Which road will you take?

Monday will mark the beginning of my final semester at George Washington University.  With all fingers and toes crossed, I will graduate with a Masters in Health Sciences with a focus in Clinical Research Administration (whew, that is a mouthful).  With the beginning of my last semester, I have been seriously thinking about what I would do my thesis/ capstone/ proposal thingy on.  What exactly interests me and what do I want to change in the world of research and science?

I have excitedly decided to look at ethics in clinical research (yes, I am very much aware of my nerd status).  Specifically, ethics within the research setting at a particular institution.  When people think of ethics, they automatically think of what you should and should not do;  fairly cut and dry right?  WRONG!  Ethics, especially dealing in the medical setting, is so complicated and in depth that it is very difficult to muddle through.  So, with this in mind, I will give it my best and attempt to develop a medical ethics education class for all research personnel at LSUHSC.  Of course, I will not have to specifically implement this program but could if it was good enough.

With that being said, which road do you think you have taken in your life?  The High Road or the Low Road?  Are you happy with the road that you have chosen?  Is there anything that could have been done differently?  Would changing life paths have changed your life for the better?  For the worse?

As this final semester begins I know that I will have to lean heavily on my family and small group of friends to help see me through this time. It will be difficult but I know that with their help, I will be able to accomplish my goals and begin the next chapter in my life...  hmmm... wonder what that will be.  ;)

Chapter I: The beginning of kindergarten

So Makenna did indeed start school yesterday and I must say, I did well (oh, and so did she).  Brandon and I took her to school and helped her find her desk (front and center) and wondered when we should try to slip out.  After seeing some of the parents start to leave we decided now was our time.  Makenna started crying and holding onto my leg and her teacher, Ms. Bernard, saw us and came to the rescue.  She was crying when we left and of course that made me go out into the hall and cry too.  It is a very hard decision to make:  leave your child when they are crying and scared because you know it will be best for them in the long run OR keep your child at home with you forever and be arrested because you never sent them to school.  Decisions, decisions.  So, I feel I made the right choice (in the long run) by leaving her at school.  I went back to peek in the door several times throughout the day to check on her and each time she was smiling and playing.  Relief is an understatment.

All in all, I think it was a good day.  Not only a good day for her but also for me.  I realized again today that I have done something right in my life.  I often think that for my life to be a success, everything MUST be perfect.  Today I think I realized that perfection does not exist in the real world.  It exists in movies and books and we all desperately want that type of perfection in our lives but reality sets in and I have realized that perfection would get horribly boring.  And I don't like to be bored!

A New Chapter in Our Lives

I have several friends who blog their lives and I have found myself loving to read what goes.  The funny thing about this is that I know most of these people well so the things they write are of no real surprise to me.  I still enjoy reading them and often make sure they know they have not blogged in a while.  So, I have decided that since I enjoy reading about others that maybe someone would enjoy reading about me and my wonderful family.  So, here is the Smith Family Blog-  The Days of Our Lives.

As many of you know Makenna will begin Kindergarten tomorrow at Legacy Elementary School in Bossier.  Also, as many of you know I am a very emotional person but have found that I am not all that emotional about her beginning a new chapter in her life.  This will probably completely change tomorrow when Brandon and I actually drop her off, but as of now, I am not that upset.  I have decided that I want to be as active at her school as I possibly can be and hope I am not taking on more than I can handle.   I have joined the PTO and have agreed to be the chairman of the schools Fall Carnival.  With the help of Brandon and friends, I am sure I can do it and will make Makenna very proud.

Makenna is a very smart kid but just like her mother, is very shy so I am not really sure how the first day of school is going to go.  Change has not really been her friend and she tends to continue to cling onto me or Brandon when we leave her at "daycare".  Needless to say, I am hoping for the best when I leave her at school tomorrow but am trying to mentally prepare myself for more of the same- crying and clinging.  Even though, as of now, I am not overly emotional about Makenna beginning kindergarten I do realize this is a new chapter in our lives as a family.  Brandon and I have done the best we could in raising Makenna and attempting to teach her good and bad, right and wrong but we are now handing over a portion of these duties to her new teacher, Mrs. Bernard.  I am in hopes that she will continue what Brandon and I have done and Makenna makes us proud (which I really have no doubts that she will).

So...  here is to the journey!  More to come tomorrow I am sure.  :)

Spring 2006 (1 year old)