news in brief

let's get physical: the day after i was offered the position, the hospital called to schedule my physical, orientation and pca (patient care associate) training. i wasn't home to accept the call, so i called back and today is my physical. instead of going to orientation once a week beginning the 9th of january x three weeks (9, 16, 23), i go to pca training january 4, 5, 6 and orientation on 9, 10 and get put on the schedule and on the floor to follow another o.b. tech immediately (!!) so what began as a verrry slooow process has now been put into fast-forward motion. i am excited and nervous, but know God would not have brought me this far had i not continuously submitted it in prayer to Him. since He is in control and i am not, i imagine things will go smoothly.

i just am a bit nervous about the drug test.

(i am kidding.)


finals thought: i have my finals next thursday. i am not nervous because it is (1) open book, (2) open notes, (3) okay to bring your outline with you, and, in fact, (4) okay to bring your entire paper written out, but it has to be rewritten on campus. (??) professor said, "i am not interested in you failing your final. i am interested in your very best work." my husband's algebra final is along the same lines...is this how it is in college? how can you possibly fail, in all seriousness, if you can bring everything but the kitchen sink with you (and even that...) am i missing something because i don't understand this. isn't it supposed to be about what you learned and apply it during a test?

or is it about what you write down in your notes?

give us a k.i.s.s.: i started Christmas shopping yesterday. kids are older, list is much smaller, ticket items much larger in price. i am suffering from sticker shock and am hopeful i will recover by the time i head out for a couple of hours this morning and that what i experienced yesterday will not have an effect on my blood pressure at my testing this morning.

i have to share that my children no longer write out by hand their lists - they type them up on the computer, complete with cool fonts and graphics. quite a feast for the eyes, actually. and because they type, they have much more to say. for instance, max's:

i know my birthday is a few days after Christmas, so this year, i wanna K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Shawty).

he goes on to state:

1. iPod. (nothing fancy, no video/picture, no iPod nano, just plain regular iPod).

you would think that was good, keeping is simple, shawty. but then he added

(if they don't have them, i heard actually that the iPod nanos are actually cheaper than the original. intriguing.)

for whatever reason, that cracked me up. he's pretty good with the subtleties. intriguing :)

molly's list is rather simple: digital camera, uggs. right there: $250. okay. i have three children, nieces and nephews to buy for yet, employees to help out, and on and on. her list is about 10 items long, but on one item it says "clothes: old navy, pete's, aeropostale, delia's..." and on. and on. and on.

i cannot write what i have gotten because someone (MAX) has been reading his mama's blog (MAX) so i have to be careful here about what i say, but i spent a great amount of money yesterday and while i had a few bags to show for it, i remember the days at toys-r-us and two carts-ful when we were done at about half the price.

how do you keep things at a minimum? molly and i started in september making ceramics for family & close friends and that has helped a ton because you pay as you go...so my in-laws are all taken care of and i didn't *feel* it so much. i felt it yesterday and while i want to provide what i can for my children, we also provide for them with special things throughout the year.

so. tell me -- how do you k.i.s.s.?