Beth's first dentist appt!

All the kids have been sick again for the past week (each at different times of course to stretch it out as long as possible) with bad colds and coughs. The dr said it looked like it was probably croup (they've had fevers at various times too), so it wasn't in their lungs and we just had to wait it out. Everyone else around here seems to be sick too. I think it's just winter in TX. The temperatures are constantly jumping from 70 or 80 degrees to 30 degrees and back again every few days and I have come to the conclusion that it is not good for people's immune systems. Every year we've been down here it seems like when February rolls around every person I know is sick and there are dozens of different bugs being passed around. Only Megan and I went to church on Sunday because of it and we only went for the last two hours.

We set up dentist appointments for all three girls and I several months ago for Monday of this week. Rob and I thought about canceling them because of the coughs, but decided that if we could make it, we should as everyone else has coughs as well and rescheduling all four would be a nightmare and leave an hour long hole for the dentist. Rob got Meg off to school that morning, then I got all three of the younger kids up and ready and we left to pick up Meg and head off to the dentist. This was Beth's very first dentist visit as she just turned three. We brought a stroller for Jack so he would be contained. The three girls trotted into their exam room on their own (they all had appointments one after the other) and Jack sat quietly in his stroller next to me during my cleaning. All three girls behaved perfectly and all three let the hygienist clean their teeth!!! Yay!!! What great kids :)

We mostly hung out at home today, except for walking to school to pick up Megan. I tried to walk once last week, but I just wasn't ready for it yet I think. Today went better and it was nice to get outside, even if it was only for 15 mins. Right now Kylie, Beth and Jack are all napping. Poor guys - they have been coughing so much at night that they aren't sleeping very well. Kylie and Beth don't usually nap at all and Jack already took his normal daily nap.

Beth has apparently entered a "daddy's girl" stage. The other night, Rob and I tucked them all into bed, then went downstairs to finish up some things. When we went back upstairs, Beth was happily ensconced in the comforter on my side of our bed rather than in her own bed. I asked her what she was doing and she announced in her matter-of-fact tone "I am sleeping here now. I love Daddy." I told her that she could sleep on the mat next to our bed that we keep there for the purpose of having somewhere for small children to sleep when they want to be near us. She reiterated that she loved Daddy, so she was sleeping in my spot now. I informed her that I was glad she loved Daddy, but I was sleeping there :) Then yesterday I asked the girls to clean up the playroom. As an incentive, I reminded them of the upcoming "Mommy dates" I promised them. Beth told me she didn't want to go on a mommy date; she wanted to go on a daddy date and she was going to go to Walmart.

In other news, Rob and I have been talking and I think I may be going back to school next month. I have always planned to get my master's, but we've learned that it's much easier if we only have one of us in school at a time. Rob finished his MBA last summer. I had planned to wait until next year to start, but Jack will be in school full time in three and a half years (!!!) and there isn't really any reason for me to wait. I considered going back to the University of Phoenix Online as I loved getting my undergrad there, but they only offer my major through their Puerto Rico campus and that would be a bit of a commute. I found what looks like a really good program through Capella University, which is also online. I'm going to major in Family and Marriage Counseling, with the hope of becoming a LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist). Their program involves 60 credit hours of classes (I plan on attending half-time, which is one class every 10 weeks with a 2-3 week break between classes), so the classes would take me about 4 years to complete. They condense the required hands-on labs into two 6 day seminars, one of which will probably be in Dallas. Having to travel somewhere only two weeks out of four years isn't bad :) Following that, I would have 100 hours of practicum then 600 hours of internship to finish the degree. In order to get licensed in TX, I would have to pass the state test for therapists and then do a 2000 hour internship before being able to work on my own. I'm so excited! I love school and have missed being in it. Rob says I'm crazy for liking it :) I'll let you guys know what happens, but it looks like I might start my first class on March 9th! :)