Busy....

The Balloon Festival was last weekend. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and we did not see the masses of balloons take off as usual. Most years the balloons will float right over our house and we can go out and wave at them. The boys enjoyed the festival and the many activities there anyway.

We have made our Thanksgiving plans and will be going to Mo Ranch this year. This has made the boys quite happy. We love our family time at this place and Thanksgiving is quite special there.

I have asked for some changes at work. I love my job, but I love my family more. I am a part time employee, should be working 24 hours a week, I have been away from home about 36 hours a week since school started and it is starting to really put a strain on things at home. The boys are in the afterschool program and are doing well, but they are often the last ones picked up and then dinner is rushed and we have very limited time in the evenings to just be a family. We have mostly given up any extracurricular activities. We do go to TKD on Monday evenings if I get home in time, otherwise it is dinner, bath and bed.

Anyway, I have asked that my clinic hours be changed to 8:30 to 4:30. I have one evening a week, Wednesday until 7PM, I will leave that alone. If I am able to leave my clinic before 5 in the evening I can usually be home in 45 minutes, if I leave after 5 it is usually closer to 1 1/2 hour, I live 27 miles from the clinic, on some of the busiest roads in the metroplex. I haven't been given any type of response to this request. I would stay where I am at if I could be home more for my boys.

Last week I updated my resume, I have given it to a few Family Practice Docs in the area and one group that does Adolescent GYN (Girls to Women Health and Wellness). That is the job that I would love, but even though they are really interested in me they are a new practice and don't have the volume to support a NP at this time. I will work to keep my name at the top of the list with them. I am also considering looking at some pediatrician offices in the area, I am mostly interested in the older kids and adolescents, that is where my talents are. Around this area most NP jobs are by word of mouth or by knowing someone. I have been with the same employer for 9 years, I haven't done allot of networking since I have been so busy with family issues and I have been content up until recently.

We did have parent teacher conferences last Friday for my two younger boys. A. is struggling with distractions but is still way ahead of the game since he is bright enough to keep up by hearing about 25% of what is said in class. He is reading at a 5.3 grade level and is in the second moth of 2nd grade. We are wondering how much of the issue is boredom so his teacher is working to get him involved in more advanced work. I am very worried that his ability to keep up this way will not last as the work gets harder.

J. is exceeding all the expectations. He has integrated into the classroom, he has made friends and is finally starting to realize that written letters have meanings and sounds and has been working very hard. He is finally able to write his name and is very proud to put it on everything. He is being pulled for about 30 - 45 minutes daily for speach and language arts and will receive even more support in fine motor skills. But I am very happy with his progress and from a behavior standpoint, he is doing outstanding. He has had no issues with any behavior problems at all at school, and very few at home. He is one tired boy when he gets home in the evenings though.

My oldest son S. has been doing very well also. He and a neighbor worked on a poster for fire prevention week at school, it won 3rd place for the 3rd and 4th grades at his school. (Blogger won't let me download a picture of it....) We will have a conference with his general ed teacher as well as the resource team in a few weeks.

This is long, if you made it this far, thanks for reading. If you know of any good part time Family NP job prospects in North Texas, please let me know.