Wow, I haven't been on here since May. I will do my best to catch you all up on our summer.
Danton finished his didactic portion on school in Mid May. He then spent 2 weeks finishing the clinicals he had left. The last week of May he started his 30 hour a week ambulance clinical rides. Before summer started he had 100 hours logged and he needed to complete 400 during the summer. He will be completed with them on September 1st. Yay. The riding portion is divided up into 4 sections. The first 100 hours are you getting used to being on the ambulance as a Paramedic. As time goes on you get more and more responsibility. You end in phase 4 where you are calling the shots, they step in if you are about to kill someone. Most often you end up in phase 4 for about 30-50 hours. They started him in Phase 4 with about 130 hours left and for the most part he has had great preceptors. We have been very fortunate with that. After he finishes his rides on the 1st he will then take his clinical test portion on September 7th and graduation is on September 15th. After than he will need to on his own take the National Certification for becoming a Paramedic. The hope through all this is that he will become a Paramedic with Denver Health in Denver. I am so proud of him he has continued to work full time and manage all his rides and studying. I know he has reached burn out on several different occasions. He is tired and pushed very hard to make it through these last few months.
I am still cleaning to help out during this portion of his school. I am so fortunate to have a great people to clean for. They love me and my family. So, I am set to run my first half marathon in September. I was on track with my training and this summer I hit wall. I went from running consistently to barely being able to run a mile. I was also very tired all the time. I just assumed this past year was catching up with me, which I am sure some of it was. I also decided to have my thyroid checked and I found out I was low. Not crazy low but low enough that it could be helped a little and might give me some of my energy back. I just started on it a week ago, so we will see. I am behind in my training and was thinking I would just forget about the race and hope everyone else would too. After my brief pitty party I decided to suck it up and push forward with the goal of "finish" It may not be as pretty as I wanted it to be but after the year that we have had I think that goal is great. Averie has even said she wants to be there as my cheerleader!!! Cant' get much better than that.
The kids and I enjoyed our usual pool time this summer. I love that they both love it. Next year I will have to rethink the kiddy pools I go to. Averie will want to add some bigger kid pools I am sure. She is a little fish.
Things we did this summer. In July a friend that I graduated high school with was in Colorado for a whole month. Our kids were able to spend some time with each other and they had a blast. Averie wishes they lived closer. And so do I!!!
The kids and I also spent about 10 days in Nebraska in July. Danton's mom got a week pass to their local water park and the kids had so much fun there. While we were there Lincoln also hurt his arm. After getting x-rays we were told it wasn't broken just a good hyper extended elbow. Averie also bumped her front 2 teeth while we were there. One came out in a couple of days and one turned colors and is now back to normal and still in place. Danton took the train out to spend the last day and a half with us. He was able to see his brother before he headed back to China and we also got some family pictures taken. We had a good time there and enjoyed seeing everyone.
When we got back from Nebraska it was time to start getting ready for school. Bitter sweet. With summer coming to a close it meant Averie was going back to school and also Danton was about done with school. Although since Averie was done with school in May she has been asking when it was time to go back. She loves school.
We got her all ready, uniforms, school supplies... Then it was time for back to school night to meet the her teacher Miss Barr. Although when we got there we learned that her teacher quit the Friday before and that day they hired a new teacher, Mr. Schufer. One thing I have learned is that life is never boring. It has been an adjustment for me most of all. But I was just telling a friend today. I am so grateful we had an amazing teacher last year during one of our most difficult years. That made it so nice. And this year we have more time and attention to focus on everything Averie needs for school, if she needs it.
Lincoln is also going to start going with my mom once a week to their church. She volunteers as a Mentor Mom for their moms group that meets weekly. I think that will be very good for him. He is a mommas boy and he could use some socializing with other kids his age. So, while I clean on Wednesdays she will take him there.
Averie also starts up dance this month. She is so excited to get that started again. I truly think that girls world is a dance. She dances all the time. I am excited to watch what she will do this year.
Unfortunately my computer was doing crazy things while uploading pictures so I was only able to get her first day of 2nd grade photos. So, here she is all ready to go. Danton couldn't go to back to school night but he was able to bring her to school on her first day. And Lincoln wanted to get in on the pictures too!!
