This week has been a rough one.

Quizzes, tests, skills tests in clinic, appointments, the school not knowing where Natalie needs to be all of a sudden, and to top it all off, my keys fell out of my purse today...so I locked them in my car.

My friend from back home, Haley, left for Lesotho, Africa with the Peace Corps on Monday. She won't be able to post anything on her blog for a while, but hopefully at some point she will be able to! Its hard to believe she'll be there for two years!

The skills tests this week have been over four of the instruments we will be using as well as polishing teeth and administering fluoride. The polishing and fluoride were great. The instrumentation was another story. I was extremely nervous because my main teacher is now my clinic instructor and it was the first time she had ever really watched me. I had never had a problem before, but I failed two of the instrument tests because I was in the wrong operating position for one and on the wrong tooth for another. She said my form is where it should be, and even good in some areas (this is a HUGE compliment!)...but I couldn't think clearly enough to put that instrument on tooth number four like she said instead of tooth number five like I did, or sit on the side of the patient instead of at her head. Oh well! Its the first time I've failed a clinic skills test (which most of the class can't say), and I get to retake it next Friday.

Today when I got out of school I saw that the kids' school called, so I called them back as quickly as I could. Apparently they didn't know why Natalie was there. Its not like she's been going there EVERY Thursday afternoon for the last three months or anything. I have no idea.

By the time I got off the phone, I realized I couldn't find my keys. By the time I got to my car I knew that they would be in my car waiting for me or I would be spending the next hour looking around the college for them. Sure enough, they had fallen out of my purse and were on the seat of my car. Considering the neighborhood I park in (right next to a college/hospital even), I'm almost surprised my car was still there! I called a friend that works with Roby and asked him/his wife if they knew how to get into a locked car. They had done it before, so they packed up their adorable baby and came to my rescue. A girl from class stood with me for about half an hour, they showed up about ten minutes later and tried to get it unlocked for nearly 45 minutes. After calling Gpa Bob and realizing it just wasn't going to happen...it was time to call the locksmith. Another 30 minute wait (they stayed with me), then 30 seconds of work, a $50 bill and I could finally go home!

This was the first time I've done this, but considering I completely lost my keys not long ago, I'm sure I'm going to hear about this for quite some time...and I think I need to go make some spare keys. ;-)

I complain about being here often, but having people that will come to my rescue and spend two hours out of their day for me is fabulous. Fonda also picked up Natalie from daycare so I wouldn't get her kicked out for being late. We don't have as large of a community of friends here, but the ones we do have are pretty darn good.

I've been on the verge of tears all week, but looking back at the end of the day, things can always be so much worse...I need to think positive and keep plugging away to get through this program so things can settle down again!

One last thing... I miss Roby when he's gone!!! I <3 him!