Quick check in

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth :) This week has just been a bit busy. I started my second class on Monday (well, actually Tuesday since I forgot on Monday that it started that day and didn't remember until Tuesday - oops! - yes, I now have a planner which I will write class start dates and assignment due dates in :) Capella sweetly and with somewhat freakishly appropriate timing sent me a Capella planner that arrived Wednesday). The assignments in my additional class brought my grand total just for this week up to four papers and at least nine significant responses to peer assignments. I have been doing homework pretty much non stop since Monday morning. I work on it all day, accompanied by myriad interruptions involving issues like requests for drinks or food and requirements for my services as mediator or owie-kisser. I love that our computer is placed where I can see the playroom, the dining room, the kitchen and the backyard. The kids are able to play within my sight while I work, which is very helpful. I'm very grateful to have developed the ability to type without looking at the keyboard as it is very difficult to see with a toddler on your lap. I had to laugh this week as I typed up one of my assignments that dealt with learned behavior in children while Jack sat on my lap and imitated me talking on the cell phone :)

The two classes I am currently taking are Human Development and Ethnic and Cultural Awareness. Human Development ends on May 15th, so at least I only have 6 weeks of two classes. I imagine at that point it will be restful to just have one for a few weeks! I really hope I fall back in the groove of school soon - right now I have decided grad school is a hundred times harder than undergrad was . . . or I blocked certain aspects of the experience from my memory :) I have worked from when I woke up every morning until about 1-2am every night this week. My house is a mess - more of a mess than normal I guess I should say :) Rob has done an incredible job of keeping up on the kitchen and even working with the kids to pick up parts of the playroom - even more admirable as he currently has a really bad cold. I told a friend I felt like I hadn't done anything for my family this week and she responded by saying "well, they were fed and their butts are clean, so you've done what you needed to!" We did manage to work in a much needed play date on Tuesday and Wednesday morning a friend called asking if she could kidnap Kylie and Beth to play with her girls, so they got to go to park and play for a few hours. Jack stayed home and "cooked" me meals in the play kitchen, bringing them over for me to taste and compliment every few minutes as I worked at the computer. He had a blast :) Today we had two little friends, Jorja and Jursey, over to play for an hour or two while their mom, Beca, had a dr's appt. When Beca picked the girls up, she invited all four kids over to play after school so the kids could play and I could work on homework. She has four kids too, all within a few years of mine, and our kids love playing together. I got two hours to work uninterrupted and actually got one paper pretty much finished, so I only have one left for this week!!! It is due by tomorrow night, but Rob has the day off work tomorrow, so I should be able to get things done more quickly. Christy and I are hopefully going out for a few hours tomorrow afternoon (Rob promised to meet Megan at school for lunch, so we have to wait until he gets home from that) to find a dress for me to wear to Molly's wedding. I'm going to try and find one that will also be appropriate for Easter Sunday and the Andrea Bocelli concert.

Anyway, no pictures this time. I wanted to take some this morning of the kids playing together (especially Jack and Jursey, who is about 9 months younger than him and who he catered to the whole time she was here - he even gave her kisses when she bonked her head :) ), but the batteries in the camera were dead and I couldn't find new ones. I am looking forward to this weekend, as all my homework will be done except for a few peer responses, which shouldn't take nearly as long :) We are having the Foote children over on Saturday to play and to participate in our Easter egg hunt, then we are going over there for dinner. Sunday we are going to church, then having Easter dinner here with Christy and her boyfriend, Ron (as it is supposed to be very windy and stormy and they won't be able to skydive), Ron's sister and her husband. For those of you who are interested, I am cooking a ham (with Nona's mustard, of course), homemade scalloped potatoes (all the boxed ones have wheat products in them or partially hydrogenated oils, which we are trying to avoid), green beans, gluten-free herb rolls (Christy is bringing regular rolls), and Nona's jello - which is half jello and half cream-jelled-thingy. Christy is bringing dessert as well and we bought an all natural sparking lemonade to drink :)

I will find the batteries for the camera and be sure to take pictures of the egg hunt and the kids' Easter outfits. That reminds me - I need to go buy summer church sandals for the girls. I bought them several weeks ago, but we can't find them now . . .