DH is my world

I hate that my life revolves around dental hygiene. Grayson fell down at day care last Thursday (eight days ago) and split his chin open on the window well cover. I was stuck in class and got the message an hour later during my lunch. I had ridden the bus down that day and still had three hours of clinic to go, so I called Josh to take him to Instacare. Once again, very lucky Josh now works from home, but I was secretly jealous of him and kinda sad about the whole situation.

I know it's not practical, but I couldn't help but feel like the mom is supposed to be the one taking her kids to the dentist and the ER and things like that. I know it's ridiculous to not be appreciative that not only is my husband able to do it, he's willing, because a lot of people may not get that, but I still felt cheated and useless in a way. However, I recognized the time constraints for me to get there in a timely manner, the lack of true emergency (he did this last Thanksgiving), and the importance of me being in clinic, so I stayed at school and tried not to think about it.

Anyway, what do I do when all is said and done? I post about Gray's accident on my Perio blog for school and not even my own personal blog! Have I gone crazy? Grandmas need to find out about these accidents online! So here I give you Grayson's perio post from last week:

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This morning I told Grayson I was going to come into the office and do my perio blog. He said, "Mom, I need do my perio blog too." except of course he said perio blog really cute and toddler-like. So I thought, yeah, I'll post a pic of my sweet boy's poor mouth. He sat on my lap and watched old Mickey Mouse cartoons on YouTube in one window while I did my post and now that I'm done with it, I told him it's his turn. Of course now he's lost interest, but I still want to do it.

Grayson in the last 1.5 hours: I go Amy's house today? It not nighttime, Mom. I not poopy (he lied). Where Christie car? What this? I make pancakes in fridge (he puts his blocks in small stacks in the fridge and says they're pancakes). That not Cookie, that Elmo! Where Daddy go? -Daddy's working downstairs, honey.- I go work on the 'puter downstairs too (and he marches off all business-like until Josh drags him back upstairs and I get the evil eye for letting him go down there in the first place, heh heh). What this? You're sad, Mom; no, you're happy! I just kidding, Mom. I see the letter O! I need my shoes. Where my frog go? I take a picture for those kids. What this?

It's beyond awesome being a parent, and I totally can't blame Ashley for wanting one. But alla that love just means more heartbreak when you see six stitches in your little boy's chin, a fat lip with a mangled hole in it, and even worse, blood filled tissue underneath his tongue. Definitely something I'd chart on the IO/EO exam.

I not sad, I happy!

For one of my classes, we're required to write a weekly blog post about experiences we had in clinic during that week. Luckily for me, it gets me into a reflective mood and I actually post a thing or two on this blog as well. Yay for mandatory assignments that benefit my posterity as well!

The bad news is it always leaves me thinking of Grayson and the opportunity cost of me being in this program. I'm not having the best experiences so far this semester and I've noticed it's caused my emotions to run a bit high these last couple of weeks. Josh has been nothing short of amazing this semester so far, and I repaid him with a snippy attitude and short fuse when I got home from school today. Bad wife.

I kissed Grayson tonight as we put him to bed and told him I love him. He responded with, "I love you too." Then he interlaced his fingers in mine and told me, "I love your hand." So innocent, so adorable, so plain and simple, so delightful. I started tearing up. He saw my tears and put his arms around my neck, asking, "You so sad?" His bottom lip began to quiver a bit and I could see how sad he was at the thought of me being sad, and then I really did start to cry. I literally sobbed for about 20 seconds, wrapped in the arms of my tender two-year-old. He held me so tightly, so concerned about me. "Mommy, you crying?" "Why you so sad, Mom?" I honestly didn't want him to let go.

Somehow I was able to compose myself and as I pulled away from him, he worriedly looked into my eyes. I told him I wasn't sad anymore. He asked, "You happy?" because he's smart enough to know that either you're sad or you're happy, period.

So yes, Grayson. I'm happy. You make me happy. I'm happy because you are sweet and silly and brave to the point of stupidity. I'm happy because you're ridiculously smart and healthy. I'm happy because you're so good about eating your dinner and picking up your toys. You have the best facial expressions, and you said "See ya later, sucka" so perfectly to Daddy earlier tonight. I love the way you do monkey face and always know if the stoplight means stop or go. I'm happy because you know I'm Mommy, and Grandma is Grandma, and you correct me when I call her Mom on accident. I'm happy because Miss Amy tells me how nice you are to the other kids and how well you obey her. I'm happy because you're mine and you always will be.

Thanks bud, for making me so happy. And for reminding me why I am.

Get a grip

I'm two loads of laundry into the weekend and already feeling behind. It's after 9am Friday morning and there are two more to go (towels last week, sheets this week). I just finished the assignment that's due before noon, but Gray and I are still in our jammies, and the floor is screaming for attention. Scrubbed my shower and toilet last week but not my sink; vacuumed the house but didn't dust. Ran out of milk this morning and I haven't baked for ages. Seems I just can't get it all done anymore.

Maybe there just aren't enough hours in the week for my mom-life AND my school-life. Last weekend I spent about 10 hours studying for a test on Monday. I'll do that again this weekend. And the next. And the next after that. And the next after that one too. Between my classes, I will have at least one test every Monday for the next 12 weeks. Throw in a quiz every Tuesday and Thursday, the fact that I'm away from home (and my son) from 7am to 6pm every Monday through Thursday, and I'm borderline tears. Familial responsibilities consume me as soon as I walk in the door - dinner, dishes, playtime, jammies, brush teeth, storytime, prayers, good night. By 9pm (if I'm lucky enough that Grayson has stayed in his bed), I'm ready for bed myself - not up for pre-treating clothing stains, packing lunches and laying out clothes for the next day, or cracking open a textbook for an hour. I just want to fall into an uninterrupted slumber.

But I don't, because I can't. I want to be the best mom and I want to be the best student, so I do stay outside a bit longer than I should when Grayson wants to swing or play on the slide, and I occasionally leave the dishes in the sink until the next evening. And I often stay up until 10:30 or 11pm, studying for my classes the following day. No television, no pleasure reading. But I'm okay with that, because that's what I choose to do. And Josh has gotten so much better at being done working when it's time to be done. He helped make dinner last night, and he occasionally does the dishes. He makes the bed some mornings, helps Gray pick up his toys before bedtime, and picks him up from day care when I have to catch the later bus home. Josh will probably even let me head to the library tomorrow afternoon for 5-6 uninterrupted hours of studying, even though it means he can't work in the garage or basement. He really is the best husband and father.

Already this morning Grayson has asked me to draw him a butterfly, build a tower with him, and sing his frog to sleep. I love being here for him. I love the way his voice inflects up a bit when he says "Mom" right before he asks me for something. I know there's a time and season for every stage of life, and sometimes I'm bummed I chose to intertwine these two very different seasons into the same two years, but I know he knows I love him, and I'm pretty sure he knows he's my number one guy. He's going to help me try out a zucchini brownie recipe this afternoon, after we go grocery shopping together. He's good about helping me fold the laundry, and he still loves to vacuum, so I'm pretty confident I'll get the things done that I need to, even if it takes a bit longer to do them.

I just needed a minute to get a grip on my responsibilities, my priorities, and how to mesh them together. Breathe in, breathe out. One day at a time. Oh my, I just love that little boy so much. My little boy. No one told me I could manage to love him more every time I see him, but I swear it happens. I look at him and my heart nearly bursts. With joy, with pride, with love. He is so funny, and quirky, and boyish, and tender, and troublesome, and sweet all at once. He truly is the light of my life.

Spring has sprung

A lot has been going on as of late around these parts. Too much, but I promise I've been taking pictures even though I've not been sharing them. One day I may get around to posting Dec08-Feb09 for my sweet baby, but for now, here is the month of April...

Grayson has fallen in love:

We've been spending a lot of time outside (when there is no snow!)Which means yard work has begun:
Note the shudder at 1:07 - that's my boy!

I mailed in my acceptance form:

The Easter Bunny came to visit Gray at Grandma's house and that health nut brought him raisins and a banana in his basket!

But he got plenty of candy at two different Easter Egg hunts:
Grayson's finally begun reading books instead of eating them:

And finally, yesterday I spent 3 hours, 48 minutes on a 217-question Microbiology final that seriously kicked my ass. The good news is I had an 'A' in the class going in to the final, and now I've just the lab final to take Wednesday and I will be finished with this class and semester!

Something I've learned about (so pretty for a nasty tapeworm)

Ugh.

The snow outside is depressing me. So is the laundry that needs to be folded, the baby that won't let me put him down, and the test for which I need to study. And yet I can't bring myself to do much else but contemplate my life. Too much on my mind as of late.

It's become quite difficult for me to recognize the real purpose of life. Gray and I had (until about five days ago) quite the routine going day in and day out - weekends included. Wake up, make bed, eat breakfast, bathe, dress, clean something, eat early lunch, he naps while I study, eat late lunch, play, welcome Josh home, eat dinner, clean up after dinner, get Grayson to bed, spend a bit o' time with Josh, go to sleep. Of course there are several diaper changes (I've the most regular baby I've ever known), phone calls, errands, laundry loads, and other time-consuming activities (cooking, shopping, class, church obligations) thrown in there, but I still find myself shocked at how much free time I don't seem to have. I know I could get an extra 1 1/2 hours out of each day if I could figure out how to get Grayson to feed himself without making a complete mess, but it's constant cleanup for now.

Anyway, I've begun to feel like my 'free time' has been dwindling over the last month. Instead of blogging, I'm pulling Grayson out of cupboards, holding ice on his latest bump, and cleaning up his toys. Instead of pulling weeds and planning this year's garden, I'm waxing cheese and scouring the ads for good deals on food storage items. Instead of leisure reading, I'm studying food labels and googling new recipes for chicken. Valiant endeavors? Yes, of course. But shouldn't I be able to do it all?

Maybe I spend too much time keeping my home clean. Maye I spend too much time studying for tests. Maybe I spend too much time trying out new recipes and stocking my pantry. Who knows? But the real question is...do I want to do all of this plus toss full-time dental hygiene school into the mix?

Honestly, I'm not sure I do. My Microbiology class this semester is difficult - more difficult than I remember Anatomy or Physiology being - and I would love to be able to dismiss it entirely and focus 100% on my family. I won't because that would be a terrible waste of $1000 and all the time I've spent succeeding in it thus far, but as of this moment, I can't imagine doing it for another two years.

I'm 32 years old and I've only recently embarked on the adventures of marriage and motherhood. A lot of people are done having babies by the time I finally started. I am at least 10 years older than the majority of students in my class. I almost feel like I'm ripping myself off by splitting my efforts between family and education - how much has Josh suffered since I've been in school? How much do my studies suffer since I've had a baby? Have I become a jack of two trades, mastering neither?

It seems so easy for other women. Either they have time on their side or their husbands have the job and degree they want and they don't need to plan for future changes. Is that reality, or have I once again fallen into the trap of comparing myself with others?

I have now spent one hour of my very valuable free time organizing these thoughts in my brain and writing them down. I am glad I did. Yes, I have about 20 unfinished blog posts, but this suddenly became more important to me than posting pictures of Grayson's first (and last!) hair cut. I will now fold the kitchen towels, hang up the jeans to dry, and start a load of whites. Once that's done, I will share a snack with Grayson, play with him for an hour, then spend the last hour before I leave for class studying for my test. And when this class ends in one month, I will have to decide what the real purpose of my life is.

Future hygienist?

I know I've been out of commission since February began, but it's been for good reason. First, I threw two birthday parties for Grayson which resulted in a total of three thorough house cleanings and a steady stream of dishes for days afterward. Second, my Microbiology class this semester is extremely difficult and I've been spending a lot of my free time studying and on my labs. Sadly, I only got an 89 on our first test, but the class average was a mere 67 so I must still be a good student. The high score on the test was a 95 so it's not impossible to ace his tests - I just need to study a little bit harder next time.

In the middle of everything, I needed to take the HOAE by February 13 to finish my application to this year's dental hygiene program. Taking that test turned out to be a bigger hassle than everything else combined. It takes nearly 2 1/2 hours to take the test and of course it's only offered during day hours. Couple that with an hour's drive round trip to the campus and back and either Josh needed to stay home from work one day or I'd have to get a babysitter for four long hours.

After several failed attempts of arranging my free time with my class, with Josh's work schedule, and with our other obligations, I finally made it down to take the test on Friday - the last day the test was available. I must be one of the freaks that has good luck instead of bad luck on Friday the 13th because I scored in the 90th percentile for nonverbal and the 99th percentile in all the remaining subjects - verbal, arithmetic, academic aptitude, spelling, reading comprehension, the natural sciences, and the vocational adjustment index. As it turns out, no one is placed in the 100th percentile, even if they miss no questions (like me). Yay!

So it looks like I'll have an excellent chance at getting into the 2009 program. Which is what I was told last year when I got denied for taking the wrong Chemistry class. I should know by mid-April what the next couple of years hold for me. If I don't get in this year we've decided we're going to scrap the whole thing and just focus on family. Josh and I aren't spring chickens anymore and we don't necessarily want Grayson to be an only child. We know that our ultimate goal of furthering Josh's education will work out when it's supposed to.

Bankruptcy?

While some of you might be shaking your heads at us, wondering how we could let our consumer debt get so out of control that we've no option but to file bankruptcy, please stop making yourself dizzy. In fact, we've officially saved our 20% down-payment now, and as soon as we figure out where we want to live for the next five years, we're going to start looking for a house to buy there (holy crap, that's a scary thought). Yay us! Yay for setting and achieving goals! Yay for making budgets and following them!

So what's with the post title? Well, I might need your help and it has to do with bankruptcy.

My Philosophy class this semester is an 'Ethics & Values' class, and our grade requires the completion of a major group project. My group's assignment is to present arguments for and against the ethics of filing bankruptcy. We would LOVE to have guest speakers address our class - tell their story and take questions from the class - but none of us knows anyone that is able AND willing to do it.

This is where you come in. I'm looking for someone that can spend two hours on Monday evening, November 24, in a Lehi Junior High classroom talking about one of the following:

1. Their decision to file bankruptcy, how they came to make it, and how it's impacted their life since filing;
2. Their decision NOT to file bankruptcy although they had been considering it, how they came to make it, and how paying the debt has impacted their life;
3. Their current financial situation, why it has presented bankruptcy as an option, and the reasons they have for or against filing.

If, for some reason, you are or know someone that can help us out, but you're quite adverse to the idea of speaking in front of people and would be willing to answer some questions about your situation instead, please let me know because we'd LOVE to have real-life situations, feelings, and responses for our project. You can comment on this post or email me privately at cleaningvegas@gmail.com. Thank you!

Rejected

My pregnancy and Grayson's ensuing birth has turned my blog focus onto him instead of yours truly, but today I'm reclaiming it with some big news:

I got rejected by the dental hygiene program.

I got the letter last Thursday, March 27. I have to admit that I was surprised. Even though there are only 14 seats and about 60-70 applicants every year, I applied with a 4.0 GPA and high scores on the application exam and knew I had an excellent chance of getting in. So I was surprised, even though I had tried not to get my hopes up.

Well, surprise quickly wore off and sadness started creeping in. I started to cry. I cried lots and lots, more than I have in a very long time. I was so disappointed in myself. You see, Josh and I have a 10-year plan, but getting rejected was not part of the plan, and it had been going perfectly for the last 2.5 years. Why did I have to go and screw up the plan? I called Josh (he worked out of town Wed-Fri) and bawled to him. What are we going to do now? I felt completely lost and totally stupid. I felt so bad. I felt like a failure. Why did I think I could compete with all those girls 10+ years my junior?

Then I got mad. I got mad because if Josh hadn't dragged us back up to this God-forsaken state, I'd have gotten into the dental hygiene program in Vegas. I was done with those pre-reqs before we moved. I had taken their test. Their program takes twice as many students. There is no driving in snowstorms to get to campus. It was ideal in every way. But no, my husband had to screw it all up. I cried even harder, I was so angry. My emotions ran wild like that all day long.

Finally, at Grayson's 4am feeding, I let the relief I'd been quashing all day settle over me. I wouldn't have to leave my 6-month-old to go back to school full-time! We never knew what we were going to do with him - we'd figure that out once I knew my school schedule - but Josh's work schedule is so unpredictable, we were certainly going to have to find a sitter or daycare. Thankfully, that won't have to happen now.

As it turns out, I was rejected because my application was deemed 'ineligible.' The department called me on Monday and told me so. Seems the transfer credit office was mistaken when they told me Chem 121 would work to fulfill the Chem 1110 requirement, since it's a more advanced Chemistry. But nope. Not true. I have to take Chem 1110 this summer or fall to have it completed before I apply to next year's program. And the lady said I would have had an 'excellent chance' of being accepted if I had been eligible. Looks good for next year!

So we're sticking with the plan, but just delaying it one year. We're hoping it won't be so bad to start the program next year instead. Grayson will be one year older, and hopefully we will be permanently settled in our own home by then. Meanwhile, I'll take the infamous Chem class this summer, and probably Microbiology this fall, just to get it out of the way. The good news is I'm applying to SLCC right now so I can take the classes closer to home. And don't worry - I've already double-checked that the credits will transfer seamlessly this time.

Dad's in charge!

Josh got the pleasure of staying home with the kid while I went to school today. I took last Saturday off from class, but couldn't afford to miss another because I have a test next week. I got up super early to shower and let my milk come in so I could feed the kid before I had to go. I leave for class around 7:15am and don't return until after 11am, so I left four ounces of milk for Josh to feed him while I was gone. Seriously, I couldn't have made it any easier on my husband.

Anyway, I was secretly excited that Josh was going to be 'stuck' caring for and entertaining the kid while I was gone - even if was for just a few short hours - just so he could finally understand how difficult it is to get anything requiring multiple hands or more than a five-minute attention span accomplished, but my plan was thwarted by none other than Grandma. My own mother ruined me! My folks came up for another visit since Monday is a holiday. So I get home about 11:30am, and there's Grandma on the couch with Grayson, and Josh is in the computer room, hacking away at some blasted spreadsheet. My one partial day off in two weeks, and Josh managed to pawn the kid off on a sitter. Go figure.

In other great news, yesterday was Grayson's 2-week checkup. He is doing so well! He's in the 10th percentile for weight, but the 75th percentile for length, so yes, he's definitely mine. He actually measured 20 3/4 inches long (a 2-inch increase in only two weeks?), so the nurse measured him again, same length, and we have concluded the hospital staff didn't stretch him out all the way at birth. He also bounced back from his lowest weight of 5lb.13oz. to a rockin' 6lb.10oz., surpassing his birth weight by 5 ounces. That weight gain plus the incredible number of diapers he poops led the pediatrician to tell me, 'Whatever you're feeding him must be perfect.' That was really nice to hear, as middle-of-the-night feedings were starting to really wear on me. It was just the boost I needed to reaffirm that I'm giving him all the best things right now. We make a good team. Way to go, Us!

Already 2 weeks old!

Happy Birthday Josh!

And happy Valentine's Day, Father's Day, Anniversary, and Merry Christmas already, too! After giving him this elliptical for his birthday, all gifts are out for the rest of 2008. That goes for me as well. It barely fits in our bedroom, but here is the final product:(Sorry I forgot to take pics of the construction process, Chris. It didn't turn out to be too difficult to assemble. Josh had it finished in about 2.5 hours, with interruptions. And the $4 IKEA tv turner thing is perfect!)

Josh turns 34 today and in exactly four weeks I'll officially be '30-something' but we're not freaking out just yet. You know how it goes... When you're 18, 30 sounds old. When you're 25, 40 sounds old. But by the time you hit 30+, 50 seems fairly young. Even my 60+ parents don't seem 'old.' My parents still go camping, water-ski, ride Harleys, and work full-time, so it might just be that they're not the norm, but they get the senior discount wherever they go, so they're obviously getting up there.

We got to meet Deidra and see Chris again when we went to dinner with them two nights ago. A good friend of theirs was playing at Gepetto's, and they were kind enough to invite us along. I loved the atmosphere and Bianca's voice, and really enjoyed getting to know Deidra better. They went to the Jazz game that night, then came down to Riverton and spent the night in our spare bedroom. We got to hang out a little yesterday before they headed back to Logan. Let me tell you...Chris is the perfect guy to have around when you forget to pick up a shopping cart at IKEA or need help unloading a 300-pound elliptical from the back of your minivan! It was great having them over and visiting with them.

In the meantime, new beginnings surround me and I'm wondering why I'm not more stressed out. I start a Nutrition class at UVSC tomorrow at 8am, get a HUGE new Primary class Sunday, and we're going to have a baby in about a month. I feel like I should be freaking out right about now, but I'm not. I don't know if that's a good sign that I'm handling my stress well, or a bad sign that I'm dealing with stress by not acknowledging it at all. I guess we'll see. For now, all I can say with certainty is that I'm not looking forward to driving down to Orem tomorrow morning after tonight's snowstorm. Ugh.

The Move

School is over! Well, for now it is. My final was Thursday, Aug 2, and I think I did well. We shall see when this semester's grades post.

What comes next? The big move. We have to be out of our home by August 31, so I've already begun boxing things up and stacking it all in the garage. The guest bedroom and bathroom are empty and ready for me to clean, and the computer room and hall closet have almost reached that point. Biggest shock so far? The amount of bedding we have. Worst fear? Going through our bedroom closet.

It's actually been a lot of fun for me to go through things, organizing and getting rid of some stuff. Josh has sold some valuable geekware on craigslist, but I've listed most items on Freecycle for people to haul away if they want it. I've taken down my paintings, bubble-wrapped them, and will store them at my folks' house in Toquerville so I don't have to worry about throwing them in the back of the moving truck. I'm also nervous about moving my houseplants. My mom said I could temporarily store them at her house while we get settled, but I have 24 total, and I don't think she's ready to take on that kind of responsibility.

We've gotten several bites on our housing wanted ad on Craigslist, and are looking at a home in the Daybreak subdivision in South Jordan and one at Traverse Mountain in Lehi. They both have the space we're looking for at the price we want. The home at Traverse Mountain is actually in a better location for us, but I've heard it's very windy out there. Anyone know if that's true? Josh is now working in SLC full-time, so we want to find something soon, get an official move-in date, and get serious about hauling all of our junk up there. Fun, fun!

What a week!

I took two tests yesterday. Very difficult tests. I feel pretty good about the test I took in lecture, but I didn't do so hot on my lab. 86% was my grade. Ugh. My overall lab percentage is 92%, though, so it turned out okay. It was hard to prepare for the lab practical. It was the same day as the lecture test, so I didn't focus on it as much, and those blasted slides are just so difficult to identify. I missed the tongue, bronchus, and the lung slides. But I got the pancreas, thyroid, pituitary and testis! Here is an example of what we see and are supposed to identify: In case you don't know (and care for some reason) that is the thyroid gland. I actually couldn't remember what it was, but I recognized it as an endocrine structure, so I made a list of all the slides we learned for the endocrine system and systematically marked off the ones I knew I could recognize. The thyroid was the only one with a question mark, so I put it as my answer. It worked!

Anyway, the time I've spent *other* than studying has been most delightful. Josh's aunt and uncle are visiting from Maryland this week so I've gotten to spend some time with them. They are gems! Very personable and entertaining. We did a Vegas-style buffet last night and it was the perfect release to a stressful day. They are good company and I'm so glad I got to know them a little better.

Saddy-head

I am just so mad at Josh right now. Actually, I'm not mad, I'm really sad. Sad and disappointed and frustrated.

I could go on and on about how I've now taken five classes at CCSN that aren't needed at UVSC, and about how I now need two classes from UVSC that weren't required at CCSN, and how I now have to pay non-resident tuition, and how I still can't register for fall semester because Jan at ext. 7196 won't call me back, and how sucky it will be to finish my summer class here on August 2 and start up there August 22, and how my chances of getting accepted into the program will now drop from 1:2 to 1:5, and how now I don't foresee any available time to visit Isaac & Shama in Texas or go see Jeddy in NY...

But mostly what I feel is sad and lonely because he's been gone for so long. I wish we could live like normal 30-something's. I wish he came home for dinner every night and didn't give so much of his personal time to his job. I wish we had a house payment and planned big annual family vacations. I wish we were friends with our neighbors and went on walks together in the evenings. I wish we did fun stuff on Saturdays instead of doing errands around the house. I wish he would worry about me and our future instead of his parents'. Mostly I wish I was a mom that had children to raise instead of giving them away. I know that's not fair because it's not his fault, but it still makes me sad, and I feel cheated for us not being able to start our family yet.

The fruits of (the rest of) my labor

Not 'real" labor, mind you, as I'm not even pregnant, but rather the fruits of my study labor. I started my summer Anatomy & Physiology II class today and it just so happens that this is the same professor I had for A&P I, so he had my final test score and semester grade available.

drum roll...

I am one of only two students that earned an A in his course! Even better than that, the course is so difficult, a percentage of 87% or higher is awarded an A, and my final score was 93%!! My professor said it's been a long time since he's seen a score that would have earned an 'A' grade without the curve.

*beaming*

It sure would be nice if my husband were here to share it with me, though. :-(

A job well-done

Sweet! The score for the semester's test I was most worried about (Chem 121) was posted online today. I got 81%! That may not seem like an excellent score for me until you realize that Chemistry was my most difficult class this semester and that score was for the standardized test given to all Gen Chem students across the United States. I'm smarter than 80% of the students who took that test!

After my professor weighted it against the topics we didn't cover in class, I ended up with an even 90% on the final. I only needed a 78% on the final to earn an A, so the 90% brought me to a solid A for the class. I am so happy and Josh is so proud.

PS - Lest you think I got lucky in the class or don't know a difficult class when I see one, here is a letter of commendation given me by my Chemistry lab instructor. It's so nice when hard work pays off, and I worked my ass off in this class.
On the flip side, I got an A in my English class and I didn't do much in there. That class was ridiculously easy, which just goes to show that if someone tests out of a class, you shouldn't make them take it anyway, just for a stinking letter grade. I mean, if you test out of a class, shouldn't it be obvious you'd do well if you actually took it? I skated through that class and my professor still called me an exemplary student. What does that tell you about the work-ethic-less students that accompanied me to class everyday? I'm still bitter about CCSN wasting my time and money, grrrrr.