Four Eyes

What's not to love?

The Lexa?

Love.

The Daddy?

Love.

The glasses?

Love.

Sometimes the cuteness around here threatens to swallow me whole.

The Lonliest, Blissfullest Number

One.
That's right...one.

As in

Un.
Uno.
Eins.
Um.
Jeden.

One is how many classes I have left.
You know, before I finish my Bachelor's Degree.
Yeah...my Bachelor's Degree.

A few months ago, I was under the impression that I still had about 11 more elective classes left (after I finished all of my core classes) before I would be graduating from college. I pretty much figured that I would be in school at least until my youngest was in kindergarten.

Well, something changed in my program of study and I found out pretty recently that all I really had left were the rest of my core classes, (along with an exam to test out of Spanish 1) and I would be done. Actually Done.

So, right now, I am one week into my last core class...an 8-week class called "The Novel," (which really means "Eight Novels") after which I will take my Spanish test and be on my way. With a Bachelor's under my belt.

There are literally not words to describe my excitement.

This is a big deal for me for a few reasons. After the reality of the "oneness" sunk in, I computed some things.

1. I started college at 23 years old, 3 months after Craig and I got married. Since then, with the exception of time taken off between our move from California to Arizona, and time off for having babies, I have been a student for our entire 9 years of marriage.

2. I have simultaneously been a mom and student for the last 7 and a half years. I have never had a kid and not been a student.

3. I have been a student during all of my pregnancies. I have nursed at the computer while doing homework after all of those babies were born.

4. I have had countless quasi-breakdowns over the years in which I have felt, in every way, torn between the way that I want to spend  my time, and the way that I need to spend my time.

5. I have had one amazing, loving husband, who has unconditionally supported me in my educational pursuits for the last 9 years with not one peep of complaint or exasperation about the time that I have had to spend, instead of with him and the girls, completing grueling homework assignments.

6. All told, it will have taken me almost 10 years to complete my "four-year degree."

I don't know if it seems like a big deal to you, but it sure does to me. I honestly want to laugh and cry just thinking about it.

Because, next to zero, One is just about the best number that ever was.

Chalking it Up

On a recent early evening trip to my parents' house to cut down the weeds for my dad, the girls had a hey-day putting some sidewalk chalk from a recent birthday party to use. And, whadayaknow,  it was only like 80 something degrees outside, so they actually did not melt while doing so. Me? I sat in the car reading Uncle Tom's Cabin for my lit class and Craig toiled away on the weeds after killing one scorpion and finding about 5 others that were already dead.

It's a little weird to me that we lived there for two months. Kind of like a dream that you are sure you had, but can't remember all of the details exactly. Such was the state of my frazzled brain at the time. (Kind of  like the time that Savanna was an infant and Julia was a demanding 2-year-old. I know it happened, because it had to have happened, but I sure as heck don't remember very much about it.)

And, in case you were wondering, yes, there were plenty of scorpions, both dead and alive, when we lived there, too. And yes, I still shudder to think about it.

Craig was even nice enough to do chalk outlines of J and S, 

which seemed a little crime scene-ish to me at the time...

(But I guess when you draw a happy face on them, 

it cuts down on the creepy factor a tad.)

This one is a little reminiscent of my infamous Flagstaff pose, no?

I love that the girls are so artistic and that
they LOVE to be outside.They sure don't get
either of those things from their mama.

P.S. Just found out that my parents' HOA cited them for, among other things, chalk on the communal driveway. Whoops. Too bad it never rains around here.

(Another) New Trend?

Craig and I don't typically watch the news, but the other day we were flipping through and I happened to catch a newscaster saying, "The 90's are back."  Still reeling from what I perceive as the dreadful return of the trends of the 80's, I ranted for a minute about how we are obviously not learning from our fashion mistakes if we are soon to be embracing the horrors of 90's fads as well. Then, I mused on how, if we are already past the 80's and into the 90's, we are going to be running out of decades to imitate pretty soon here.

When I had stopped rambling long enough to catch my breath, Craig looked at me for a minute to see if I was being serious, and then he said, "She's talking about the weather, babe."

Whoops.

Well color me fuchsia with embarrassment.

Anyway, speaking of things that ought never to have existed in the first place, check out the beauty I found at the Goodwill a few weeks ago. I'm not sure why anyone would want to get rid of this...it looks both comfortable and versatile.

Burger Queen, Etc.

Should she, or should she not, be in an ad for Burger King?

And, on that note, she should also be in ads for:

Cocoa Puffs (and/or squinty eyes)
Dora coloring books, and
Honda Odysseys,
respectively.

Not that I am biased.

The Fun Run (as if there is such a thing...)

 At the girls' school this year, they did something called a "Fun Run" for a fundraiser. (I know what you're thinking: fun run? Isn't that a little oxymoronic? The answer is, yes. Yes it is.) The girls were either supposed to get sponsored $1 or more for each 1/16 of a mile lap they could run, or get a flat donation. (We opted for the flat donation. After the girls each ran more than 30 laps, we were glad we did.)

It was so cute to see them both out there running their little hearts out. They both did an awesome job, too especially considering that it is still VERY HOT here in October. Savanna ran 37 laps and Julia ran 34. (Apparently the majority of kindergartners have slightly more energy than the majority of second graders. Either that or their earlier, much cooler running time made for some crazy-fast 5-year-olds.)

Because we are horrible parents, we forgot the camera during Savanna's running time. Thankfully, though, my phone takes decent pics. And thankfully, again, Craig is savvy enough to know how to get them from my phone to the computer.

all lined up and raring to go

Savanna and the lovely Ms. L who was a trouper 

and ran almost the whole time with the kids

(when did she get to be so dang grown, anyway?)

And because we are good parents, we braved the heat twice for each of their separate running times, and even remembered the actual camera for the second one. Poor Julia was about to barf when she finished running over two miles in sweltering conditions. (I had her go back to class but then went back to pick her up a few hours later from the nurse's office. After which we arrived home and she appeared perfectly fine. Of course.) (I couldn't blame her, though. I wanted to pass out just from standing out there.)

Savanna, on the other hand, had ice cream with her class right after the run and did just fine. Of course.

isn't she giant?

waving at Lex while passing through

this is what a 2-year-old does at a fun run.

 a good Mommy shows her support even 

when she opposes running on principle...

This Is When I Start Jonesing for Fall

Home again. After a lovely, fall-filling trip to Flagstaff. We wore pants. We explored the outdoors. We drank hot chocolate. We carved pumpkins. We smelled the smells of autumn. 

And we came back to a hot house and a 95 degree city.

Sigh.

Maybe by the time I finish unpacking, it will be fall here, too.

Thoughts for Today

Why is it so hard to be in bed by 10:00? Oh, that's right, because I do homework until 9:48 and then I start  a blog post to empty my mind of all the non-academic things that are swirling around in there. (Presumably, I have already successfully flushed all of the academic things out. I like to get those out of the way first. They take up way too much room.)

I have been thinking a little about all of the things I take for granted. Like my health, for instance. I grumble a lot to myself about how tiring the day-to-day grind can be, all the while forgetting how wonderful it is to be perfectly healthy and virtually pain-free every single day. Not everyone has that. It's something I need to work on remembering and appreciating. I met a lady at a school fundraiser today who, after months of excruciating abdominal pain, got diagnosed with a stomach bacteria and is finally getting treated for it. She said that she will never take her health for granted again. Hmm...I would sure love to gain that perspective...minus the months of undiagnosed, excruciating abdominal pain, of course.

Also, I take the girlies for granted. I tend to focus overly much on their constant, exhausting needs, and not enough on their funny, cute, quirky personalities. This one is a life-long lesson, I'm sure, but I like to think that somehow I can make some progress on it along the way. Spontaneous hugs and praise are sure helping me with it, but I have much more to learn and am determined to learn it before it doesn't matter anymore.

And guess who I else I under-appreciate? Craig! How is it possible to take such a wonderfully handsome and talented man for granted, you ask? Not sure. But somehow I do, and I need to focus lots more on loving the crud out of him and looking the other way when I see those notorious socks peeking out from under the bed. With such a stud for a husband, (who also happens to be the kick-trashingest Daddy I've ever come in contact with) it shouldn't be too hard to garner a lot more appreciation, each moment of the day. I mean, who else makes me laugh, think, and chocolate milk every day? No one, that's who.

Okay, brain drainage complete. With any luck I can be showered and in bed by 10:30. And with one less blog post to think about, maybe I can fall into a blissful sleep the second my head hits the pillow. (Not likely. But a girl can dream. You know, before she actually dreams.)