Just in Case

If you happen to stumble across this blog - then I wanted you to know that I've been keeping a new blog...one that I update each and every day.

Please visit me on my other blog:

www.diaryoffatwoman.blogspot.com

Thanks for visiting - hope to see you in my other home. :)

Officially a Senior!!

Spring semester has been and gone - and as of today I'm offically in my senior year. Today also marked the first day of the summer semester - yep, that means summer classes. BOO!!

The last day of the spring semester was last Monday - so I got a whopping 6 days off before having to start summer classes. I'm taking one class for the next 3 weeks, and then another class for the 3 weeks after that. Each class consists of going every day Monday - Friday from 12:30 - 3:20. It's going to be extremely hard, but over pretty quickly. I then get to spend 6 weeks off before starting my internship.

So, what's been going on the past two months?? Well, I quit my job on April 29th. It was planned - basically because there was no way I could hold down a job and go to school as much as I will be for the next year. I'm going to have to take advantage of student loans - but I gotta do what I gotta do.

I've lost almost 40lbs in the last 4 months!! Yep, starting January 17th, I decided it was time to lose some weight and get in shape - and it's been going great. I ran a 5K a couple of weeks ago - that was a huge thing for me. I was so proud of myself for doing it. I want to lose another 60lbs, but I'm well on my way.

Things are good, for the most part, with the kids. We're still having a lot of problems with Brayden. He started going to another school about a month ago. Things have gotten drastically worse with his behavior - and it looks as though we may have to consider medication. I'm willing to do what I can for him, but it's been pretty stressful.

I'm on a mission to start updating my blog daily - if not daily, at least once a week. I know I've said that many times before - so we'll see how it goes.

Till next time. :)

March Madness

I can't believe I'm already half way done with this semester. Things are getting pretty crazy - I'm currently working on an application portfolio so that I can be accepted into the internship program next semester. It's so surreal that I'm so close to being done - but there's still a long way to go.

I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen next semester. I found out a couple of weeks ago that all intern teachers have to be at their designated schools by 7:30am, and that they are expected to stay at the school until their mentor teacher leaves for the day. That's very difficult for me because my kids don't get on the school bus until 7:15am, and I'm at least an hour away from all of the schools that I could be placed into. I'm not really sure what we're going to do, but I will deal with that mountain a little closer to the time.

So, updates on the family:

Payton is 9 going on 19...I swear she acts more like a teenager every day. She's become obsessed with Facebook, and spends pretty much all of her spare time on the computer. I had to take it away from her this past weekend for a week, because trying to get that girl to do ANYTHING is almost impossible. For 3 days I asked her to clean her room, and for 3 days she didn't. Computer disappeared, and now she's helping out around the house again.

Brayden started having difficulties in school again after Christmas. After a lot of counseling, parent/teacher conferences, phone calls, and suspensions, I've decided that the best thing for him would be to attend another school that is specially for kids with behavioral issues. The school is run by the counseling center where his counselor is based. It's a school that runs like any other school, except the teachers are also certified counselors. The school is still working on his paperwork, and hopefully he will start going there in the next couple of weeks. The plan is that he will attend that school until I begin teaching. Hopefully, by then, he will be able to integrate back into a public school and I will be able to place him into the school where I'm teaching.

Jada - ah, what to say about Jada. She is growing like a weed - over 3ft tall!! She is now talking very well, and it's possible to carry on conversations with her. Steve has been on temporary lay-off here and there for a few weeks now, and so she has spending every day with him. The two of them have been having a total blast, and she's now such a daddy's girl. Her favorite thing to do right now is cook. Steve and I have both been doing the cooking, lately, and Jada just HAS to help. She likes to pour ingrediants into bowls, stir, and whatever other little job we can find for her. She has also become a pro at putting dishes up from the dishwasher, HA! Every day, she helps Steve put the dishes away - only the silverware (minus knives) and the plastic stuff, but she's a great helper.

So, that's the update on everyone right now. I'm really going to try harder to update this thing more often - I really love to blog - but it seems time flies by before I even think about it.

Till next time. :)

2010 Already? Geez, Where Does the Time GO?

Ok, yeah, it's been 5 months since I've updated my blog. That five months was also, probably, the craziest 5 months of my life. It was my first semester at the University of Arkansas. After spending 2 years at Community College, I had no idea what it was like to work SO hard.

I took 16 hours of school last semester, but if I wasn't physically at school I was either at work, taking care of the kids, or working on the mountains of homework and school projects I was assigned. There were weeks where I was lucky to get an hour or two of sleep - literally. I ended up finishing out the semester with 4 A's and 1 stinking B. I was really PO'd about the B - I was robbed! I made a 92.75% in the class, but the class requires a 93 in order to get an A - how freakin' ridiculous is that??? Anywho, that semester is over, and I will be starting the new semester on Monday - but I'm taking one less class, so hopefully things won't be AS crazy.

A quick update on the "fam":

Everyone is doing good. Payton is 9, going on 19. She has been having some issues at school - but only socially. She's still in the Gifted and Talented program, but there are a few girls in her grade that insist on making her life a living hell every day. My baby has been so grown up about it, though, and doesn't let it sway her from loving school. She's totally boy crazy, and has turned into a complete "girly girl"...LOL

Brayden, well - we've had our share of issues from him again. He spent the first part of the year doing really well - but that changed about a month in. He started behaving really badly, and I had to get him (once again) into counseling. He did better the last part of the semester, before Christmas. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the counseling will help as he goes into the second half of the year.

My baby, Jada, turned 2 in December. She's gotten so big, and her vocabulary gets better every day. We got her some ABC puzzles for Christmas, and already she is able to identify a good portion of the letters. She's another smart cookie. She had an accident right before Christmas, that caused her to get 3 stitches in her finger. We were at my mom's one day, and Jada somehow managed to cut a deep gash into her finger. The only way the ER was able to stop the bleeding was by giving her 3 stitches. She was such a brave girl through the whole thing, though, and actually watched the doctor put the stitches in!!

Steve and I are both doing really well. There have been some financial struggles, but nothing neither of us haven't had to deal with before. We get through them, and life goes on. He was definately my rock last semester, and kept me sane through the entire crazy process.

I've decided that I'm going to try and lose weight again. I'm trying the Alli program, and I'm starting on Monday. Things have been very hectic since New Year's because there has been snow on the ground since Christmas day, and we're currently dealing with record temperatures being below freezing for almost 2 weeks straight. Here in 10 minutes, I'm heading to Fayetteville to take the second part of my teaching license testing. It's currently -3 degrees outside!! The past 2 days, the highs have been below 10 and the lows have been hovering right around zero or below. It's C-R-A-Z-Y!! We have been very lucky to keep power, but yesterday we did lose our water due to frozen pipes. Being that the weather isn't supposed to get above freezing until Monday - we probably won't have water until at least then. The weather has also caused the kids to miss their first week of school. All of the schools in the area had to close last week due to the snow, ice, and freezing temps. I guess that means I will have an extra week in the summer to myself while the kids are making up their snow days.. HA!!

Well, it's 6:05am, so I gotta run so I can be in Fayetteville by 7:30.

I Can't Believe I'm Saying This....

I actually can NOT wait for school to start!! Not for my kids, but for ME!! Not because I'm excited to get back into my academics, or be under constant stress due to assignments and projects that need to be done - no, because I'm so ready to get out of the house!!

I've said time and time again how much I love being home with my kids as much as I am. That's still true - I do love being home 5 days a week with my kids. This past week, however, I've been dealing with a sick toddler - and for anyone that has never had to deal with that, just try to imagine those times that you go out to eat or go visit a friend that has "that" child that NEVER stops crying....screeching, screaming, nails down a chalk board kind of cry. That's what it's like taking care of a sick toddler.

It started last weekend when I noticed that Jada was running a fever. She wasn't eating very much, and just wanted to be held. That part doesn't bother me at all. As much as I hate for my kids to be sick, I do love the feeling of being able to comfort them and hold them. That lasted for 2 days, and then I noticed that Jada started getting white blisters on her tongue. That was an indication to go straight to the doctors. I found out she had a viral infection - one that can't be treated with antibiotics. The only thing the doctor was able to do was give me the "good" news that it would last about 5-10 days, it was going to get worse, and be prepared for a very cranky baby because the blisters would start to pop after a few days - and that would be painful. YAY!! **INSERT SARCASM**

The next night, it started. I was up until well after midnight, trying everything in my power to console Jada. I was heartbroken because I knew she was in pain - but there was nothing I could do. I finally got her to sleep well after midnight. Then, I was up at 6am the next morning with her. During the day it wasn't so bad - but late afternoon the screaming started. It takes so much out of me when I know she's in pain, I want more than anything to help her and make her feel better, but she just cries and cries and cries.

This morning, I was woken up at 6:30 by Jada screaming. The screaming has come and gone since then - she'll be happy for a little while, and then she'll start screaming again. I'm hoping that this is the worst of it - cause once the blisters are all gone..she'll be better. I'm just so drained and tired. One plus is that I get to go out tonight with Steve. I found a great babysitter, so we're going to get out of the house for a little while. It will be nice to have some alone time, and adult conversation.

Ok, I'm done ranting - back to it. :)

Honest Scrap Blog Award

I really don't like to do stuff like this on my blog - but I thought this was kind of cute, and it helped get some attention for other bloggers out there. My friend, Jen, is an AWESOME blogger - and she gave me this great award for the efforts that I make on keeping up with my blog.

Here it is, my Honest Scrap Award:

There are rules associated with accepting this award:

1. “The Honest Scrap” award is not one to hold all to your self but it must be shared!

2. First, the recipient has to tell 10 true things about themselves in their blog that no one else knows.

3. Second, the recipient has to pass along this prestigious award to 5-10 (I edited this, being that I don't follow 10 blogs) more bloggers.

4. Third, those 5-10 bloggers all have to be notified they have been given this award.

5. Those 5-10 bloggers that receive this award should link back to the blog that awarded them “The Honest Scrap’ award.

So, 10 things about myself, OK here we go:

1. When coming up with inspiration to write blogs, I imagine myself being a "big time" blogger with a deadline...somehow that always works
2. I'm a spoiled brat when it comes to my house - my husband does the majority of the cooking and cleaning
3. I'm somewhat addicted to celebrity gossip - MUST watch TMZ every nite, and quite often surf the web to see what's going on with the current celeb gossip
4. I'm an avid gay rights activist - I'm not gay, but I think that everyone should have the right to be whoever they wish to be
5. I'm very competitive - a lot of my inspiration for doing a lot of things in my life is because someone else has done it, and I want to "one up" them (that's a bad one, I know)
6. I'm a big tom boy - hardly ever get dressed up or wear make-up, and have a lot of "manly" habits..LOL
7. Even though I'm a tom boy - I do enjoy the occasional pampering, like having my nails done
8. I'm a huge procrastinator - I work best under pressure, so I often wait to the last minute to get things done
9. I spend way too much time on Facebook
10. My motivation in life is to one day have plenty of money, and live the "good life"

The blogs that I wish to pass this award on to:

• Diary of a Fat Woman - This is a bit of a cheat. This is my blog that I created for my weight-loss journey
• 344 Pounds - This is a blog about a guy that has lost over 100lbs in 26 weeks..very inspirational!
• These Are the Days of One Gemini - My friend, and such an amazing blogger - a MUST check out!! Also the person that gave me this award ;)
• Embarassed Fatty - She's on the same mission as me - to lose weight.
• All Because Two People Fell in Love - A good friend of mine, and such a sweet story of their every day lives of being a family
• Fat Girl To Fit Girl - Another weightloss blog, but very good.

I hope everyone checks these blogs out - they make for great resources, reads, and are truly inspirational. Thanks again, Jen, for the award :)

New Addition to Our Family

Yesterday, I went and picked up a new addition to our family. She is an 8 week old half lab, half Great Pyranese. She is a puppy from a litter from our ex-lab, Alana. My boss was the person who took Alana in after Jada was born, and 8 weeks ago she gave birth to 9 puppies!!

I contemplated for a long time whether or not I wanted one of the puppies. It meant house breaking another dog, training her, wondering what to do if we go away - but it was Jada that made up my mind for me. Jada absolutely LOVES dogs. She adores my silky terrier, Asia, but Asia is a spoilt rotten "momma's girl" and really doesn't give Jada the time of day. Jada tries so hard to play with Asia, and Asia will amuse her on occasion (especially if Jada has food in her hand), but not enough for Jada's liking. I thought, maybe, if we get a new puppy, Jada will have a doggy playmate that will enjoy being played with.

We went and picked her up yesterday, and Jada was SUPER excited. I picked her name which is Bella. I picked Bella for 2 reasons. One, because when Jada says "belly", she says "bella" - and Bella has a big, round belly. The other reason is I'm obsessed with the Twilight series, and I thought that Bella would be a great name to bring over from the books.

Bella did so well on her car ride home. She laid down in the back seat the whole time, and Jada thought it was great. When we got home, Bella got out of the car and peed and pooped immediately - that was great!! We brought her inside to introduce her to Asia, and that went really well. All in all, things have gone really well. I bought a big dog pen to put in the yard for if we have to leave, and I don't like to leave her in the house alone. She seems to like the pen. She's done well as far as sleeping in her crate. I only had to get up once in the middle of the night to let her out to go to the bathroom. I feel like a new mom again...LOL

So, wanted to let everyone know - and share the excitement. :)

I Need Another Vacation!! UGH!!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Of course, my life is crazy busy - isn't it always?? LOL

My weekend away with the gals was AMAZING!! Two days away wasn't near long enough. It was so great to have some adult time. We had a few drinks, went out on the boat - pure heaven!!

Yesterday, I got my hair chopped off. I prefer short hair, but Steve hates it. I've had my hair long for some time now - but I hated it. I wear it the exact same way everyday - in a messy bun, cause it's the only style that keeps me cool. So, I made a rash decision to just get it all chopped off. Now it's just below my chin. It feels lighter, I can actually do something with it now - and I think it looks great. Of course, Steve hates it -but he doesn't have to deal with my hair..so he can get over it..LOL

Things are still going well with the dieting. I'm making healthier choices, and can feel that my clothes are getting baggier. I've decided I'm not going to weigh myself until the 60 days are up - so I can see how much progress I've made through-out the whole time.

Exercise has become my "me" time. This past weekend, I went to the local walking track and walked 2 miles. It was so nice - just me, no interruptions, no kids fighting..just peace and quiet. My older two kids are really working on my last nerve with their constant fighting. I'm trying my hardest to keep them occupied, but no matter what I do - they fight CONSTANLY!!

I'm getting to the point where it's starting to stress me out. This morning, for example, I thought I'd take the opportunity while Jada was napping to work out with my Wii. Well, 5 minutes in, Brayden kicks my cup of water all over me from jumping on the couch..UGH!! I get so frustrated so easily nowadays - which isn't like me. I'm usually a really calm person, but the kids just know how to stretch me to the limit. Payton has been great with helping out with Jada, but she's just as bad when it comes to the fighting. They pick the stupidest stuff to argue over - and it just never stops. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy being able to spend time with the kids during the summer - but I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for school to start again..already! It's not like I make them stay home every day doing nothing. We go swimming, I take them places - I try my best to keep them occupied. It just doesn't do any good.

Ok, enough ranting and raving - I love my kids very much...just need to let off some steam. This stuff (writing in my blog) helps a lot...I feel much better already. Ok, back to it..blah!!

Been Busy - Dieting, Family, GO, GO, GO!!

The past few weeks have been crazy busy. Even though my intentions for the summer were to relax and slow down for my entrance into University in August - so far, that hasn't really been the case.

I'm working two days a week - which gives me 5 days a week to relax...well, should give me 5 days to relax. Instead, my days have been filled with playdates, grocery shopping, appointments, and visits to see my family. I'm not complaining - I'm used to a fast paced life, so in reality I didn't really expect anything different just because it's summer.

So, for the past week, I've started creating my own diet plan. Things are going EXTREMELY well. I started the diet last Thursday, and on Monday I weighed myself and had already lost 8lbs!! WOO HOO!! I started another blog devoted to my weight loss program - and if you're interested..check it out: http://diaryoffatwoman.blogspot.com I'm trying to do it to gain support from people - as I work best when under the eyes of others.

The kids continue to grow like weeds - and drive me nuts. Payton and Brayden fight all the time, and I'm very close to banging their heads together - but I'm trying to do what I can to keep them occupied. Jada is getting smarter by the day, and she wears me out just watching her..LOL She's a little monkey, always climbing on something, and she LOVES being outside - no matter how friggin' hot it is. Aahh..to have that much energy again!! LOL

This coming weekend, I'm lucky enough to be going away. I'm going to spend the weekend with a few girlfriends in a cabin up by the lake. It's a "women only" weekend - no kids, no husbands. I'm so excited!! We're gonna swim, relax, and have a few drinks - so it's at least one weekend I'll get of relaxation this summer.

Well, that's it for now...till next time. :)

18 Months Gone in a Moment

I can't believe my beautiful baby is already 18 months old. It seemed like only yesterday I brought my bundle of joy home from the hospital - and here she is walking, talking, and being so independant. Even though it's unfathomable for me to have a 9 year old and an 8 year old, Jada's super speedy jump into toddlerhood has had the biggest impact. It may be because I know that she is my last baby, it may be because I'm older and have appreciated more moments with her, it may be because I've been home spending much more time with her - but not enough to get over how quickly time has flown.

With every new day has brought something new and exciting from Jada. At 10 months old, shortly after learning to walk, she was dancing in front of the TV. Now that dancing has turned into remembering song lyrics and actually singing along to songs. From her first jar of baby food at 5 months old to dinner time with us, eating exactly what we eat on a plate just like ours with a "big girl" fork and spoon. Goodbye are bottles and sippy cups, as she drinks from a regular cup now. I don't even get the chance of rocking my baby to sleep, as she would much rather watch "Bob Bob" (Spongebob) in bed and fall asleep on her own.

I am not sad about all the things that my child has learned to do over the past 18 months, for every day is a new adventure for me, but it's a bittersweet time. Her personality has changed, her laugh lights up a room, and I feel proud to watch her try and put on her own shoes to go play outside. I know at the end of the day that I play a huge part in the molding of this beautiful child that amazes all by her smarts and vocabulary.

I don't want this entire post to be completely about Jada. I have two other wonderfully bright and beautiful children, and with every day of Jada's amazements bring on the truths of how big and grown up my other two children are. The other morning, Payton got Jada up by herself, and Brayden amuses Jada by playing outside with her or in his room. They are getting so grown up themselves. There are times that I want to bang their heads together, for they seem to fight with each other constantly - but I'm reminded of how my brother and I were as kids and know that it's my own dose of fate lurking in the wings telling me what my mother had to deal with when I was a child.

I have truly been blessed with so many things in my life, but my children are the meaning of my life. They are what I wake up in the morning for, go to sleep thinking about at night. They are my savior on stressful days and make me realize why I do the things I do. I strive to be a better person for them, so that in their future they will have someone to look up to. Some people find peace in praying to God, I find peace in talking to my children. Their wisdom, even at these young ages, can put perspective on the most difficult of problems. Their questions often boggle my mind, but their discovery for their own answers makes it even more amazing.

I love you, my children, forever!

Payton as a baby:


Payton now:


Brayden as a baby:


Brayden now:


Jada when she was born:


And my big girl now:

Softball Excitement

So, Payton has played softball for the past 3 years. The year she started, her team won all but one game and made it to the district playoffs. The next year, Payton had to stay on the 8 & under team rather than advancing to the 10 & under team with her team mates. Luckily for her, I coached the 8 & under team last year ;) Well, this year, she's on the 10 & under team, but the coach has gone to another team - so she's back with her original team mates, but not the original coach.

Ok, now I'm just plain rambling...ugh...anyways, Payton's team this season has only won 1 game and tied 1 game - they've lost all of the others. Last nite was the first night of the league tournament. The parents all figured, for sure, that it would be the only night that our girls got to play - due to their current standing. Well, we were WRONG!!! Our team played one heck of a game last night. Payton got to play catcher, a spot that she is VERY good at - but for some reason didn't get to play all season...but that's another story all together, don't get me started.

So, not only did they win - but they won 9-5!! The most runs they've scored in a single game all season. Every single girl on the team got at least 1 run. It was so exciting - I just had to share!! The next round of the tournament is on Thursday, but I have to be in Fayetteville all afternoon and don't know if I'm going to make it back in time. I sure hope so - cause I really don't want to miss that game. Will let you all know how it goes. :)

Zoo Trip - 2009

On Thursday, we took our annual zoo trip. I was really excited about it this year because even though Jada went last year - she was only 6 months old, so it wasn't really fun for her. This year, however, she got to walk around and enjoy looking at all the animals.

We went, like we do every year, with my parents - but my cousin and her husband and her new baby also went. This usually wouldn't of bothered me, but this year everything took so long I really wished we had just gone alone. It's not that we didn't have fun, cause we did, but it just seemed like we spent so long at each exhibit that Jada got impatient - and we found ourselves with a very cranky baby by 3pm.

Crankiness aside, Jada absolutely had a blast. She was so fascinated with seeing all the animals. We were really lucky cause it was a beautiful day, not too hot, so most of the animals were outside and visable. Jada's favorite exhibits were the elephants and the petting zoo. In the elephant exhibit, one of the elephants walked right up to the glass and stuck it's trunk up to it. Jada laughed so hard at seeing this huge animal right in front of her face. She got a little pissed when she realized she couldn't touch it though...LOL

Jada has always loved animals - so the petting zoo was great for her. She got to get up close and personal to some goats and sheep. That child had absolutely no fear walking up and petting each of the animals - it was very cute. She also enjoyed riding the carosel and the train. Here are a few pics of our fun day out"

Be Careful When Joking!

Mondays are most usually blah days, anyways, but today takes the biscuit!

This summer, I only have to work 2 days a week - Mondays and Tuesdays. I don't mind too much, but the days are long and the work is slow because not many people take summer classes - which means less work for IT to do around here. My main goal is to get thru the day the best I can without falling asleep, but it really makes for a bad day when someone ruins it for you.

This morning, I received a phone call from someone who was having problems getting into their account. No biggie, very common problem. So, I checked her account and made the very common joke "just need to make sure you haven't been fired". She laughs, I laugh, I help her with the problems - call over. An hour later, my boss comes in to tell me that the V.P. of our department received a written complaint about the joke I made to her!! WTF??

Moral to the story - don't joke around!! What I considered a joke got me into a lot of trouble. I'm totally dumbfounded by the whole thing - but now I'm on edge about who I talk to so that I don't offend anyone. Geez...I'm ready for this day to be over!

Allergies - UGH!!

So, I've always been a winter lover - and the main reasons for that? I hate hot weather, and I HATE allergies!! This year, we've had a large amount of rain - which has caused an even heavier amount of growth - which in turn causes a greater amount of pollen...leading to an unbearable onset of my seasonal allergies.


I've dealt with seasonal allgeries since I was a child, and each year they seem to get a little worse. The past few summers, I've ended up in the emergancy room cause of an allergy asthma attack - and I fear that this year will be no different. I've tried every prescription and OTC drug on the market to help with my symptoms - but with no avail. I wake up every morning like I've been beaten in my sleep - two swollen eyes, a swollen and red nose, and severe throbbing pain all over my face and in my head. To make matters worse, this morning I also woke up with a fat lip - because I've now developed blisters on my top lip from blowing my freakin' nose too much.


It's this time of year that I wonder to myself - why the hell am I living in the middle of the woods?? I'm killing myself living here - but unless I move to the other side of the country, I doubt that moving to town would help any.


This is the time of year that I should be enjoying the nice weather, taking the kids out, and making the most of my 3 months off of school. Instead, I dread going outside. I would love to be able to enjoy things like picnics, hiking, playing at the park - and I do - except for the fact that I spend the whole time sneezing, blowing my nose, and trying to see thru my watered and sore eyes.

Oh, well - I've complained long enough - back to my misery. :(

Graduation Photos - as promised

Here are a few graduation photos that I thought I'd share:

With my parents:

With Jane and Sierra:

With my "little" brother and sister:

Family photo:

Accepting my "diploma":

Summer Lovin'

Well, I did it. I walked across the stage, received my fake diploma (I don't get the real one until after my final grades have all been calculated..should be by the end of the month), and am now a college graduate. I will post pics next time - as I haven't received my photos yet.

It's a very surreal feeling. I am the first of all my parents' six children to receive a college degree and will probably be the last until my youngest sister who is 13 goes to college. My journey is only half over, and in August I will begin the second half at the University of Arkansas. I go next Friday to enroll in my classes and get a rundown of how the next two years are going to go. I'm ready to get that over, so I can devote myself entirely on a summer of no school, no studying, no tests - just fun, relaxation, oh and more fun!!

Even though I really hate hot weather, I'm always excited when summer comes because it means no school, and quality time with the kids. I only work 2 days a week during the summer, so that gives me 5 whole days of doing fun stuff with the kids. Now that Jada is 17 months old (oh my, where did the time go??), she will enjoy a lot more of the activities. We already have our annual zoo trip planned for the beginning of June, and between now and then Jada and I will be doing some fun things with the toddler playgroup I joined. Being that Payton and Brayden don't get out of school until the first week of June, Jada and I have a few weeks to do some activities together - and then we can focus on including the "big kids". This week alone Jada and I are going to "petting zoo day" at Petco and a playdate at the park. Next week there are more fun activities like shopping, "Mom's Night Out" and more playdates. I'm so excited!!

I'm ready for a summer of fun, fun, and more fun - with a sprinkle of relaxation thrown in there. I'm gonna let my hair down, and just go with the flow. I think I'm more excited than my kids are..LOL

Less Than A Week To Go!! WOOHOO!!

In just 6 short days, the day will be here that I have waited for almost 1o years for. I will be graduating for the first time in my life - and with a college degree!!

Last week, I got to go and visit the new campus where I will be attending university next fall. The campus is BEAUTIFUL!! It's very small, as it's just a satellite location to the University of Arkansas but the building is so nice. It really made me put into perspective what I've been working so hard for these past two years.

Thursday was my last day of classes, but I still have finals next week. I'm not really nervous, but it's a "pass or die" scenario so I have to study hard to get the best grades. Even though I've done well in all of my classes up until this point, it is a little scary to be taking a major test over everything I've learned over the whole semester, and that's for each class. So, even though the school part is over - it still means just a couple more nights of very little sleep to be sure that I retain as much information as possible to do well on the finals.

Once this week is over, and I walk across the stage and receive my associates degree, my summer will be spent focused on my kids and just having fun. I joined a couple of "Mommy & Me" groups last week, so I already have some fun activities planned for Jada and I for the month of May. Payton and Brayden don't get out of school until May 28th, so I have almost a whole month to do some fun things with Jada. Then, when they get out of school, we will be going to the zoo, the aquarium, swimming, skating, hiking, and doing some other fun stuff...I'm so excited!

I'm sure the summer will fly by, and then it will be back to hitting the books - so it's important to me to spend as much time with the kids as possible now. They have been so great, as well as Steve, in helping me get this far - so I owe them so much. They have all given me the motivation to keep on, study hard, and make them proud. Even though I'm not done yet - I know that they will continue to give me the love and support I need when I go through University...and I love them so much for it. :)

Taste of Teaching

On Wednesday, I had the privalage of teaching a lesson to a 3rd grade class. As part of a project in my Physics for Elementary Teachers class, I had to teach a physics lesson in a classroom. I chose Payton's class - as she's in 3rd grade, and I thought it would be neat.

The lesson I chose to teach was How to Make A Magnet. The kids had a great time learning how to make their own magnets - and I had a total blast getting to teach it. It was such a great experience and left me really wanting more. I know in my heart that I was born to be a teacher, and having the opportunity (even just a small one) to teach students was such a blessing. I get so excited making lesson plans, and gathering information on lessons that I will teach my students in the future.

Now that there's only 3 weeks left of school, it's the busiest time for me. I have 3 major projects that I have to complete - and they are going to involve a lot of work. Even though I'm excited that I will be done soon for the summer - I also dread the next couple of weeks. I have presentations, lesson plans, and final exams just around the corner - and I have to do good on all of it so that I can wear honor cords at my graduation. I'm currently making a 3.41 GPA - and in order to wear the honor cords, I have to make a 3.5 GPA. I should be able to do it if I make A's in all of my classes.

This weekend is Easter weekend - and even though I don't celebrate the Christian holiday, I do participate in the festivities - which are actually Pagan festivities anyways. Tomorrow, I'm taking the kids to a egg hunt at the college. It's Jada's first year of being able to hunt Easter eggs, so I'm excited about that. After that, we're going to a friends house for dinner. The kids will get to play and Steve and I will have a chance to catch up with our friend.

Sunday - the weather is supposed to be really nasty. I had bought some Easter eggs for the kids to hunt here, but if the weather is bad it might mean doing an indoor hunt. I'm sure the kids won't mind - and it can still be fun.

Well, that's it for now - I will post pics of the kids doing their Easter stuff next time. :)

University - Here I Come!!

I'm down to the final stretch, the finish line is in sight, just have to grab that checkered flag and I'm on my way....no, I'm not a Nascar driver - I'm a student who is making the big leap from community college to University!

For 2 1/2 years I've been in Community College pursuing my Associates of Arts in teaching. When I enrolled in the college, I signed up for a transfer program that the community college offered which offered students wanting to get their Bachelor's in Elementary Education the chance to take the full program on the campus - but earn the degree from the University of Arkansas. Being that I've wanted to be a teacher for 20+ years, I was so excited to be a part of the program. Well, devastating news came at the beginning of this semester - which also happened to be the last semester before transferring to the University of Arkansas classes. I found out that the University of Arkansas was no longer offering the program at the community college, and current students in the program would have to transfer to the University - which was no big deal EXCEPT for the fact that they were only accepting 40 students!!

I, along with the other 70 or so students in the program who were planning to start the UofA classes next semester were completely devastated. We were all informed that we would have to go through an interview process for the University to determine who was going to be accepted. Well, the interviews were supposed to start this month - but I got a phone call on Friday that made my day, month, and year. The advisor from the UofA called and told me that the University had decided to accept all of the students that had completed the intro program - as that has what had been promised to us from the beginning. I'm so excited - I was really worried about not making it into the program next semester because my whole career depended on it. Thre was no way that I could take a year off from college to wait to see if I'd be accepted next year - so this has taken such a burden off my chest. I still have to go thru the interview process, but it's more an advisory meeting now rather than a formal interview.

April 30th is the last day of classes - so I literally am down to the finish line now. I'm doing really well in all of my classes - so that's a relief. On May 8th, I will walk across the stage and receive my diploma for my associates degree...it will be my first graduation ever and I couldn't be more excited!! All of my family are going to be there to help me celebrate this very important milestone in my life..and I'll make sure I post photos so I can share it with you too. :)

Till next time!

Spring Break - Over Already?

The fastest week of the year is officially over in just a few short hours. This week was Spring Break, and what should of been a week of relaxation turned out to be a week of running around and chaos. It wasn't bad chaos, just not relaxing by any means.

Monday and Wednesday I had to work. My days ended at 2, rather than the 5pm that I'm used to.. but it still didn't allow for those days to spent on anything remotely relaxing. On Tuesday, I ventured to my mom's in Oklahoma. My cousin was there with her new baby girl, and I did the baby's first photos. They came out really well - I will post some when I get them all finished. Wednesday, after work, I went and helped one of my bestfriends take his daughter's senior photos. I'm going to be doing some editing for them, so I will post some of them when I get through with them also. Thursday, it was back to my mom's to spend the night. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my family - but I end up coming home from their house drained and exhausted as it's customary for my mom and I to stay up to the wee hours of the morning playing Yahtzee. Friday evening, we all came home and my youngest brother came with me to spend the weekend. I love having my siblings over for the weekend - but this, again, is hardly a recipe for relaxation.

Here are pics of the kids that I took at my mom's on Tuesday:

Saturday morning I woke to the smell of waffles cooking, and looked out the window to see hard snow falling. WTH?? It's the end of March and it looked like a blizzard outside. This wouldn't be so weird, but the day before I was wearing shorts for Christ's sake. Ahhh - gotta love Arkansas. My brother and I ventured to Wal-Mart Saturday afternoon for a few basics, and it was freezing outside. Reminded me more of December than late March. It was kind of cozy to have the fireplace going last night. Today, I spent the day moving Jada out of Brayden's room and putting her into Payton's room. That involved rearranging furniture...hardly relaxing.

The best part is that in a couple of hours (around 9pm tonight) I have to meet my parents in Siloam Springs (about 20 minutes away) so that they can pick up my brother. They are on their way back from Norman, OK where my sister competed in the state Spelling Bee. Unfortunately, she didn't win - but I'm proud of her anyways. So, that's my week...tomorrow life goes back to normal. Back to work, back to school, back to the craziness. Ahh - only a month and a half and it'll be summer!!