Colin's Pre-K Orientation

Because Colin turns 5 4 days after the state kindergarten cutoff, he will not start kindergarten this year. He has to wait until next year. I was going to try enrolling him in the states pre-k lottery system (your kid isn't guaranteed a spot in pre-k). But because I didn't know which hospital I would be working at (and figured I would have taken and passed the NCLEX by now) I did not even apply for the state's pre-k program.

But imagine my surprise when I got word that our church was starting their own pre-k (non-lottery funded)!!! I was SO excited! Plus if I have my way, Colin will be brought up in private schools. I just find it so important that Colin gets a good education, especially with a Christian foundation.

Colin is a very shy boy, especially around girls. So he didn't like the idea of starting pre-k this year. He loves staying home. But tonight we took him to the orientation at the church. We didn't tell him where we were going, but when we were there we told him. By then he was already curious. When we got there he was excited to see lots of kids that "looked like him" (ie 4 year olds).

They took the kids to their classrooms to check things out while they talked to us. He didn't mind at all! He wanted to go! No fit or anything! And he was one of the best behaved kids! I was so proud of my big man.

So he starts pre-k next Monday and Cody starts 8th grade Monday too. Because the school system will not be providing bus transportation this year I will take Cody to school in time for class at 830 and Colin at 900. They will be in 2 separate county school systems, but both schools are on the line. So it's not a bad drive at all.

I'm so excited!

Colin taught us everything he learned in class tonight (about bullying, teasing, misbehaving, etc). He remembered SO much! I hope he's that way in school :-)

16 and Pregnant on MTV

Because I was a teen mother myself, I have a special place in my heart to teen mothers who bust their butt in life trying hard to do right by their children. I especially applaud teen fathers who stick around, even when times are tough and scary. I was fortunate to have a boyfriend (who later became my husband after graduation) who stuck around and helped to care for his son. We both worked and went to school and graduated high school with a diploma. Even today, although we are divorced and living many states away, he still maintains a close relationship with his son. Although we aren't in love, we are still friends and that has worked quite well. I'm blessed to have a husband who is understanding of the situation, has also stepped up to the plate from day one, and raises our son as his own (& has a great rapport with my ex-husband!)

Someday, when I am a midwife, I would LOVE to open a clinic focused at teen parents. I want to be able to find ways to get them through high school and to find employment. It can happen for ambitious teen parents who are willing to work for it and not give up, but just lack the resources. I can't wait to make it happen!!

Anyways. So I enjoy hearing about other teen parents, and that's why I watch "16 & Pregnant" on MTV. I was especially touched by the season finale couple, Caitlynn and Tyler. If you haven't seen this episode, please watch it before continuing on because I have some major spoilers.

If the video doesn't work, go to YouTube.com and type in "16 and pregnant caitlynn"

***EDIT UPDATE: MTV has been having issues with this video so I went ahead and deleted it. I suggest Youtube for searching for the video***

Ok, with that being said (& seen) let me say a few things about this couple.

First of all, aren't they gorgeous! This is one couple I hope stays together. They are about as close to soul mates as you can get.

Second, I don't know of many adults, much less teenagers, that can make the decision they made and stay strong enough to live with it. I applaud them for not resorting to abortion, which personally is just NOT an option. It's too bad that people have them. Tyler is right, love isn't all a baby needs. If it was, they would raise the most perfectly happy baby. There's no doubt in my mind they love their baby. And they did THE most unselfish thing and put their feelings aside and gave the gift of life, essentially, to a very wonderful family. I admire Brandon & Teresa as well. They seem to be a very good couple and individuals.

I'll just say, I cried my eyes out! I even got Marty to watch it with me and he cried. He agrees, they are phenomenal kids. I can't wait to see the Finale Special show that they have scheduled for this week with Dr Drew. All of the kids from this season are getting together to talk with him. And the preview showed Brandon and Teresa coming with baby Carly to visit with Caitlynn and Tyler! Oh man, I started crying just seeing that!!

I'm SO not into reality shows, but this one really stole my heart. I hope that teens are able to see this show and realize while they still can that birth control is something they should take very seriously. Yeah, like I have room to talk... I DO! I've been there! Although I consider my situation to have a happy ending and if I could relive my life I would live it exactly the same way (probably speak up when I'm done wrong more though LOL), not everyone else ends up like this. It's always best to hold off until you are at least out of high school.

Semester 2 Clinical Day 1

Up before God at 5 in the AM, trying to clear my contact lenses of sleep gook while I apply black liquid eye liner, hair flying around every which way, my mind focusing on the traffic report on the early morning local news (11 Alive), one leg in my uniform pants, other hand buttoning up my uniform shirt, all while holding back a gallon of pee! Yep, that's how my clinical mornings start. I take my shower the night before, although I'm normally a "don't go anywhere until I have my shower" kind of person. Good thing I prepare my clinical bag the night before. I throw my hair back in a scrunchie and run out the door.

My eyes haven't even started working yet.

Ok, it's before 6 AM and I'm night blind. I hop in my car only to discover the power steering is acting up again. Damnit. I stop by McDonalds before I hit the interstate. I need a coke and a Southern Chicken biscuit. Just enough caffeine and saturated fat to give me a heart attack right as I arrive to the hospital. Ok, let's hope not at least.

I get on the interstate. There are two kinds of people on Atlanta's highways before 6 am. People who aren't awake yet and people who aren't awake yet and are still dreaming that they are racing in the Piston Cup with Lightening McQueen. I am wedged in with 3 sleepers in front of me and to either side. Lightening McQueen is driving behind me in his SUV with his brights directly in my rear view shifting to the left mirror... then to the right mirror... Maybe I'll install a disco ball so next time one of these idiots are behind me their brights create quite the display all over the interstate. I can't go anywhere dickhead. Pick another lane to bully.

Then I hit Panola Rd. That's where people start dozing off again and traffic grinds to a 10 mph halt. 80 to 10 in 1.4 seconds. Not bad. Now I have time to eat breakfast. I really should consider packing a Thermos full of black coffee and purchase a crotch rocket. ZOOOOM!

I 20 turns into 285 soon enough. I speed through the merging curve and SLAM ON MY BRAKES AGAIN. Traffic. Shit. Atlanta drivers are absolutely mesmorized by blue flashing lights. After pacing at 5 mph that my car barely measures for a mile I pass the pretty blue lights. Ahhhhhhhh. Traffic suddenly speeds up again. VRRRRRRRRRRROOOOM!

I'm going at a steady 70 until Church St. This is a bonehead exit. There's high concrete walls on both sides and no visibility until you are already in the middle of the road, which at this point you might as well just chance it.

My next 5 minutes are uneventful. I arrive at the hospital, park, run into a classmate and we run our way in to the hospital with our 90 pound clinical bags. Good thing I went to boot camp and did 10 years in the military. Oh wait. I didn't. Well, we survive the dash and arrive at the elevators. Ok. Let me tell you something. The elevators at Dekalb Medical have codes this early in the morning. You have to hit the "Up" button 49 times. Pause 1 minute. Then hit "Up" another 93 times. Keep count because if you lose track you have to start all over again. Then wait. 2 minutes later... PROMPTLY... the elevator doors open. I think the elevator was there the whole time laughing at us.

The elevator doors close and I completely forget to select the floor I'm going to. I'm surprised it didn't just take me to a random floor. I probably would have got off the elevator too. I'm so not awake. I hit "4" and up we go. The ride is so shaky I start thinking of survival techniques I can use once the elevator cord snaps and we go plunging.

We arrive at the Med Surg floor. We get off. We drag our way down to the conference room for pre-conference. Open the door. Damnit! It's 103 degrees in here! Paint it with Acetaminophen and break the fever holy crap it's hot in here! *sigh* Just cause it's 30 degrees outside doesn't mean you have to turn the ac off in the hospital.

I sit through our pre-conference in the hospital sauna. Every so often I have to add water to the steamer so our skin stays hydrated. I get my patient assignment, but our computer passwords aren't working, so I have to look at the PAPER chart. Yeah primitive. He's 83 with sepsis and colon cancer. Brought in with a BP of 93/42 P 104 RR 22 T 102.3 He's a sick man. I go in his room to introduce myself and the nurse is trying to get ABG's on him. It's painful for him and it doesn't help that she can't find his artery. There's a student nurse from Georgia Baptists Resp Therapy program in the room.

Ok, that brings me to something else. Nursing students from other schools. Do they feel that students from GPC are threats or what? They are SO hostile towards us. Shoot, the way I see it we all have the same interest and we are all coming out as RN's. Why the *(&$ can't we all just get along? I've never had to deal with a student from another school until today and I'm not happy. They have a serious chip on their shoulder! I stood back and watched. We are taught to never pass up on the opportunity to watch and learn. I've never seen a nurse going for ABG's so I watched and casually introduced myself to the patient to "distract" him. Got a smile out of him at least. That's when the other student stepped back. The patient asked if she was scared of blood and she said "No, blood doesn't bother me. I'm trying not to hover. I don't like it when people hover." I KNOW she wasn't talking about me.

After watching an unsuccessful attempt at an ABG collection I go back to the PAPER chart. I collect the data I need to make my diagnosis and care plan and I go back to the conference room we took residency in. I'm sitting at one of the computers looking up some lab values with an RN to my left doing her thing. Next to her are 2 student nurses from Georgia State's Resp School. The same school Miss Thang came from. One girl, probably 18 and fresh out of high school, is talking to the other student talking non stop about every pathetic detail of her pampered life. YAWWWWN! Then she started talking about alllllll the schools she looked into before attending Georgia State. Then she said "I looked into Georgia Perimeter but I just couldn't see getting my associate's degree." She was so ugly in her tone of voice. I know she saw my badge and I know she saw I was from GPC. I turned around to look at her and the nurse next to me did too. Then the nurse turned and looked at me and rolled her eyes. Yeah, this girl sounded pathetic. This is my 4th month at Dekalb and I have never once encountered anyone who had a problem with GPC. Guess this group just needs a mild slap in the face. Maybe tie them to a chair with IV tubing? Hang the chair from the ceiling with Foley catheter tubes?

Ok, outta sight outta mind eh?

Later on I go back to check on my patient again and he's resting comfortably. I'll let him rest. Poor man got tore up by those other students LOL I'll be extra nice to him later on. I know it's hard to find an artery and I know it's painful. But they were downright mean to him. You can be ugly to me all you want. All I care about is me. I just want to pass and get a good job to give my family a nice life and to live out my dream. But don't be ugly to my patient. They don't deserve it. And he was actually a real nice man.

After completing my paperwork I came back to see how he was doing. It was time for him to eat lunch. Because he had a spinal cord injury at home time he was weak on one side. He also has Parkinson's and shakes real bad. So he needs someone to help him eat. This morning he didn't keep his breakfast down. So I repositioned him and got him comfortable. I raised the head of his bed. He has to eat through a straw, except for his pudding. He had vanilla pudding and potato soup. The soup was still hot so I offered the pudding to him. Because he was so sick earlier I got him to take things slowly. We just got to talking and having a great time. He was so nice. We talked about everything from American Idol to World War 2 and which were the best jobs in the Navy. Older people have lived alot in their lives and have great stories to tell. Sometimes you just need to stop and listen.

Then his wife came to visit and boy did she look at me like I was "the other woman". LOL it was so funny. I introduced myself and allowed her to continue feeding him. Good thing too because once I left his room my instructor said we could leave for the day. YAY!!!!!!

I came home and took a 4 hour nap LOL Now it's after 10:00 pm and I can't sleep!!!! Well, I have lots of paperwork to do on my patient. I'll do that. It always makes me drowsy to do paperwork.

MWWWWWWWWWWWAH!

Brown Decision Papers - US History Class Assignment

The Brown Decision Papers were a collection of the decisions made by the Supreme Court in 1954 (Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka) and of individual students affected by these decisions. The Supreme Court ruled that the previous Court’s decision (Plessy vs Ferguson 1896) of “Separate But Equal” educational facilities for African American’s was unconstitutional.

Document 1 describes the reasoning behind the Court’s decision. They felt that a child cannot obtain an equal education when denied the opportunity to attend public schools with other children, simply because of their skin color. An African American, provided he is equal physically and mentally, is no different than any other child and should be afforded the same opportunities educationally. Attending a separate school would not be considered equal.

In the Papers, several African American children give their views on receiving an education in desegregated schools. One child felt that you were able to learn more and participate in sports. At that time, although he was on the team, he wasn’t able to participate in all games because of the outrage of the people within the community. Although this was completely wrong and unfair, he was just excited to have the opportunity to play when we could. This was something he wasn’t able to do in segregated schools.

Another girl gives a description of how she felt more “normal”. She was accepted by most of her peers as a person, rather than a “Negro”. In her particular situation, she was not able to participate in the sports. The camps that the children attended were still segregated.

A girl in the Deep South in May 1966 rode to school with five other children and several reporters. Upon arriving at the school, one of the reporters was assaulted by someone from the waiting crowd. When the children got off of the bus, the principal told them that the school was full and they could not attend that school. He claimed that the school would be in violation of the fire code. The children later came back with a court order to find themselves alone. Fortunately, they finished out the school year and graduated.

Unfortunately, even though the Court ruled for desegregation, there were still many white southerners angry over the decision. In March 1956, the Southern Manifesto on Integration was written and signed by over 100 members of Congress. They felt as though the Constitution never granted education and the Supreme Court overstepped their boundaries by making the ruling as they did. They were very determined to have the ruling overturned.

The problem with the Court’s decision is that often it was not enforced. The children were forced to fend for themselves when attending school. No one was there to defend them. They were called names, treated badly, and shut out.

The treatment that some of them had to endure was beyond absurd and uncalled for. But because of their perseverance and determination many of these children found themselves with the education they so badly desired. The Brown Decision proved to be the most important decision made by the Supreme Court for countless numbers of African Americans throughout the United States.

Wow...where have I been?

It's been awhile! Well, I'm hope today with strep throat. It's really knocked the heck out of me. Working full-time, going to school full-time, taking care of two kids and a husband...yeah I'm busy

Totalled the Camry. Damn I loved that car. Some woman in an SUV hit me full speed on my way to work. Boy was I sore for a few days. The doctor thought I cracked some ribs and broke my arm, but fortunately I didn't. Just really bruised up from head to toe.

Ok, I'm going back to bed... get some sleep while I still can...

School Vouchers should be used in Georgia’s Schools - Writing Essay

School Vouchers should be used in Georgia’s Schools

As the parent of an elementary school age child, I find myself with a wealth of concerns regarding my child’s education. Will he receive an education competitive with other schools in the area? Is his school safe? The deplorable spread of drug-use, crime, and promiscuity in public schools means that my child is exposed to an environment that is anything but conductive to his education. Does the school share the same concerns that I do, as a parent? If the answer is no, then my only other options are sending him to a private school, which I cannot afford; or to have him home schooled, which isn’t feasible given the fact that my husband and I both work full-time and I also attend college. So what am I left with? Nothing. But if school vouchers were used in the State of Georgia, there would be one more option available to me that could more realistically be utilized that would benefit our whole family, and many other Georgians.

There is a large degree of controversy surrounding school vouchers. Much of the controversy arises from individuals worried that it will force atheist children, for example, to be exposed to a religious education. Or that it would put more favoritism on religious private schools. This is not the case however. Although, attending a religious school would still be an option, it is not the only one. Traditional schools still exist. School vouchers would create a competitive environment, much like the retail market in the United States.

Take for example Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, and a Christian bookstore. You can find a book at all three of these stores. You have the right to choose where you want to purchase your book. You can purchase a book from a limited, but lower priced selection at Wal-Mart. But you might not get exactly what you are looking for, therefore the money you spent on a lower priced novel was a waste. The Christian bookstore is still an option, but for the sake of argument let’s say that what you are looking for isn’t a book with a religious theme. Because you are free to choose you do not have to purchase your book there. Based on what you know about Barnes & Noble you decide to purchase a book there. It offers the wide selection that you are looking for, and doesn’t subject you to anything you do not believe in. This is similar to how the educational system would work under the school voucher system. You can take your money and apply it to the school that is most fit for your child’s education.

Competition is another parallel between the school voucher system and the retail market. Great customer service and products that are safe and reliable tend to be successful in the United States. Why should a child’s education be any different? If schools had to compete with every other school in any given area for higher enrollment, and subsequently higher revenue, the result would be a better education available to all children. Not just minorities, not just Christians, not just the upper class. All children. I don’t see the prejudice in that. What I see is a more successful educational system across Georgia, and the United States, producing higher-achieving, more intelligent individuals entering adulthood.

With the freedom to choose which school your child attends, also comes the freedom to live where you see fit. How many times, during a new home search, do people inquire about the school system? What if the perfect home in a perfect neighborhood comes along with the perfect price? Do you turn away from this dream because the school system is substandard? With school voucher system, you are free to live wherever you want, without the concerns of whether or not the closest school is right for your child. From my own personal experience, this makes purchasing a new home much easier. During my own new home search, I was appalled at the limited area I had to work with to keep my child in a particular school district. But just a mile away was the “perfect house” in a worse school district.

Vouchers are not about handouts for the poor, or even for the rich. It is about opening the doors to more educational opportunities. Some private schools may find that they have to raise tuition costs to offset any possible spike in enrollment, but they have that right. With the increase in competition with private schools, public schools will need to increase the quality of the education being given to children. For families on the lower end of the income spectrum it means a decent education, once only offered from private schools. Under the current system, public schools do not have much incentive to raise test scores or to provide a better learning environment. They only do enough to pass, as an entire school, the minimum guidelines set forth by the state. But given competition and an incentive to higher enrollment, higher revenue, and possibly even higher pay, you will find a surge in their efforts. Very similar to the way that states across the United States work to move to the top of the list when it comes to standardized test scores. Private schools will not be the only option parents have for their children’s higher education. It can be provided by public schools whom step up their efforts. As opposed to the system today, where your child often receives a substandard education and there isn’t much say you have in the matter.

They say that children are our future. If we, as a country, expect to move to the front of the line in a world full of ever increasingly more intelligent individuals, we need to make a change with our own educational system. Funneling more and more dollars to failing schools is not the answer for all American children. I believe that a more competitive educational environment is the first, and most productive step, in the right direction. All families should have the right to select which school their child attends, based on their own educational goals, personal values, and beliefs. School vouchers provide just that. A step in the right direction.