All's Quiet on the Internet Front

I know I've been pretty lax about posting lately, but things are going to get a lot quieter the next two months.

Keenan and I have been having some serious talks lately about our future lately. As Ari nears kindergarten age (ok...it's still 3 years away, but it's getting closer) we have some big decisions to make. The school we are zoned for is not good and we have various options to get him in a better place. Each option has it's pros and cons and after reviewing all that, we've started leaning towards one over the others. I'm not quite ready to put our choice out there, but let's just say some wheels are already in motion towards this option.

While our children's education has been the driving force for these talks, we've naturally been led down the road of what we each want to do with our futures. Keenan has been thinking about getting a PhD in Computer Engineering and I know I'd like to get back to work at some point. In order for all of this to happen I need to take and pass the Professional Engineers Licensing exam. Ugh.

I applied for the exam in 2008 and took the 8 hour test that April. I didn't pass and I missed it by this much. Once you apply, you have 4 consecutive sittings to take the exam without re-applying. That means this October is my last chance on this application. It was a tough decision - only 2 months to study, paying out of pocket for the exam and study materials, studying with 2 little ones, etc. - but in the end I really felt I was being led to take the test this October.

So there it is. I registered on Friday and paid the non-refundable fee so there's no looking back now. I've typed out a rigorous daily schedule to fit in studying any chance I get. I've also received an offer from a friend to watch the kids an hour a week and Keenan's offered to put the kids to bed by himself one night a week while I go off to a coffee shop after dinner.

I'm going to seriously limit my internet time where I seem to get sucked in without realizing it. At first I thought I'd cut it off completely, but I know that's not feasible. Ari's birthday's coming up and I'll have to put a post up for that!

I debated announcing that I will be taking the test. I really don't want to have to share with all of you the bad news should I fail again. On the other hand, maybe all those extra thoughts, prayers and encouragement will be just what I need this time around.

Wish me luck and if you think about it, say a little prayer for me on October 23rd!

Since I Last Posted Pictures of the Kids

I just checked, and it’s almost (I started this post on Saturday)been a month since I’ve posted pictures of the kids!  That last picture post was from our vacation wrap up so that makes me feel even more behind.  Aye-yie-yie!!!

So here’s a taste of what we’ve been up to:

Eating pudding

   

Helping Daddy texture and paint the kitchen (I keep forgetting to take “after” pic’s.  Hopefully I can do that soon.  If only my kitchen would clean itself…)

Getting messy eating spaghetti (you can see the new color of the kitchen on the wall).

Taking bubble baths.

and pulling up to stand to find new things to get into!

Be sure to check the previous post for an update in video form :)

So basically, we’ve been keeping busy and having lots of fun!  Ari starts back to pre-school 2 days a week next week.  There are some other things coming up in our lives, but I’m saving that for the next post (and no, it’s not another baby!).

An Update - Video Style

I'm long over-due for posting some videos and I've been holding on to some good ones. I couldn't pick just a few so I shortened them (mostly) and put them together. I guess that's why it's over 6.5 minutes long - oops! Consider yourself warned ;)

Here are some of our new favorite pass-times:

I'm a Big Kid Now!

It's been a while since I've posted and I have so many pictures and videos I want to get up here but I just haven't had the time or energy. Our vacation really took it out of me and it took almost 2 weeks for Keira to get back on track with her sleeping habits. After all that, I spent the last week potty training Ari. Hence this post.

I know there are bound to be more ups and downs, but I feel it's safe to say that Ari's now potty trained! It went better than I could have imagined and it only took some minor prodding to get over some hurdles. It's been so nice to only change one baby's diapers for a week now! He looks like such a big boy running around in his Thomas undies!

In other big kid news, Keira has taken to feeding herself with a fork or spoon. I have to fill the utensil for her, but after that, she does the rest. Last night that was the only way I could get her to eat dinner. I know Ari mastered utensils pretty early, but I don't recall it being this soon. What a smart little girl!

Ari will be back in pre-school in the coming weeks so hopefully I can find some time to catch up on posts once again. I'm actually ready for summer to be over!