Nose to the Grindstone...

Things have started off all right. Just by cutting out pop and scaling down my portions some, my jeans fit better. They are not loose by any means, I just don't have to lay down and suck it in to zip em up. high five!

Although, I feel tired all the time. I'm sure its the weather and the fact that I have had to force myself awake at the ass-crack of dawn (5:45-6am) for the past week because Lea decided she wanted to take the early bus. I know its good for me, especially since I have an 8:30 class next semester. Ugh.
And it's Math.

Ugh and Puke.

Husband and I both start our spring semesters next week. Luckily I've talked him into taking only one class so things aren't as insane around here. As a last hurrah for me for the next couple months, we are planning on getting rid of the kids and having a date night. As much as I'd love a night on the town, our bank account says it's make your own pizza and a movie at home instead. But hey, a pizza the way *I* want it. An non-children's movie with no interruptions. I'm down for it. 

On the school front, I had made the dean's list the past two semesters. Looking back at my GPA from all 4 semesters so far, it has only gone up a couple tenths each time. If I keep working the way I have been, I don't see why I can't be at or very close to a 4.0 by graduation. While it would be sweet, I'm not going to kill myself trying to attain it. I usually feel like the walking dead near midterms anyway...

A New Year, A New Hope?

Apparently me + a blog in 2010 = fail.

I really want to try again this year. There are so many things that I want to have happen this year it would be nice to have some sort of written record of them happening or my wish for them to happen. I mean really. I can't lose this ginormous desktop computer so I can't say I lost my list or something.

1. This blog. This is for me to keep track of...well...me. My diary if you will. While it would be awesome if I had some readers (I LOVE feedback of all kinds, I thrive on it), I'm not going to curl up into a withering ball of tears if no one reads my rambling.

2. My weight. I NEED to do something about it. I'm miserable. At this point, my one goal is to not have to buy bigger clothes anymore. Yes, I need to desperately lose weight, but first things first, lets not GAIN anymore. Yesterday was a crap day, but in my defense, it was our last Christmas celebration for the season. This morning I had a small portion of leftover mostaccioli. It wasn't the best thing I could have had, but it wasn't the worst. I had a small portion and I was eating in the morning, something I rarely if ever do. Husband and I got new bikes for Christmas (yay!) and can't wait to get out and use it. Both the kids have bikes so there will be no excuse as to why we can't go for a bike ride. The only issue I could see is the fact that Husband and I have far more stamina than the kids so we'd want to go for longer. And at a slightly faster pace. Time to start pricing those 2-wheeled seat things that attach to the back of the bike. Plus, with one of those behind the bike things, I could ride to the grocery store that's less than 2 miles via a walking\bike path.

I am starting the year by only looking at the positives....

Future Plans

Provided I get accepted, I have chosen the school I would like to go to for an education degree. I will finish my communications bachelor next spring (I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that) and would like to start the education degree the following fall. If necessary, I am willing to wait til the following spring semester, but I do not want any more than a year go by before starting.
Since I will most likely not need to complete the year or so of general education classes, I am figuring an education degree should take me 2-3 years. So in all, I think I'm looking at 4-5 more years in school.
Side topic, but still related, I want at least 2 more kids. And I want to be done having them BEFORE I start looking for a teaching job. I really don't want to have kids past 30. Once I find a job, I don't want to have to take time off to have a baby.
Is that too much to ask? Am I being selfish?

I survived....

....my baby's first day of school. Best part is that she had a blast. She made it through her first day, loved it, and her teacher said she did very well :) There was a bad debacle with the busses this morning. We learned that the district changed their bus schedule and didn't tell anyone. We drove her, walked her in, Topher threw a fit because he couldn't stay at school. Husband was having a hard time leaving her there..haha. Because of the bus mess up, I told her teacher that I would pick her up. Topher and I went in a little early to get her to get there before the crowds. I thought it was cute that two kids in her class couldn't make it a full day of school, they were knocked out cold napping on a rug :)

*TEAR*

My baby starts kindergarten tomorrow morning. Her backpack is ready, her lunch is packed and in the fridge (except a juice box, mommy spaced on that one, Husband is stopping on his way home from work), and her clothes are laid out. Oh, and my camera is charged and ready to go...lol. I am excited because I have signed up for PTA and Lea is signed up for girl scouts. I can't wait!

Lea got a new bed, headboard, and dresser today. The dresser and headboard are *almost* put together. The instructions are very VERY effed up. I got quite frustrated and gave up before I broke anything..lol By the time Lea gets home from school tomorrow, her new bedroom set will be set up.

As far as me, I changed my semester schedule around so that I can be home at night with the kids more. I go Mondays 12-3:30 and Wednesdays 12-10. There will only be one night that I don't put the kids to bed. Luckily, it'll be my mom putting them to bed in their own beds, so I'm happy with that. I am still really excited about becoming a teacher (at some point) so that is a good sign. From the 9 schools I initially found, I knocked one off my list. The one that is the farthest away. I was reading over their program requirements and I don't feel that I would be capable of devoting that much time to that particular program. You need to devote 2-3 hours 3 days a week to observe a local elementary class. With it being an hour drive (one way), I can't see being gone for that long. I feel I can do it more locally. I really want to do this, but I don't want to spend half my day in the car driving here there and every where else.

Follow Your Instincts...

I mentioned the whole getting an education degree and all that. I am going to do it. That thought\idea had been rattling around in my head for months now, but I kept pushing it back. And pushing it back. So last night, when I finally brought that idea to light. I researched schools. I mentioned it to my mom. I talked about it to a few teacher friends.

And you know what? Last night was the best night's sleep I had had in MONTHS.

That right there sealed the deal for me. Getting a communications degree has had me bouncing around career ideas like a fricken pinball machine. Looking back, I was freaked out subconsciously. I didn't know what I wanted to do and that scared me. I left St. Joe because I didn't know what I wanted to do, I felt like I was wasting time and money there. With a teaching degree, there's really no leeway. Its a definitive end to all the work.
I'm finishing the communications degree because I started it. Plain and simple. Plus with the fairly concrete time schedule I'm giving myself, the economy and job situations should (hopefully) be getting way better. And Chris should be close to done with his degree, giving us way more options as far as where we can look for work.
So in about 2 (hopefully less) years, I will be jumping in with both feet :)

Perhaps this will work...

I've been thinking a lot lately about teaching. I'll finish my communications bachelors, but use up my remaining electives taking classes that will go towards an education degree. I loved my social studies and history classes through middle school and high school. I think I would prefer middle school social studies\history. I do want to do it, but I really don't know if it is for me. I definitely need to talk to someone about it. And no family. No one close to me has anything good or bad to say. Husband just says 'I'm behind you, whatever makes you happy'. While I totally appreciate it, it does my decision making process no good. I need someone to discuss the good and the bad with me, that I can seriously debate this with. This is something that will eat up another 4 years (maybe less, if all my general ed courses transfer) and I need to come to the conclusion that this will be good for me and my family.
With the little research I've done, I've come up with 9 schools. The closest being about a mile away, the farthest being 50 miles away. All a do-able driving distance. Although the 50 mile-away campus would be a stretch if I had to go more than 2 or 3 days a week.
Do I have any readers (at all..lol) who can help me in any way?