Speculative Speculum

I am ready for med school now. I got my “hear plugs” (what D2 calls them) on sale at Meijer to last me for the next year or two!

Today D1 and D2 helped make a haiku to maybe go aboard the MAVEN that NASA is sending to Mars (they vote for the top three). The kids chose to write about the Titanic. We also submitted our names to be put on a DVD and be sent to the planet in the Going to Mars with Maven program.

This is the haiku (we didn’t follow all the rules but hey):

It was a cold night
An iceberg hit the bottom
The Titanic sunk!

Yesterday started a new application season for medical school. I applied to six DO schools in my area through AACOMAS. AMCAS (for MD) is delayed a week due to some problems that they were having, and I will be applying to Michigan schools once their system opens. I’ve been studying for the MCAT, and my BS and VS sections have been in the 10-11 range on FLs. I’m still doing content review for the PS section. If I can get up to a 10 on the PS section, I’ll be happy and consider myself done and ready to take the MCAT. I feel like a chronic MCAT rescheduler, but I’m not taking it until I feel comfortable. I have up until September (though this is considered extremely late) to still be considered for MD schools. I am lucky to have one school that has non-rolling admission within driving distance so taking it later won’t be as deadly as with rolling admissions schools. For DO schools, I have up until January at the very latest to take the MCAT, but I want to get this thing done and over with.

I’m registered to take genetics in the fall and biochemistry in the winter at an entirely new university, and I’m excited about that. I’ve also been thinking about what I’m going to do if I don’t get into a medical school this year. My plan right now will be to do an SMP in the area. There is one that has a high linkage with the medical school, and the school is only a half an hour away though it is over the state line. I’m trying to work myself up to not being let down so that I don’t get bummed out if I don’t succeed.

D4 will be six-months old next week. I can’t believe how time has flown by! She is definitely acting like an older baby. She’s ate all sorts of food already and loves all of it. D1 is graduating from kindergarten at the end of the week. I thought for sure that he would be held back because the teacher has been very critical of him for the entire year. He did get his first award at school today (better late than never). It’s been a really rocky school year, and I’m counting down the days for summer break. At home though, we are having lots of fun learning.

This week he learned how to multiply by 2s up until “2X10″ and do three-digit addition with regrouping. He also knows his angles on a graph such as 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 100 degrees, 180 degrees and so forth. He is also doing better with reading and has a reading tutor through the school because he was considered behind. He’s still into the Titanic, and now he likes watching the show Gold Rush. He also enjoyed doing some beginning programming at Code Academy, and I registered him for robotics camp during the summer and the robotics team for the school year. We also found out what school D1 will be going to next year since his school is closing due to budget cuts, and it is in another town!

D2 and D3 have been very helpful. They are registered for preschool, and I’ve been trying to get them ready. D3 is way better with writing and drawing than D2. Having them learn their letters, numbers, shapes, and colors has been nearly impossible. D2 should be starting kindergarten in a year from now, but I don’t know if he will be ready. They want them reading and doing math by the time that they start kindergarten, and he just doesn’t seem to get very much. We might have to do two years of kindergarten for him. I had no idea how hard school had become. D3 is also, I would say, completely potty trained even at night. That means that I have one left in diapers! Yay!

We are supposed to get a new couch/chair set soon. We’ve been waiting two months for it already. The children helped me plant the garden. I didn’t get to do one last year because I was in the hospital, so I’m glad to do one this year. We are mainly doing peas, beans, tomatoes, sunflowers, peppers, and various herbs. Keeping it simple.