the Drawer of Delayed Dreams

WOW! I haven't blogged in nearly 5 months! Shame on me. Here are a few reasons why:

1. I had a baby. Yeah, you knew that already and I had posted some pictures of her on here, but life with three kiddos is BUSY. Things that used to be priorities simply aren't priorities anymore. I constantly feel behind.

2. We moved. Yeah, you already knew that Chad earned his PhD from UCI (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and after spending 9 months looking for a job and applying at over 100 places, he got a job offer. At Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Anyway, MOVING IS STRESSFUL. Just in case ya didn't know. Packing boxes, changing our address at the post office, seeing people one last time, making phone calls about new insurance and old insurance ... it all took so much time. Then the actual move: we drove one day to the Grand Canyon (8 hours of driving=not a good day), one day in the Grand Canyon, one day to Albequerque, one day to Lubbock (TX), 4 days with Chad's parents, 4 days with my parents, one day to Gulf Port (MS), one day to our new place.

Then, moving in, unpacking, finding friends, getting Ethan in school, etc.

Obviously, I've been busy lately. 'Nuf said.

3. The more time that passed, the more I thought "There's no way I can catch up on everything now. Where do I even begin." And you know me: when I feel overwhelmed, sometimes I can't even start.

4. For awhile, I had this crazy idea that I would like to start a real website. You know, one that was a step up from blogspot. So I thought I wouldn't bother with this one anymore anyway till I was done setting up my new one. My new one would have all kinds of cool links, a list of places to go and things to do in Auburn, a collection of stories about my conversion process, some "diary entries" about the mom life, etc. But, seriously, who am I kidding? I don't have time. I was really excited about the idea for about a week. Then I started stressing about it. And who needs stress. Therefore, I'm going to file that idea away in the Drawer of Delayed Dreams until I have more time. The other things that are in the Drawer of Delayed Dreams are:

a. getting an MFA in creative writing

b. getting published

c. learning how to dance

d. cooking my way through another cookbook

e. getting lots of money so I never have to worry about money again

Aaaah. Someday..........

And now an update on my kids:

Ethan started school! I can't believe he's in kindergarten. Yes, I cried, and yes, it's been a hard adjustment for Benji and me with him being gone 8 hours a day. No, it doesn't make my day easier with him gone; well, except that when he's gone, he's not there to fight with Benji all day, so maybe it does make it easier. Man, those kids are at each other's throats these days! (I just checked out Siblings Without Rivalry from the library, and I'm eating it up).

Ethan is 5 1/2 now, he loves computer games, school, bugging his brother, wrestling with Daddy, and other boy things.

Here's my Ethan

his first day of school pose:

Benji is 3 1/2 and is (mostly) potty trained. Just for the last 2 weeks, he's been going on the carpet a lot. Hmmm... But he poos in the potty, which is amazing! He loves watching tv (don't worry; I limit it!), playing his own version of Chinese Checkers, playing cars and parking garage, playdough, reading Curious George stories, and being with me. He's tall and still super active.

Here's my Benji

before his haircut:

and after his haircut:

Fiona is 8 months. She is crawling! She's been crawling about 2 weeks, and is getting faster and faster. She made her first "cross-house" trip yesterday from one end to the other. She puts everything in her mouth, including

1. bars of soap

2. erasers

3. clothespins

4. toilet paper

5. magazines

6. woodchips

7. a little rubber thing she found on the floor

Talk about worrying about the next thing she'll find and choke on!

She has three teeth now, and eats some baby food. She ate an entire jar of squash yesterday night and a jar of bananas the day before that at lunch. She talks to herself and can even say "mamama," although I don't think she knows that's my name.

Here's my Fifers

Now, besides all the comments about how cute my kids are, I'd like to hear what's in YOUR drawer of delayed dreams?