The waiting is killing me...

I am waiting, waiting, waiting. I have to petition to get back into college and the petitions committee meets today, 10 am pst. Please send good thoughts my way. I really want to get back in.

Okay, *rant warning!*, here's the deal. I know I have messed up my own education a bit. My first year I did not have any direction. So while my neighbors in the dorm were working so hard towards a degree I didn't have a plan and all I could think about was how I has missed an opportunity to get into the Equine program (which I would have loved) because I hadn't informed myself of what was available to me.

So my first year out of School was pretty much a waste- thought I did receive decent grades for the most part. My classes were a pretty eclectic mix. I wish my advisor had taken a stronger hand in guiding me- but I also know I they might have tried and I wasn't ready to listen.

Then we moved to Moscow, ID. Maybe not the best decision. Both Doug and I had to sit out for a year to get residency. You lose a lot of momentum by sitting out a year.

Then the intervening years have been a mix of attending for only one semester or only taking a class or two due to money concerns. I dropped a lot of classes so I could work full time just to survive.

It seriously bothers me that if you parents make X amount of money- the government won't give you your full allotment of student loans. They actually expect your parents to pay for your room/board, bills, and college. And the amount they expect your parents to make is ridiculously low.

They have their own expenses, like a house, taxes, and money needing to be set aside for retirement. So my parents did the best they could to help me, bless them! But it still wasn't enough- even with the pittance that I could get for financial aid.

So then, finally, last year I found out I was pregnant! Yay! Right? Ugh- wait! Morning Sickness!

My morning sickness started just as I entered the fall semester. I was being able to attend only one class every month or so because I was so sick. Finally, the doctor told me it was foolish to stress myself out over trying to attend classes and I needed to withdraw. And for some reason or another, the medical withdrawal didn't get finalized through the University.

So effectively, I flunked all my classes for fall semester 2006 which gives me the wonderful GPA of... 1.0. Yikes. So my Dean is going to bat for me tomorrow to try and convince a committee that I should be allowed another chance. I have to retake all those bad classes to raise my GPA. Hopefully, my GPA will look so much better that MSU Billings will let me register for Fall semester.

So I guess, I know that I have messed up my own college career by not being focused enough on a major and on my studies, but now that I am married, have a child and am over the age of 24- I actually get a decent amount of assistance. I won't have to work 2 jobs just to pay rent and my university bill. Thank goodness! I feel like I can really concentrate and just get down to business. I am ready to stop this merry-go round of attending school, not attending school, achieving at school, not achieving at school.

So I am hoping for wonderful news today, being able to register, and going back to school for the Spring 2007 semester!

It's Time to Introduce Sky-Dog

I feel like I have betrayed one of my best friends by not introducing you to her yet. Sky dog is truly a girl's best friend and protector.

When I was pregnant she was my cuddle-buddy. All through my very morning sick pregnancy she was right by my side. In fact, she has been right by my side since we got her way back in May of 2003. She is coming up really quick on being 5 years old. We have no real idea what exactly she is, but we think she is an Austrailian Shepherd/Border Collie/Husky mix. She has the most lush and silky fur all over. She is the only dog I have ever felt that feels more like a cat than a dog! She is usually a solid 55 pounds but tends to get comfortably chubby during the winter (don't we all?).

Well, my constant companion got a bid...uhm... put out when we brought Nora home from the hospital. She sniffed her a few times and then refused to "see" her. I would be holding Nora and call Sky over. Sky would come like the obedient dog that she is, except for the fact that she would be looking in the opposite direction.

Now, I don't know if you know this about dogs, but it is completely unnatural for a dog to walk/run where it can't see. That is why those "Halti" dog halters work to control dogs that pull.

Now for the next odd twist. Sky's "room" used to be my "office" which got changed to the Nursery. So I am not sure if the reason she hangs out in there is because of her old association with having her doggie nest in there but she is most often found sleeping in the Nursery by the Crib.

She also gets aggitated when Nora cries and I am in a different room, as if she is saying "The baby is crying! The baby is CRYING! Why aren't we doing something!!" It is really funny.

Sky of course loves cleaning up the messes that Nora makes when she is eating. I think that is her favorite thing about the baby so far.

Today, I further injured her pride by making her into a sled dog for Nora's pleasure in the snow! She was very good but I really need to get her a proper harness instead of trying to made do with what we have around the house.

So I hope you love my Sky-Dog as much as I do. I could write chapters on her and how sweet she is. I am sure you will learn much more about her as I continue to post on the blog!

Send me your blog/etsy links

Hi Again!

If you are reading this blog and would like for me to post a link to your site, please email or comment to me your URL.

Thanks!

2:30 in the Morning

Nora is teething her top front four teeth in. Her upper gums are so red and sore, but luckily most of the teeth have broken through now at this point. But I am _so_ ready for this teething thing to be over with for a few more weeks.

Seriously, how do parents whose babies don't sleep through the night do it? I have been feeling like a zombie for the last week because she has been waking up sometimes 2-3 times a night!

I have such a hard time going back to sleep once I have been woken up. Perhaps is Nora did this all the time, I would learn to fall asleep faster- who knows?

All I know is that my baby who has slept through the night since she was a month old, is suddenly happy to be up and playing in the middle of the night. Tonight she woke up at 2:30am...It is now almost 3:30am. No sign of sleepiness again, yet. She will probably get sleepy about the time that I need to start getting ready for work.

In other News in the Alee and Nora world-

The laundry still isn't done. Well, more has been washed and dried, but none folded. I am having such a hard time just making my self get it done! This is silly! I need to just fold the gazillion load of laundry and then it would be over and done with- until the next load dried. But that load... Oh I know that I would fold it right away and put it in it's proper place...right? Hmm... It's a nice thought anyway.

But the kitchen was conquered last night. The dishes are done, the counter and stove wiped down and the microwave is cleaned out. Now all I need to do is clean the floor and that area of the house can be marked off the list for a little while.

Now as for the living room... There are a few things in here that I just have no other place to put them. We have a lovely stroller that goes with our carseat that I just don't know where else to put at the moment. And I have about 10 wire milk crates from an old dairy that are just sitting around. Hmm. I need to think of something to do with those- and soon. Then there are the 4 packages that I need to mail. Some to farmgirl sisters, and some to some boys who needed some extra help with Christmas this year (they get to have Christmas twice now!)

Doug and I talked a lot about our pending move last night. I am really excited to be getting closer to my family who I love very much. Doug is a little worried because I haven't gotten my degree yet, but I can continue my education in Montana. He is really excited to start his own store. I just pray that this economic depression/recession that we are in is over with by the time we get to Montana.

Hmm... maybe since Nora and I are up I should think about folding some laundry?

Oh and I hope you all like my blog! Thank you for all the kind comments so far!