The baby

Two days ago, I still had a baby.  I looked over at her just now, sitting with her big sister and watching some girly princessy cartoon.  What I saw was a big girl, a bona fide preschooler.  I'm not sure how that transition happens in the blink of an eye, and I fully adore the little girl she is at this moment in time.  But oh, how I will miss that baby...

The days go by so fast.  It was just yesterday that she and I experienced the miracle of birth together.  But really, it was three years and a yesterday ago.

Esther Hope, you were made for exactly this time in our family, and exactly this time in history.  You amaze me every day, and I just absolutely adore you.  All that you are.  Quiet stubbornness.  Beautiful sweetness.  Loving kindness.  A daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece,  a cousin, a friend.  Never, ever forget...God made you special and He loves you very, very much!

A trucker's life

Disclaimer: I have never been, nor do I intend to be, a truck driver.

Driving all hours of the day and night, never any kind of schedule.  When dispatch beckons, you best be ready.  And happy about it.

Eating PB&J every day for a week.  Because eating out on the road is expensive, and you're not driving to fill your own belly, but the little ones at home.

Calling home at the least convenient times.  You have no concept of the schedule in your own home.  You're busy bringing home the bacon...following someone else's agenda.

Dealing with other drivers who have no sense of self-preservation.  Knowing that if you lose focus for just a nanosecond, that guy reading the paper and swerving into your lane is toast.  And it'll probably be labeled your fault.

Kids calling you, just to hear your voice.  Being loved, and wishing you were home.  Tucking them in over the phone, telling them to mind their Momma.

Giving up all of your time "off" to spend with your family.  Daddy do this, Honey please...the list never ends.  You don't get a rest.

A road warrior.  Keeping the road as safe as you can, going out of your way to make it so.  Every day, something unexpected, quite often dangerous.  And no combat pay.

The life of a truck driver...is HARD. 

If you know one, thank him or her.  If you don't know one, please, please, please...be courteous to them on the road.  Let them go first.  Watch at corners and stay back if they're in process of turning.  Don't pull back in front of them until you can see the grill of the truck in your rearview mirror.  Don't hang out in blind spots or by the axles. 

When you head to the store, or the pharmacy, or the drive-through...remember those who made it all possible.  Your life of convenience is made possible by someone else's life of inconvenience.  And they'll get up tomorrow and do it all again.  Just doing their job, you know...

School year plans

It's going to be an interesting year.  Brian's return to work has made us rethink and replan.  I have one more semester to complete my associate's degree in accounting, so it would be foolish to stop at this point. 

Noah is in 6th grade and is going to continue to homeschool.  This is the best fit for him/us, and he is old enough to work independently some of the time.  He'll be coming to college with me and working there while I'm in class.  His math, science, and computer courses are online, which he seems to really like.  English (Language Mechanics and Editor in Chief from The Critical Thinking Company) and History (Ancient Civilizations from Answers in Genesis) will be done with me.  Those are both new for us, and I am super excited to have more one on one teaching time with Noah.  I think he's going to like these.  Writing reports will be a focus this year, which he does not love, but I am hoping with interesting topics, he will find it less painful.  He'll continue swim and gym, AYSO soccer, AWANA, and start guitar lessons.

Nick is in 5th grade and will be attending public school.  This year is his first in middle school, which means a new building and a LOT more kids.  He'll be playing football this fall, and hopefully be back to spending more time with us.

Hannah is in 1st grade and will be attending Christian school.  Her bestest buddy/rival :) will be in her class.  She's been begging to go to "real school", and if she can stop socializing long enough to learn, I think this will be a great year for her.  She will miss swim and gym greatly, but you can't have everything, I suppose.  She will continue AYSO soccer, AWANA, and I hope will take dance lessons at some point this year.

Levi is in preK and will continue in his special needs preschool program.  He is doing amazingly well there, and I am very pleased with the services he has received.  I hope that getting him help this early will pretty much negate the issues he/we are dealing with.  He'll start AYSO soccer this year, hopefully go to AWANA more regularly, and I plan on keeping him out of school so he can attend swim and gym on Thursdays.  That sounds bad, but I believe it will be useful for him as a kind of OT.  Swimming is relaxing for him.

Esther will be in preschool at the same school as Hannah.  There is no way she is old enough for that, and yet...she is.  She'll be 3 in 16 days.  How time flies...  It will be interesting to see how she does on her own.  She has rarely even been in the church "nursery" without Levi!  I know she will love playing with so many kids and learning new things.  I will be glad to know she is with wonderful people while I am in school.

I will not be working this semester, which is WONDERFUL.  Last semester was beyond rough, and there is no way I could work and go to school while Brian is working too.  I counted on him to run the house and take charge of the kids last semester.  It's nice to know I won't have to work.  So very thankful for that!

So...my classes...I will be taking anthropology, cost accounting, pre-calculus, business statistics, and businesss organization/management.  I have to be honest.  Business statistics scares the snot out of me.  I know two other people who are taking the same class at the same time.  I hope they don't count on me to help them!  Back in my pre-marriage and kids life, I took statistics and, well, let's just say it did not go well.  I am excited about anthropology though...heard the professor is really good!  Cost accounting will be very interesting, and I liked the chapter I had on it last semester.  Pre-calc will hopefully be alright.  I did reach the point last semester where math got to be actual work for me to learn.  Business org/management is my only online course this semester...no idea how that will go.

Lots of changes, but we can handle them!  Going back to using my planner for EVERY appointment and assignment, for sure!  Here we go...

On the road again...

Not the kids and I this time.  BRIAN!!! 

The man got his hopes up.  Kept them up despite repeatedly being told, "Nope, sorry...no recent experience."  He called and emailed and applied and called and called.

And he got a job.  He's been at it a week and a day now, and just got into his own truck the other day.

We'll miss him while he's gone, and he's missing us already.  But for a man to have a job...after these past 3 years have tried to strip him of his manhood...well, it's worth it, and we'll be just fine.


I am so. stinking. proud. of. my man!  Way to keep swinging, honey!