Pre-Thanksgiving

On Saturdays we take Gav to dance class at 11am. This particular Sat (and Fri, Sun and is to carry til Mon) was very rainy. We were on the 215N headed to Kelli's house and less than a mile from our exit. We were having a wonderful conversation in the car with the kids and between Boom and I. I was even texting Val and CLee about our Thanksgiving in Vegas. We were driving in the far left lane (fast lane) and I felt the car jerk to the left and then we began to fish tell. It was so slow but happened so fast at the same time. I yelled whats going on and Boom told me he lost control. At that moment Gav was screaming and the car was spinning (and I mean 360's). Traffic was a bit heavy and some how we were clearing all cars as we traveled along the lanes to the right. In the farthest right lane my front (right) passenger side hit a F150 (4 door) in the driver side passenger door. Which now that I look at that I'm thankful for because without being stopped by that car we would have went over in an embankment.

We parked our car and the F150 parked theirs in the emergency lane. Right as we all looked around to make sure we were all ok were heard tires screech and a car smash. A big rig lost control in the same spot we did and hit a little Honda. The Honda had a mom and her 8-9 yr old daughter. The scene was horrific and knocked the mom unconscious. Thankfully the little girl was able to walk away and the mom was moving around after the jaws of life removed her from the car.

I've never seen Gav so scared and witnessed the resilience of a child through my own eyes as well. Children can make the worst of situations the best through there laughter and playfulness. I'm so proud. Austen wasn't much aware of what happened but how freaked out we were.

We did find out before the plow cleared the scene. There was a lot of gravel all over the road due to construction on the freeway and a couple miles from our two accidents was another 3 car pile up. We did get pictures of the mess.

Boomer hit his head on the window so I took him to ER after everything. His back and neck were hurt but he is ok. We are all ok. There's a little soreness in our necks but it will work itself out. And the kids are great, you would never know. The passengers in the F150 are well as well. But I was so worried because the door we hit had a child around 14mon there and 2 children around Gav's age with no car seat (one of them was sitting between the parents in the front) and a 9 year in the back. So, 4 young kids and 2 adults. This is not their fault but I was so worried, if the accident was worse, the little ones could have flew. Thankfully they were alright as well. The mom and I were checking on each other's children.

This morning I began cooking a full out Thanksgiving meal. I don't want to dwell on the what could of happened anymore but I'm so thankful that we were all together safe at home. I did let Gav sleep with us last night, they both had cake after lunch and ice cream after dinner =)

We are truly blessed =)

A at school

Her best friends are Isaac and Aurora. All day long we hear Isaac, Isaac, ISAAC!!! Austen gives him hugs and kisses at school. She has a slight obsession with him. He is a cutie pie



A and ISAAC

Thank You

This is for my friends....

I love you all so incredibly much. You accept me for who I am and who I will never be. I means the world to know "I have ride or die chicks" haha, sorry I had to say that because it is true.

I'm thankful to have this handful of women who support me even if I'm wishy washy at times :)

I'm mostly thankful that you understand that I have a family first. Because I have so little free hours I'm not pressured or I don't have to worry that you are angry because I can't get right back to that phone call, email, text or whatever and that conversation can be months apart. And when I have that moment for girl talk or available to get out you are more than happy to be with me. Heck you even spend the time with me and my family (and are happy to do so).

Also, I love that months and years can go by, and when we see each other it is like we just talked yesterday =) Truly incredible

Even if we have our tiffs or "moments" we still love each other and we don't have grudges.

Love you always,

Nicole

Whoa!

Teaching the Bio 200 labs are challenging. The material is introductory biology but very broad. Going through it myself I know it can be hard but you push though it. The labs are simple. The protocols are like cooking, you follow it step by step and there are no problems and their questions require no thinking because if they read their manuals the answers come straight from it. This is the final week of actual lab, next week I hold a review and the week after is their practicals.

Every week I give a lecture explaining the objectives, the relevance and what they are doing for the lab that day. I teach 4 labs which is roughly 85 students total. I had this one particular student today (who has already been on my bleep list already) come and ask me what do we need to do today immediately after the lecture. I told her to go sit down and read the lab (this is week 8!!! hello McFly!!!). Then she sends this guy up to ask me the same question, which has happened before. I grunted back my irritation and asked what can't they understand. It seemed to be everything. I told him step by step what to do. The group was already behind the other 5 by now. After checking with everyone they were further behind. Without any more details, the girl decided to not follow the instructions I gave her lab member and decided she was going to do the lab how she felt and "F" (sorry) the whole thing up because she didn't understand. I had my very first BLOW UP ever on a student. I wasn't screaming but I had a clearly fed up raised voice and talked to her without name calling like she was and idiot. I couldn't believe what just happened when I was done (and all starring at me). It happens in other labs but never mine. I'm more in disbelief that I let it get under my skin but man she didn't understand what labeling the test tubes meant.

I did walk away from that group and converse with the others to cool down. When I went back to the group I was as cool as a cucumber (I will admit I did feel better :/)

Blowing bubbles

Great picture grandma!

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Halloween night

 
 

Gav was Plex from "Yo Gabba Gabba" and A was a cupcake =)

Happy Halloween.

More to coke tomorrow

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Pumpkin Patch

What's going on...

The baby lizard Gav caught in the backyard


Austen at school


yes she posed for Amy


Gav and Izel camping in the living room


Pirate Night at KidSpace





Austen's first visit to Rainforest Cafe


Mudrun


Angel's Game



That sums up the month of September, minus school/work

Great start to the day!

Ya its going on 4am and I need to be in lab about 6am to collect flies and then work at 8am. I woke up around 2am and cannot go back to sleep. It's driving me crazy. I can't take this non-sleeping thing anymore. Tomorrow after I leave campus I'm picking up valerian root oil and valerian tea. It's all natural sleep aid. Val guarantees I will be able to sleep through out the night and fall asleep at a decent hour.

I don't get it. I usually fall asleep with a clear mind (if its late). Why is my mind all jumbled again when i wake up in the middle of the night? It is really irritating when I let myself stew with my thoughts about the day or the next day's to dos. I get this heavy feeling in my mind or my heart but I don't know what is weighing me down. Maybe I'm subconsciously hinting that I've missed the gym for 2 weeks... I can't even fool myself!

and I have that annoying stuffed leaky nose. Bah-hum bug!