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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Convocation. AKA: Nursing Graduation!!!!

From this...  My first day in Clinical as a CNA
 

 

 
 To my first clinical experience as a Nursing Student...
 

 


To this.
 


 
Finally, a Graduate Nurse.
 
Took me a while.  But I finally got here.
 



 
 


 

 

 
 I got to give a speech because I was the President of the Student Nurse Association
 


 
 
 As soon as I have the speech uploaded to youtube I'll post a link.
 
I was so honored to be one of three special students to receive the "Spirit of Nursing" Award:
 


 
 
 I received my LBCC Nursing Pin..
 
 

 
 
 
 And recited the "Nightingale Pledge"
 
 
 
 I solemnly pledge myself before God and the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

Some of my Instructors:
 
Bonnie
 
 
Kim

 
Marcy
 

 
Sheryl

 
Virginia


 

And my friend Jessie
 
 
This is my beautiful, funny, and smart study group:
 
 
And as if this post wasn't already long enough...
 
I give you...
 
My speech:
 
Thank you everyone for coming to our Convocation Ceremony.
You were all invited because someone you know has worked very hard to be here today.
You have seen us study harder than we have ever studied before, been stressed out to levels we didn’t think were possible, and celebrate every passing grade… even the barely passing ones.
I know there is something you are dying to say.
So class, turn around so you can make eye contact with your friends and family that have come to see you today.
Now friends and family repeat after me:  “Congratulations! (repeat)  You did it!  (repeat)”
 
Class, we all know that there is no way we would be here today without the support of our friends and family.
They have gone through this process with us:  holding our hands, washing the dishes, watching our children, wiping away our tears, joining our mini celebrations, a picking up the pieces when we come home feeling defeated.
As a class, there is something we are dying to say.
So class, turn around so you can make eye contact with your friends and family that have come to see you today.
Now class repeat after me:  “Congratulations! (repeat)  YOU did it! (repeat)”
 
Many people use analogies to describe what nursing school is like.
One is that the amount on information we are expected to take in, is like trying to drink the water coming out of a fire hose.
I have heard the clinical experience compared to being taught to swim by being thrown into the deep end of the pool.
 
I think nursing school is like Drivers Ed.
In Drivers Ed we are taught SAFTEY FIRST, and to come to a full stop, always use our turn signal, and always wear a seat belt.  In the skills lab we learned SAFETY FIRST, properly identify your patient, to always go through the 6 rights of medication administration, and remember your ABC’s of priority.
In Drivers Ed we are taught the laws, rules, and regulations of driving.  In NUR 222 we are taught the laws, rules, and regulations of nursing.
In Drivers Ed your instructor sits right there in the passenger seat guiding you along your way.  In Clinical your instructor stands right there next to you guiding you along your way.
In Drivers Ed we practice and practice, thinking of every little step until finally we have done it so much that we coming to a full stop, using our turn signal, looking both ways, and making a turn like its second nature.  In nursing school we practice and practice, until finally we have done it so much that we are checking the IV solution bag, labeling the bag, spiking and hanging the bag, and programming the pump like its second nature.
 
 
After you graduate from Drivers Ed you have to take the test in order to get your license.  The next step for us after graduation is to take the NCLEX before we are given our license.
Once we get our license then life is a highway… and our careers will all go down different roads.
 
A very wise woman named Ms. Virginia Brittson has been known to say,
            “The best thing about being a nurse   ---    is that you get to associate with other nurses.” 
 I have found this to be true.
To be honest class, at first I was intimidated by you.
I looked around on the first day of school realizing how competitive it is to get into the program and knew that I was in a room full of VERY smart people.  On top of that it was also a room full of attractive people, and you were all intimidating.
But then I got to know you… J
What I found out once I knew you was that not only are you guys attractive, and intelligent… but you are also one of the kindest, most caring, and nurturing group of people I have ever had the honor of associating with. 
I am certain that your big hearts are what drew you into a career in nursing. 
It’s what will make you a good nurse, and what makes you a great friend.
 
We live in a world today where evil seems to be more evil than ever.  Terrorist threaten safety at public events, and even our elementary schools.  I am reminded of something Fred Rogers said.
 
Quote:
“When I was a boy I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.’  To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
End Quote.
 
We are the helpers.
We are an unstoppable force for good.
We are a gentle caring hand.
We are an advocate for the vulnerable.
We are a shoulder to cry on.
We are nurses.
 
Because I know all you… in the funny blue outfits,
Because I know what is in your minds,
Because I know what is in your hearts,
Because I know who you are,
And Because I know the fabulous women behind me on this stage,
 
I can say,
I am proud to be a
NURSE.
Congratulations guys….
WE DID IT!!!!

 

 

 


Freckle Tooth

 
At the pool last week a little kid kept staring at The Brain and asking,
"What's wrong with your face?"
 
The mom apologized for her kid and said he had never seen anyone with freckles before.
 
This pic was taken at Breakfast the morning of my Graduation.
 
This kid's got freckles EVERYWHERE!  ;)

Snake's Graduation

 Here is The Snake, graduating from Kindergarten.
 
His teacher Mrs. Corder, is telling the audience that The Snake wants to be a Police Officer when he grows up.
 
I'm not sure where that vocational choice came from but it was interesting that all the little girls are going to be teachers, and all the little boys are going to be cops...
hmm.....
 
 
Is there anything cuter than a Kindergartner in a home-made graduation cap???
 
I think not.
 
 
 
On to bigger and more challenging things like
 
AN ACTUAL, ENTIRE, FULL DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!
 
If you can't tell, I don't like 1/2 day kindergarten.
 
Anyways... Now he's a big kid!  A FIRST GRADER!

Spelling Bee Champ

 After winning the school Spelling Bee, The Brain got to represent Sunrise Elementary at the District Spelling Bee.
 
It was held at the middle school and there two representatives from each of the 14 elementary schools.
 
 
We were told that the first and second place winners get to go to the regional Spelling Bee. 
The third place winner is an alternate and will go in place of the first or second if they can't go.
 
The kids were given pen and paper and asked to write each of the 20 words that were given.
 
They were asked to spell word like:
 
aquifer
column
graphics
...
(those are the only ones I can remember)
 
After the papers were graded the winners were announced.
 
The first announcement was third place. 
 
WHICH WENT TO THE BRAIN!!!
 
To see his reaction to this news watch this video, it's within the first few seconds:
 
http://youtu.be/dPsFYPMSDKM

As we were walking home I asked The Brain how he felt. 
 
He said, "Proud."
 
I'm proud of you too little buddy!
 



Monday, June 10, 2013

Worst Day To Be Sick


 Today....
 
The Snake, HB, and I should be here:



Riding the log ride...


Bouncing on the Frog Hopper...
 
Not to mention the bumper boats, the roller coaster, the carnival food... people
 
The Carnival Food!
 
But no, today we are here... doing this:
 
 
He has a terrible "barking" cough. 
 
We spent the night going from the steamy bathroom, to the cool outdoor air, then back to bed for hopefully an hour of sleep before he woke up and we were back at it.
 
When the sun rose the Snake said, "Mom!  What time is it?  I've got to get ready for the field trip!"
 
It nearly broke my heart to tell him he was too sick to go.
 
His life is ruined.
 
Worst.  Day.  Ever.


Saturday, June 8, 2013

Lemon Trees

 
During Christmas Break I decided to sprout the seeds of a lemon from my kitchen.  Aren't they cute little guys?!?!?
 


 
Here they are in their new home.
 
 
 
You can't see them yet... but it didn't take long before:
 
 
How exciting is this?!?!  The boys and I had so much fun watching the little lemon dudes grow.
 
 
Grow lemon dudes!  Grow!
 
 
They got very tall and very crowded so we replanted them today.
 
 
Three lemon trees....
 
 
For three lucky teachers.
 
Next week of is the last week of school.  Each teacher will get a lemon tree with a tag saying:
"Thank you for helping my brain grow this year.
Have a Super Sour Summer!"
 


A lesson on Grace


Mr. Sticky Fingers spent most of the day on April 7, 2013 TRYING to eat a Burrito.  I had several reasons why I was determined to make him eat that burrito:

 
1) It was healthy and good for him.

 
2) We don't have $ $ $ to waste on good food.

 
3) I want him to learn that he can do hard things.

 
Also
~food is not just for our enjoyment/entertainment and sometimes we need to eat things that are not tasty.

 
We started our lunch at the beginning of the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference(to learn more click here).  Fingers took two bites then spent the next two hours (the whole of conference) staring at his burrito.  So I told him he could get down from the table and eat the burrito for dinner.

 
Later at dinner he was able to muscle down half the burrito..
... out of pure starvation, I am sure.

There were many tears.

"I just can't do it," he kept pleading.  I would assure him that he could.  I felt the grid lock of mine and Finger's opposing will.  I wanted him to learn a lesson, the reasons as previously stated, but felt the only thing he was learning is that "if I just wait her out Mom will surely back down" or "I will never eat anything again the rest of my short life."

 
At 8:00 p.m. (3 hours after dinner began) Fingers came into my room. At this point I was exhausted from our battle and so was he.  he came to me with an idea.

"Mom, you don't want to waste the burrito right?  So why can't someone else eat it for me?"

 
LIGHT BULB!!!

 
TEACHING OPPORTUNITY!

 
Me: "So, you have done all that you can? 

You cannot possibly finish the task that you are required to do?

You need a Savior to come in and do the rest that you can't do..."

At this point I was hoping he would catch on to what I was referring to... but his light bulb wasn't on yet, so I continued:

 
"This is just like what Jesus Christ did for us with the Atonement.  We come to earth and make mistakes, this makes it so we can't go back to live with Heavenly Father because we aren't perfect and clean.  We need a Savior to do the rest that we can't do so that we aren't dammed to sit at the table the rest of eternity... staring at a nasty burrito."

 
A trickle of understanding came across his face.  I told him I would eat the rest of his burrito then he would be free to eat something else to satiate his hunger.

 
After I ate the burrito and before he took his first bite of his bless-ed banana muffin he looked me in the eyes and said,

 
"Thank you."

 
It felt amazing.  I thought had just earned a gold star in parenting.

Then Honey Bear (HB) came into the Kitchen and said, "Fingers!  You did it!  You ate the burrito!"

 
"No," I said.  "I did."

 
HB was confused so I told Fingers to explain to HB what he learned.

 
Fingers said, "I don't know... something about A.... A.... atonement????"

 
HB: "What is the atonement?"

 
Fingers: "I don't know."

 
Crestfallen, I went to bed. 

 
Take my gold star away. 

 
The boy learned nothing.

 
Oh well... I tried.  That better count for something.

 
That's all I've got.

Family Photo Shoot, March 2013