LONG TIME, NO SEE (OR WRITE!)

Okay - So I apologize for it taking 6 months to get things "together" enough to continue updating everyone on our family!

As you can imagine, We've been busy!

Last July, I began working nearly fulltime at Family Video - an opening presented itself for more hours and I wanted to start the girls at day care and get them adjusted before my school resumed in August - thus became crazy life as we've known it!

Melissa and Marian began going to a small daycare in July. There are about a dozen kids total, all in one room together and Melissa and Marian get to play together all day! They love it! During the summer they had the opportunity to go swimming with the other kids each week. They also got weekly visits from the book mobile, which Melissa thought was the coolest thing ever! But even better, was Randy's response of "What's the book mobile?" I about died, since book mobile was a regularity for us growing up in Kokomo! Now that its cold out its a little bit harder for them to get outside and swing and run around with their friends, but Sandy keeps the kids plenty busy inside with educational activities. Since Melissa and Marian started in July, they have slowly been making their way through numbers, colors, shapes, and letter. Melissa is now able to write her name all on her own and Marian knows her colors and some letters! And the biggest news for Marian - potty training!

Two weeks ago, after numerous accidents, I became completely fed up with changing diapers as if Marian were a newborn - yes, everytime a little bit of pee came out, Marian was wanting her diaper changed. So I looked at Marian and told her I was done...she was going to have to prove she was a big girl if she wanted to be treated like one. Apparently she understood because I stuck her in her new underwear Santa brought and she was dry all day! She has continued to do really well only having a handful of accidents in the last 2 weeks. She's even starting to wake up dry and use the potty in the morning! Since then she has been rewarded with trips to the movie store, candy, books, and even going to the movie theaters (Her first time!)! Her next big reward will be moving into a big girl bed (twin size) just like her big sister (whom she absolutely idolizes!).

Randy is still working at LML, and things are finally starting to pick up. Thank goodness! Randy was going nuts not beeing busy! Although, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. He's been assigned to a project with one of the other guys in the office that is expected to last well into March. However, the 4am alarm isn't his favorite part of the day. Fortunately for me I've learned to completely ignore our alarm system so I don't even budge...however, when its really time for me to wake up and Randy's not around, I tend to be forced into rushing myself to get ready!!!!

As I mentioned ealier, in July I began working nearly 40 hours a week. Incredibly busy! I think we all learned a greater appreciation for me being a stay at home mom! Dinner, cleaning, and free time became nearly non-existent for about a month! We've adjusted, but its been rough on the kids. When classes resumed in late August, I decreased my work weeks down to 25 to 30 hours a week, in addition to my 14 credit hours of classes I was taking. Last Fall was extremely exhausting, many days consisting of classes from 8 to 4, followed by work from 5 to 11, then starting over the next day. It was especially rough on the girls not knowing why they didn't get to see mommy all the time.

I'm still working at Family Video, trying for 25 to 30 hours, but am also working an internship at TestAmerica (an environmental testing facility) in Valparaiso, IN 8 hours a week. Combined with 9 credit hours at school, I'm just as busy as ever. Fortunately, a lot of my school work is online this semester so there's more time to spend with the girls. I will be graduating in May and can't wait!!!!!

Santa was a very big deal this year - but that will have to wait a few more days, as will new pictures.

Hope this will suffice for the time being!