Settled

Life is getting so good. It's wonderful having Brian living with us again. He's so cool, and the kids and I are getting a huge kick out of having him around. He started working last week, going into the office to help out with paperwork, organizing, and phone calls, and this week he's going to learn their computer programs and billing programs, and whatever else is involved with that. He checks almost every day to see if his Board scores are posted, because that's when the application for his license will go through, and soon after that he'll be able to start seeing patients. I think he's enjoying going in to work every day, and I'm sure enjoying the fact that it's creating a normal schedule for us to settle down to.

I went to an orientation meeting for the parent-teacher co op (Mid-Columbia Partnership) that we're participating in next year. They gave us the information we needed to enroll in classes and answered any question we had. I'm so excited to be homeschooling next year. The people at MCP are amazing. The women involved are such great examples to me of the good mothers can do both at home and in the community. There was one lady who teaches a couple of science classes each week, and helps out with other things, but the rest of the time she's busy homeschooling her two boys. All of these women seem very professional and accomplished to me - accomplished meaning both that they're educated and that they're doing so much good. Yet they don't let that professionalism get in the way of being a good mother. And with everything they do, they don't try to pretend that they have it all together. They're very real. I'm hoping that the opportunities we find at MCP will be great for all of us. I believe they will be.

Brian and his parents have been working very hard on getting our yard put together. (I've been helping a little bit, but mostly I've been on crowd control.) Right now we're living in one of the Jacks' rentals, and it has a huge, funny-shaped yard that they divided up to plant a huge garden, lovingly referred to around here as, "the farm." There are 80 (80!) tomato plants, sun flowers, raspberries, squash, um...and more stuff which I can't remember right now. They have some things at their house, waiting to be planted, and I'm not sure what's gone in over here, yet. I do know there are tomatoes, though, lots and lots of tomatoes. They've also been hard at work getting a fence put up so the kids don't run off when we play in the back yard, and soon they'll put in grass. That will be superb!

On Saturday I went with my mom and little sister to shop for wedding things. (Yep, Kimmy's getting married.) We first went to her fiance's back yard, where the reception will be held, then to all of the craft stores for ideas and supplies. It was fun to get out with them without the kids. I actually left the kids with Brian. (See? I mentioned we were enjoying having him around.) And he, being the brave soul that he is, decided to take all three of them to the mall. Wow. I was impressed. He even got Alyssa a manicure and pedicure, and she's been showing everyone the flowers on her fingernails ever since.

And today something wonderful happened: I took a nap. Brian and I took turns, and even though he normally sleeps straight through to the next morning when he tries to take a nap, I managed to get him up after a few hours so I could take my turn. It was wonderful.