Well hello!!

Fancy meeting you here! Come here often? I don't... obviously. So, I think it's been about 3, maybe 4, months since I've updated you. What can I say? It was summertime!

A lot of new changes for my family. Andy has taken on a second job at the Northern Lights Casino and I am so proud of him. Somewhat envious. I love my kids and I love knowing that I don't have to send them to daycare. On the other hand, I wish I could get out and interact with other adults and do something productive during the day.

In mentioning that, might I tell you that I am going to be starting school... again next Monday. I will be going to the Leech Lake Tribal College - not Bemidji State as I had hoped. I couldn't come up with the money that I owed to BSU in time to begin classes in the fall. My new plan is to get my AA degree at the LLTC while at the same time paying off what I owe so that I may transfer back in to finish my bachelor's degree at BSU. I guess I could have waited and just did it all at BSU once my payments were finished but I have a fierce appetite for knowledge now. I know that I am smart and I feel that I have been idle long enough.

My daughter, Aalydia is going to be starting headstart the week after I begin school. This whole schedule is going to be new to us. Since my kids were born we have been fortunate enough to be able to both stay home with them, with Andy working at home. Now three of us will have something to do almost every day of the week. I am excited and nervous for Liddy. I think, in the right setting and with the right guidance, she will thrive in school. I am also worried at the same time that if this headstart program ends up to be just a place where parents send their children to raise heck without organized activities that I may end up pulling her from school. I've never sent my kids to daycare to get them out of my hair and that is definitely not what I am doing this for. I plan on monitoring her progress and if I see any regression in her behavior I am an admittingly over-protectant parent and will not hesitate to step on toes.

I'm also worried about my son, Dru. He has always had one of us with him at all times. Whether it be Andy, his big sister to look or for him, or myself. Andy and I are going to work our schedules the best we can so as we don't have too many conflicting days. That way we can lessen the days he will need a sitter, which will be family, not daycare. I know that he is going to be so put out when he sees his sister get on the bus while he cannot. I'm sure he'll get used to it after awhile.

In other news, my sister, Shantel is all moved into her dorm at Notre Dame. We took a family trip there last week and helped her get all settled in. I'm so proud of her! What a great opportunity and awesome new life to start. A tiny part of me is a little jealous. While we will both be going to school she is going to experience so much more than I ever will. I already miss her, but don't tell her that! =-) I want her to have this. She deserves it!

Until next time... hopefully not in 4 months!