Learning too much to slow

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas H. Huxley

I love this quote. This is what I do with everything to the point it actually becomes a downfall. If someone asks me a question and I don't know the answer I can't go on until I find out. I can't just say "I don't know". Well, now that I'm taking this Medical Terminology class I'm finding this is a huge issue. The purpose of the class is to learn the lingo and not all of the details on everything. Since I have this huge hunger to learn all of the details I fall behind.

One of the books I needed for this class is a medical dictionary. I got Mosby's medical dictionary and it has great pictures and so much information that I find myself actually READING THE DICTIONARY! I start out looking up a term for my class and on the way I see this interesting picture. Next thing I know I've read about that which led me to new terms I didn't know so I looked them up too and have sticky notes all over the place like bread crumbs to mark my path. An hour or so later I'll realize I got sidetracked again and need to get back to studying the right stuff for my class! It's dangerous!

So I took my mid term yesterday and I don't think I did very well. I missed the class last week because my oldest son Jared was hurt at baseball and we had to get x-rays done to make sure everything was okay. We went to a walk in clinic and so all in all we were there for over 4 hours! I also managed to rip my big toe nail off when I was helping my husband move a mattress. That was one of the most painful things I've ever had happen to me - probably right between my sick gallbladder and childbirth. YES, I'd rather had another baby than have that happen to my toe again and I thank God I only had ONE gallbladder! I do have pictures (not bloody but showing toe nail not attached) if anyone wants to see LOL So, with all of that going on last week I didn't study as much as I should have and I didn't retain very well the stuff I did study. One thing is for sure, I know the anatomy of my toe pretty well!

Well, I can't do anything about that test anymore and I have to wait until next week to find out how I did. At least I knew the extra credit questions so that should help. I'll just have to really study from here on out and try to only study what's in the book and not get to in debt in the learning process. I know the skeletal system is coming up and that will be hard to resist. I've already read it actually. I really need to get good grades from here on out to bring up my score.

I'm so proud of my son

I volunteered to help at Jared's school for the 8th graders graduation ceremony. There was a smaller ceremony for the 7th graders this morning at 10 am and Jared just skipped it and went to class. Strange kid! Anyway, he decided to go with me to help and he was a huge help. He just jumped in and helped out where he could and politely asked if he could help anyone that looked like they could use it. At the end he helped clean up and folded up and put away the tables since he knew where those went. It was so nice to hear all of the staff and other volunteers bragging about him! As we were leaving the principal went to get his certificate that he didn't get that morning. He got a presidential award with a gold seal! On the way home he told me doesn't like crowded rooms and going up on to get the awards. I guess I can see that. He wasn't doing anything for the award or the recognition. He knows we are proud of him.

Blue dog

My Blue girl was sick last night. I was up all night, every hour, going back and forth from outside and back in. It was like having a baby again. I really thought she was going to die because she was throwing up white foam and the little bit of food she ate. She was also shaking and pacing and whining a lot. It just broke my heart when she looked at me with those sad brown eyes.



I heard white foam usually meant the dog got ahold of antifreeze. I'm not sure on that but I did pick up a book today on vetrinarian procedures and emergency treatments. So maybe next time I'll be a little better informed. Last night I just did a little googling and ended up giving Blue some Pepto tablets in pieces of hotdog. I also kept trying to get water down her. By 10 am she seemed to stop pacing and gagging and laid down to sleep. During the day today she drank 3 bowls of water. I felt so bad for her. I'm so glad she's okay now.

I was so glad she seemed to be resting okay before my lunch date with my friends. I would have had a hard time leaving her otherwise. She was happy to go snuggle in her kennel though. I had a great time with Cheesy-G and Sp-linda again and Baby A is getting cuter!! I didn't think it was possible! Her mom said she's been keeping her awake all night. I know the feeling! We had a great visit and CG and I hammed it up. Next time I'll have to get SpLinda!





I gave my copy of the Red hat club to CG even though I wasn't quite finished. I knew there was another copy at the literacy council. I went there right after and found a bunch of great books. That's where I got the book on vet care. I also found a good book on sewing and a book called "Ireland" that looks great and a few more poetry books. I was in hog heaven! I love that place. So now I'm reading this huge hard cover version of the Red Hat club and it's a weird shift.

I was coming home just in time to swing by and pick up Jared after school. We had a coffee date. We couldn't go without Blue girl though. They always have a treat for her. She was so happy to see her boy and it was good to see her acting normal again even though she wasn't quite her spunky self.

Oh, Ry got an A on his science project/report! I'm so proud of him!

Burning candles and time

Tomorrow (Monday) I'll be 35 and I know I can't be as smart as my grandmother was at that age. It seems like it has all gone by so fast and my kids are getting so big.

My oldest son, Jared, is almost 13 and seems like an adult already. He's such a helper and I don't know what I could do without him. He certainly helped a lot with Thanksgiving dinner! I have been so busy lately, between working a full time job and trying to take classes, that I don't have as much time as I'd like to spend at home with my boys. The other day, after I had drug myself home after a day of work and class afterward, he asked me if I would make him some soup. He had gotten out the can, the can-opener, the pot, two bowls and two spoons..... I realized he didn't just want me to make him something to eat and I know he wasn't being lazy because he saved me time by getting everything ready. He wanted me to take care of him and he wanted me to eat with him. He does so much to help out voluntarily that I tend to forget he needs to know that I will still do something for him.... even if he could do it himself. He has been so helpful in taking care of his brother and I knew he deserved recognition for that. I bought him a cell phone last Christmas and he has been using it wisely. He spends more minutes taking to me than anyone else and I'll never cut that line. It's so nice to hear him tell me about his day at school but mostly he just wants me to talk to him.

My youngest son, Riley, has been challenging his teachers again. He has to be their biggest challenge! This fussy boy can't sit still and everything hurts his feelings or hurts his ears or is scratchy on his skin. He doesn't like crowded rooms filled with noisy kids and is constantly getting in trouble for trying to get out of such a situation. He wants to be first in line or the last in line and is always clowning around. He's always so emotional and will tell you exactly how you hurt his feelings. I've been reading a lot of parenting books lately and I hope I'll find something to help me figure this boy out. When he's at home he is so sweet. He wants to go for a walk at -24 degrees to look at the moon and what phase it's in or to check out something else in the sky. He can sit at the piano and pick out a tune he heard in school (although he says he doesn't want to take lessons)....A TV commercial comes on playing a jazzy tune and he's say "come on mom, dance with me." He draws like Picasso and sings like an angel. It seems to me that no one sees what I do in this boy. I really think he's going to grow up to be someone special. I wish people wouldn't feel like they need to mold him into their idea of an average kid. The average kid would probably be sitting inside at -24 degrees, not exploring the landscape and commenting on how the snow glitters like white gold when the moon is out.
Riley will be Riley.....and I've got my hands full.

I guess I've accomplished more than I thought in my life. These boys really are something to be proud of. I just feel like I've lost so much time. I should be more educated and should have experienced more. There is so much to see and do. There are people in their 20's that are in positions over my head. I know it's because I had my kids when most where in college. I know I don't regret having my boys when I did and being home with them when they are little but I wish I could get there I want to without feeling like I can't have time for them now.

Well, I'll just keep plugging along and hopefully I'll have a lot more to talk about before I am 40!

Update

I have been very busy lately with my classes so I haven't knit anything new. I did learn how to weave in the ends of my green washcloth and it turned out so nice. I have many knitting projects planned but I can't do much right now since I really need to be concentrating on my classes. I have several gift ideas and I've been using my 40% off coupons to get up a stockpile of yarn. This winter should be very productive!

I'm starting another washcloth called the "Garter Stitch Lace Facecloth". I'm using some yarn I found on clearance at JoAnn's called Bellezza Collection Smania in "Berry Multi". I can't find my size 6 needles right now so I'm using my 7's and not sure I like how loose it is. We'll see if this thing gets very far without getting ripped out.

We had our first snow so now my garden is mush ;O( Now I need to go out there and clean up my beds before we have a snow that sticks.

I joined a new bookclub called Paperback Swap. So far I'm really enjoying it!

My oldest son is doing great in school this year. He tested really high at the end of last year (6th grade) so he will be taking the SAT in September. He may qualify for a scholarship! He could also take some college classes duing the summer if he passes the SAT. He's been working really hard to keep up his grades since I told him I would buy him a laptop ONLY if he gets all A's and no more than 4 B's this year. The more A's the better the computer! He's missed getting in a couple of assignments on time so he's trying to get all the extra credit he can. It's nice to see him try so hard. I'm hoping he will like the recognition he'll get for getting in the honor roll and will keep it up. I can't always buy him something big like that but there will always be upgrades and accessories for the darned thing.

I have a hair appointment on the 10th and I'm thinking about cutting it short again. I'm thinking of doing another Faith Hill haircut.

Someone help me up!

I'm just floored over what happened this weekend.

Friday, I took my son's violin into the music store to get the bridge fixed and while there I checked out the electric guitars they had. I'd been thinking about trading my acoustic in for one. I'd been having such a hard time playing the acoustic. It was very difficult to form the chords and impossible to switch to another after I had it. I figured it just needed a neck adjustment and after talking to the guys there I decided to take it in and let them look at it. They looked the guitar over and said the action was way too high which meant the strings were too high off the fret board. They adjusted the neck but said the bridge also needed sanding down some and said that changing to lighter weight strings would also help. Either way it seemed like a lot of the problem I was having was because of the size of the body and so many of the songs I wanted to play were actually performed on an electric. My husband had also bought me a neat computer program a while back for learning guitar but it was for electric. So I stood there and drooled over these electric guitars.

Actually, there was one guitar in particular that I just loved but I knew it was probably way too expensive. It's smaller so it seems like it would be just perfect for me! Also it was the only one that wasn't black or too crazy looking. It's stained a beautiful teal blue color and has a solid maple neck. I took some pictures with my cell phone to show my husband but I knew he would not be too excited when he heard how much. Also, I had found out the trade-in value for my acoustic was not very much. I told him about it but by bedtime I had decided to just let them fix up my other guitar and stick with that a while longer.

When I woke up the kids said my husband had been called in to work. I didn't think anything of it since he'd also had to work a little the last couple of weekends but I wondered why he didn't wake me up when he left..... and when he came rolling up at only 10:30 am I wondered why he didn't work for very long. He burst in the house all worked up because he said R (younger son) had left his to-go box from Boston's in the back seat of the car. I took off to go get it and it was sitting on top of a black zip-up guitar case with a small amp box (which is amazing for such a little thing!). I almost cried but worked really hard at holding back the tears since I know he hates that. It is soooooooooo beautiful! My camera is still broke (which I will NOT complain about ever again) but I found some pictures of the same guitar on ebay.
I don't have a nice fancy case like this one but you wont hear me complaining. My case is much more portable! This picture just shows the whole guitar very nicely.

Doesn't that color just make you think of beautiful turquoise waters like these?
My husband said the girl at the store recommended this little amp because it has a lot of neat effects, one of them being acoustic. So even though he went ahead and traded in my acoustic I still get the sound when I want it. This amp isn't much bigger than a car battery but it is a lot lighter. I can also put a battery in it and take it with me. He said I could use it to practice in the park. Hmmmmmmmm does that mean he doesn't want to hear me practice???

Sunday so soon

I feel like I've slept all weekend. Actually I have. I went to the doctor about the pain in my back on Friday. She wrote me some scripts to help what she believes is muscle pain. I decided to wait on taking them as I had a date to the ball that night. Actually, it wasn't a ball but a little chamber music and my "date" was really my oldest son (who had no choice in the matter). We heard the Perlman / Schmidt / Bailey Trio play beautifully. Actually Perlman (the pianist)was absent. I don't think she could brave the cold. Instead we heard Simone Dinnerstein and the others play Haydn, Brahms, and Schubert. Dinnerstein was wonderful. My son loved the concert but said it was much too long to sit in those uncomfortable chairs. I agreed.








I was really impressed with the violinist (Giora Schmidt) who didn't show himself at the end, unless I missed him. We were only graced with the presence of Zuill Bailey and his long hair. I do admit he was great at the cello (which is normally my favorite sound) but I've never heard anyone play the violin like Schmidt. J said violinist aren't supposed to play sitting down. I said it looked like violinist could play anyway they chose. Several times as they amazed us I jabbed my son's shoulder to say "You could do that" but he didn't seem so sure. They were selling CD's afterward but I was not very happy with the selection. It was all Bailey. I still ended up with two and Mr. Zuill signed them both.

My son enjoyed the concert put on by the Fairbanks Concert Association and said we should buy season tickets next year. Maybe we will.

After we got home I took the medication and I don't remember a thing that happened afterwards. I'm only just now waking up and in a blink it will be Monday again. Such a shame.

Lonely birthday party

The party was a bust. No one showed. I even sent my oldest out on a secret undercover mission to try to scope out some neighborhood kids. He couldn't find anyone at home. It's just been too cold. No one wants to do anything. What a time of year to have a birthday. I knew it was going to be hard though and had prepared him. Still it was hard to watch him stand at the window and jump every time a car came around the corner..only to drive right past our house. Poor guy.... I think I'll throw him a surprise birthday at the new McDonald's when it opens. Hopefully that will be soon. Hmmmmmmm maybe I'll officially change his his birthday to March. That's a much better time to have a birthday and it's not too close to Christmas!

We still had fun by ourselves though. Dad said it was actually pretty cool that we got to eat the ice cream cake all by ourselves. That got a laugh out of the little man. Than he and his brother had a blow horn battle. They also called Gram. She always seems to make things better.

The oddest thing of the day was the mystery dead fish in his tank. He was all in a panic saying, "which one is it, which one is it" with his eyes scrunched closed. None of his fish are mising. It's a pretty small fish. I'm wondering if his guppies had a baby and we just never noticed.

Another good quote of the day

Google: "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
- George Bernard Shaw"

This is something I strongely believe in. A lot of people like to sit around and complain about their lives. They blame their problems on things that happened in the past. They blame their spouses or their parents or little black rain clouds that follow them around and cause their cars to break down. But don't we all have those problems from time to time? At some point you have to stop whining about your problems and start looking for a solution. Spend that wasted time more wisely and get out there and do something about it.

Of course it takes something big to make a person realize this. Something major or even life threatening like a bolt of lightning to the head or like in my case it just takes a little 8 year old kid to say, "Well mom, why don't you just take your car for a checkup?"

Doh!