Garrett's Schooling

I've had a few questions this weekend about how things are coming for Garrett's schooling and thought I'd write about it. We are 95% positive that there will be an opening for Garrett in January, which is great news. The bad news is that the school decided that he would need to retake the final that he passed in 3rd Semester to make sure he's ready for 4th Semester. One of the instructors recently told Garrett that they are considering handing out the objectives for each unit to the students that are applying for reentry - to help them study. Then, I believe he would just take the final in December along with the other current 3rd Semester students.

Then, classes begin a couple weeks into January and he will go to per diem status at the hospital, which means that he must work at least one shift a month, but he can work more if he has time (and desire). He would finish in the middle of May and then prepare for the state board exam. The hospital puts him on staff as an RN until he takes his board. If he passes, he becomes a licensed RN and if not, he goes back to LPN status while he attempts to pass again. This first part is nice because it allows him to go thru the training for RN, but before he actually passes the board exam.

Garrett doesn't say a lot about what he's thinking, but I'm sure he feels like there's a lot of pressure on him. Having been enrolled in 4th term once already, he really knows what he's facing and the realities of what he must accomplish. I'm so proud of him for coming this far already, and knowing what he knows, being willing to go back and submit himself to another grueling term.

For those of you that didn't know, I am planning on, once again, supporting the family on my own while Garrett's in school. I have cut the daycare back to two kids and will quit altogether on December 21st (my personal D-day). I am still considering having a two-hour preschool, as Jonathan has benefited so much from this and its easier to do with more than one child. I have already started a side business of cleaning. It makes so much more money in so much less time and I can arrange the schedule to my own needs. I currently clean three homes, and am hopeful to add a business to the mix to make enough to support the family.

The current big kink I haven't been able to iron out is the C-section. I have to have one because of Wyoming's hospital insurance laws and it is just too far to go to have the baby vaginally in Ogden or Denver in the middle of Wyoming winter. Besides, it will be a lot easier for Garrett to plan the delivery around his classes. With a c-section, I'll be unable to vacuum for 6 weeks and I'm not sure how that's all going to work. But I'm sure it will be fine.