So where to go from here?

Monday the 16th

The first day of school for the kids as well as my middle guys 6th Birthday!  I can not believe he is 6 years old and in 1st grade.  He is a very YOUNG 1st grader seeing as the cutoff for school was September 1st.  One of his friends is actually 11 months older than him.  His first day at school was a little emotional for him with it his birthday and many of his friends from his last class are with different teachers.  Tuesday went well for him but it has been a long week for him.

Back from Vacation

Last week we were on Vacation.  We rent a cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and spend the week actually relaxing.  We spent time biking, swimming, fishing and just relaxing.  The kids absolutely love the cabin and the beach.  This year was one of the hottest years up there so we all spent a ton of time in the water.  There are many families up there that come each ear so we see a lot of the same people.

• Swimming -There is a nice raft and the little kids started playing king of the raft, then the older kids got involved then the High School/College kids got involved then I got involved.  I was able to hold my own against a group of 18-23 year olds that are in a LOT better shape then me, that being said I paid for time as KING the next day…OUCH!
• Fishing – I got my own gear and everything this year since my 10yo really enjoyed fishing and the 6yo was getting started.  Well 10yo after about an hour of fishing stopped wanting to fish. (Great) 6yo on the other hand had a blast fishing off the pier and catching pan fish.  He caught over 100 fish easily!  5 perch and the rest Blue Gill.  I had a Small Mouth Bass, 5 Perch and a ton of blue gill.  I had a 2 foot Northern Break free at the pier as well a a large Walleye.  Would have loved to bring in the Northern, but less then a couple feet away it splashed free from the hook!
• Swimmers Ear- I came back from vacation with swimmers ear.  Not fun at all… I felt like my ears were going to pop!  4th day on drops and it is now under control.  I have a new respect for the little ones when they get ear infections!

Broken Washer

Sunday after getting most of the laundry done the Washer Broke!  Motor went.  We thought about replacing, but will just fix for now.  The cost to fix is better then replacing it and we really do not want to have to RUSH out and buy a washer.  Now we can take our time and find a Washer and Dryer we want at a time when we want!

Quiet…Too Quiet!

The house is so quiet now that the two older boys are in school.  2.5yo and I are getting into our own routine, which will change when I start my job at the Hospital in a month.  For now he and I are enjoying a little piece!

The 5

1. Lego Harry Potter - What a blast of a game to play.  10yo and I have been playing it a lot together and apart.  Fun family game!
2. Clash of the Titans – Watched the remake this week.  Fun movie, but rather different then the original.  The FX were amazing and the cast was really good, but it was a little short on the story telling.
3. Ready for Work – I am starting to prepare myself for the over nights.  Will be a big shock at first to be on that schedule, but am looking forward to it.  Work and still be home with the boys!
4. Housework – I need to get the spring cleaning done… Before FALL!!
5. School! – I start classes again soon.  Will be an interesting time getting through class and a new work schedule.  Might be a balance of time I am not used to.  Granted Summer school was a tough balance this semester should be a breeze!

I am Back Taking It One Day At a Time!

Lego Landslide

10 Year Old under 90% of our Lego Bricks

We have so many Lego Bricks we decided to see what a Lego Landslide would look like.  10 year was buried alive!  This is some 30 plus years of Lego Products.

Schools Out For Dad!

Well last night was the last night of my very brutal Summer School Schedule.  Microbiology Monday thru Thursday each and every night for eight long weeks.  There were 2 tests last night and I think I did just fine.  I had a 95% going into the last night so unless I messed up I should still have that “A”.   The class was actually extra long since it was so compact that there were quizzes and tests all the time.  We had our “Lab Unknowns” the past few days and I was able to identify all three of my Bacteria. YEAH!

Working Man

Well starting in September I am now a Patient Safety Companion at a local hospital.  My basic duties will be to stay with at risk patients.  I have all my paperwork done, had my physical and of course was finger printed.  My shift will be the overnight shift from 11:00pm-7:30am which will still allow me to be At Home Dad.  I will also only be working Part Time so that will make a difference.  This will be very good experience while I finish school and become an RN.

Little Swimmer

Well the little guy a whole 2.5 years old might be part Fish.  He absolutely loves the water and loves to float.  He has one of the swim suits with the flotation device built in and he prefers to be let lose in the pool.  He swims around, spins and is funny to watch.  I don’t let him go it alone, but he would love it if I did.

Saturday Sleep Over

Well we are done with the big parties for my oldest.  So tomorrow night he is having 3 friends sleep over for his birthday.  They will be up all night playing video games I am sure.  Especially the new ones he is getting today.  With them all being 10 I will NOT be up with them.  They can stay up and let me sleep!  I am however making Homemade Deep Fried French Fries and Milk Shakes… My oldest two favorite foods.

The 5 (Time Will Tell Edition)

1. Scheduling Conflicts – With my schedule the way it has been I have hardly had time to catch my breath let alone Blog.
2. Time After Time – I find it harder and Harder to Blog.  I hopefully will have a bit more time to fit this in.
3. Burnt Out – After studying for hours the last thing I ever want to do is get back on the computer.  This has made it difficult to keep up with the blog.
4. Sleep – Might be at a premium when my new job starts. We shall see.
5. Behind – With the past eight weeks behind me I realize I am way behind on other things.  Hopefully I can play catch up before school starts again.

“Take It One Day At A Time”

1. 6+10= Anarchy – The two older boys are starting to really get on each others nerves.   Wait that started day one of summer break.  I think their main issues stem from too little alone time.  They currently share a room, but by next spring we will move rooms around and the two younger guys will be sharing.  By the time they reach the anarchy stage (6 & 10) the oldest will be 14 and probably be willing to take the basement bedroom.  this current anarchy is causing major stress on all of us.
2. Swim Lessons – The two younger boys have swim lessons for two more days.  The oldest helps out with the youngest in the Parent Tot class.  The oldest was on swim team for a while so his swimming skills are really good.  I was pleasantly surprised that we have had no tears about class from either of the little guys.  They are both having a blast.
3. Microbiology – My summer school class is long and difficult.  I am doing really well, but it is not an easy course to have in 8 weeks.  Lots of material and very little time between tests to get a handle on everything.  2 weeks and 2 days left.
4. NLN PRE RN EXAM – I took the NLN Pre RN exam a few weeks ago and that was a big step in getting into nursing school.  Entrance is based on the composite score with a 99% being the highest possible score.  I earned a 98%!  So I am GOLDEN when it comes to getting into the program for 2011.
5. CNA Certified – The week before my NLN exam I took the CNA certification exam.  I am now on the Illinois CNA Registry.  This is one of the pre-requisites for the nursing program.
6. Hospital Work – One major goal is to get into a hospital setting part time while I am in school and home with the kids.  It helps to pay for school as well as gets me that hospital experience I want and feel is necessary to make my nursing school experience that much more productive.  I have an interview at a local hospital tomorrow.
7. Old Job – Well I am in the middle of starting back at my old company VERY part time.  Maybe 10 hours a week or one week a month to make some phone calls to clients and potential clients.  Every Little bit helps, school is not cheap.
8. Contracting – Have some contracts coming up as well so this fall looks to be very busy!
9. All Day School – August 16th the boys go back to school.  1st and 5th grades, plus the little guy starts a Tuesday/Thursday preschool program.  The big plus this year is NO noon time bus! Having that bus time really made weekday plans difficult.
10. Blog Spam – I have been getting a ton of people contacting me lately about “Opportunities” and I think they need to get a life.  You are wasting your time spamming my blog.  Now if it is really and truly something important I will look at it, but if you want me to advertise your junk forget about it…  Charities are good, Organizations are good, but Rings, Electronics and your baby can read are junk…
11. I need to remember to breathe! – With so much going on I need to remember to follow my mantra and “Take It One Day At a Time”  If I push too hard I will probably break or at the very least break something… I might be due for an Arm or at least a finger.
12. Even Dozen – I guess another is in order… Went to a movie the other day with to of my Bil’s.  We went and saw PREDATORS and I thought it was a blast.  On par with th original and in the tops of the big 3. (Alien, Predator, Terminator) Full review TOMORROW!

Take It One Day At A Time!

Zoo Pictures

Little Guy Feeding Goats

Big Guys at the Dinosaur Exhibit

The Lion King

3 Boys and a Dinosaur

The boys had a blast and the little guy really loved it.  The Lion was a big hit for him, he loves all things lion.  I think he was in total awe and would not let me pull him away from the glass.  Of course for all three boys feeding the goats was a good time.  The big boys went through the Dinosaur Exhibit twice and loved the animatronics.  When we came to the T-Rex my oldest had a huge smile on his face.  He has always loved all things dinosaur.   The Zoo trips are always a wonderful time.

Back To Studying… (Too Much work until after Saturday)

Testing

• Tomorrow I sit for my Nurse Aide Training Competency Evaluation.  Once this is done I will be on the State Registry for Nursing Assistants.
• Monday I have my first Microbiology Exam.  have scored above 100% on the first two quizzes.  This is the first full blown exam.
• Wednesday I have a Take Home Quiz do for Microbiology
• Next Saturday I have my Pre RN Entrance Exam aka NLN Exam.

So the next week is going to be rather crazy for me.  I am not worried about the evaluation tomorrow I should have no troubles at all.  I need to really study for the Micro test as well as the NLN.  Need to score big on the NLN to make sure I can get a spot in the nursing program a year from now.

4:10 Wake UP Call

The little guy woke at 4:10 this morning and has been up since.  It did not help that I was up late and did not sleep well before he woke up.  I tried to sleep a little bit but had very little luck.  So I am exhausted, need to study, do some minor yard work and run on the treadmill.   Looks to be a long day.

Sibling Rivalry

Have 3 boys all nearly 4 years apart has some benefits and drawbacks.  The biggest benefit is the oldest can really help out with the youngest when I need to get things done around here.  He is being asked to watch his brothers while I study the next 8 days.  He can play with them in the toy room while I study on the couch in the other room.  He can also push the little guy in the swing and help make lunch.  Now he has been helpful, but at the same time the two older boys are constantly fighting with eat other.  Calling names, hitting and treating each other like garbage.  For every good thing the oldest does for the youngest he does two mean things to the middle guy.  We are working on them being nicer to each other and really do not want them growing up hating each other.  Some please and thank yous have begun to pop up here and there, but those are too few and far between.

Fathers Day

Fathers day is this weekend and we are going to see Toy Story 3.  Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

“Take It One Day At a Time”

The wife and two older boys joined the Shotokan Karate Club a while back and the 3 of them have belt tested the past few weeks.  The wife advanced her first belt to Orange and the two younger boys got strips.  With the little ones it takes strips to advance to belts since in many cases they are not ready the first time to advance.  My oldest got 2 Black stripes and needs 4 and the middle guy got 2 Red stripes needing 6.  Yeah for them!

Back To School

Well my summer session started last week.  I am taking Microbiology this summer which is one of the prerequisites for the nursing program.  We had two quizzes this week and I got an A on both of them.  It is actually going pretty smoothly!  First Exam is Monday.  I also have my CNA certification Exam this Saturday and my NLN Pre RN Exam the following Saturday.  No rest for me…

Rainy Days

The past few weeks have been really rainy and for the most part warm.  My grass is growing like crazy which will make tomorrows cut rough!  It has also kept the kids in too much.

Yard Work

I have been Staining the Fence and adjusting the playset for weeks, but the rain has prevented me from finishing the staining.  I have a few sections of fence behind my shed to stain as well as the added steps to the playset.  The staining will never be done. (LOL)

Looking for Work

I am hoping after my CNA certification I can get a tech job at one of the local hospitals.   I don’t need a lot of work, but need some way to help pay for school.  Hey if you know anyone looking for some Independent Contractor work I have lots of experience and references.  Currently I work with a company here and there doing everything from converting files to PDF, sorting through DATA, creating DATA Bases and even summarizing transcripts.  Jake of All Trades…

“Take It One Day At A Time”

Well it is official, school is out for Summer!  This is both exciting and crazy at the same time.  Yesterday the older boy had one hour of school and it did not take long to have him and the middle guy start fighting.  I sure hope the summer goes a little smoother then yesterday.

Morning Bike Rides

With the older boys too old for the bike trailer and too small to ride with me I had to figure out how I was going to ride this summer.  I have school starting in the evening in a couple weeks so that only left the morning.  So I get up early and go riding before the wife leaves for work.  Most days I should be back before the boys are even awake.  Two days down and it has been rather enjoyable.

Guitar Hero

Here is how a real guitar hero sounds.  No little red, green, blue and orange buttons.  This Single is from my Brothers upcoming CD “High Plains Drifter”

Back to the Daily Blogging.

Now that things are getting a bit less crazy I will be back at my daily blog.  I need the time to keep me from losing my mind.  Time, however is not always on my side.

Testing

I have two major tests this summer.  The first one is for the CNA Registry and will hopefully net me an evening job at a hospital.  In order to stay above water especially with school I need to be a “Working At Home Dad.”  The second test is the NLN Pre RN Entrance Exam which will determine if I get into the nursing program.  Time to hit the books…

“Take It One Day At A Time”

Time flies.  My middle guy is done with Kindergarten this morning.  It is hard to believe he is that old already.

Hopefully I will get a few good pictures at their little ceremony this morning.

A for Effort Award in Honor of your outstanding example to others!

A for Effort Award in Honor of your outstanding example to others!

It is nice to see that the values we try to teach actually get absorbed by our children and are seen by others.