Do they know people are waiting...

Ah hem... do they know?? I have several friends who just seem to not like to update their blog too often. I click on the link and there it is the same old same old that's been there for what seems like MONTHS!! I'm waiting for something new and interesting to read about.


On a totally separate note, I went to talk to the program director of the college program that I want to enter next fall. My biggest concern was getting into the program and how competitive is it really. Well they only accept 12 students a year and last year they had 59 applicants. So that works out to be the top 20% or so. They base admission solely on GPA of the prerequisite courses and so far I have a 4.0 in those courses and I only have the one course I'm currently taking to add to that GPA. So I figure that even if I get as low as a B, I would still have a 3.83. She said the range of GPA's that were accepted this past fall was from 3.5 to 4.0 and there was only one 4.0. So the way i see it I'm pretty much in!!! My other concern was pay scale of a Dental Hygienist when they first get out of school. She said that this past summer she heard from her students and the lowest was $25/hr and the highest was $32/hr. So that would be a significant increase in our yearly income even if I only work part time. I mean at $28/hr (which is mid range) and working 32 hours a week (4 days) I would make about $46,000 a year, not bad for a part time gig I think! I'm excited about the prospect of it. But it does seem a long way a way........ Oh and paying for school will be a whole other issue. The majority of the cost are NOT tuition which I thought it was and was hoping it was because I have that part covered by the Fl Prepaid. I guess we will have to do student loans but I don't know if I can get enough to cover the cost at school and daycare for the kids. UGH, I'm so stressed about it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

My Goals

I have them, I really do!! My goal is to lose this extra weight that I've been carrying around since I had Hunter. About 20 extra pounds!! Since I work at the gym and have a membership I have gone twice. I know that's not much. To my defense I wasn't sure how Stella was going to do without me in there. She does great, in fact, she cries when we leave if you can believe that! On Friday I went and had an evaluation done which basically tells you what you weigh and what you should weigh and how to get there. So I weigh in at 157 with 24.6% body fat. Their nifty little computer model says that in 13 weeks of doing cardio and resistance training 4 days a week I should drop about 19 pounds as long as I'm following a sensible diet. Which I am 90% of the time because of Andrew being diabetic. So that means if I don't cheat, I can be a hot tamale by Christmas!!! (and I can wear my skinny clothes) So be prepared for me to post some before and after pictures by then. ( I won't horrify you with any before pics now)

PS. I was going to go to the gym this morning but the time got away from me and the kid's club is closed now and I can't leave them with Andrew because he just had surgery and is always on the verge of a medicated slumber! I definitely want to make it tomorrow!!

Employed

I am happy to announce that I am now employed. I mean outside the home, LOL. I went on Monday and filled out applications at Books A Million and at Lifestyle Family Fitness. Well, today I got called backed from the woman at LFF and went for an interview and was hired!! It's not that it's a great job but it's only 3-4.5 hours a week and I can have Stella with me (or the others too, if there is no school) and I get a free membership at the gym, YEA!!! That was really the reason I applied there. I am also hoping that BAM will call me too and I can work there in the evening and make some extra money for the household.


Maybe I'll actually be able to get in better shape by my birthday at the end of November! My goal is to fit into the jeans I have hanging on my wall. They are Lucky brand size 28. I think I'll need to lose about 15lbs before I'll fit into them again. I was ALMOST into them when I got pregnant with Stella (3 yrs ago) I hope they are still stylish when I can wear them again, LOL. I think that between the new cooking regime (because of the diabetes thing) and a membership at the gym, that dropping the extra pounds won't be too hard. (I hope).

4 Rooms

All 4 bedrooms are in use now!!!!! So far it's been easy and no fuss. In case you didn't know, Stella has been sleeping with Andrew and I in our room since she was born, on her own bed but still in the room. For a short time when we first moved into the house Hunter was also in there with us on a bed of his own too. Now since this past Friday night Stella has been sleeping in her big girl room on her big girl bed!! There were 2 nights that she woke up and called out for me but she went back to sleep fairly easily. I am hoping for continued success!! Andrew and I are excited to have our private space back! So finally, after over 2 years of being in the house, we are finally using all four bedrooms and that is one of the biggest reasons we moved out here, so all the kids could have their own room. This is a picture of Stella's big girl bed but ours is in white. (Thanks Mom and Norm) While my mom was here we made Stella a blanket, one side is pink with Dora the Explorer and the other side is blue with Diego and baby jaguar on it. She sleeps with it every night and carries it out with her in the morning.

On a totally different note. Andrew has diabetes. I now HAVE to cook better and I'm know that I'm going to struggle with it mainly because I know the kids will resist having to eat their veggies and I don't want to cook stuff that Andrew can't have because of the whole temptation factor. I like eating veggies, I know that I feel better when I eat better. I know that Andrew is struggling with it, he seems to still think he can eat McD's. I know it's hard for him but it's a reality check for him, and I think he is resisting and he really can't because he'll make himself really sick.

Oh and one other thing is that every day Hunter resists going to school and whines and cries and begs not to go but every day I pick him up and he seems so happy and excited and he ALWAYS tells me that he's had a great day!!! Go figure.

They don't hate it!!!!

Well, today Hunter came home from school in a good mood!!! He stayed home with me yesterday because his cough had kept him up most the night. This morning he cried and whined and stomped his feet and insisted that he was not going to school and that school was awful and no fun! Today upon entering the car in the car line he was smiling!! He also remembered his car line number (the number we parents must display in the car and that the teacher calls out in order to pick up our child instead of using a name tag in the windshield) which helped his good mood! I don't know what made today better but it was, thankfully!

Lucas on the other hand has come home everyday in a good mood and has said that school was good, and he meant it too! I think he really likes the changing classes 6 times a day and not having all the same classes everyday. It must make him feel like a big kid (his word would be "pre-teen"!! *gasp*)

Hopefully this trend will keep going ....and going... and going!!!
Please let it keep going.......

Lucas's first day of Middle School

Luke went to the Boo Hoo breakfast with me but left early with the neighbors grandmother. He asked to ride with them (well, Cole) so I said sure. I could tell he was nervous and I think just being with someone else he knew made it a little better. He said it was awful but I don't think he really thought that. I just think he's so used to saying that that it just comes out. They have a weird schedule, some classes one day and other the next and some classes everyday... very confusing!!! He's taking band. I just wonder what horrible sound I'll be listening to ... Trumpet?? Drums?? Flute?? who knows...
His mother finally called at 6:30 last night to find out about his day. At least she called him this year, last year he had to call her on the second day of school.
His mom also keeps telling him she will open a savings account for him, but it hasn't happened yet. She also didn't get him anything for his birthday. He got stuff but it was from his aunts and uncles and grandparents (all 3 sets) and my auntie Cindi and us, but nothing from her. Too sad for him.
I think it's interesting that one of the papers he brought home yesterday had a place for the students to fill out mom and dad, and Lucas filled in Andrew's name and my name, I don't know if that means anything or if he was just putting down who he lives with ...???
I hope that she will keep in touch with him now. Since school has started she will only see him 4 days a month. He notices when she doesn't call and it makes him sad but he won't say that, I can just tell.

Hunter's first day of Kindergarten

Well, yesterday was his first day of Kindergarten. The school has what they call a "Boohoo Breakfast". They invite all the K parents to the lunchroom to have breakfast with their kids then they call the kids up to the front in group by teacher and sit them down and read them a story. After the story they call the kids out by class and lead them out of the lunchroom to their classrooms, leaving all the parents to boohoo.... alone! I teared up but no tears fell. I thought I would lose it when I got to the car but (thankfully) Stella started fussing and giving me a hard time about leaving so I was able to put my mind on that and not that my big boy just started Kindergarten.
I went and picked him up using the car rider line which was VERY long. He wanted to know what in the world took me so long to pick him up!! He said he didn't have very much fun. He did like art class and he did see his friend Duncan, but that was pretty much all he said.
This morning was NOT fun. He didn't want to go to school. He threw a fit and yelled and I eventually just carried him out to the car and strapped him in. I finally got it out of him that he wanted to stay home to play with Lucas. I had to remind him that Luke would be leaving to go to school, too. He finally calmed down and when we got to school and I dropped him off in the car line he seemed alright. Although today was much harder for me than yesterday because he just got out and walked away....... no wave, no kiss..... nothing! : (
So I hope today is more fun for him. I don't know what special (ie. art, music or PE) they have on what days so i will ask him when I pick him up today to find out what he did. I hope he can tell me more today than yesterday!! I don't want him to not like school, at least not till he's older!!