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Nov. 21, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

I thoroughly enjoyed having a couple of days off from work this week. Since I've been doing so many 7-3 shifts, my body is used to waking at 4:30 or 5:00. I decided to take a Tylenol PM one night to see if it would help me to sleep in a bit. It was

in until 8:00 the next morning!

Since dh's

was yesterday, we invited his family over for some cake. While talking with my sis-in-law, I mentioned that I would be unable to have

with my family since I have to work the day of the family dinner. She invited us to her house on

day.

On the Homefront:

I'm getting geared up for the

season. I know I will have to do well with managing my time to make sure that the

get wrapped, that the homemade gifts get done, etc. I plan to enjoy the season though. I refuse to let myself get

over getting things done for

While dd headed out to a church activity on Saturday morning, I turned on some

music and wrapped a few gifts.

In the School Room:

Since I had a couple of days off work this week, we did a girls' group on Wednesday afternoon. Each girl brought something to be used in making trail mix. I poured each item into a separate bowl. Next, the girls could come along with a baggie and fill it with the items of their own choosing. They seemed to enjoy putting together their own trail mix.

Since I don't know my schedule for December, I don't know if we will be able to plan any girls' groups for next month. Because of that, dd and I bought several different Christmas mugs so each girl could take a mug home with her today. If we do have a meeting next month, we'll have to try to come up with something different.

While purchasing mugs, I decided to get

for me that has a

on it. I love snowmen, and I like that I can continue using it even after Christmas because it isn't a

mug.

On the work front:

One day, an elderly lady came in by ambulance. When she realized where she was, she yelled, "OH! You can't keep me here! I have an appointment to get a permanent in my hair tomorrow!"

Another time, I had a patient walk in my office. I said, "What are we doing for you today?" The patient replied, "I'm here to get goosed," then handed me the paperwork with prep instructions. He was there for a colonoscopy.

Starting in December, our work days will be 8 hours long instead of 7-1/2 hours long.

In the Kitchen:

On Monday, I worked all day then came home and made a double batch of Cincinnati chili. By double batch, I mean I used 2 packages of the spice mix for it. This means I had to use 12 c. of water, 3 pounds of ground beef, and 2 cans of tomato paste. It sure took a while, especially when I had to puree all of it in the blender. Once finished, I put meal-sized portions in freezer bags so that we will have several meals saved back for later use.

On Wednesday, since we were having the girls' group, I wanted to do something quick and easy for supper, so I made taco soup in the crock pot.

Thursday morning, I assisted dd while she made a chocolate sheet cake for dh's . This is his favorite cake, so he was quite pleased when he walked in and saw it on the kitchen counter.

Refreshing my spirit:

I continue to struggle in this area because I am so terribly tired when I get home in the afternoon. Now that I am back in the admissions department (as opposed to ER), it is hard to read anything at lunch because it is always so noisy on the floor.

In the Literary Scene:

I am still reading Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. This book is a great read, even if I am working outside the home. It has given me much food for thought. (Thanks Bobbi, for telling us about the great deal on this book through Vision Forum.)

for stopping by! I hope you return soon.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you.

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Nov. 13, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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On the Homefront:

I got a bit of downer over the weekend. It looks like I will have to miss out on having with my side of the family. They are planning to have their dinner on Friday. I have to work 11-7 that day, so there is no way to schedule the dinner around those hours. On the other hand, I do have Thanksgiving off, so we are discussing what we'd like to do for our dinner, here at home. (This will be my first holiday off since I started working.)

Last weekend, one of the ladies I met on a homeschool board was in our area. She stopped by to visit. Here is a photo:

L to R: Sarah (my online friend), her mother, my friend Lucy (who is also a part of the online community), and myself (in the black shirt). We had a lovely time visiting. Sarah's mother homeschooled her way before homeschooling was popular.

In the School Room:

While I was off on Friday, I planned out dd's next science pace. I was hoping she would get it completed before the end of November, but I'm not sure that will work.

She should get her Easy Grammar finished the week of Thanksgiving. At that point, she will start doing a Total Language Plus course for literature.

I dug out my high school binder where I'm keeping track of courses for high school. I need to get a few items added to the binder. I am also keeping copies of all table of contents from every course in that binder so they all stay in one place. This will make it much easier for me when I need them.

DD and dh went to the reservoir yesterday while the weather was decent. They walked at least 2 miles while there and had some nice, quality time together.

I am planning to have a girls' group next week since I have two days of in the middle of the week. I know dd is looking forward to this. I used to host them in my home at least twice a month, but with working, it is a rare occasion when I actually have time for extras like this.

Refreshing my Spirit:

I am still having trouble making myself do any in-depth studies when I am home. I am just so when I get home that I don't want to have to focus on anything. I'm doing good this week to even grade dd's work. Thankfully, dh has really stepped in and helped with that. I had several things to do this week after work, so by the time I got home Wednesday, I was in . Not because it was a bad day, but just because I was so terribly .

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Nov. 6, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

My nephew is home after completing basic training at Ft. Benning. He and his girlfriend decided to get on Tuesday.

On the Homefront:

Dh, dd, and I went to a 25th wedding anniversary on Sunday for some our friends, Sonny and Renita. Sonny was the best man in our over 21 years ago.

I was off Tuesday and got a lot of litte projects done.

Refilled the baking soda container that I keep in the bathroom for my netty pot,
Straightened up the bathroom closet while looking for a few needed items of which we had run out,
Washed the kitchen counters,
Took several boxes to the attic,
Washed 3 loads of laundry,
Removed a lot of my clutter from the kitchen and the chest in the bedroom,
Got my work clothes ready for the rest of the week,
Started making plans for a few activities next month,
Organized my spices
Got out my Christmas dishes so we can start using them. (I figure if the merchants can start marketing Christmas before November, I can enjoy my own Christmas items for a few extra weeks.)
Paid a couple of bills, and a whole lot more that I just can't seem to remember right now.

We also got our new air purifier on Tuesday.

My mom's side of the family has a gals' night out once a month to celebrate the for that month. This month, we stopped by to get our favorite fast-food meal, then went to my mom's house to play games.

Since I have the weekend off, I plan to get a lot accomplished Friday evening so that I can relax on Saturday and take a nice, long .

In the School Room:

Tuesday was a different kind of school day for us. I heard the city trucks that remove the leaves. DH and dd quickly ran outside to :sweeping leaves: our leaves to the street before they got to our street. They didn't get all of them done, but they sure got a lot of them! . DD was glad to take a bit of a break to help her Dad.

She still had to do most of her school work that day though because she has fallen a bit behind in her science, and I am trying to get her LA course for this semester finished by . I'm not sure we will get it done though since I have 3 days in a row off that week. We will be decorating the house those days for . I doubt that much school will be done while the decorating is taking place. I am getting to the place where I am letting dd do a lot of the decorating on her own since she enjoys it so much.

To our health:

We got our new air purifier this week. We are hoping it will help with my asthma issues.

Since I take so many pills (herbal stuff, not meds), dh bought me one of those pill holders that holds a week's supply. I bought 2 more -- one to take to work to use during my lunch break, and one for my evening herbs. It has made taking my pills a lot easier. I only have to distribute them once a week, as opposed to doing it several times every day.

On the work front:

Monday was a rather odd day in the ER. We had several patients coming in for the exact same thing (and it wasn't H1N1). I asked if it was a full moon. The doctor said the full moon was a couple of days prior to that. I said perhaps people just missed it by a few days.

On that same day, I saw FIVE different people I know, and I know ALL of them from the same social circle. Isn't that just ? Please don't at me, but due to HIPAA guidelines, I can't give any other details.

I was working in ER one day when they actually lost a patient. I think this young patient was actually gone before the ambulance brought them in. Very, very sad. You can definitely tell when a family's grief is the kind when they have "no hope." It was so heart-wrenching.

Refreshing my Spirit:

I haven't had a weekend off for many weeks, so I am really looking forward to going to this weekend and reconnecting with my church family. (For some odd reason, I keep having trouble getting my last category to work on weekly wrap up. Even when I try to change the categories around, it still doesn't want to work.)

Have a week!

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Oct. 31, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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Refreshing my Spirit:

I finally finished a book after trying to get it done for at least two months. When I go to bed at night, I like to read, but am usually so tired that I fall asleep very quickly. I don't even waste time anymore.

I started reading "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God." Though I'm no longer a housewife, I am desperate for God. A lot of my passion has died because of the constant responsibilities I carry, now that I'm working outside of the home. (Not to mention that I've had to work every weekend this month, so I haven't even been to church.)

I am currently reading the epistles on my lunch break. I am reading them from The Message Bible because the wording in it gives me a fresh perspective on familiar scriptures.

On the Homefront:

This week, DD and the neighbor boys raked a huge pile of leaves in the front yard. Next, they would  then jump into the pile. They had a load of fun doing that over and over and over.....

DD took care of the  for me early in the week so the house would look nice when I was off work on Wednesday.

When I came home from work on Saturday, the delivered several packages. They were things I had ordered online to save back for . I had so much fun them!    One of the items was the first season of Highway to Heaven. Since I got such a great deal on it, I decided to go ahead and let everyone start enjoying that one.

I got my hair cut and decided to color it deep burgundy. It looks very pretty, but that is just MHO. Just before I was ready to , I noticed that some of the dye was on the wooden door frame. You can imagine my   when I couldn't get it to come off. I thought dh would   , but he just told me to extremely careful with it in the future.

I found an emoticon that is so appropriate for our home/family. We have three people here and only one bathroom:

In the Kitchen:

Menu plan for November is done,

Posted menu plan on my monthly menu blog,

Posted some new recipes on my menu blog,

Bought the needed items to complete my menu plan, and spent less than $30! (Thankfully, the meat is already bought, so that will save a lot of $ this month.)

  On the work front:

Things are going well at work. I will be in admissions over the weekend. Since it is excessively slow on Sundays, I may be or from complete by the time I get off work that day.

In the School Room:

No major changes here. Since so many people have asked how I manage to homeschool and work outside the home, I do plan to start a category dedicated to that issue. Please stay tuned.......

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Oct. 23, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart and Refreshing my Spirit:

I keep having trouble getting the "refreshing my spirit" section to work when I post. I have been enjoying having lunch in the ER breakroom. It is much quieter in there and I can actually enjoy some time reading the Word.

I'm really looking forward to having a day off on Sunday. I will be off on Wednesday of next week too.

I am rejoicing right now. I just got online to check my emails and found out that a friend of mine had her baby. Her first baby, Nicholas, died of a heart condition when he was two months old. A few months later, the Lord gave me a dream where Janna had a perfectly healthy baby . And guess what? Janna delivered a perfectly healthy baby .    My heart is overflowing with joy for God's goodness to Janna and Mark. The only bad thing is -- when Janna's dad emailed me, he failed to tell me the baby's name! Now we women, we would never leave out a detail like that!

On the Homefront:

I have done a lot of Christmas shopping on Ebay. I am nearly done purchasing for this Christmas, and believe me, I didn't spend much. Like so many other families, the economic crunch has made us be very frugal about Christmas, as well as many other things. I am doing something quite different for our family this year, but my lips are until AFTER Christmas is over. Before you at me for not telling what it is, I must explain:  dd DOES read my blog sometimes.

Ty Pennington and his crew are in our area to re-do a house for a family in our area. I'm hoping that dh and dd might be able to take a field trip day when they "move that bus." I think it would be a really neat experience for them to see all the action on the day the house is unveiled to the family.

In the School Room:

Things are going quite well. We were struggling to find a way to fit all of her science in this year, but I think we have found a plan that will work to get most, if not all, of it completed.

On the work front:

Tuesday was just awful at work. I went in at 7:00, and was by 8:30. It would be too detailed to explain why, so I'll leave it at that. Thankfully, Wednesday was nearly a PERFECT day for me at work!

With so much H1N1 out there, I do not understand why the doctors keep sending patients to be tested for it. If they have symptoms, send them home for a week, or until their fever is gone for at least 24 hours, whichever is later. DUH! From what I've heard, the tests aren't all that accurate anyway! Why continue to expose all of us who work at the hospital??? If their symptoms get worse (like respiratory distress or shortness of breath), THEN come see us!

To our health:

I'm still taking lots of D3, Vitamin C, and other herbs to try to keep myself healthy over the winter months. Every day, I gargle twice with warm salt water, as well as use my netty pot twice a day. It really does make me feel better to do that routine. One day, I went to use the netty pot and noticed that what I was blowing was green.    if that is TMI. However, using my netty pot enabled me to get rid of all the "gunk," and I didn't end up getting a nasty sinus infection or worse.

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Oct. 16, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

Lots more leaves have fallen this week. It has been very cold and wet. Feels much more like November.

On the Homefront:

I'm learning to delegate more, which is a good thing. Being on my feet so much is exhausting, and I simply don't have the energy to be on my feet more than necesary when I am home. I am still trying to get all my chores/errands done on the days when I work so that when I have a day off, I can actually stay home and relax.

In the School Room:

DD did school a bit differently one day this week. She spent the night with my parents on Tuesday and took her schooling with her. I think Mom and dd enjoyed the chance to play Scrabble again.

On the work front:

I only have one day off this week (Friday), then it's back to work the weekend. (Unfortunately, I woke up at 5:20 this morning. So much for in on my day off.) I cannot get over how fast things can pick up in the ER. I was on my feet nearly the entire shift on Wednesday. I was exhausted by the time I got home. I'm still getting to know some of my coworkers, and the more I get to know them, the more I enjoy the job.

Thursday, the ER was short-staffed. We got an ambulance very early on my shift. One of the nurses asked me if I could check the patient's vitals when she arrived. LOL! I am *NOT* a nurse. I loved her sense of humor. Nothing like a good laugh to start out your day.     Later she told me they are going to teach me to multi-task, then I can learn to intubate a patient.

To our health:

I will be posting some very easy remedies on Tuesday that can help you alleviate your chance of getting the flu. The nice thing is they are also cheap, and can be done with items you already have in your home.

I am still struggling with asthma issues. Thursday morning, I wasn't even in the green zone AFTER using the inhaler. Needless to say, I was praying for a slow day in ER because not getting enough oxygen to your lungs and needing to work at a fast pace don't mix too well.

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Oct. 9, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

It is really starting to get chilly here. Very wet, which makes everything seem much colder too. You can definitely tell has arrived.

On the Homefront:

I am off Friday and Saturday this week, which is a good thing since I woke up this morning.

We are trying to keep the new kitty in the back part of the house since he has had a couple of accidents in the house. Yet, when we try to come to the living room or the bedrooms, the kitty is like and comes to find us.

In the School Room:

Dd's field trip for today was cancelled due to the heavy onslaught of rain we've had over the last few days. It is scheduled again for the end of the month, but I wonder if it might be too cold to enjoy it by then.

On the work front:

I finished my training in ER and will start being on my own down there on Sunday. Now that I've had a chance to learn the job, as well as get to know some of the people there, I am enjoying working there. It is constantly busy, and you rarely get a chance to sit down.

By the time I got off at 7 last night, my back and feet were really hurting. Yet, I still wanted to get my Walmart shopping out of the way. (Good thing too, since I woke up sick.) I was really limping by the time we made it back to the car.

To our health:

I had a possible unprotected exposure to H1N1 this week.  I am praying that is not what I have. I woke up with a sore throat around 3AM. As I've been up today, I have dealt with other symptoms like body aches, chills, splitting headache, and a bit of congestion. I really don't think it's H1N1, based on what I've read from someone who actually has that virus right now. Her story left me .

DD is also not feeling well. Body aches/fever/no energy.

After the nasty asthma attack I had last weekend, I was all prepared to go ahead and set up an appointment with a specialist until I discovered that it was going to be $1200 for what I needed to have done, and 1/2 of that needed to be paid up front.

In the Kitchen:

I made an apple pie this week, as well as a snack mix. Not trying to be too creative in the kitchen since I was working the 11-7 shift this week.

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Oct. 2, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

I had Tuesday and Wednesday off, which felt . The weather turned much cooler, so it felt to be tucked in under a heavier load of blankets.

On the Homefront:

I did a 10-hour shift on Monday since we were so short-staffed. I had to be there at 6:00, so I knew I needed a boost to help me stay awake past 7:00 that evening. WOW! The cappuccino I made must have been loaded with caffeine.  I had a surge of energy that I've not had in a long while.

Before I went to bed that night, I managed to

Order my vitamins from the pharmacy (I get prenatal vitamins for free at a local pharmacy) And no, I'm not for those of you who are wondering. I just figured that if they offer these vitamins free, why pay $ for OTC vitamins?

Pay a couple of bills

Make a batch of brownie mix which will last us for several months

Make some anti-perspirant

Stop by the eye doctor to get my new bifocals

Make fabric softener

Make out a grocery list

Wash and dry two loads of laundry

Make supper

Wash the dishes/put them away

Grade dd's school work for that day

Cuddle the

Have some quality time with dd

Read for a bit

Check my email

Since I managed to stay up so late Monday, on Tuesday AM, I needed another

.     I made dd and I another batch of cappuccino. I also managed to clean the bathroom and do the ironing from the previous night.

In the School Room:

I am discovering more and more why it's probably a good thing that I am working outside the home. Dd seems to get very distracted, and it makes me , and then I want to . At this stage, she does need to learn to motivate herself. She knows that if she sleeps in late and/or doesn't get her chores done before I get home, I deduct $ from her allowance. When I am working, it forces her to be more responsible about how she uses her time.

DD completed her health course with a 100% on her final exam!

On the work front:

As I mentioned above, I pulled a 10-hour shift on Monday. I couldn't believe that I was by myself early on a Monday morning. Those are usually always excessively busy. I am thankful that the room didn't start filling up until around the time two others arrived to help me. It was an interesting day, to say the least.

I worked the last two days in ER. Yesterday was really busy. I didn't learn much because we were so busy registering patients. Today I learned several things. Because it slowed down a bit, I was able to come home about an hour before the end of my shift. That was nice since I have to turn right around and be in admissions first thing in the AM.

To our health:

I am still dealing with a lot of dizziness. I really want to get off my inhalers, so I'm praying in that direction. Thank you to Tina for taking the time to tell me what she has done to help her get off her asthma meds.

One thing I really miss is my (that stands for "milk"). I am drinking rice milk, which is a nice alternative, but it is so sweet-tasting.

Be sure to come back Tuesday for some very interesting info on the H1N1 vaccine.

In the Kitchen:

Just basically following my monthly menu plan here. I am so grateful that the Lord led me to start doing this many years ago. I has been a huge help to already have this habit in place, now that I am working.

I did manage to make some apple enchiladas one evening. I also made maple syrup.

Refreshing my spirit:

Part of refreshing my spirit was to have a good friend come over for a visit. She has a dd who is friends w/my dd, so we all enjoyed some great fellowship. I have mentioned to dh several times that I think one reason why working has been so hard on me is that I never have time for my friends, and I really miss that.

Visit www.homeschoolblogger.com/threelittleladies for more Weekly Wrap Ups.

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Sep. 27, 2009 - Weekly Wrap Up

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From the Heart:

I am looking forward to having Tuesday and Wednesday off from work. It is supposed to be chilly those days, so it will be a great time to in!

On the Homefront:

It has been a very difficult week.   I'm not going to post details. If we come to mind, please pray for us. and

On a positive note, we are sure enjoying our new . DD had a friend come over to spend the night. The cat kept attacking dd's feet while they were trying to sleep in the family room.

In the School Room:

Things have gone quite well this week. DD should finish health this week. At that time, she will start working on Wordly Wise.

DD had a clogging performance yesterday at a local Kids' Fest. Her clogging group is going to have to find a new place to practice this year. I sure hope they are able to find a place so that we don't have to cancel that fun (and FREE) activity.

On the work front:

I start working down in ER this week, and will be there most of the month. Please pray the Lord grants me favor, wisdom, and that I quickly grasp what I need to learn there.

I did not get the full time position in our department. Our boss is going to open another full time position, so I can apply for that one. I did find out some disturbing news though. If I do not get that second full time position, my hours will be drastically cut since there will be two full time people added to the department. That is not a pleasant thought, especially when the cold months are upon us, and that is when dh's work often comes to a dead-stop.

To our health:

I am officially "old" now. I have to get bifocals. I should be getting them in a couple of days. It would be nice if they would be in on Monday. I could stop by after work to get them, then have 2 days at home where I can adjust to them.

I'm dealing with a lot of dizziness, even with having given up the Singulair. I'm wondering if perhaps I should have a glucose tolerance test done. Yet, with having no insurance, I hate to pay out the $.

In the Kitchen:

After waking up at 4 AM yesterday, then working all day, I stopped by the store to pick up 15 pounds of chicken leg quarters while they are on sale. Once I got home, I cooked all of them, deboned them, and put them into meal-sized portions in the freezer. I froze one large container of broth, and used the rest to make chicken and noodles for our supper.

Once I had the kitchen all cleaned up, I sat down to do the monthly menu planning for October. It sure felt good to get that out of the way.

I will also be posting my menu plan on my menu planning blog, (www.homeschoolblogger.com/menu) along with several of the recipes we will be using next month.

Refreshing my spirit:

I read some very insightful things this week that have encouraged me, as well as inspired me. I even made time to write three devotions from the things that have been burning in my spirit.