eight parenting skills

The eight parenting skills recommended by Galinsky (1999) include caring attitudes that parents and other caregivers should use with their charges.

                                                          
1.      making the child feel important and loved

                                                            
2.      responding to the child’s cues and clues

                                                           
3..      accepting the child for who he or she is but expecting success

                                                            
4.      promoting strong values

5.      using constructive discipline

   
6.      providing routines and rituals

7.      being involved in the child’s education

8.      being there for the child

I like this.....

"The question today is not whether early experience matters, but rather how early experiences shape individual development and contribute to children's continued movement along positive pathways."

Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000

August 29, 2009

Today was the first day of football season, and both girls are in cheer leading, so it was busy.  Dayton got here at 5:30 this morning and we went back to bed for awhile.  I got up and showered, then had the girls shower and fed them all breakfast.  Both games were at home, and Taylor's started at 11.  We were there by 10:30. Whitehall won 30-0.

The girls did really good, and had fun with it.  Their halftime routine was a huge hit!  It was done to a montage of Michael Jackson music.  I later showed Taylor the Thriller video to show her where some of her routine came from.  She and Heather thought that was really cool.

After Taylor's game we came home.  Dayton was picked up at the field by his Mom, so it was just the girl's and I.  Jon went to Grand Rapids to his friends house.  They went to a car show.  Once the girls and I were home, they watched tv and played on the computer and I napped.  I love napping, lol.

We went to Heather's game at 5.  I ended up having to run back home because I forgot the snacks.  Grrrrr.  It was raining off and on during the whole game, which we lost.  0-28.  Heather's cheer squad did really good, too.  It's neat to see the different capabilities of the 2 squads as well as the football teams.

The girls and I came home and had dinner, then vegged.  We were all tired, them more than me, of course, since I had a nap.  Now I'm just playing catch-up again.......

Sunday, May 31

It's been a busy couple of weeks, as usual. Full of softball games, practice, daycare, and college. I have lots of papers to write this quarter.

Today was spent at home. The girls were pretty good; they spent alot of time outside. I was going to work out in the yard, but have 2 papers due and a PowerPoint presentation to give this week, along with a test tomorrow in psychology, so I did homework pretty much all day. Except the time that I fell asleep on the couch (oops), and made dinner. The girls and I sat and watched America's Funniest Home Videos before bed. It was a re-run, but it was still good.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition was a re-run, too, but I watched it again. I actually don't think I watched much of it the first time, so it was mostly new to me. They featured a little girl (14 years old) who had a disease where she needed frequent blood transfusions. She spent most of her spare time campaigning and organizing blood drives for the American Red Cross. Reminds me that I need to do that. I was going to a couple of months ago. There was a drive at Baker, but they lost electricity and cancelled classes. So I forgot about it.

Guess I'll go try to plan this week's schedules and do my billing....

Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend was a great one!! Jon, the girls, and I spent the weekend camping with Mom & Tom, Deanna, Justin, and their 3 kids. We met them at the campground at Manistee National Forest on Saturday, early afternoon. We went for a couple of hikes, and watched the beautiful sunset over Lake Michigan. We had a taco bar for dinner. It was cold at night, but Tom hooked us up with a little space heater in the pop-up. Getting up to go to the bathroom was not fun; it seemed like the bathroom was MILES away at 3 a.m. lol.

We got up Sunday and made an awesome breakfast! It was scrambled eggs in between bread, with sausage thrown in there, too, and cooked over the fire. We then drove up to Sleeping Bear Dunes, which is where the pic above was taken. This was where we stopped for lunch. We got back to the campsite late, 8:30 or so. Made a quick dinner and sat around the campfire.

We got up on Monday and went out for breakfast at a place not far from the campground. We then went back to the campground to pack up and head out. The girls and I got home in the early afternoon. I got home and napped. Long days, but fun.

May 5, 2009

Geez, it seems like I'd be able to do this more often, lol. I could, but sometimes I just don't feel like it. But I do want to keep this going because I want the girls to be able to look at it someday and remember "stuff".

This morning was a nice one; I only had Sydney and Quinn. Sometimes I like the smaller groups because then they get more one-on-one attention. I got to play and bond with the 2 of them and do some teaching, and it comes to me a little bit more as I progress through school. I know that going to school and learning new things does wonderful things for me, and I'm hoping that it shows through the children that I provide childcare through. I love the teaching aspect of what I do; it's so amazing to watch these little one's do things or say things that I don't quite think they get, but then they prove me wrong, which is ok with me!! I can remember when I didn't think that Darrin was "getting it" when it came to learning shapes. Then one day his Mom came to pick him up, and he looked at a poster that I had on the wall and started naming those shapes that I had been trying so hard to teach him. He just stood there and rambled the shapes off, as I stood there with my mouth gaping open!! I learned that it wasn't about what I was teaching him, but about what he was learning!! And that was much more than I had hoped for.

So I had a pretty relaxing morning. Katie got here at 11 and took over for me, which was nice. I've been throwing myself at the books for the last couple of weeks. The first couple of weeks of school I was seriously slacking, and it showed on my first test of Psychology. Seriously, who gets a D in a Psychology 101 test????? There was a lot of biology in that first test (which I stink at), but I still could have tried harder. So now I'm gonna bring that grade up!!!!

Heather had an appointment with her counselor. We started doing Neurofeedback a last week. What an AMAZING process!!! OMG, I cannot describe how cool this technology is!!!! But I'll try, lol...... Basically, the counselor (Marcia) did an extensive questionnaire with Heather and I about what we thought her problems were (mainly ADHD, OCD, ODD, and daytime and night-time bed wetting). The questions lasted one whole session (an hour). Heather is hooked up to electrodes that go to certain parts of her brain, depending on where the questionnaire said to, and she is hooked up to a monitor, which is hooked up to a laptop. That laptop is hooked up to the counselor's laptop, and the counselor can program what to do with Heather. Heather is given appx. 10 games to choose from. For instance, one of the first one's that she chose was a Pac-Man type game. But instead of being played with a controller in her hand, she USED HER BRAIN WAVES!!!! What an amazing thing to watch!!!

In another game, there are 3 boats. Each boat represents the 3 sections of the brain. The goal is to make the middle boat stay in the winning position, while the 2 boats on either side stay a little bit behind, but also have to stay up somewhat near the middle boat. What this does is teach the sections of her brain to work together. Absolutely amazing to watch her play a video game on a computer with her BRAIN, not a controller that's in her hands!! A little creepy, but I cannot imagine why more doctors don't use this treatment. It seems to have great results, and there haven't been any downside to it in it's history.

After her session, we went to her dentist appointment in Whitehall. Ok, so I flew, otherwise we would have been late. She had a cavity to fill. I have a case of that bad Mom syndrome because my kid had a cavity, but here's a couple of reasons:

Of course, tooth brushing. Yeah, she can suck at it. It can be one of those battles that every parent goes through, but with the ODD (oppositional defiance disorder), that's one of the things that I tell her to re-do and she flat out refuses. Short of physically holding her down by sitting on her and brushing them myself, there's not a whole lot that I can do. Bad parenting? You decide. But, come on over and be with my hard-headed ODD kid for a day and I'll prove to you that it may not be bad parenting after all.....

So anyways, we got done there at the dentist and came home. Katie, Judy, and the kids were outside, and we chatted for a bit. Judy was up for another job, but it doesn't look like it's gonna pan out for her. They didn't want to give her a schedule; just basically wanted her on call. I'm sorry, but no. And she agreed, I think. Seriously, retired or not, everybody has a life and things to do!!

Katie came in and made supper. Judy went home.... I was supposed to have an interview at 6:00 tonight, but it was another no-show. I'm SSSSSOOOOOO sick of those. I don't really prepare for interviews anymore, except some cleaning (thank you, Katie!!!), just because so many people don't bother to show up or even call to cancel/reschedule. Unreal that they don't even have that common courtesy......

So I spent a little extra time with my friends and my kids, and that's good, too. Since putting the girls to bed I've got a lot of studying for Psychology done. And I'm getting tired; so I guess I'll think about going to bed........let's just see if I can stay asleep for a change.......

April 18, 2009

Kind of a quiet day. Heather, Taylor, and Jon went to his parent’s house, near Mt. Pleasant. Gail had today off and wanted to take the girls to the new Hannah Montana movie. I had kids today and couldn’t go. I had originally taken this week-end off for the Girl Scout camping trip, but opened up for daycare to make the money once the trip was cancelled. I didn’t know Jon was going to go until after I had opened up for daycare. At least I had good kids today……

I spent a lot of time cleaning. It’s spring time, that’s all I can say. I’ve started cleaning things that have been neglected, cob-webbed corners, closets, etc. I thought about cleaning the carpets today, but decided not to. Glad I decided against it, because I ended up cleaning until almost midnight as it was. Now I just have laundry to do. We use fans in the windows to cool the house and everything ends up with a layer of dust/dirt. Drives me nuts. It’s only been this week that we’re using the fans, but already the dust has begun.

We went outside today, too. It was 70* and beautiful. I thought about doing yard work, too, but ended up kicking a ball and chasing kids, lol. So I guess I got my exercise in. Could be worse.

Hopefully going to get through some of my 2300 e-mails and to-do pile before I fall asleep tonight. I actually have all day tomorrow, too, but I’m so much more productive at night. Guess it’s the part werewolf in me, lol.

April 16, 2009

Yesterday was full of errands and running around. There was no school because of conferences, but daycare wasn't busy; I only had 3 for lunch. Judy came over at 1 so I could leave. Heather & Taylor ran around with me; kind of nice to have a girls day.

We first drove to the mall. Sort of. We got to Airline Drive when I realized that I left my wallet at home. Nice. My clip for my cell phone broke and I was hoping it would still be under warranty, but it wasn't. I have a $25 gift card for JC Penney so I was going to get new shoes, but with no wallet that wasn't happening......

Errand number 1 a waste of time. Stopped and got the Durango washed. I was at the bank the day before and was opening the door to get in. A bird shit just as I was doing so, and I counted my lucky stars that it had missed me. It had, however, hit not only the mirror on the way down, but the inside of the door as well. Of course I didn't notice that at first. I was driving down the road and noticed white on the tan interior of the door and thought, "WTH is that????". I'm REALLY glad I didn't touch it or try to get it off before I realized that it was bird crap.

So anyways, after washing the truck we dropped some paperwork off to Heather's new counselor. I wanted to give her a bit more history on Heather, so I gave her copies of school progress reports, report cards, etc.

We then ran home to pick up my wallet. And something to eat; the girls were hungry. We then went to the library. After seeing that I have over $5 in fees due because the books were late again, I told the librarian that I needed to schedule Katie or Judy for one afternoon per week to just run errands. I usually try to get them done whenever I can throughout the week, but that's not going so well; there's things being done late or too quickly, which frustrates me, so maybe if I have them work on a Friday morning where I can just go do what I need to do it would reduce that little stresser or mine.....

Went to conferences after that. Taylor's were first. Mrs. Snell said that Taylor is (as usual) doing very well. Academically and socially. She's my little social butterfly, and always helping out in the classroom. If she's not helping another student she's helping Mrs. Snell with things around the classroom. She tends to get her work done and almost never has homework, so I knew she does well with that. And her grades are awesome. They're not all A's, but she only has one B right now. Her MEAP scores came out very well, with her being proficient in science, reading, and writing, and advanced in math. Don't know where she get's those math smarts from, lol. When asked the other day, she said that Science was her favorite subject. I wanted to note that, because I'm really curious as to if that stays true. It was cute, in a note that she left for me to read for conferences, the first sentence told me that what Mrs. Snell had to say was important, so to pay attention. LOL That's my Tay!!

Heather's conferences were good, too. She is still very disorganized and her handwriting is horrible at times, but her work has improved and I think her teacher's are more aware of what she is capable of. She excels in math, and the MEAP scores showed just that. She was also found proficient in science, reading, and writing, and I'm happy with that. I just don't know what to do with her next year. I've asked for extra help through an hour of just study time at the end of the day for her, but if she does that she'll miss either science or social studies. I don't want her missing a whole class for up to a whole year for the extra help. I think the middle school teacher's do more when it comes to posting assignments online, so I guess I just need to find that out. Mary (her teacher) said that frienship-wise, Heather is doing ok. She never comes home and talks about friends, and when I ask her who she hangs out with during lunch, recess, free time, etc., she usually says no-one or an adult. So I worry about her making and maintaining friendships, but maybe that's just the Mom in me. Her grades could be better, but she needs to turn in the homework that she's given. Nine times out of ten the work is done, she just doesn't turn it in. Who knows why...... But I'm proud of her either way.

April 15, 2009

Another day almost down…… I've been sick for the past couple of days. We got together at Mom & Tom's for Easter dinner on Sunday and Justin and Mom ended up sick, too. I've had body aches, nasal discharge (isn't it amazing how much snot one can produce???), had a 101* temp last night, and I just wanted to scratch my sinuses right out!! But I'm better today. Really tired and snotty, but I think it's on it's way out since there's no more fever or chills.

Heather & I were supposed to go camping with her Girl Scout troop this week-end. It was a service week-end, and we were going to help do spring cleaning at the GS camp. But then Connie (troop leader) learned that we weren't staying in cabins after all, they were called "tent cabins". I'm thinking like a big tee-pee or something. But they're un-heated. Ummmm, no thank you!! It's been 30*-35* at night. I'm sure not all of the girls even have decent enough sleeping bags for that kind of weather. So we bailed out. We are going to Mackinac Island in June, though, so that will be fun.

I had classes today. They're going pretty well. I'm really learning a lot in the Comp 2 class, and liking it, too. My instructor is very clear and gives great instructions. Our first paper is due next week, so we'll see. All of the papers are argumentative and are in APA format. Last quarter's paper's were in MLA format. Figures, lol. Now I have to learn a new writing style. Evidently more and more schools are going with the APA format, and just not using the MLA much anymore. So at least I have the basics of MLA down; I won't be totally in the clouds if assigned that writing style again.

I really like the psychology class, too. I've always had an interest in human/social services. I could switch my major, but am not ready to. Haven't decided, I guess. I would love to teach preschool age; we'll see. Since I'm only taking a couple of classes per quarter I'll be 90 before I get a degree, lol. That's ok, I really like going to school.

Ewwwww, I'm watching CSI New York right now, and the M.E. pulled out a dead person's stomach, emptied the liquid green stuff, then smelled it. Lol

After school I stopped at Walgreens & picked up Heather's scripts. Then I went to Whitehall to pick Heather up from Girl Scouts. Came home and ate, then packed up Heather, Taylor, and Brianna and took Heather to softball practice. She did pretty well, and didn't lose much ability since last year. Taylor had fun; I finally let her go over to the playground. It's scary to let her go play on her own. I mean, she was with a friend, but it was one of those times where you hope (as a parent) that you've taught your kids what to be leery of and how to be careful and safe when not right in front of you…….

Came home and got the kids snack, Taylor took a shower, and got the kids to bed. Now it's time to play catch-up. Honestly, I don't know where the time goes….. Oh wait, I'm blogging, lol. I know that I have a lot on my plate, but it's how I live and I'm really happy with (the majority of) my life. I get over-whelmed about once a week, but "this too shall pass". And I know in my heart that I'm doing what's best for my kids. For the most part I can be there for their extra-curricular activities and school stuff. I do get busy with daycare, but I have 2 amazing assistants who help me out where/whenever I need it, and for that, I am grateful.

Ok, rambling done….. gotta get to my to-do pile and back to my popcorn. Hey, I have my priorities, ya know….. J

Easter Sunday, 2009

It was a good day. I stayed up too late again, and slept in until around 10:30. The girls and the phone kept waking me up, but it was nice to lay there and doze off.

We went to my parent's house for dinner today. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, rolls, Deanna's jello, deviled eggs, and more. Kelsey made cupcakes, and the cupcake and the frosting had crushed pineapple. GREAT CUPCAKES, KELS!!! I love pineapple..... Anyways, we sat around and chatted for awhile, had dessert, then came home about 5:30. Jon dropped Heather, Taylor, and I off at home and he went to his parent's house near Mt. Pleasant.

I've been doing paperwork and cleaning up since then. I like to start the week off with a clean house, and ended up cleaning Friday night, then again today. We're pigs, lol. I did have daycare kids here on Saturday, too, and that's usually messy. I still have to do my billing and actually have homework to do. Not sure if I'll get to that homework, but.........

April 10, 2009

Ohhh, I'm gonna like this!! Lol I just figured out how to post a blog with Microsoft Word… Well, I think I've figured it out; we'll see if it works.

Today was a busy day, as usual. I stayed busy this morning with many kids; Katie came to work at 12. Elijah had a dr. appt.; he's still sick with bronchitis. Poor baby……

Heather had her first appointment with a counselor today. Dr. Dirkse (her psychiatrist) suggested a female, and the school social worker suggested this one that we went to today. She seems very nice and I can tell that she really knows her stuff. She's been around the mental health scene for over 30 years. She does neurotherapy, too, so that's something that we may explore more. We just went through the basics today. We made Heather's next appt. for 2 weeks from today because the counselor's mother is in the final stages of death, so we're waiting on that to get started. That's ok; Heather's meds have been upped/changed, so she's much more manageable right now.

Heather then had a doctor's appointment with one of the doctor's in our family physician's office. Heather has planter's warts and had them frozen a couple of weeks ago. They were quite painful when it was done before, and today it didn't hurt her at all. She was sore in one spot for about an hour after the procedure today, but has been fine since then.

We then stopped at Subway so I could pick up subs for Katie & I. Heather walks in and sees that the girl behind the counter's name is also Heather and comments on it. Then she blurts out that she had the warts on her feet frozen today. OMG, I about died, lol. The innocence….. When we got out to the truck I explained to her that nobody needs to know; and some people think that having warts was a dirty thing, like she didn't shower enough. She showers every morning, but still…….

We came home and ate, made the kids grilled cheese for dinner, then cleaned. Shyann & Alec are spending the night. They got here a little after 5. They used to be in my daycare, and we sure do miss them. But they've missed us, so that's why we're having a sleep-over. We had movie & popcorn, and they're falling asleep with the music from Kids Choice. I've spent the evening cleaning, and now am playing catch-up on the computer while the kids go to sleep. Then maybe I can get the rest of the cleaning done tonight so I won't have to do anymore the rest of the week-end…… Hopefully!

4/9/09

Today was a pretty busy day with lots of kids. It's spring break, so there's a few extras hanging around. Makes it more fun, though. I just wish I had more time to do individual things with each of them.

We started a new baby this week. Her name is Emma and she's 7 months old. She's a good baby and loves to play with the infant toys.

Heather & Taylor came home today from my parents house. They've been there for the past 2 nights. It's nice to open their bedroom door after they've gone to sleep and just look at them.

Heather is doing WONDERFUL on her new & upped meds. Her ADHD and ODD is so much more in control, and she's noticing it, too. I am loving the extra and longer hugs from her; she sure can be such a sweet kid!

I started back to school this week and am going on Mondays and Wednesdays. I have Comp II from 12:30 - 2:10 and Psychology from 2:30 - 4:10. I really like these 2 classes. I've always enjoyed writing and English classes in high school. Haven't written in a loooong time, though, lol. Things have changed in the past 18 years, to say the least! And I really enjoy human services kind of work/learning. I liked working for Pathways when I was a Parent Aide. But the pay sucked and it just doesn't work having a 2nd job when my daycare is open 24/6.

I ended up with an A in Healthy Environments and an A- in Comp I last semester. Made the Dean's list again. Hopefully that will help with any financial aid that I'll need. I didn't have to pay for anything again this semester. I have, in the past, had to pay some out of pocket, then get reimbursed. It's no fun paying the payments, but the check at the end of the semester is nice.

My ER Thoughts

I'm sadly watching the last ER show. I have thoughts that keep going through my head and thought I'd put them down....

The first is that I'm very sad that this is the end. I've watched it from the beginning, and rarely missed a show. I've laughed and cried, and got lost in many story lines....... I think they're making a mistake in cancelling it. I have no idea what the ratings look like, but it just doesn't seem like they would be bad enough to let it go.

I should have had an ER party. Talked to Mom, texting Amy and Katie.... would have been fun, but it's a Thursday night, so it probably wouldn't have worked.

As a disclaimer, and because my profile is public, I'm stating that the pictures, along with the descriptions of the characters come from nbc.com.
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Dr. Abby Lockhart - (Maura Tierney 1999-2008)

For obstetrics nurse Abby, it's a long way to becoming an ER doctor, with life plagued by her bi-polar mother and brother. Her unexpected pregnancy pushes her relationship with Luka to the next level - marriage

Abbey, I loved her!!! She was great doing ob work, she just had a knack for pregnant women and babies. And furthering her education to become a doctor was difficult for her, but I loved how she pushed forward and didn't lose faith in herself. When Sally Field showed up as her Mother, Abbey's character just made sense!! Who knew???? I can't remember what happened to her brother, though..... I just remember that he, too, was bipolar.
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Dr. Archie Morris - (Scott Grimes 2003-2008)

Slacker Morris achieves the coveted position of Chief Resident due to lack of competition. He begins an effort to win respect and the heart of Dr. Hope Bobeck. After failing his boards, Morris begs Pratt not to tell.

Archie Morris, what a punk, lol. Inbreeding at it's best!! But you just couldn't look away, kind of like a train wreck. I must admit, he really grew on me.... Maybe it's because he started dating the cop and actually showed more emotions than dumbass, lol. Although she wasn't in the last episode. I thought that was kind of strange that she wasn't on the last episode.
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Nurse Carol Hathaway - (Julianna Marguilies 1994-2000)

ER nurse manager Carol is rushed to the ER after a suicide attempt, perhaps due to a failed romance with Doug. Despite many other relationships, Carol ultimately reunites with Doug after giving birth to their twins

I LOVED George with Julianna Margulies. They made a terrific couple!! It was perfect that she had twins. But when he left without her, omg, I can remember bawling my eyes out. I felt like he left me, lol. She had her own set of issues, but she was so caring; I just loved her.
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Nurse Chuck Martin - (Donal Logue 2003-2005)

Susan meets flight nurse Chuck in Las Vegas and marries him while drunk. Although the marriage is quickly annulled, the couple has a baby Cosmo, whom Chuck looks after when Susan is promoted to ER Chief

I really liked this guy, especially with Susan. I thought they should have stayed married, but I guess that's why I wasn't the writer. They just seemed to be a great couple and really meshed well together.
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Dr. Dave Malucci - (Erik Palladino 1999-2001)

Resident Malucci occasionally flouts the rules to get things done. When misdiagnosis results in a patient's death, Weaver comes down hard, firing Malucci after finding him having sex with an EMT in an ambulance.

Uggg, this guy annoyed me! He was so arrogant, I just didn't like him.

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Dr. Donald Anspaugh - (John Aylward 1996-2008)Dr. Anspaugh is appointed Chief of Staff after his hospital merges with County. Also a member of the hospital board, Anspaugh is County's eminence grise, usually arbitrating most controversies and staffing decisions.

He was another dick, but I liked him. Everyone knew what to expect with him, because he was consistantly a jerk.

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Dr. Doug Ross - (George Clooney 1994-2000)

Despite his womanizing, Doug is a dedicated ER pediatrician. When his attempt to help a patient goes awry, he moves to Seattle. Despite their engagement, Carole gives birth to their twins alone, before joining Doug

Ohhhh, George Clooney. Nothing wrong with that DNA...... He made decisions based on what was right morally, not necessarily what "they" said were the rules. I loved that about him. Oh, and he's hot. :)

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Dr. Elizabeth Corday - (Alex Kingston 1997-2004)

British Elizabeth comes to the ER seeking experience in trauma surgery, and has a hard time staying in the U.S. After an affair with Benton fizzles, Elizabeth finds true love with Greene and gives birth to baby Ella.

She is an AMAZING actress!!! You could tell that she gave her heart and soul to that character; she was very genuine. And who couldn't not feel so sorry for her after Greene died of cancer? She was so sad, but they had such a great ending together.

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Dr. Gregory Pratt - (Mekhi Phifer 2002-2008)

Dr. Pratt's arrogance sometimes gets in the way of his career and love life. When Bettina dumps him, Pratt decides to get serious. Sadly, it comes too late, as he perishes in an explosion in the ambulance bay

Mekhi Phifer (Greg Pratt), great looking man right there.... I missed the episode where he died, though. Ticks me off.
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Dr. Harold Zelinsky - (Steven Christopher Parker 2005-2008)

Neela's new surgical intern Harold tells everyone that he's 25, but he's really 19. Child prodigy Harold offends the surgeons with his superior medical knowledge, while seeking advice on how to lose his virginity.

OMG, this kid cracked me up!! He was so book smart, but very child-like when it came to most everything else. I loved that about him.

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PA, Jeanie Boulet - (Gloria Reuben 1995-2008)

After breaking off an adulterous affair with Benton, Jeanie returns to her husband Al, from who she contracts AIDS. Later Jeanie marries Reggie, adopts HIV+ Carlos and opens two HIV clinics.

I was always a little back and forth with Jeanie. I liked her, but sometimes I didn't, and I just have never been able to put my finger on why. I'm glad that she found happiness in her departure, though.

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Dr. Jin-Mei Chen - (Ming-Na 1995-2004)

After killing a patient, med student Jin-Mei quits the ER, only to return years later, pregnant with a child she gives up. Needing time to take care of her father, Jin-Mei quits again, to grant his wish for death.

She did an awesome job at showing how hard it is to care for a dying family member. Great actress.

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Dr. John Carter - (Noah Wyle 1994-2006)

Carter comes to County as a med student and stays for 11 years, surviving a stabbing and drug addiction to become chief resident. After the stillbirth of his son, Carter reunites with wife Kem to start over in Africa.

I just love him!! John Carter's look on his face when he was told by Eric LaSalle to hold the head of an infant being born, was, omg, priceless!! Like, "You want me to do WHAT???". lol It was said that he wore his heart on his sleeve, and that is so true. He was so innocent in the beginning, and I just loved him as that character. I love how his self-confidence just blossomed and we got to watch that. He truly turned into an amazing doctor.

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Dr. Kerry Weaver - (Laura Innes 1995-2007)

Ambitious and accomplished, Dr. Weaver rises to Chief of Staff, despite her physical disability. After many years, Kerry comes out as a lesbian to the staff, and eventually leaves the ER to become a TV medical reporter.

Ohh, I really liked her, too. For someone to have a medical condition that slows most people down, she sure did have a great outlook, and even went on to walk without assistance. She showed what determination will do!

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Dr. Kevin Moretti - (Stanley Tucci 2007-2008)

Following the resignations of Weaver and Luka, Dr. Moretti is moved from the ICU to head up the ER. During a blackout, he has an alcohol-fueled one night stand with Abby. Moretti quits to attend to his troubled son

I didn't like him, but I think it's because he had the affair with Abby when she was married. I know it takes 2, but seriously, say no.
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Dr. Lucy Knight - (Kellie Martin 1998-2000)

"By the book" med student Lucy has a brief affair with Carter, which he ends to staunch ethical questions. After coming to terms with her ADHD, Lucy is killed by a schizophrenic patient.

I liked Lucy!! She was so innocent and determined to make it despite her self-doubts. Then they knocked her off. Not cool.

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Dr. Luka Kovac - (Goran Visnjic 1999-2008)

Hailing from Croatia, Luka overcomes his personal tragedy and penchant for casual sex to marry Abby and father baby Joe. Despite Abby's resurgent alcoholism and an affair, Luka remains committed to their marriage

Mmmmm, Luka, how hot!! He always tugged at my heartstrings, though, because of how he lost his first wife and kids in the war, right before his eyes.
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Dr. Maggie Doyle - (Jorja Fox 1996-1999)

Intern Maggie Doyle works her way up to resident. When Carter shows an interest, she reveals that she's a lesbian. Maggie files a sexual harassment suit against Romano, which eventually leads to her termination

I totally forgot that Jorja Fox played on ER before CSI. Weird.....
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Michael Gallant - (Sharif Atkins 2001-2006)

Third year med student Gallant comes to the ER on scholarship from the U.S. Army Reserves. Called up to serve in Iraq, Gallant impulsively marries Neela, and is later killed while on active duty.

I cried like a baby when this man died. Yes, their marriage was quick and last-minute, but it was such a whirlwind romance, and I just wanted to see it flourish because of that reason.

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Dr. Neela Rasgotra - (Parminder Nagra 2003-2008)

Reserved Londoner Neela overcomes an identity crisis to graduate med school with Abby. Despite her feelings for Ray, Neela marries Gallant, who is killed in Iraq, which prompts a string of unsuccessful relationships

I'll admit, I didn't like her at first. She just seemed like a strange duck. But it didn't take me long to really enjoy her character. I love how she moved up in the medical world, and took on people who thought she shouldn't be there.

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Dr. Ray Barnett - (Shane West 2004-2007)

Ray's job performance was impacted by his commitment to his rock band, and his love for NeelaLuka and Gates, Ray was hit by a truck and lost his legs. created conflict during her marriage. After a drunken fight with

I really liked him, but was just in total LOVE with him when he got hit by that truck and lost his leg. Just made him more human, I think. Well, that and he's hot, lol. He proved to have a heart of gold.

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Dr. Peter Benton - (Eriq La Salle 1994-2002)

A talented surgeon with a hot head, Peter has a son with ex Carla who is born deaf. After a relationship with Elizabeth fails, Peter eventually wins custody of Reese and leaves the ER to start a new life with Cleo.

I was hot and cold with this character, too. I liked him for the most part, but sometimes he was pushy and arrogant. I do like how they let him go, though... kind of a picket fence ending I guess.

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Nurse Samantha Taggart - (Linda Cardellini 2003-2008)

A struggling single mother of diabetic Alex, Sam endures tragedy at the hands of her ex-husband. After a relationship with Luka fails, Sam enjoys the dating scene until a romance with Gates starts to get serious

Sam Taggart, she's a cutie.... I've always liked her character. A little screwed up, but cool. She would have been the fun one to go and hang out with. I've always hoped that she'd get her shit together. And I feel that she did (after seeing the last episode).

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Dr. Tony Gates - (John Stamos 2005-2008)

Rebellious paramedic Gates becomes an intern. Forgoing a relationship with the mother of his child Sarah, Gates pursues Neela to no avail. When Meg commits suicide, Gates takes custody of Sarah and begins dating Sam.

John Stamos, who didn't love him in General Hospital??? I did, and still do love him in ER.... But too much of a player. I guess I'm not a real big fan of anyone who does pretty much anyone at any time.... But, I could forgive him, though. He has a huge heart and can wear it on his sleeve sometimes. He showed that side and it made us women swoon.... lol And I liked he and Sam together.

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Dr. Robert Romano - (Paul McCrane 1997-2003)

Insensitive and obnoxious, Dr. Romano is a brilliant surgeon who eventually becomes Chief of Staff. Romano loses his arm when he backs into a helicopter. Later, another chopper falls on him, ending his life.

Romano!!! OMG, what a puke!!! How he died with the helicopter fell on him was frickin' PRICELESS!!! Perfect way for him to go out..... And perfect since he had lost his arm in a helicopter prior to being whacked by one. He sure was a heartless dick... lol

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Dr. Mark Greene - (Anthony Edwards 1994-2002)

Chief resident Greene loses his first wife to career stress, and his father to lung cancer, but finds love with Elizabeth Corday. Shortly after the birth of their daughter Ella, Greene succumbs to a brain tumor.

Oh, what can I say??? Definately one of my top favorites of the show. OMG, did I cry like a baby when he died!! And then I cried on the re-cap show when they showed him in his last moments. He seemed to come full-circle, though, when he died, and was at peace. (I wasn't, though, I was pissed when they killed him off, lol).

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Dr. Susan Lewis - (Sherry Stringfield 1994-2005)

Susan adopts her troubled sister's child, but loses custody. She forgoes a relationship with Greene, later returning to marry nurse Chuck Martin during a drunken Vegas weekend, and give birth to baby Cosmo

I really liked her spunk. She's kind of a smart-ass, much like myself. But seriously, COSMO??? Who names their kid Cosmo???? Geeesh.....

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As for the last show, I'm gonna run out of kleenexes.

It's awesome to see that John Carter's money was spent just the way HE wanted, not how most of his relatives wanted.

The man who came in with aids, talk about a double-whammy!! Now he has cancer?!?!? Holy not fair.... But cool that he was ok with it. He had been on this Earth for a reason, and I think he saw that he had completed his mission.

That baby that was delivered is a cutie-patootie, but seriously, giving birth is NOT that clean!! lol But they made up for it when she started bleeding from her whoo-ha. That poor Dad, he was just so overwhelmed..... And when she died, I wasn't surpised. Very sad, though.

Ohhh, I'm glad Mark Green's daughter got to be there!! I miss that Dr........

John Carter has some crows feet going on there!! lol Awww, how sweet that they named his center after his baby who died!! OMG, his wife just walked in!!! Ohhh, I hope they are ok!!! I've always wanted John to be happy, and he never seems to be. He just seems to be missing something..... Well, looks like she's not gonna stick around after all.... That sucks.

Wow, Elizabeth looks just the same; she hasn't aged at all!!

To see Kerry Weaver walking is amazing.

Sam's sone Alex sure has turned out to be a good looking kid. She's done a great job with that troubled teenager of hers.

Awww, that poor old man who's wife died. He looks so helpless. I'll bet he'll die of a broken heart soon after his wife..... But I'll tell you, Jon would NEVER lie next to my dead body like that old man did, lol.

OMG, is Sam realizing that she loves Tony and that he's really the best thing for her?!?!? Let's hope so... Ohhh, she's gonna hold his hand!!! HEHEHE, I'm just giddy now!!!!

I love how they had all of the staff at the end ready for what was coming next. Seems like it's never-ending...... as it should be.

So there you go, my 2 cents on some of our favorites and the last show. I'm gonna miss you, ER, and all of the characters...... :(