August 2022

 This week was CJ's last week at Medex.  She had several research presentions due this week and early admissions opened for some of the colleges that she wanted to apply to.  She was so overwhelmed with the application process.  Not so much the essays or the paperwork, just the cost of applying to college.  She did not know it was going to cost so much.  She was told that she needed to apply to about 5 colleges which is $16 each to send them her ACT scores and anywhere between $40 to $90 application fee.  We told her that it was ok just to apply to 3 of her favorites and not worry about applying to too many backup schools.  She then found out that Coastal which was one of her favorite schools stopped their nursing program.  I told her then that was not the school she was meant to go to.  She applied to Anderson Univerisity and went to apply to Lander but their application was not open yet.  She is so worried that she will not be able to afford to go to college.  I keep telling her that it will be ok.  We will find a way to make sure that she is able to attend any college that she wants to.  I spent the evening googling scholarships that she may be able to apply to.  I told her if she gets into Lander which is her top pick.  Follows scholarship that she already has will cover just about all of the tuition.  If she gets a couple of other scholarships that will cover housing and meal plans.  Book she can just use the app that she found that has all the books on it for free.  It may not be the best or having to apply for scholarships may not be the easiest but it will all work out.  She is a great writer so writing essays should not be a problem for her.  I told her with the new schedule at school this year she will have 45 minutes 3 days a week to work on applying for scholarships and for now just focus on applying to the schools that she would like to go to.  At this time it is only 2 Lander and Anderson because Coastal is out.  I told her that we could also check out Newberry in September to see if that could be an option.  That would give her a solid 3 school.  She also wanted to apply to Greenville tech because she could get her RN there for free and then transfer to a university to finish her BSN after 2 years.  Greenville tech is free.  I really want her to go straight to college to have that experience but we will do what we have to.  It was a sad day for me thinking about my baby applying to colleges.  She was excited that after she applied to Anderson they called her right away and told her that they have everything they need and she will hear from them in September if she got in. 

Wednesday I went up to the med school to see her presentation.  She was so cute introducing me to everyone.  I was so happy to see her work on her project and make friends with people who have the same mindset as she does.

Thursday she had her Medex graduation.  I was preparing for my Colenoscape that was going to be Friday.  So I was in the bathroom all day and did not know how I was going to make it to the graduation because I was in so much pain.  I ended up getting dressed and making it to the graduation which I was glad that I did.  I was so proud of her.  I did not get many pictures.  I wanted to get a picture of her with the head of Medex and her mentor but was just able to get some of her friends and mentor and then I had to go home. Later I was able to pull a picture of her and the head of Medex off of Medex's website.

Friday I had my colonoscopy and was glad to get this done and over with.  CJ drove me to the hospital and then went shopping until I was done.  I wish that she would have stayed because I think it would have been good for her to talk to all the doctors and nurses.  It all worked out and I did not have any problems so I do not have to do that for another 10 years.  We then went to see Lori McDowell and get some bookshelves for her.  We then came home so I could rest.  

Saturday we brought the bookcases up to the school and worked on the classroom finishing it up.  Monday I was to work but CJ had an Endoconogy appointment first thing in the morning so I was a little late.  I did not realize that was going to be a bad idea.  My principal went over it so much in the morning that I missed it and did not go over it with me.  I thought that was odd for a day that was really a flex day where teachers could choose to come or not.  I do not think that procedure should have been presented at that time.  I think that is why my whole first month of school will go.  I will not know what is going on and be overwhelmed by everything.  

I was frustrated because as school was getting close for CJ to start her guidance counselor would not make time to set up CJ's 504 meeting, so she would have her accommodations and her teachers would know about her diabetes. I emailed her teachers to let them know and her US history teacher told me that her siblings have diabetes and she grow up going to a diabetes camp so she was very familiar with the disability.  I was so glad.  Ms. Olver from the Career Center had her last year so that was not a problem. Mrs. Moore from CJ's peer tutoring class was used to kids with disabilities and accommodations so I was not worried about her at all.

Wednesday opened up the time that we could start painting CJ's parking spot.  Jay was at first saying that he would have never picked that design for her spot and was not sure how we were going to do it.  I was stressed out by everything at work and then all the negativity with the design of the parking spot that I created because no one else would even start it. We got started painting and everyone calmed down over my design.  By the time we finished on Saturday, everyone was so happy with it and thought it was the best one in the parking lot.  I was very proud of how it turned out.  I think that it was best than I thought it was going to be.

Tuesday, CJ started the first day of her senior year.  She was determined that she was going to be a good year.  She was not up and dressed before I had to leave for school so on her first day of school picture she had to take on her own.  She said that when I left she was holding Ester and the motorcycle starting up scared her and she peed on CJ.  CJ was just glad that she had not showered yet but she had to start a load of laundry because she could not leave her peed-on pajamas in the laundry basket.  I told her it was a pissy start to her senior year.  She said that she had a great day.  She was not sure about Ms. Junker.  She said she was very cold during class but nice when she went to talk to her.  She loved her peer tutoring class and Ms. Moores.  Ms. Moores loved CJ because she already know what all the special education terms meant and she did not need to explain much to CJ.  The benefits of having a mom that is a special education teacher.  During her CNA class, CJ said that Ms. Olver was not the same as last year she was mean and had no sympathy for anything.  She was changing everything that was in the letter that went home and had them reading and working so much that it was hard to get it all completed.  She said that by the end of the week some of the girls had to change their schedules or drop out of the class.  I told CJ maybe Mrs. Olver was trying to scare them or that she is just in a bad mood this year.

Over the weekend CJ had the American girl club.  She then went to lunch with Millie and then went back to the Musem to work the front desk.  It was an all-day volunteering and fun day for her.  They had StarWars day as well that afternoon s Millie brought her siblings and they all had a fun afternoon.

CJ has been overwhelmed with the amount of work with the CNA class and I have been with the amount of work I have been given.  We both spend every evening working on work on schoolwork.  They changed some of the ways that they were doing CNA class because so many of the students had trouble keeping up with the amount of reading in other classes as well. On Saturday, I was so glad to go out with friends to celebrate Elinor's birthday.  I was feeling very deflated with my job.  I was feeling that my boss was hating me and thought that I was doing a terrible job. I have always prided myself on being a good teacher and being able to teach the toughest kids, but in the last 2 years, I have not felt that way.  From the problems at Glenview to the problems, I am dealing with this year.  At least last year I felt that I was doing a good job. I just hope that it gets better.  Jay is tired of hearing about tough my job is and how defeated I feel.  He just thinks I will never be happy with my job and the other day he did not what to hear about it so he quit talking to me. A couple of days later he told me that I just needed to give it time and that my principal will see that I can do this and my test scores will prove it.