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!

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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!

We have a Sock Theif in the House.

My husband wears my socks. And it drives me up the wall. It has gotten so bad that he has used up 20 pairs of my socks in the last 2 months.



Let me back up a minute. I am very particular about my socks. They have to fit (I wear a size 5-6 American women's). I like a nice snug sock with lots of cushion. I also like a sock that keeps it's shape through out the day. There is nothing worse than a limp, thin sock that gets all stretched out and floppy through out the day.

So I recently bought a package of white "No Nonsense" brand socks. They are fine- not perfect- but decent. It is the first package of socks that I have bought for myself in probably a year or more.

And what do I see? My husband stretching them over his big huge man feet! ARGH!!! NOOO!!! I can't wear them after that because it stretches the fabric out of shape and they become floppy even if they looked okay out of the dryer. *sigh*

So after he ruined most of the first package I bought a second package- and he started doing it again!!

So he is in the doghouse...or is that Sockhouse? tonight.

I need pink socks that he wouldn't dare wear! lol

How Clean is Your House?

I love this show on the BBC. Kim and Aggie are two cleaning Mavens who find the filthiest houses in the UK and help the owners clean them up. They are also huge champions of green cleaning, which you all know I love.

It is always interesting to me to see why people have let their houses get as bad as they have. Some people have not cleaned for over 20 years! Whenever I watch that show, it always inspires me to clean up my own house.

For my own cleaning arsenal here is what I use:

Cotton cloths (flannel) for Windows
Terry Cloth for scrubbing
Vinegar and water in a 1/4 ratio with a drop or two of "washing up liquid" (handwashing dish soap- biodegrable of course)
Homemade soap for scrubbing and germ killing
Baking Soda for scouring and odor elimination
I also rinse my floors with vinegar water- just a splish into the wash bucket is fine. It lets the vinyl shine very nicely.

As for furniture I just wipe it down with a damp cloth. For unfinished furniture I use a homemade furniture polish made of vitamin E oil, Olive Oil, Beeswax and lavender essential oil.

If you want to make my homemade furniture polish just blend in enough of the liquid oils to make the beeswax soft and spreadable. It also makes an ultra nourishing hand lotion/diaper rash cream!

Today I cleaned up the mess from the holiday presents. I will be the first to admit that I get a bit lazy around the holidays. Today is a day for catching up though, for tomorrow I rest and Monday I go back to work!

My Poor Baby Nora!

My poor baby Nora! She is having a wicked time with this most recent round of teething. She is not only getting her front two teeth in, but the ones next to them and possible the ones next to them! I can't quite tell because she hates it when I look into her mouth. I know for sure that she is getting four teeth in at once and possibly two more. One has cut through already and I am just waiting for the rest of them to hurry up and grow in.

It seems that once the teeth do cut through, they grow up pretty fast. Is that just me or is it like that for every kid? Or is it just that crawling/cruising babies who are into everything keep up so busy that time just flies by?

We returned the rental Jeep yesterday. I must say, it is weird to realize you prefer your 8 year old car to a brand new car. The Jeep Liberty is a nice enough car. I liked having power everything, the car key lock beeper thing, you could adjust the volume of the stereo from the steering wheel and so forth. I liked all those things. I especially liked the color and the fact that it was all nice and shiny. BUT... it has a weird center of gravity. I never felt like I could relax while I drove because it felt kind of "swishy" going around corners. It did not like ice. Maybe it was just too much power for me after my little Sunfire. Luckily, the Sunfire is getting it's new front end this morning and I should have it back by this afternoon.

Sure, the Sunfire might be old. The upolstery might be a little torn on the floor on the driver's side and it might have a few dents (okay a few big dents). But, it handles great in the snow and I have never gotten stuck while driving it. It has needed a few minor repairs, but over all it has taken one heck of a beating and kept on going! Here's to hoping it can make it for another few years.

I am definitely going to want a new car in the next couple of years, but I am going to be so picky. Driving the Jeep really has shown me a few things. For example- I will never buy a car in Spring, Summer, or Fall. I want a nice thick layer of snow, ice, slush and black ice on the roads when I am car shopping. That way I will know that the new car can handle it. Then as soon as I buy my car- the roads can clear up and the good weather can come back! :D

So back to Nora. We do cloth diapering as I think I already mentioned. When she was born she fit into the the "new born" diaper wraps for a long time and then we moved up to the next size. I'm not exactly sure how big they are supposed to fit, but I think we need to go buy the next size up. When I put her in the velcro ones and then sit her down, one side is popping open! So most of the time when she is just in her diaper- I will look down and realize she is only in her diaper and the diaper wrap is...somewhere...

Good thing we have a great Natural Living store here in town. It's called the "Natural Abode". I suppose if I didn't want to sew my own diapers I could buy theirs. They look nice, but there is something so nice about sewing your own diapers.

I think the thing I love the most about being a farmgirl is what I learn through my association with the ladies on the Farmgirl Forum. They inspire me to become a better me. And to learn more of the "lost" arts.

Before becoming a MJF (MaryJanesFarm) Farmgirl I hadn't ever really sewn before, I had never canned, and I honestly didn't think much about running up to Wal-Mart for every little thing. I must admit I was starting to get wrapped up in the "Keeping up with the Jone's" ratrace.

But I am now sewing my first quilt. I have been doing embroidery for several pillowcase swaps, I sew Nora's diapers, make my own soap, sell hand made items at the farmer's market, and I canned tomato sauce and homemade Spaghetti sauce this year. I also picked about 10 gallons of blackberries and made some wonderful blackberry pies.

I no longer run to big box stores for every little thing. I have found some great treasures at GoodWill. I feel so smart and happy when I find a perfectly good sweater or tea cup, and I know I am making those goods have a longer life instead of going to the land fill. And I save money. Also I have gotten some pretty nice designer clothes at goodwill for cheaper than I could buy a tee-shirt at Wal-Mart. Funny- Our GoodWill is right next to our Wal-Mart too!