Sweet Mercy

So the title of this blog has many meanings, depending on how I say it :P

It has been a very overwhelming time in my life. From the end of June until 2.5 weeks ago Ben was unemployed and I was the primary bread winner for our family. It was a stressful time for everyone in our home. I'm thrilled that Ben has recently been able to find new gainful employment but things aren't 100% back to normal. I will keep working to get us back on our feet and on track to the financial security we were heading for before.

I'm currently working 3 jobs not including my photography business. I have chosen things that I deeply enjoy doing so my jobs aren't as draining as they could be but I work outside of my home 35 to 45 hours a week. Why the variability you ask? One of the biggest jobs I have is as a tutor. I mostly tutor high school level Math and Science and my appointments fill pretty much all night... every night. My students are awesome, many of them enrich my life but its always an adventure heading out each night. And I meet my students in their homes so I drive A LOT!

For my other jobs I work part-time as a technician at the lab I spent most of my Master's degree in and I work teaching science workshops to elementary aged children with Mad Science of Southern Alberta. Both are right up my alley :D

But balancing my work schedule and my family has been hectic at best. My girlies are in a day home, which was hard to secure a position. I would prefer to have a nanny but the price tag for that is still a little out of our reach.

We are also in the middle of a major bathroom reno as our main bath had lots of water damage and accompanying mold issues. So amid the work and family, I've been ripping out tile and flooring. I've got a new sub floor half screwed down and hope to get to trying my hand a tiling this weekend.

I'm still waiting to hear back from med school. I hope this year is my year. I did better on the MCAT, I think I got some solid reference letters from people I really feel can speak to different and important parts of my character, I've been through an interview so I know what to expect and I have some things I know I can improve on there, so here is to hoping that the referees assessments are going to go in my favor.

This Jane-of-All-Trades wants to settle on medicine but for now I'm an entrepreneur/photographer/tutor/children's entertainer/scientist/laborer/tiler/interior designer extraordinaire... I need a cape. 

Rant about Studying

Studying is driving me nuts! Everything feels so familiar until I try and answer questions then then I struggle, really rather badly. On top of the frustration with learning the topics themselves comes the battle to even study in the first place. I'm a pretty pro procrastinator so having the motivation to study isn't easy to come by, combine that with my husband, 2 girls and a fun loving dog and I'm surprised I've even half cracked a book. Frequently I end up studying very late at night and then I can't even keep my eyes open. I know its not optimally effective.

So I've mapped out what I'm considering a 40 day challenge which outlines the sections that I will need to study and the reading that I feel I need to do to be ready before the night of my exam- in about 40 days to be exact :P I planned things out and set some goals. The main goals I've set is to achieve a minimum of 10s across the board (which is a moderately competitive MCAT score) I would love to think that I can get 15s in the Verbal Reasoning and Biological Sciences but 10s seems like a more attainable. I mean I shoot for those perfect 15s but if I get 11 I still want to walk away considering that a HUGE success. I'm so hopeful that some kind of magic will happen and I'll get an exam suited to all my strengths but I know that's unlikely to happen. I will as my blog title suggests need to become a Jane of all things sciencey or at least MCATy.

I was SOO freaking close to getting in this past year (in fact, parts of me clings to the fantasy that everyone on the waiting list will decline and I'll get some amazing last minute phone call...its not going to happen, but I can't seem to get the thought out of my head) that I really waiver between being super motivated for this year and being just frankly pissed off! Getting my application scores back pretty well summed things up for me. My application scored pretty well on everything (like high enough to get in) except the MCAT and while I did ok at interview I didn't make up for the MCAT difference and I didn't shine like I had hoped that I would have. I acknowledge that I could improve in all areas and I do endeavor to... but yeah, "MCAT you are my nemesis!!!"

Welcome

So this is me starting a personal blog and it's my first blog about.... well.... myself. I've blogged about other stuff before and hopefully you are familiar with my photography blog HERE. But alas I've felt the need to rant about myself (sounds rather egocentric, I know) I thought I would indulge myself in ranting to seemingly no one while generally accepting that people, whether they know me well or not, will read this (at least I think they will).

Anyway, so I’ve dubbed myself a bit of a “Jane of All Trades” for a while now and although I don’t actually think I can do everything, I do admit to having more than a few activities in my schedule.

My plan is to write about myself and what I do in hopes of  1) understanding myself better 2) finding and connecting with like-minded people 3) encouraging others to feel good about themselves and all the “trades” that they are up to

Here is a list of what I’m currently up to:

• First and foremost I am a Wife and Mother. I have enjoyed the last 11 months staying at home with my girlies but one way or another that will soon be coming to a close for a season.
• I consider myself a “life long learner” I finished my Master’s degree in Neuroscience… oh you know 11 months ago :P and while I’m not currently formally studying anything I have on more than one occasion found myself still reading journals (*shudders* it’s like I like it)
• I am also at the end stretch of my first med school application cycle (I hope there isn’t a second but the verdict is still out… the waiting IS KILLING me!!!!)
• I have a photography business and while I love maternity and newborn photography I - no shock here- do a little of everything :P I had a shoot a week ago and I’m planning another in a couple weeks
• I strongly support other people (especially women) to be as educated as they can be so I currently have 2 students that I’m tutoring in math 20… they are preparing to KICK butt on the final!
• So many of these bullets deserve a future blog post of their own but this one especially, I’m currently enrolled in driver’s ed… yeehaw!! If all goes well I should be a REAL licensed driver by the end of April. No one should have their class 7 for 8 years :(
• I volunteer as I am invited to at church, helping to organize all the women to visit each other and form sisterly bonds and a new assignment assisting in the Nursery which means teaching/entertaining/playing with around ten 18 month to 3 years olds for 2 hours every Sunday :)
• I’ve also developed a rather messy craft habit in which I shred old clothes and bed linens and crochet rugs and hats out of them… that and beading earring and necklaces… and making hair accessories...ok I love crafting.
• Oh and I own and on semi- regular occasion choose to cloth diaper my infants. 

So here are my answers for people when I give them this information…yes I do sleep. I make most of my family’s meals from scratch. I employ no Sherpa, Nanny or maid (although that would be awesome! I’ve always wanted a Sherpa). My husband and I do like each other and we frequently talk. I love my children and we make time for singing songs and craft projects on a pretty regular basis. I’m not crazy, or a serious perfectionist. I don’t often feel run off my feet or overwhelmed and my elusions of being super human ended several years ago. I’m just me…doing all the stuff I do.

We should talk about all the stuff that I usually do but have cut back on or enjoyed in the past… next time!

So if you are out there reading this, leave me a comment so I don't feel like I'm talking to myself and subscribe to hear more of my stories of being a "Jane of All Trades"