The Verdict

I got the news today! 

I was awarded 12 credit hours for the portfolio, and I couldn't be happier.  That trims off an entire semester from my degree (and thousands of dollars!).

I originally asked for 21 credits, knowing it was a bit of a stretch in some areas, but chose to be rather safe than sorry especially since it was a one-shot deal.  When I got the notification that the faculty had awarded me the 12 credit hours... i was thrilled.

With the credit hour award, I am officially a "Junior".  Woot!

This summer session, I am taking two more core level electives that I need toward my degree, and then I will register for fall classes very soon. 

Additionally, I had applied for a local scholarship back in February and got the letter this week that I'd been awarded a $2,000 scholarship for next academic year.  That was GREAT news.... and my bursar account will appreciate it as well!

So, things on the school front are going well.  I'm really going to try to take as many online classes as I can, because I know when I have to go to class a couple times a week - it will really take a toll on my family.

So, that's the news!

The Truth about Facebook.

Tell me you're headed to the store to pick up some carrots...

good deal!  Glad to hear it!

Let me know that your husband had dinner on the table when you got home from work...

Awesome!  What a great guy!

Oh?  You had a new baby and you want me to know how much you love him?

I can relate!  So, so happy for you!


..but dear GOD... if all you do is brag and brag and brag about how wonderful your life is, how happy you are with everything in your life... how BLESSED you are and how absolutely adorable and perfect your kids are....

I will most likely LOSE MY MARBLES!

I'm ok with this every now and then.   Because I too, feel very fortunate at times.

But let me tell you all something right now.  It ain't always perfect. 

yes I said ain't. 

I don't talk about how wonderful my life is 24/7.  Because I don't really think I need to.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  And if you're a close friend of mine, you already know that.

Here's an example of something that I might say if I wanted to get attention from all 7283473284 of my facebook friends and lead them to believe my life is friggen fabulous.

"so, today the kids and i went and rented the little pedal carts down at the canal and had the perfect day.  Then, we came home and the kids fixed me a 3 course dinner and we ate next to a bonfire outside while making smores."

I'm here to tell you that NOT EVERYTHING ON FACEBOOK IS TRUE.

I suppose it's as true as you want to believe it is.

Let's be real.

If i were to be honest about the status i mentioned above, (with no limits on characters in the status update) it would say... more realistically....

"wanted to take the kids to do something fun, since we were about to kill eachother being stuck in the house.  First, we headed to the canal to rent the little pedal cars and the kids fought the entire way there.  I threatened to pull the car over no less than 8 times... but realistically never had the intention of turning around since gas is over $4 per gallon on the average day.  So, we finally got there... i threatened the kids one last time before we went to the rental shack to pay a lot of money  for the little cart.  We started riding and almost crashed at the first corner, mostly because my kids were fighting again and i turned around the smack them upside the head.  (JK)  After we finished at the canal, the kids chose McDonald's (and I plan on using this against them later tonight when they are fighting again) where I had a hamburger, french fries and an extra-large-add-whipped-cream-smoothie because after the day I had... I EARNED EVERY CALORIE.  We ended the evening with a bonfire in the backyard where I burned all of the old grass, weeds and papers that I needed to get rid of while the kids wasted about 60 marshmallows in the fire and fought over who got to break the Hershey bar into pieces.  After all of that, the kids survived.  I consider it a great day."


That's the truth about that first "facebook update" I put.  And for any of you parents out there that are honest and have children that are .... well.... let's just say - not perfect.... i'm sure you can relate.

I can assure you that none of my readers that are also friends on facebook are the ones i'm complaining about.  Each of you have just the right amount of status updates that i enjoy reading them.  There are just some people....

.... that get under my skin.

And that's all.

Organization

Let's be honest. 

My organizational skills are not very good pathetic.  Just downright pathetic.  I have really great intentions... but not so much on the follow through.

And I have realized that a lot of my anxiety in my house is not only due to being home all day working, but also the fact that I cannot escape the disaster that is my disorganization.

So, I bought this really awesome idea book at the Kinko's store when i was getting some things printed and have really enjoyed reading it.  It's given me some good and applicable tips as well as some that are.. well - not so realistic.

But anyway - I wanted to share with you some of my progress.  While minimal... I am feeling extremely accomplished.

First things first. 

The entryway dumpster closet.  It's like shoes, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, etc  just literally threw up everywhere.  So, i was in a house recently taking pictures and noticed their organization system in their "closet".

So, i stole the idea. 

It's a cheap little walmart over-the-door shoe holder that has all of our hats, gloves and scarves in it!  

Then, my other issue is the dreaded filing of bills.  I know I don't really need to keep them, but for some reason I'm just not ready to part with them.  Maybe it's the statistical nerd in me that wants to have them to look at trends IF i would ever want to.  Or maybe it's the pack rat in me.

But, here are 2009's bills, neatly organized by month in my drawer:

Then, here are the 2010 & 2011 bills...

Yea, not cool.  I couldn't figure out how to organize the 2009 bills in a way that made me not want to go take an entire bottle of prozac just to survive.

Until today.

I ran to the dollar store this morning to get some dishwasher detergent and ran across the exactly what i'd been looking for to solve my bill organization issues:

13 pocket folders!  YES!  12 pockets for each month of the year + a pocket for medical bills that I paid!  WOOT!!!

I'm ready to become an organizing fool!

A Busy Life

Aren't we all like crazy busy?  I have been meaning to update this blog for oh, let's just make it an even 30 days.  GEEZ!  In retrospect, I can't remember everything I thought, "oh, that would be a good topic to take to my blog!"

So alas, you get the boring update.  I've been feeling rather cynical and blah lately so my outlook on things has been a little less than flavorful.  And that's really sad!  What in the world do i have to be grumpy about?  I need to get myself in check.  Pronto!

My favorite man has had soccer games every Saturday and Sunday since early April.  I'm pretty disappointed in the soccer organization this year.  I try not to complain, because I'm certainly not the one out there volunteering to coach... but I surely don't feel like I've gotten my money's worth this year.

I never thought I'd say this - but i'm so ready for football season.  I really have never understood the sport nor any of the rules and plays, but I do enjoy watching my little man out there doing something that makes him happy.  Seeing him all dressed up in his pads and helmet makes me just melt!  I have no idea why.... especially when he takes off his helmet and he is NASTY sweaty.  But he's mine... and I love him.

So, I finished my first class (OLS 399) at IUPUI where I turned in a portfolio of my prior learning to petition for credits.  Thanks to my sweet friend Eve for helping me edit it and organize it all in a way that made sense.  After looking at it so many times, all the sentences began running together and it was a giant blur. We had a great time spending a few working days together while my kids were at school.  Just another reason why I am so thankful for my high school girlfriends. 

But anyway - 200 and some odd pages later... I got an A+ in the class!  Woot Woot!  Now, just the waiting game of seeing how many credits they will give me for my prior learning.   I'm seriously about to have a stroke just waiting.  I petitioned for 21 (knowing that about 3 - 4 of the credits were a stretch - but rather safe than sorry!).  I'll be happy regardless, because it was a great experience and now I have a professional portfolio with all kinds of artifacts and evidence of my abilities and learning.   I should know my credit award by Memorial Day... if not sooner (i'm really hoping for the sooner part!)

Work is going well, but working from home is really starting to get at me.  I know it sounds crazy and I'm sure people think, "oh, i'd love to work from home!"... and there are perks... but i'm pretty sure I'm going insane.  I think that's a large contributer to my recent funk. 
Well, that and weather. 

 "Blame it on the rain, yea yea...."

Sorry, I had to.

My grandparents have been taking me to lunch a couple of times a week and I am so, so thankful for that time with them.  I know they won't be around forever and I really enjoy spending time at lunch with them a couple of times a week.  So, that has helped break the monotony here and there... but even then - getting out of the house seems like such a chore...and I don't even have small children anymore!?! 

Am I the grinch or what?