First Day

I survived my first day of school.  I feel like it was a huge accomplishment because it was not very fun.  It should have been really easy because two of my labs were canceled so I only had one class.  No, it was mega stressful and I got a headache early in the day and it didn't go away until 10pm.  It was manageable until I was sitting in lecture, then it got worse, and then it got even worse when I got home.  I took two Motrin at school and they didn't help at all and so I took two Aleve when I got home and those finally helped a few hours later.  Yikes, let's hope the rest of the days aren't quite as horrible.

I'm not even sure what was so bad.  I hung out with a few people I met all day.  We got a table in the library and studied for a few hours before lecture.  I did some work-work for about two hours and then switched to reading for my lecture class.  It took me a bit longer to read because I was interested in the stuff and didn't just want to skim through it.  Then I decided I wanted to go for a run before lecture.  By the time I changed, headed out, and got back I only had 15 minutes before class so I had to change super quickly (while I was still sweating) and run to class.  The class was pretty good but they went over so many different things for lecture and lab and community clinicals and exams and quizzes that I was pretty lost.  It was a bit intense. 

Here are some observations I had throughout the day:

1) When people around you stress out, it makes you feel worse.  I need to surround myself with more people who have positive energy because it was not helpful that the people I was sitting with were stressing over everything.  I am really trying to approach school the same way I did work and that is with a positive attitude and with a calm outlook.  I can stress or I can not, and I will be in the same place and still have the same amount of work.  I would prefer to not stress.  We'll see how long that lasts.

2) A lot of people are already friends and I feel like an outsider. Not the best feeling, but I hope I find some people I really connect with.  The people I hung out with yesterday were really friendly and fun, but they were already friends and they didn't really click with me in the sense that we were going to be best buds.  Maybe after a while we will bond, but it would be nice to get to know everyone and to find some common souls.

3) Running in Baltimore is WAY different than running in DC!  When I lived in Baltimore before, I ran up in the northern part, but now I am in a completely different section of the city.  Most of the streets were ok and not too sketchy, but there weren't a lot of people out (walking around or running) and it felt way different than the streets of DC that are filled with runners, tourists, Secret Service, etc.  It was pretty though and a nice route.

4) My days are a lot more busy than they were at work.  I had more down time at work where I could take a breather, chat with my co-workers, make a phone call, etc.  Yesterday was pretty full of reading, working, and attending class.  I guess I got a run in there but it felt like everything was so much more scheduled, and it is.  I am bound by my classes and study times and I don't really make my own schedule.  However, it is exciting and fun learning new things and being in a school environment.  

5) The bus ride is much shorter!  It was so nice getting to class and home in less than an hour combined.  So much less time wasted on a long commute.  Of course,  no napping or anything, but I can deal with that without too many problems.

6) I can still drive a stick shift.  Ok, not really related to school but kind of is.  We got our new car from my co-worker and it's a stick shift.  Ivan made me take it out for a drive and I didn't die once.   I learned how to drive on a stick shift and my first car was a stick shift that I drove for about 6 or 7 years.  I didn't particularly enjoy it and I will always prefer an automatic, but it is kind of like riding a bike.  Once you learn you don't ever really forget.  I drove it home from the bus stop yesterday and am still slow going into 1st gear but I moved and didn't die.

I think those are my only comments.  I am on the bus heading back to school today.  I have some readings to skim before my 9am class and then I have an afternoon to get some more work done before heading home (my afternoon class was canceled).  So, first day was a mix of everything: excitement, stress, nervousness, interest, and everything in between.  I will be happy when I feel like I have things figured out and get into a routine!  And I miss my fun co-workers and hope I meet people as cool as they are.

And because I have no pictures of school yet (I am sure snapping candid photos around school would not help me make friends), here is a fun picture of Evan from this past weekend.

We went to the playground a bunch of times throughout the weekend and he wanted to bring his fox each time.  Mimi made it for him and he put it down the slide numerous times.  He also gave him a few kisses here and there.  It was pretty adorable.  It looks like he's picking his nose here, but he's not.  If you look closely you can tell he's just pointing to your nose - and that is because in order for me to get him to look at the camera, I asked him where his nose was.  This is him showing me his nose!

[EDIT:  It is now later because I didn't have time to post earlier and Day 2 of nursing school is a lot better.  I don't feel quite so overwhelmed.  And I met a new friend which is nice and she's in my lab group so we will be working together a lot.  ]

Last Day

Today's the day!!!  My last day of work!! 

AAAHHHHHHHH!!

Someone pinch me!!  It seems so surreal and I'm sure I won't notice that much at first.  It helps that I'm not actually leaving forever and I'll still be connected as a consultant.  I just won't really be back in the office and I'll only be interacting with a few people.

Here's what my desk looks like now...just a few more things to take home and a bit of dusk to clean up.

See that pink cup?  My sister bought that for me the first year I started here.  It's a hoops & yo-yo cup and it was hilarious.  It doesn't work anymore, but it gave me many laughs. 

I'm so excited about nursing school and this new chapter in my life.  I've had a lot of "chapters" and they have all been great experiences, so I'm sure this one will be too.  I already have homework - chapters to read before the first day of class.  Fun times, right!?

Thanks for sharing this journey with me and being there through work, pre-reqs, applications, and decisions!!!  I promise I won't turn all my posts into complaining sessions about how much school I have....

Have a great Friday and a fabulous 3-day weekend!!!

Feeling Special and our Favorite Thing

I love how some days I have absolutely nothing to say and then other days I am full to the brim of experiences to share.  Today is one of those days where I am full to the brim of really random things, but all things that happened since the last time we chatted.

First, let's talk about how I was too tired to do my PiYo workout this morning.  I'm not even sure it was tired, I just felt a bit burnt out.  So I didn't do it.  I kind of knew I wasn't going to do it yesterday night because I just felt to exhausted.  And not physically exhausted, more mentally exhausted.  And that can be just as bad - if not worse.  I figure I can do it tonight if I want to or I can do it tomorrow (since Fridays are rest days).  We'll see.  I don't think I'm giving up by any means, I just wanted a day off from the 4:15am wake-up call and the double days of PiYo and running.  I think I'll still run this afternoon, but we'll see how I feel.  I really wasn't feeling my run yesterday before I left, but then I felt really good on the run and thought about lots of things and worked other things out in my head, so I was really glad I went.

In other news, I had my goodbye party at work and it was AWESOME!!!  They worked so hard on it and it was so fabulous.  They made me this Good Luck bulletin:

Isn't it fabulous!!  The little skeleton is saying "Kattrina calls the shots" and those are all pictures of me with a nursing hat on.  The cake was amazing too - it was lemon cream.  And my co-worker put the prescription meds on the cake (M&Ms).  Those little pieces of paper are for people to write me a "prescriptions" for school and the future.  The notes were so sweet that I actually shed some tears.  I really love my co-workers - they not only do amazing work every day, but they are truly amazing people.  My one co-worker made me a condom necklace (since I work in HIV prevention):

Complete with a female condom that matches my shirt.  Of course, none of these condoms are usable, since they all had holes punched into them!  The room was decorated with nursing stuff (like a kid's medical kit!) and condom streamers.  And there was also a slide show of a bunch of photos of me over the years - 7 years - from numerous events, trainings, and staff fun.  Here's a picture of me from our 2008 Award Ceremony with my good friend from high school (she didn't work with me, she just came to hang out).

And here is our 2008 Wine Tasting, with the same friend from high school and another good friend from Peace Corps. 

I would show you other photos but a lot of the people in the photos are related to work and I don't have photo releases for them.  But here are some of my adorable co-workers from the party!

I'm gonna miss them all so much!!!  In addition to the wonderful party (it was an Italian potluck - think pasta, chicken parm, meatballs, bread, salad, cookies, Bundt cake, and other yumminess), they also gave me a HUGE gift card to Amazon.com so I could buy some nursing supplies and books and other odds and ends.  It was so generous and helped out so much.  Yes, I already spent every last penny.  I bought two pairs of scrubs, two undershirts, a pair of nursing shoes, a stethoscope, three books, and a filing cabinet (not really school related but I really need something to keep my files, loan documents, work documents, etc. organized - right now they are in piles in the kitchen).  It felt so great to buy it though, now I'm almost ready for school.  I ordered this backpack:

I couldn't decide if the pink color made it look childish, but I really like it and didn't want the obligatory black/gray/blue backpack.  So, pink it is!

So, that was my party.  I hope everyone has the chance to work at a place as great as my current job.  Obviously, I did my fair share of complaining, but even when I complained, I knew how lucky I was.  The party really made me feel special and like I had made a real contribution to the organization and the community we serve.  Oh, and I bought my boss/supervisor a gift too:

It's a tie with microscopic images of the HIV virus (gold and silver circles)!  I loved it and was so excited to give it to him!!  I think he was really surprised and said he was planning on wearing it to a wedding he's going to in September.  I told him it is a conversation starter and that he can use it to bring up HIV prevention whenever he's out at events - and he can be reminded of me and the six years we spent working on HIV prevention together.  It was a bit pricey and I was hesitant to buy it at first, but I'm SO glad I got it because it was nice to give something back.

Ok - enough party talk!

Yesterday I met a friend and her daughter at the nature center and we went and threw rocks into the river again!

This time I put Evan in his bathing suit and shoes that dried easily.  He was really excited to go and hang out and hike again.  It took him a while to warm up because my friend and her daughter were with us and he gets all weird when we hang out with other people that he doesn't know that well (although we hang out with them a LOT).

We spent about an hour and half there - walking in the water, throwing rocks, hiking, picking up sticks, picking up rocks, jumping on stumps, etc.  I'm gonna be really sad once summer and the warm weather is gone.  I'm not quite ready to spend six months inside again.  Plus, Evan is still in 18 month clothes and all his winter clothes are size 2T!

And a fun Throwback Thursday pic from 2002 (I think!):

One year for Christmas my father bought me a week long trip to Costa Rica for a yoga retreat.  The girl with me was the yoga instructor - my Dad and I always went to her studio in DC when I was in college and she ran the retreat in Costa Rica.  It was SO fun!!  We did so much yoga but also got to go zip lining, white water rafting, and a lot of fun other things.  This year she's leading a yoga retreat in Italy!!!  Hint hint Dad....haha!

********************

Do you like your job?  What is the best thing about it?

Have you ever gone on a yoga retreat?  What's your favorite yoga pose??

  -- My favorite pose is Pigeon Pose!

Thursday's Random Thoughts

I had so many thoughts about what I was going to write about today, but now I can't think of any of them.  So, I guess I'll give you some randomness.  Here are ten random thoughts floating in my head.


1) All I can think about right now is my PiYo Drench workout that I did this morning.  I was in Downward Facing Dog (my least favorite yoga pose EVER) and sweat was dripping off my thighs and my chin.  I was really sweaty.  And my legs still feel a little wobbly even sitting on the bus.  That workout was 48 minutes, so it's the longest one.  I kinda miss the beginning workouts that were only 20 minutes.  I will say my triceps pushups are getting better and Ivan actually noticed a smidgen of a muscle in my arm - so maybe I'm getting stronger....even if I spend a lot of time in child's pose!

2) An amazing thing happened this week.  Remember a few posts ago I mentioned that I wished I had a person that was 100% devoted to helping me out (for free - because I realize that that is a paid position)?  Well, God must have heard me because as I was complaining to my co-worker (for the umpteen millionth time), she said her dad might have an extra car that we could have.  Just like that.  And he did and he's willing to sell it to us for $1.  Not only that, but he's been running around town getting it ready and sprucing it up.  Yesterday he took it to get a new battery and was going to pay for it himself, and then when he explained that it was for someone who was going back to school and couldn't afford a car, the guy said he's donate the battery and put it in for free.  The whole this is just amazing to me and I feel like someone must really be looking out for me...because how often do people give you cars?  Never.  Even my parents didn't give me a car when I was in high school, I had to use all my savings bonds to buy their old car (mainly because they didn't have enough money to buy themselves another car, so they needed my money to put down a down payment on their new car - not because they were mean people or anything).  This car is significantly older, but it is still a gift that humbles me to the core.  And I do realize that nothing is free in this world and that it's gonna cost money to transfer the title, etc., and it's gonna cost gas money and maintenance and things like that, but it will be so helpful.  I can officially stop worrying about how I'm going to get to clinicals.

3) August has been a month of lasts.  Today is the last time I'll see my favorite co-worker (she's going on vacation next week), I had my last staff meeting on Tuesday, my last DC commute is coming up, my last paycheck, my last partner call, etc.  September will be a month of firsts.  First time wearing scrubs, first nursing lab, first nursing class, first time working as a consultant, etc.  What an exciting and scary time this is!  My stomach is in a constant state of butterflies.

4) Yesterday I tried Oats in a Jar for the very first time.

I had a bit of peanut butter left so I just put my oatmeal in there and warmed it up in the jar.  That way what was left of the peanut butter was softened and melted right into my oatmeal.  It was delicious.  I don't buy peanut butter too often because I eat it too fast, but the next time I do I will definitely be making this again!

5) Today I am going out for lunch, courtesy of my favorite co-worker.  We are going to i Ricci and I CANNOT WAIT.  I have already looked at the menu a million times as I drool thinking about what I'm going to order.  I love Italian food and rarely get it because Ivan doesn't like it.  Plus, lunch with my friend is always spectacular.

6) Evan got a new bedroom set yesterday.  Some close golf friends of ours had an entire bedroom set (bed, mattress, box spring, dresser, night stand, desk) that they were getting rid of and asked if we might want it for Evan.  Umm, yes please!!  Even though he still sleeps in our bed, one day he will need his own bed and this bedroom set is beautiful.  The wood is in amazing condition and is super high-quality.  I can't wait to decorate his room (on a budget...).

7) I can't decide what to do for Evan's 2nd birthday.  I know I don't want a party, but I still want to do something special.  A cook-out at the lake?  A family bike ride?  A trip to the zoo?  Rocks at the Nature Center?  I don't know.  I have to work that morning because another coach will already be gone, so we'll have to celebrate in the afternoon, but I still want it to be something he really enjoys.  We'll see.  Birthdays are stressful.  We are thinking of buying him a balance bike but I can't decide.  Anyone out there have a balance bike for their kids?  Do they like it?  Hate it?

8) Talking about sleeping.  Last night we had a super cuddle session in our bed.  Evan slept in my arms all night long, curled up right next to me.  I loved every minute of it.  When he does eventually move to his own bed, I will be a bit sad.  Cuddle time during the middle of the night is the best thing ever.

9) Ivan has liked every dinner I've made all week.  It's a miracle.  After ever dinner he has said, "That was a great dinner" (well, he says it in Spanish so I guess he doesn't say that exactly) and he only says that when he means it.  Often he says, "Thanks for dinner, it was ok but maybe don't make it again".  I make sure to write down all the dinners he likes so that I keep them in good rotation.  His favorite meal to date is my mom's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.  He asks for it at least once a week and I make it probably twice a month.

10) On Facebook it's Throwback Thursday, so I figure I'll post my pic here too. 

This is an old picture from college (I'm sure it's obvious, but I'm the girl on the left in the gray Army shirt) - the first time I went to college.  We had a Model OAS team and each spring we'd head to DC to compete with all the other teams.  Our school took it mega-serious (although plenty of others took it as a time to party in DC) and it was a super stressful class, but I have some great memories from that time.  And surprisingly I am still friends with some of these girls!  I really hope I meet some amazing people in nursing school, although it will be hard to top the amazing people I met in undergrad and graduate school previously.  As exampled above - I really do have very special and amazing friends that I probably don't deserve.  Over the years they have done so many things for me and I'm not really sure I've done as many things for them.  Hopefully one day I can repay everyone for all they have given me in life.

Ok - those are my ten random thoughts!

*****************************

Tell me two random things floating around in your head.

Did you love or hate college?  Are you still friends with your college friends?

Rocks in the water

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday because I was at an orientation for school.  It was fun getting to meet some new people and hearing more about what my schedule will be like and stuff.  The schedule does not look fun.  At all. I met and hung out mostly with two girls who happened to be twenty.  That makes me 14 years older than them.  I could practically be there mother.  Nice thought, huh.  It was fine though.  I guess all thrown together we are similar enough since we are all going to nursing school.  I did meet another girl who has three step-kids, but only on the weekends.  

This past weekend the weather was beautiful so I tried to get outside.  Evan and I went for a run and then met a friend from TNT for coffee and a walk to the playground. I hadn't seen her since the winter and then I barely got to catch up with her so it was really great spending the afternoon chatting.  I had to walk to the coffee place because the hubs was golfing and I thought I would have time to get a four mile run in before we were supposed to meet...but I forgot to account for the fact that I run much slower with the BOB so I ended up being 15 minutes late.  Yikes.  I felt badly.  I really need to work on my punctuality.  At one point Evan was playing at the playground and pointed at her and said bye-bye.  I don't think he was thrilled about sharing my attention.  

Saturday was the normal golf and grocery shopping.  Nothing too exciting.  I didn't get a chance to do my PiYo workout because Evan was really clingy and fussy and wouldn't let me leave the bed (I noticed that he has his two canine teeth pushing through so that would explain that).  I surprised myself by coming home from golf, putting Evan down for a nap, and then breaking out the PiYo Sweat DVD.  Usually I am not motivated to do anything in the middle of the day but I actually got it done.  Score!

On Sunday we went to breakfast with the other golf coach I work with. She had watched Evan on Thursday so we wanted to thank her.  Evan was a hoot on breakfast and kept stacking the creamers and then knocking them down.  It was hilarious...until one burst open and drenched the hubs in creamer.  Haha!  After breakfast we ran to the outlet mall to look for scrubs for me.  It turned into a disaster.  I tried some scrubs on and that was fine but then I made the mistake of letting Evan ride one of those little rides that you pay a quarter for (or 3 since this one was $0.75) and he decided he wanted to ride every single one.  Of course he could only ride the one (because there was no way I was going to let him ride all of them) so then he threw a Disney-style fit.  It was huge.  And it reminded me of why we shouldn't go places that are over stimulating and have too many things catered to little guys.  We barey made it out alive.  Evan proceeded to cry the entire way home until about 5 minutes before we got home.  I quickly put him to bed. 

When he woke up, in a better mood, we decided to go throw rocks in the river.  His favorite thing!  Although I didn't feel badly about not letting him ride the rides, I did want to take him somewhere where he could do whatever he wanted and fully enjoy himself.  Even the hubs decided to come and we had SO much fun.

Ivan was less into the hiking and kept asking where the river was, but Evan and I forced him to be patient so Evan could pick up every rock he found and jump on the tree stumps.

 His hand is blurry because he was waving it so ferociously telling me which stump I should stand on.

We finally made it to the water and the hubs gave Evan a lesson on how to throw rocks into the river.

Then the hubs got really into it and took his shoes off so they could walk across the river together to the "beach" on the other side.

They were really cute together walking through the water and throwing rocks.  Evan eventually decided to sit down in the river so he got all wet, but oh well.  Then it was my turn.

I forced Ivan to take pictures of me so that I had some memory of Evan and me throwing rocks.  Usually it is me taking all the pictures and there are only selfies of me.

Evan wanted to walk down the river, which was a bit painful barefoot because it was all rocks and no sand.  I survived though.  Then we started on our way back and "raced" back to the car.  Evan ran the entire way again, with Ivan chasing behind him yelling to be careful and not fall.  The hubs hates seeing Evan in pain and is always telling him to be careful.  It's funny actually...I just figure Evan will fall every once in a while and survive.

Then Evan found a big stick and took it back to the car, but we made him leave it there.

Overall, it was super fun!  I am really hoping that Evan develops a love of the outdoors...especially a love that is bigger than his love of iPad games and indoor mall rides.  :-)

**********************
Other moms out there - how do you deal with temptations like rides and food when you are out and about?

Favorite time to exercise?  Morning, mid-day, night?
     - I prefer to run in the evening, but I tend to get it done more often if I schedule it in the morning.

Transitions

Yesterday another graze box came.  Yum!  If you want to try a graze box, you can use my code at KATTRI44B and get your 1st and 5th box free.  I am loving it!  And I am not being paid to promote them or anything, I just thought I would share.

It is kind of fun seeing what little snacks come in each box.  I probably won't get too many more because once I start school I can't really justify buying a snack box once a week for $6, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.  For some reason I tend to migrate towards the sweet snacks rather than the savory so far.  Today I'll try a more savory one.

Yesterday I also wrote my first "transitions" email.  That's a euphemism for "I am leaving my job and won't be seeing you anymore".   I just sent it out to two people, my two partners on my current grant.  I will send out another email to everyone else I work with later this week.  It's sad and my eyes tear up a bit at thinking that this stage of my life is ending soon.  I really do love my current job and although there are plenty of frustrations, it is a great job and a great organization to work for.  I realize I will probably never have such a flexible work environment and such freedom to design and carry out a project. 

I also started to pack up my office.  When I first started here I brought a lot of stuff from home to decorate.  I figured that I spent more time in my office than I did at home so it should make me happy.  And it did.  It was filled with photos of friends and family, gifts from  Honduras, and various other trinkets.  Now it is all getting packed up and will probably just go into a closet at home since we don't really have any place to put it.  It really makes my office look bare though.

That's where I had a lot of decorations...and now, so much emptier.

I have agreed to consult ten hours a week, so I am not gone completely.  I just won't be going to the office anymore and will only be interacting with a few people.  It'll be different.  And hopefully I'll still have plenty of time to study.

Change is tough!  

And I'm not sure people really get it.  Everyone comments about how excited I must be - and I am - but on Sunday my neighbor hit it right on the dot.  She said, "You must be really scared" and she was right.  As excited as I am about heading back to school and finally pursing nursing, something I have wanted to do for years, I am terrified.  More scared than excited.  It is incredibly scary quitting my comfortable job, losing my salary and benefits, and embarking on an entirely new career not having any idea how the future will turn out.  Plunging my family into even more debt and just hoping it all works out.  Exciting, yes, but more than that -it's just down right scary.  Maybe one of the scariest things I've ever done.  Joining the Peace Corps and living in Honduras for two years was pretty scary too, but I think this is even more so.  My life motto has always been "Don't let fear stand in the way of your dreams" and when I make a decision I try to think about what I'd do if fear wasn't a factor.  And then I do that.  So, that's what I'm doing.  Yes, it's scary leaving my job.  Yes, it's scary taking out thousands of dollars in loans.  Yes, it's scary leaving my current career.  However, if I take all that fear away, nursing is what I want.  Therefore, I'm going for it.  And that's that.  

And for all you doubters out there, I've put a lot of thought into this - I didn't just decide it on a whim.  I didn't choose nursing because becoming a doctor was too hard.  And no, I don't want to be a Physician's  Assistant or work in Medical Administration.  I realize nurses are underpaid and overworked.  I know I'm not going to become rich.  However, if you know me, you'll know that becoming rich has never been a dream of mine.  I want to become a nurse because I care about people and I want to help them, take care of them, and advocate for them.  It's that simple.  And in case you're wondering - yes, about 90% of the people I tell about nursing school suggest some other degree: doctor, PA, medical admin, etc.  It's annoying and doesn't help my fear factor.

And that's the end of my rant.  :-)

And now a complete change of subject.  Yesterday I went on a 4.5 mile run.  I felt nice and strong the entire way.  I really think it must be the PiYo workouts I'm doing.  It must really be making me stronger.  Who knew that strength training could be so effective!!  I've only been reading that you should do it for years - this is the first time I've really been serious about it.  And it appears to be working pretty well.  Today I did PiYo Buns.  I was really excited about it because of my weak glute problem, so hopefully it will help.  All I know is I did a ton of squats.  Since I do it so early in the morning I'm kind of still asleep throughout the entire workout.  My legs feel a bit rubbery though, so I know I must have done something right.

Ok - I'm gonna take a snooze on the bus.  I hope you have a fabulous day!

 **********************************

What is your life motto?

What's the scariest decision you've ever made?  How did it turn out? Please share!!

PiYo and Pinterest

I have nothing much of interest to report on.  I didn't take any pictures so I have nothing much to show you either.  Guess this is going to be a really exciting post! 

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a run.  It was only 59 degrees in the morning.  It felt great, even though there was a small bit of humidity.  I just did my regular four mile loop.  Then I came home and did my Define: Upper Body PiYo workout.  It wasn't too bad.  Today I got up and did my Define: Sweat workout and boy was I sweating.  And exhausted.  I thought getting up at 4:30am was exhausting, but getting up an extra 20 minutes early really puts me over the edge.  I've had to have real coffee every day this week, which I NEVER do.  There's real caffeinated coffee in there!!!

Next week my goal is to get to bed earlier!  I can't tell how well the PiYo is working (i.e. am I getting "toned") because I'm never super sore afterwards...but is that because I am being lazy and not working hard enough?  Some of the moves are complicated and I'm probably not doing them exactly right, but I think after doing it a few times I'll start getting better at it.  I hope.

Yesterday I made another Pinterest meal that was pretty decent.  It was called One-Pan Chicken Burrito Bowls. 

Photo Credit: no. 2 pencil

It turned out pretty good and Ivan really liked it.  Total win!!!! The only reason I wasn't a huge fan was because it was made with white rice and I'd prefer to eat brown rice.  I had bought brown rice to make with it but then the cooking times are so different that I was unsure if it was ok to make the switch.  Plus, it was 7pm by the time I started cooking and white rice only has to cook for 20 minutes and brown rice has to cook for 40.  It was still good, especially topped with Greek yogurt and avocado.

Although Wednesdays are work-from-home days when I am supposed to be finished work early and able to get dinner on the table early...I tend to take Evan out to play after picking him up from daycare.  Today we met my friend Anne (from my A&P class) and her daughter at the park.  Anne did an accelerated nursing program and today is her last day!!!  She's doing an RN program (a two-year degree vs. BSN which is a four year degree) and graduates this summer.  Then I start a few weeks later.  Yikes!  I still can't believe it is coming so soon. 

Today I sign my loan papers for $20,000 from Wells Fargo though - so it's about to become super real.  Scary stuff people, scary stuff.  Wells Fargo now owns me.  And my family.  And my future.

Ok - I am about to fall asleep while writing this so I am going to nap for the last hour of this bus ride. 

*************
What good Pinterest recipes have you made lately?

White rice or brown?

Wet Shoes

My run yesterday was the hottest run I've experienced yet.  It was SO HUMID I thought my clothes were going to melt on my body.  It really felt like I was running in a wool sweater and pants.  Completely gross.  I was so sweaty when I got back that I was talking with a co-worker and drops of sweat were falling off my chin.  Nice, huh.  Don't worry, I didn't snap a photo so you are safe from seeing that disgustingness.  My usual mantra while I'm running is "Slow and steady wins the race" and "I can do hard things".  The slow and steady one has been a real winner this week because twice I've had to "battle" it out with a guy who wants to run faster than me.  I'll pass him going my normal speed, then he'll speed up to pass me but then slow back down, so then I pass him again, then he speeds up, etc.  It really aggravates me because I feel so awkward the entire time.  However, both times now as I've slowly trudged along at my normal pace, I have eventually passed guys (on separate occasions) as they take a walking break and then never see them again.  And each time I think - see, slow and steady DOES win the race! 

That was a long tangent - my point was that yesterday it was so hot I couldn't even manage to get my mantra out.  The entire run I kept repeating to myself, "It is SO HOT" over and over.  That was the only thought I could muster.  Surprisingly, it was still a good run and although I was hot, I felt strong.  I'm not sure why - must be that special Monday feeling after running with the BOB all weekend.
Then when I went to wait for the bus after work it started pouring (like torrential down pour, wind, lightening, and thunder) and by the time I got to the bus stop I was completely soaked.  Completely.  I had to wring my shirt out.  I figure someone wanted me to have a shower so decided that the best time was on the way to the bus.  And if I had had some soap - I totally would have been able to shower.  Then I had to sit on the bus for 1.5 hours in my wet clothes.  And when I put my shoes on this morning, they were still wet.  It was a crazy day!
When I got home, this lovely package was waiting for me.

My first nursing school book!  I got it early so I could start studying.  We have an exam the third week of school and if we don't get 100% we have to take it again.  And you only have three tries to get 100% or you fail the class.  Yikes!  I decided I should start studying as soon as possible so that I get 100% on the first test and don't have to worry about it.  That's my hope anyway.

And for dinner I had some of that lasagna I made yesterday.

It really doesn't look that appetizing, but it's actually quite tasty.  I love the basil taste and the squash is really excellent!  It was a lot of work so I probably won't make a vegan lasagna again, but I'd definitely make a spaghetti squash pesto lasagna again - with real cheese!

And that was pretty much my day.  I leave for LA on Thursday for my last work trip and I can't wait for it to be over.  This is my big event of the year and it takes so long to organize and I'm so stressed that things won't go well or I will have forgotten to do something.  I will be so happy when the entire experience is over and I can just relax.  And I will barely have time to see LA because the work days are so long.  Boo.  I have never been to LA before so I'm excited to go.

I am less excited about taking Evan on a 5 hour plane ride by myself.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the plane isn't full and we have at least one seat open next to us - otherwise it's SUPER crowded.

And my aunt is coming to watch Evan and I'm super excited to see her again.  I haven't seen her since she came to Birmingham, AL to watch Evan last April!

********************

Any fun ideas to keep toddlers occupied for five hours straight?

Do you prefer running in hot or cold weather (or do you just prefer to not run!)?

A Big Deal, More Vermont, Too Many Photos, and a Very Long Post

I am so glad today is today and not yesterday.  Yesterday was NOT a good day.  I'm not going to go into many details but I can tell you one thing.  At 8pm I was at the Apple Store at the mall because someone's iPhone dropped and needed to be replaced.  Not good.  We have a lot of other things we could have spent $200 on.  Oh well - the guy who helped me kept saying he was so surprised at how great of a mood I was in and how he doesn't normally deal with people who have such a good sense of humer about a broken iPhone.  So, at least there's that.

Today is a big deal for me. 

Today is the first day I'm not pumping at work since I returned to work after baby (December 2012).  I have been pumping for over a year and a half.  When I first returned to work I pumped four times (7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm), then after Evan turned a year I went down to three times, then when he was 15 months I went down to two times, and then when he turned 18 months I went down to once.  Now, it's 0.  I'm still nursing him at night and stuff, but he's just not drinking any milk during the day with my sister so I just send it and she sends it back.  Or he takes the smallest sip and then refuses anymore, so she has to throw it out.  I feel like it's pointless to keep pumping for no reason.  So, today I decided I wouldn't pump anymore at work.  I have some milk in the freezer if need be, but won't be adding anymore.  I'm kind of sad and nervous about the whole thing, but in reality, it will be fine.  It does make me a bit nervous that he doesn't drink any milk all day, but hopefully it's not too big a deal.  And maybe he gets enough at night.
 

And now, back to Vermont (where I wish I could go back to rather than sitting on this bus)!

Although we had a busy weekend with lots of fun activities, we also spent a lot of time just playing.  Especially Evan.  He loved having a big outside area to play and being able to play in the driveway and ride his little tractor (on loan from Cousin Lucas) wherever he wanted.  At home he has to stay on the sidewalk, which to him, is very constrictive.  He wants to ride all over the street, of course.  Here, in Vermont, he can!!

Not sure why he's not smiling, but I promise he was having a great time!  And notice his outfit - his pajama pants and a sweatshirt that was supposed to be for this winter...since I forgot appropriate clothes for the cooler weather. 

Here he is zooming along.  And he'd turn that stirring wheel like there was no tomorrow, although it didn't have any affect on the direction of the tractor.

My parents have a really long driveway so Evan had a blast riding his tractor up the hill and then coasting back down.  Mishka (the dog) had a great time just sitting there.  She's 10 years old and is developing some hip problems so doesn't run around like she used to.  We love her to pieces though!

Up the hill my parents have a big field where they are taking care of some friend's cows.  They are Low Line Australian Angus Cattle.  Or something like that.  I'm not a cow expert or anything.

Evan loved going to look at the cows (and the neighbor's horses).  Cows attract a lot of flies though, so that was not fun.  We didn't get too close.  Plus, that is an electric fence, so we sure didn't want to risk getting a nice electric shock.

When we weren't outside playing around, we were inside playing around.  Evan had so much fun with my mom (Mimi) and Dad (Papa).  Mimi was so much more attentive than I am!

Complete and utter attention is the best way to a child's heart!! 

Same with rocking cows.

He was a bit of a daredevil with this rocking cow - he'd rock so far back that I was afraid he'd tip over.  He never did though, thank goodness.  This cow is on loan from the neighbors.

Feeding the doggies treats was fun too.

Look at how well-behaved Mishka is!  My parents have another dog too, Kuma, who is the same breed but bigger.  He's a little more hyper, but still well-behaved.  Mishka is the angel dog though - I've never met a sweeter dog.

Our big activity for Saturday was our bike ride!!  This year we trekked our bikes all the way up to Vermont (I may have looked at the bikes a million times on the ride up because I was terrified that they were going to somehow fall off the car) so I was determined to ride them.  My parents live close to a rail-to-trail path and I was excited to ride our bikes on that (since you already saw the road - no way was I riding bikes on that road I went running on!).  My aunt and uncle just moved to Vermont and their new house is right off the same trail - so we decided to ride to their house.

My mom didn't have a bike, so she drove to my aunt's house, but the rest of us biked there.  It was SO FUN.  I loved it!.  Even if I had a Schwinn Jaguar Cruiser (6 speed bike) and Ivan had a very crappy Target mountain bike...and my Dad had a very nice Cannondale.  He went faster than any of us.  Evan was thrilled because he loves bike rides.  And he fell asleep.

His head bobbed around like a little bobble head because of the big helmet he wore (the helmet fit, it is just kind of heavy when he's sleeping)!  It was adorable.  And that water bottle spilled all over him so he was soaking wet.  He didn't seem to mind though.

The trail was nice and flat (my kind of bike ride) and beautiful.

Parts were shaded in the forest and others went through corn fields. 

The weather was perfect though - not too hot or cold.  And not windy, which is my worst weather condition.  I was in the front for a while - leading the boys along.

But on the way back the boys left me in the dust.

I think it was because my bike was for "cruising" and not for actually riding.  At least that's my excuse.  And bike riding uses different muscles than running does...and the few muscles that are the same were tired from my 6 and 4 mile run that morning and the day before.

When we got to my aunt's we hung out for a while (and Ivan mowed their lawn because that's the kind of thing he does) and got to take a tour.  It was beautiful!  I am so happy they moved to VT and we can now see them every time we go up to visit my parents.  We usually saw them anyway because they used to drive over from NH, but now it's even better.  And my aunt had Pretzal M&Ms - she knows the way to my heart!

After our bike ride we headed to Ivan's favorite Chinese buffet.  It's not really that great but it's all-you-can-eat for $5.25.  So, you can't beat that price - especially when you eat as much as Ivan.  We have to go at least once every time we go - sometimes we go two or three times.  He's addicted.

When we got home, Evan wanted to try out my bike.

He has a few years before he'll be ready!  I'm thinking of maybe getting him a balance bike for his bday?  Anyone ever buy one of those?  Thoughts?  Advice?

Ok - another long, long post!  I'll finish up our last day Vermont recap tomorrow.

*********************

Who else was sad when they stopped pumping?  Anyone?

Chinese buffets - yay or nay??

A Test Trip to Baltimore

Yesterday I had my first orientation day of nursing school.  It was a one day thing - the next orientation isn't until August and it is a one day thing too.  And then classes start in September.  I can't believe it's coming up so soon.  Crazy!!

The day started out with a SHORT commute. 

This was the picture from the window of the bus heading into the city.  Looks a little dreary.
Who cares though - it only took 30 minutes!!!

This was the best thing EVER.  Rather than sit on a bus for over an hour, my bus ride was a short 30 minutes.  This was amazing.  It felt great.  And the bus drops me off a block from the nursing school and picks me up half a block away.  Totally convenient.  What is not so convenient is how I am going to get to clinicals.  I have to be there by 6:30am and they could be anywhere.  So, I am not sure what is going to work - should Ivan drop me off (even if it's a 40 minute drive both ways?), should he bike him and Evan to my sister's (a good option in good weather but not so great in bad weather), should we borrow my sister's car the night before and then he could drive it to her house in the morning?  Would she even be up for that?  We have some logistics to figure out!

The day was pretty interesting.  There were several dates we could choose so there were only about 1/4 of the class at this session.  Most people looked pretty young and a good number were still finishing their first bachelor's degree.  However, I did make friends with another girl who was 33 and talked to guy who was married, so there are a few "mature" students like myself too.  And it's not like I don't like 22 year olds, but we are in very different places in life so I won't be hitting the clubs in the evenings most likely (not like I did that as a 22 year old either though).

In the morning we reviewed our classes and labs.  Our lab/clinical uniform is khaki scrub pants and a white scrub top.  It is pretty hideous.  It doesn't sound too horrible but khaki scrub pants are not cute.  Think about grandma pants with an elastic waist band in khaki - that's what they look like.  And a white shirt???  Really?  And because I have a tattoo on my wrist, I have to wear long sleeves.  Apparently there is a no-tattoo policy.  At least it's on my wrist and not my neck.  I'd much rather where long sleeves than a turtle neck!

Then we moved on to drug calculations.  We did this for an entire two hours.  This is super important and we have an exam on drug calcs the first month of class and we have to get 100% to pass.  If you don't pass the first time then you have two more tries, but still.  It's a bit nerve-wracking having to get 100%.  On the other hand, I sure wouldn't want my nurse to have only gotten 90% on her drug calc test - so 100% is probably a good policy.

The other review we did was Anatomy and Physiology.  Yikes!

Sympathetic nervous system?  Cardiac cycle?  I better do a bit of reviewing!  It wasn't too intense though.  And here's hoping I can handle it all.  Everyone (staff, current students, and alums) kept remarking about how difficult the two years were and how different it was from any other type of classes/studying we've ever done (actually learning the information and retaining it, not just memorizing it for a test and then forgetting it later).  I just need to be as organized as possible and really buckle down.  And get my family on-board with my schedule.

All in all, it was a good day and made me excited to start!  Anyone else out there make a crazy life change in the middle of their life????

An Entire Pan of Brownies in Two Days

My name is Kattrina and I am a complete sugar addict.

Since I have no photos to go with this post I am going to intersperse a bunch of photos from the zoo instead,
we went on Sunday and had a grand time.  I know it is not going to make sense to see zoo photos
when I am talking about something entirely different but I don't care.

 I am not sure why I crave sugar so much but it is outta control!  On. Monday night Ivan wanted a "snack" so I made brownies at 10pm.  I happened to have all the ingredients, so I whipped up my absolute favorite brownie recipe.  I always think of Ivan when I make brownies because they are one of the only sweets he likes.  When I would go visit him on Honduras I always made brownies and brought them with me.

They have a polar bear exhibit and it was amazing!  There is an underwater part and we got to see the polar bear
swimming underwater and catching fish.  I loved it!  Also, these polar bears remind me of
Dolce and make me miss my sweet puppy.

The thing is, he only eats a few.  He doesn't like sweets all that much so he doesn't eat them constantly.  I, on the other-hand, scarfed them all down.  We finished the pan up yesterday night!  It was a 13x9in pan and all the brownies were gone in two days!!!  I wish I could blame Ivan, but I polished at least two entire rows off all by myself.  And this was after polishing  off two birthday cakes last week (and eating a few large nibbles of wedding cake too).  Yikes!!!  At least it's all gone now, right?  

Evan refuses to look at you when you take a photo - he's amazing at staring right at you until you snap the photo,
then he can turn his head at lightening speed.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who can eat an entire pan of brownies in two days (aside from my sister, because she is as addicted as I am)???? I am going to have to start showing a bit of restraint thought because two days in a row Evan has thrown a fit at the dinner table when I told him he couldn't eat brownies before dinner (my friend made me beet brownies so he's been eating those).

He was really entertained by the gazelles that were on the other side of the fence - he stood here forever.

Speaking of gazelles, guess what I did yesterday??  It's pretty much on the complete opposite side of the spectrum as my sugar addiction.  I got up early and did speed work.  One of my friends from TNT and I decided to meet one morning a week (very early) and do track or hill workouts.  It sounded fun all the way up until we were doing it.  Then we couldn't remember why we had thought it was a good idea.  We did 4x400s.  That means we sprinted once around the track, walked a cool-down mile, then repeated it three more times.  My times were 1:28, 1:32, 1:30, 1:32.  Not too bad.  I was tired though and my legs are a bit sore.  It felt great afterwards - nothing like finishing a track workout!

And I don't think I told you my news.

I decided to go to University of Maryland for nursing school.  I paid my deposit and sent my acceptance note in for the scholarship (along with my photo and CV - I understand the CV but an nervous as to who will see my photo).  I am excited and glad I chose that program.  Let's admit it, I am probably more of a state school type than an exclusive private school type. Hopkins mailed me a letter stating that since I didn't pay the deposit that they have withdrawn their invitation and financial aid.  Obviously.  The letter was a bit rude, in my opinion.  I wonder how often people reject their program.  I am happy with Maryland, although it is a longer and slower program, and there is no Nurse Practitioner program attached to it.  I think it will work out good in the end.  I start 2 September and I'm so excited.  I feel like I've been working towards this goal forever and it feels so great that it's actually going to happen.  Yes, I'm sad that I had to pass up the Hopkins program with their amazing Returned Peace Corps Volunteer program, but I really think that Maryland was the right program for me when I looked at everything (program, time, money, etc.).  It's still one of the top 10 nursing programs in the country, so it's not like I sacrificed that much!

Evan loved these - you could climb inside and then spin around.  He was not happy when we made him leave.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the right path for me and that I am making the best decision for my family and me.  Life is funny that way, right, you never know how your decisions are going to impact the rest of your life until there's no turning back.