Sunday, October 24, 2010

Break

Was so relieved to have finals completed.  Got home from the last two on Wednesday and had to rest.  Slept 4 hours!  Super tired.  Was happy to see the final grades for Sys Path and Rad II on Thursday:  C and B, respectively.

Not worrying right now about how my financial aid will pan out for this next term as the house is foremost on our minds.  We have been working as hard and long as we can, in spite of the rain Friday night, Saturday, and this morning.  Wednesday, Jon tore off the aluminum siding.  Since, we've been working on prepping the siding with primer, we got the blow-in cellulose insulation put into the walls and Jon and our neighbor Doug have been putting up 1" fomular board (more insulation!).  It will be so much quieter once the work is done.

Jon and I have been discussing paint colors for the house.  I would like a medium to darker blue color with a charcoal gray trim.  The windows' trim is painted white and we will paint our front door white, too.  Our door is at:  http://www.pella.com/doors/explore-door-styles/features-and-options.aspx?PCode=SEDGFUL&PType=door#/exteriorpanelfinish/  Our windows have both the top and bottom panes with the 9-light prairie grilles:  http://www.pella.com/windows/explore-window-styles/features-and-options.aspx?PCode=ASDHW&StyleID=3&PType=window#/hardware/  These are the same we already put in our dining room renovation over a year ago and they are beautiful.  I'm so excited to see the house coming together and really looking forward to lower heating bills this winter.  Our old windows are horribly drafty, so the new windows & insulation will really make a big difference to us.

I've been really tired from all the physical labor of blowing in the insulation and doing whatever little jobs Jon delegates to me, plus keeping up with feeding everyone, laundry (to keep us in paint/work clothes), and cleaning up the messes that are created in the house from the work outside.  Pieces of plaster and plaster dust are all along the walls where there has been nailing and pounding going on.  I love Jon's shopvac.  What a useful tool!  It really sucks!  :)  Big chunks of stuff, too!

Last night, we took time out from our reno to spend time having dinner with our friends Paul and Sharon.  Sharon made a fabulous vegetarian dinner for us.  Was great to catch up with them a bit.  We also planned an overnight trip to Galena, IL, in November and are really looking forward to showing them the wonderful town.  Will be fun to hang with them there.

Time to get lunch and clean up Lani's room afterward (with that awesome shopvac!).

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Finals. Nearly Finished.

Thank goodness that I have only two finals left, first thing, back-to-back, tomorrow morning.  Really looking forward to being DONE.

So far, from the grades that are posted, I've passed Toggle (I was so worried about that one! And the test was a booger!), Nutrition (My best grade.  Yea!), Public Health (Did better than I thought I would), and Renal Physiology (Did better on that one than I thought I could, too.).  So I'm currently at one A, two B's, and one C. 

Grades for PNS will be posted tomorrow...really hoping I did well enough to pass.  Praying for a curve that includes me in the passing portion of the class.  The test was hard, especially the regular multiple choice section.  I really struggled with about 6 of the questions.  The only way I could pass the class was if I missed 3 points or less (each question is worth only 1/2 point), provided he does NOT decide to curve the class (although half the class went into the final failing, so I'm hoping for a curve).  With a curve, I have a greater possibility of passing.  When I got to my car, I looked up the diagram for the ear that was on the test and found I'd labeled 3 things in reverse.  I could remember a smaller cutaway and thought I was applying it correctly to the larger diagram, but I was not.  So that was really distressing to discover.  That's a possible 9 missed questions right there.  So I'm very nervous to go see the posted grade tomorrow.  I might not look.  I might have Jon check it next time he's on campus so I don't have an anxiety attack.  Wow, it is getting me a little uptight right now just considering it.

Took the Renal exam this morning and stayed up late studying (to 11ish, which is now late for me) AND got up early to review some more.  Left the house early this morning (THAT never happens!) so I could get to the testing center and study some more before the test.  Was nice to arrive early and review a bit more.  So glad I spent all the time on it that I did.  I'm sure that helped get me the better grade than I was expecting.

Came home and was just so tired.  Have been studying so much and not keeping my regular sleep schedule.  Studied Rad II for about two hours, until about 11:00 am, and then decided I needed to rest.  Planned to only sleep for about 1 1/2 hours, but could not get up when the time was up.  Reset my cellphone alarm and went back to sleep until 3!  Obviously, I needed some sleep!  Got about two hours of study time in until I had to go pick up Lani from daycare.  She fell asleep in the car.  No nap for her today at school.  I had planned to drop her to my parents so I could have some more quiet study time, but since she was asleep, brought her home.  She slept in my arms as I talked with my old neighbor & long-time friend, Paul, who was stopping by his now-rental house to check on something.  We caught up and he checked out the work Jon was doing: pulling the siding off the house.  We took delivery last week of our new windows and front entry door, and Jon is prepping the house for us to begin window installation and new siding in the next week during our "break" from Palmer.  "Break" is not really what it is for us this time!

I got Lani settled in with a movie, "The Velveteen Rabbit" and prepared some organic mac-n-cheese (doctored with some sweet potato puree-yum!) and peas for her dinner.  She was very whiny and told me her tummy hurt.  She wanted me to "rub it."  When my kids have had tummy aches that I suspect may be due to constipation, I massage their abdomens in a clockwise motion to help move things along.  Lani's iron was low at last week's WIC visit (was only 9.8 and bottom of range is 11 & her previous visit 6 months ago was the same), so I started her on a liquid children's iron supplement this morning.  Iron supplements are notorious for causing constipation, so I may have to start giving her the supplement in juice (which she hardly ever gets!) or just making sure she drinks more water.  She already has plenty of actual fruit and veggies in her diet, so the fiber is not the issue.

She ate and made a huge mess.  Was crying and upset when I went in to clean her up.  Got her a bath right away and Jon got her ready for bed.  He tucked her in and after I dealt with a "wardrobe issue"--she didn't like the footed pj's she was wearing and had unzipped them and asked me to rub her tummy again, so I put on some really soft fleece pj's without feet, that I found at a garage sale last Saturday, and that made her more comfy.  Covered her back up and she was asleep very quickly.  I hope she is feeling better in the morning.

I love garage sales!  My mom and I went last Saturday.  I needed a break from studying and have been finding that Lani's t-shirts are a little short (she has a long torso like her daddy).  Didn't find any t-shirts.  Found other great stuff, however.  A beautiful pair of earrings that are signed by the artist on the back and have real semi-precious stones, an Abercrombie & Fitch shirt that I saw at the store last year and liked, but wouldn't pay that much for (was a steal at $2 at the garage sale!), a Gymboree winter coat for Lani, two sets of pj's for her, some long-sleeved t-shirts  and stretch pants for Lani, some Thomas the Tank Engine pieces for her collection, a Melissa & Doug wooden "paperdoll" set where you dress the dolls in clothes (there is a magnetic component that makes the clothes stay on), many little books for Lani, and my favorite: a Melissa & Doug wooden Noah's ark with animals for Lani.  I have wanted a wooden Noah's ark for Lani since before she was born and couldn't find one that was reasonable and kid-friendly.  Got this one for $10, which was high for a garage sale, but I'm thinking it probably cost at least $50 new, so was still an excellent deal.  Very happy with it and Lani loves playing with the animals.  Two days before, I had stopped at a garage sale and bought a Hurley sweater hoodie for me (only $3!).  It is oatmeal-colored and looks great with my Uggs.  Warm and comfy, too.

Dartagnan went to the freshman football game at the high school tonight.  Gabe, his cousin, was playing.  It was an exciting game and Gabe made a touchdown, so that was really wonderful because it was the last game they play this season.  I bet his mom, Tonya, my cousin, was proud of him.

Once Lani laid down, Jon and I had some leftover curry and chili for dinner.  He quizzed me on Sys Path, which is my first final tomorrow morning.  That was good.  Helped.  I still need to study/review for that class more.  I feel better about it than I do Rad II and because I did so badly on the 2nd exam in Rad II, it is imperative that I do well on the final so I can pass.  Classes that are considered to be essential to chiropractic are graded on a higher scale than foundational courses.  Rad II has the higher grading scale, so you have to do better in it to get a good grade. 

So, now that I've taken a little break from studying, I think I'll get back on it, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to last until 11 tonight and I' pretty sure I'll be waking up early (between 4:30 and 5:00) to get some more reviewing in before the tests.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Countdown Begins...

OK, Finals begin Friday. Trying to not get too nervous, but definitely have a lot to do today to feel more prepared. Will be working on Nutrition and Public Health today because those are the Friday finals. Too make things just a tad more stressful, we'll be leaving for Peoria as soon as we finish our Friday finals because we have a family reunion on Jon's mom's side of the family to attend that day!

Yesterday, Jon and Dartagnan worked hard on the patio and have half of the bricks laid. They are doing a fantastic job. Jon's hips and back are really bothering him, though, from the standing, squatting, leaning, standing, etc. Today, to make this a little better, Dartagnan is stacking bricks next to where Jon will be placing them, so he doesn't have to get up every 2 bricks to go get 2 more to bring back to place. Once all the bricks are placed, then Jon will be working on the perimeter, which will be limestone set in a thin bed of concrete to help shore up the deck so it doesn't spread out over time. Once that is complete, then Jon will fill in the spaces between the bricks with sand. I'm hoping we have no rain until the patio is completely done, so that it doesn't settle or move the bricks from where they have so painstakingly been set.

Our friend Julie (a weight-lifting champion) helped Jon and Dartagnan on Friday afternoon. Jon had rented a plate compacter and got the first layer of gravel for the patio compacted. Julie and D helped get the second layer of gravel down so it could be compacted and that was completed Friday night. She helped Jon load the heavy & awkward compacter back into our van and he was able to get it returned Friday night, so one less thing to do on Saturday morning. We really appreciated her help!

I got laundry (3 loads!) done yesterday and have one in now. Made an egg bake for a late brunch since we went to the 8:00 am service & didn't eat breakfast before we went. Was really yummy with the leftover potatoes O'Brien I made a few days ago. Also made my signature smoothie, below.

Kristi's Signature Smoothie:
Makes about 4 servings
(use as much organic as possible for best health benefits)
2 frozen wheatgrass squares
1 acai puree smoothie packet (Sambazon)
5 frozen strawberries
8 frozen blueberries
4 frozen blackberries
4 frozen cherries
3 frozen peach slices
4 frozen mango pieces
10 frozen red raspberries
1 banana
2 T. brown rice protein powder
2 T. ground flax seed (Barlean's)
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup Naked Green Machine or other drink that has spirulina, chlorella, etc.
1/4 cup 50/50 Bolthouse Farms passionfruit/carrot juice
1/4 grape juice
1/4 goji juice
Blend well. Enjoy.
Freeze remainder if you like, in individual cups (plastic), cover with Press N Seal or waxed paper, and then top that with aluminum foil. Secure with a rubber band around top of cup. Perfect to take with you (don't forget to take a spoon!). Defrost in about 1-2 hours on their own.
Because we are vegetarians, I also add a powdered packet of B vitamins (supplement of 6 and 12) to our smoothie.
Delaney loves that smoothie and has been drinking it since she began eating solid food. I love that it is full of good things our bodies need and that it tastes so yummy.
Called my best friend Trish this morning as it is her birthday. Pretty cool that it is 10/10/10. I wonder if she noticed that, too. Sang the birthday song on her voicemail. She was at church. Haven't been able to see her or my other best friend Laura for a while. Going to make some time over break to see them for sure. Really, really looking forward to break!
I really liked today's sermon at church. It was in reference to 2 Timothy 2 where Paul tells Timothy to act as though he is already approved. Pastor Marohl challenged us to think about what life would be like if we behaved as though we are already approved, or already accepted by God just as we are and stopped worrying about what other people thought of us and stopped actively seeking approval from those around us. He also challenged us to view each person around us in the same way: as accepted and approved of by God. Wow. That is really a deep thought. Would really help us shed being judgmental if we could operated that way. It is a good challenge.
Well, just laid Lani down for her nap, so I need to get to studying and using this time wisely.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Toggle

Just completed my CET practical in Toggle (Case Evaluation Thrust) about an hour ago. Was very nervous and really messed up two important aspects: I selected the wrong listing to adjust (I picked the C1 listing instead of the C2 listing) and I also should have decided, based on the information given, to NOT adjust instead of TO adjust. However, I did perform the thrust satisfactorily and got the points for that. The bad part of this is that it makes the final even more important in Toggle.

I've been trying to put most all of my time into studying for PNS. Trying to get the info into my brain in a way that I can recall it instantly. Hoping to quiz with friends this weekend and next to prepare for the final (not next Monday, but the following one). Have two finals next Friday that I'll need to review for as well this weekend.

Sadly, Jon's grandfather passed away Sunday evening. He will be missed; he was such a sweet man--you could really tell how much he loved Jon's grandmother. He had a great sense of humor too. We go to visitation tomorrow night and the funeral on Thursday. We'll miss most of our morning classes, and possibly our afternoon classes. Thankfully, we don't have tests that day, so it is not so much of a concern. I will be going to PNS that morning, because there is the possibility that Dr. Schmiedel will give the last quiz that day and I do not want to miss out on the possible 2 points, which could really make a difference for me. After I get home from that class, we'll hit the road to Galesburg, Illinois.

This past weekend, Jon and Dartagnan worked outside most all of Saturday and Sunday, digging out the base for our patio install. Sunday afternoon, they finally got the 9-inch deep, 14-feet by 14-feet area dug out completely and added the first crushed gravel layer, which comes about halfway up. Next weekend, Jon will rent a compactor and compact the first layer, then he will lay the second gravel layer, compact it, then the 1-inch sand layer, then the Purington Pavers http://www.historicalbricks.com/?gclid=CLvKjNaovKQCFQpV5wodL2cWxw get set into a really beautiful herringbone pattern on top. There will be no morter, just a bit of sand between the bricks. We are excited to have a patio with a little local historical significance. It will be really great to have the space for entertaining and for just enjoying the Spring and Autumn weather, too.

I harvested the rest of the tomatos from my plants. I had 3 areas with multiple plants that were all volunteers from last year (which is great, since I didn't have to buy plants again!). There was a really sweet yellow grape, a smaller, equally sweet red grape, and a pink Thai egg tomato plant. Delaney loves to just pop them in her mouth. They make a good snack for her when I am out of brilliant ideas.

I also pulled up all the tomato plants after harvest because the weather is changing and it has been cold enough to kill the really tender plants outside at night. I brought in our Christmas tree, our little (about 4-foot tall) Norfolk pine (which is really a tropical plant and can't handle our winters here) this weekend and put it in our sunroom. It really grew over summer. We decided that we didn't want to purchase Christmas trees anymore because it is not environmentally friendly, so we re-use our little tree each year as our Christmas tree. Dartagnan doesn't like that, because he grew up with a tree.

Also tried three new recipes this weekend from www.allrecipes.com: an awesome buttercup squash casserole (with apples, pecans, brown sugar and butter, oh my!), alla checca (tomatos marinated in fresh basil, garlic, salt & olive oil over hot angel hair pasta-we threw some tomato-basil reduced fat feta cheese on the finished product as well-YUM!), and oatmeal chocolate chip bars (added pecans and dried currants to the "adult" half and left the "kid" half without). The bars are especially delish warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave, then topped with a scoop of Breyer's chocolate chip ice cream. I'm making myself hungry!

Delaney is loving her Saturday morning swim lessons. She is a little fish, just like Dartagnan. He loved his swim lessons when he was little too.

Gotta go get a bit of lunch before I head back for Sys Path (last class of the day!).