleges Nursing information session. Learned a bit about their process for selecting the next round of nursing students. They claim not be actively recruiting males and minorities though that is certainly the impression the web site gives. Definately worth apply for anyway. I'm still putting Highline down as my first choice.

Mike also went in to Pierce to take his compass placement exam. He placed well also. Looks like we both should be able to get all of our prereqs done within 4 semesters. it wold be less but so many of the science really need to be taken one at a time.

I'm continuing to watch the online A & P lectures and study guides. I think I will realy enjoy this class a lot.

On Thursday hubby and I headed into North Seattle so I could take the COMPASS placement exam. Placing into Eng 101 is a requirement for the phlebotomy program. All went really well, I received a 100% on the english and reading portion of the test, placing me at the highest possible entry point. I also placed well in math, but not quite as high as I had hoped. I think I'll continue to work on refreshing my memory on the math and retake the math portion before starting my pre-reqs.

After finishing my test and being handed my printed results I dashed over to the medical building to be placed on the waiting list. Unfortunately I was #7 on the waiting list for a class of 24. Not this time I guess. The instructor said he would look forward to seeing me next class. Mike and I talked and I think I'm going to shoot to start my re-reqs for nursing fall quarter of '08. That may be pushed back to winter '09 depending on financial aid and work stuff.

In other news, Mike has narrowed the schools he is interested in down to two. Pierce and Highline. Both are said to have really great programs, Pierce is closer to home but Highline is more upfront about their point system for accepting students to the nursing program. I've already ruled Pierce out for me. Pierce is looking to fill their nursing program with males and minorities, if there are slots left over they will consider your classic white female student. The upside of Highline for me is that I have a letter of recommendation from a graduate of the highline nursing program.

Registration for the next phlebotomy class is Nov 12th. I can't wait!