Week ALMOST Over

JACK! A mix of emotions going through me this morning... already sick of getting up at 6:15am! Seriously, people shouldn't be allowed to get up before 7am! I'm sad that Thursdays are no longer the last day of the week for me. For the past 8 months I have had school and/or work just Monday thru Thursday. Yes, I know, in the real world people do work on Fridays. Lol! And yet I am excited because I found out for sure that Ayden's friend Seth is truly on his soccer team! That couldn't have worked out better!

And in other news, I recieved a brochure on children's hockey from Ayden's daycare and got really excited about maybe getting him into hockey this year, but he has to be 5, so that will have to wait until next year. It runs from mid October thru March and is pretty reasonably priced. Well at least for the first year because you get to rent all the gear for free. If we were to continue and do a second year it would cost about $70 to rent the gear, but at least they don't make you buy it. I'm excited about that, even though the prospect of it is still over a year away. I love being a mommy!

Since Ayden is not getting his soccer jersey until next week I was going to make him one for this week. He has extra plain white shirts laying around that I could decorate, but Jay didn't think that that would be a good idea. He didn't want the other kids getting jealous of Ayden's shirt. I was thinking that they are only four year olds, they won't even notice that he's got a 'special' shirt on, but whatever. I came up with an even better idea. Instead of making Ayden a jersey that he is only going to wear for this one week, I am going to make myself a 'soccer mom' shirt that I am going to wear to each game for the next six weeks. Jay has extra white shirts laying around too (is this a male thing) and they fit me fine as well so I am going to decorate one of those all cute and be the coolest soccer mom there. Lol, or the dorkiest, but either way I am going to have fun! Ayden is not old enough to appreciate my enthusiasm, but I don't care. I'm going to do it anyway!

Classes went well today. Same ones tomorrow. I could probably do some reading ahead of time for them, but I don't know. I'm more excited to work on my shirt tonight. Because of the new Office 2007 on my computer I think I may have lost all of the cool fonts I had in Word, but it shouldn't be a problem reinstalling them. I think I have them still saved in a file on the computer. I HOPE I still have them saved in a file on my computer. Otherwise I will have to download them all again. Not that that would be a bad thing either because I found this awesome site where you can get tons and tons for free!

So, as it turned out, all of my fonts were still on Word for me which was a good thing because I really didn't want to reinstall all of them. I took Ayden to his check up today after daycare and boy did he NOT want to go. I can't imagine why, only because almost every other time we go to the doctor he gets a shot. This time I assured him that he wasn't going to get any shots and that the doctor was going to tell him that he was in good health (despite a lingering bit of his cold). I even went through most of the things that the doctor was going to do. The response I got... 'I want to go to the dentist!'. Well, that's good to know, guess I will have to schedule a dentist appointment sometime soon. I suppose that it is about time that he got in to see one and they have an awesome children's specialist dentist here in Point so I think we might check that place out. As predicted, the doctor gave him a clean bill of health and we high tailed it out of there. There was the option of getting the rest of Ayden's immunizations today versus waiting until before kindergarten next year, but I opted to wait as I told Ayden he wasn't going to get any shots.

After the doctor, we went to the library, but mostly to ride the elevator. We took a short elevator ride at the doctor (Ayden complained he hadn't been on one in a while and I gave in). What is 60 extra seconds for a two floor elevator ride? Right, that's what I thought. And so, we got a few books at the library and rode the elevator there too.

We then got home and decided that we were going to eat the Golden Corrale for supper (we got some coupons in the mail today). We needed to go to Walmart and Michaels anyways and Golden Corrale is right over by them. I got some fabric paint for the shirt that I am making. Which I started already by the way. I have everything printed out that I am going to use and already have the front of it done. Looking good, if I don't say so myself. Actually, before I was able to get started I had to have Jay iron the shirt because it was pretty wrinkled and wouldn't you know it, he actually did it. Yes, I admit, I cannot iron. Well, I probably could, but that would require learning and well Jay already knows and so he took care of that. Only took like five minutes anyways.

While I was working on the shirt, Jay and Ayden were building lego structures. I think Jay likes that stuff just as much as Ayden. It was cute to see them having fun together. Ayden is getting to that age where Jay can do more stuff with him. Well, more stuff that Jay prefers anyways. They have their golfing now and Ayden is getting more into the hunting thing. Not that he can go for a number of years yet, but he enjoyed helping Jay get his duck decoys together for hunting in a couple of weeks.

I don't have any homework to do tonight. I should read a few chapters, but I think I am going to just relax for a little while and watch some TV. I feel like I've been on the constant go for the last couple of days. That and the fact that I haven't been feeling up to par. Cold is definitely starting to leave though which is a good thing!

CIAO! LOVE ME!

Reality Check

Jack- I have noticed that I have been majorly slacking on the whole quote thing at the beginning of my entries. I really wanted to do that and keep up with it, but obviously I wasn't that ambitious about it because it lasted maybe a week. So I might try and do that again, or maybe have a quote of the week thing. I don't know just yet... we will see.

Day 2 of the semester is going rather swell. What a way to describe it, eh? In any case, it's going good. I've heard back from my supervisor and have set up a meeting to discuss our clients and when we are going to start therapy. I've found out that my partner and I will have a group of children coming from a school or schools that will be working on language. Now due to confidentiality rules and what not I probably won't be talking much about clinic on here, other than to say that it's going good or not so good. I'm hoping more good than not... I cannot jepordize my schooling with talking about things I should not be. As I'm sure everyone would agree, my best bet is just to keep my mouth shut. In any case, I'm more excited than scared now, but I think I may have stated that already. I have found out that two of my friends are partnerless and will be doing therapy alone. If I were them I would be petrified, but at least next semester it won't be so bad. Plus, they are both super smart and I know that they can handle it. I probably would be able to as well, but I won't have to worry about that until next semester.

My Common Diseases class went really good today. The professor put us into groups and from the short amount of time that we got to talk to our group members, I'm thinking it will be a fun semester. They all seem nice, easy to get along with and willing to do the work. One is pre-nursing and one is pre-physical training and so have that knowledge with them. We will have to lecture to the class at one point on a chapter and my group mate picked chapter 18, so we don't have to worry about presenting it until like three weeks before the semetser ends, and it's a good chapter too!!! Skin diseases! Interesting enough anyways. And my social psych class went good too! The professor has a great sense of humor and even though we will be doing a lot of group work I think it will be fun and interesting. I'm not all about group work as I work best alone (most of the time) or maybe it's just the introvert in me that doesn't like group work. I am feeling pretty good about this semester though! SMILES! :)

Ayden has his first soccer game this Saturday! Jay and I are so excited. Jay even has the video camera all charged and ready to go. Jay's parents and brother might even come up to watch Ayden play. We aren't telling Ayden though because we don't want him too get too excited if they don't come or too nervous to even go out and play. There is a carnival coming to town for the local festival thingy that goes on every year this weekend and I think we might take Ayden past it and remind him what it is and then go to soccer. That way we can use going on the rides as an incentive to go out and play, otherwise I fear he might cling to me the whole time and not play. Bribery at its best, I know, but I want him to have fun! I just hope that the weather holds out good. They are calling for a chance of rain for like the next couple of days. I mean we need it and all, but I don't really want it, well maybe just not during, before, or after Ayden's soccer. Like he really needs to play on a muddy field or in the rain. Actually, I don't think he would even play in the rain, even if they let the kids. Ayden would all be, I need my umbrella and what not, lol. Too cute!

Later tonight... I recieved an email from the director of the Y's soccer program with the roster and team schedule. Ayden is on team Fire and they will get red jerseys. What is the best part about his roster is that I am pretty sure that his best friend from daycare, Seth, is also on his team. I am not absolutely certain about this yet, as I cannot remember for certain what Seth's last name is, but I will check tomorrow at daycare and find out for certain. I hesitated to tell Ayden because I didn't want him to get excited about Seth being on his team if he wasn't. But I told him anyways and the comment I got from him was unexpected. He told me that he didn't want Seth to play soccer. I hope that that attitude changes a little by Saturday and I am sure that it will once we are there. I think that it will make it easier for Ayden to go play and socialize and I would love to see them play together.

I had my mass clinic meeting tonight and all of my excitement as left me again. I feel overwhelmed to the bone again. So many handouts and things to remember... okay Ashley, just breathe! Relax! Everything will be okay and will work out. I can do this, I know that I can!

Jay had a meeting with his advisor today. He needed to discuss some things and its now a for sure thing that he will not be able to graduate this May with me. I would have loved that, but oh well. He needs to pull A-'s on all of his classes this semester to get off of academic probation. I'm kind of upset that he even got on academic probation, but there is nothing I can do about that. I am not his mother and will not be on top of him about his grades. He should have kept up with school a little better so that it didn't get that bad, but there is nothing he can do about it now. He has four classes to concentrate on this semester and he knows that he needs to do really good otherwise I don't know what will happen. Kicked out of school maybe? We kind of had some words about it, but it didn't get heated, which is good. We both understand each other and the view points we have on the situation. He will be able to graduate next year... maybe in fall, but for sure in the spring, so that isn't that bad. It means more student loans, but also a college degree. He made a comment about not even wanting to be in school anymore so I asked him why he didn't just drop out, but I don't think he wants to do that too. Besides, he already has so much invested, why just give up now. I don't know... anyways, we are on the same page again.

Actually, we've been really good these past couple of weeks. I know some of why we've been good and that is the fact that I haven't heard from Lee in over two weeks. Jay probably LOVES that fact, despite that fact that we don't talk about it. I, on the other hand, am somewhat divided. I love that Jay and I have been so good and have not be fighting, but when it is more than a week since I've gotten a letter, that usually means something is up. It's been since before his evaluation that I've heard from him and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm trying to hold off on writing him to see what is up because I know that Jay likes the fact that I haven't written yet. If you don't already know or haven't guessed, it's a complicated situation. Or maybe I just make it complicated. I don't know...

I wrote my first paper tonight. A short paper for abnormal psych and it was only a page and a little more. Pretty much all opinion based and it took maybe a half hour to write it. I knew it wouldn't take all that long so that is why I waited until tonight to write it. Jay and I also went to Best Buy to get the new Office 2007. They had it on sale and we had a $20 coupon from Best Buy so we got a pretty good deal on it and we put it on both computers. We figured since the school upgraded and already had issues opening up documents for class at home that it was time that we updated as well. I checked the price that we would have had to pay if we bought it from campus and it was about the same that we payed at Best Buy so I'm okay with what we paid. Jay is too. He also checked our current finances and we should be able to pay off his truck and our credit card debt and still be able to make it through the winter. I am excited about this prospect, yet we need to decide if that is the route that we are going to take.

CIAO! LOVE ME!

CLINIC! And some pictures...

Jackers... so I got my supervisor and partner assignments today and it has calmed my nerves a little bit. I ended up with a partner that is really good and despite the fact that I haven't had my supervisor as a teacher before, I'm fairly confident that things will go well this semester. Now it's time to find out who our client is and get started with therapy. I'm still really nervous about this, but now I'm more excited!

I have a two page paper on abnormal psych to write before Thursday morning, but is really opinion based so I am not too worried about it. I don't think that I am going to write it tonight. My plan is to down some NyQuil after Ayden gets in bed and be out myself shortly there after and hopefully get a good nights sleep (even if I have to suffer the side effects tomorrow).

Survey of Common Diseases and Social Psychology here I come tomorrow! I think these will be my two hardest classes, but we will just have to wait and see I guess.

Storms are coming so I am going to post some pictures quick and then get going...

Jay holding his newest cousin... Quinn!

Ayden trying to score a goal!

The boys getting ready to play some soccer.

'Mom, this is how you hold the ball when you are not playing.'

Jay holding Ayden during the boat ride, Ayden almost fell asleep... he really needed the nap!

At the Chilton pool... IT'S COLD!

Ayden playing his V-Smile on a trip back to Chilton...

The roses that Jay got me for my birthday!

Smile big!

Ayden and Baden about to play 'washer toss'.

Jay and I at the zoo!

Me pulling Ayden in the wagon at the zoo!

Jay and I posing for a picture...

Ayden and the leopard/jaguar, don't really know what it was...

Hmm... what do we have here?!

Hope you enjoyed! CIAO! LOVE ME!

Coming to an end?

Jack... still sick, but I have an hour before my next class starts. Yes, you read that right... classes have started and I have already made my way through one of them. Unfortunately, I am still sick as a dog (where did that terminology even come from anyways?) and didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. I downed some Robitussin night time stuff around 8pm hoping it would put me out, but it did no such thing. I thought about taking some NyQuil because that always does wonders, but then I feel like crud the next day... really tired and lazy like and I didn't want to be totally out of it the day classes started (even though I only have two). So any case, I think my nap yesterday afternoon screwed me over for sleeping last night. That and the fact that I tried to go to bed at 9pm as well. I tried sleeping in bed for a while, but Jay would fall asleep and then start moaning and it was driving me crazy. I didn't want to keep waking him up, so at about 2am (with maybe four hours of good sleep in there) I high tailed it out to the futon and slept there for the rest of the night. I got maybe a fwe good hours out there as well, but nothing to be proud of. I am hoping to get some good sleep tonight... I might even down some NyQuil to make sure of it. Still feeling pretty stuff, but at least I am not feeling it all over my body today. Like I can actually get up and do something and not feel it all over my body.

Anywhoo, Prison Break was on last night and it was on for TWO HOURS! It was definitely a great preimer! Michael found out that Sarah was alive and they were reconnected and then they killed off some important people, but I guess it is for the whole plot. I cannot wait to see how the season plays out because it definitely looks to be good! Not the normal show that I would be watching, and definitely not something that Ayden will be watching (due to the amount of violence), but as you know so well... I am addicted to Wentworth Miller's gorgeousness! And he was definitely gorgeous last night! I hope that the season is extra long because honestly, I don't think they will be able to have a fifth one. I was super surprised and excited to know that they were going to have a fourth one, but seriously, where are they going to take the show from here after this season? I don't know, but I will leave that up to the producers and writers. I will just relax and watch it unfold and the season goes on.

So, I had a really good Labor Day weekend, despite getting sick. We went up north to Rhinelander and the drive wasn't really all that long (well compared to the drive that some of the other family members had to do). We decided to go up Saturday morning and leave Sunday night. One night sleeping in the camper without showering is definitely enough for me, lol. I didn't even sleep that good that night either, but oh well. Ayden did and that is all that matters. He had two playmates this year... Baden and Alex. Ayden is related to Baden somehow, like 3rd or 4th step cousins or something like that, and Alex's mom is a family friend. They all were born within six months of each other and got along pretty well for the most part. It was good for him to have some buddies to play with and that way I didn't have to keep my eye on him constantly (especially since we were right on the water). But all the boys knew the rule that they had to have their life vests on if they wanted to go on the pier and did really great with that. We even took a short pontoon ride. Mostly for the kids because they really wanted one, but it was nice for the adults too.

Being with Jay's mom's side this weekend further silidified the fact that I love his family. I can't forsee a time where we won't be going to family gatherings and having lots of fun. Small downside (they drink... but then again, you find more drinkers than nondrinkers these days) but they don't get overly obnoxious either or purposely do stupid things. For the most part I think it is the social aspect of it that appeals to them, but I don't know. Jay's uncle and grandpa went to town and did some bar hopping and came home a little 'toasted' but oh well. I didn't have to deal with them. Well, it was his uncle more than anything, and that kind of drinking sort of bothers me, but like I said, it wasn't my problem to deal with. As long as I'm with Jay, he won't do that. The only way I would allow that is if he were gone for the weekend with some buddies and I didn't have to hear about it, see about it, deal with it. You know? He drank a little this weekend, but I don't have total control over him and don't want to really. He knows what I will tolerate and what I won't.

The kids played washer toss, baseball, soccer, etc... It really was a lot of fun and the weather was perfect too! You couldn't have asked for better weather over the weekend. We also had some pretty great food there as well. Sweet corn, potatoes, and garbage can turkey. Yes, you read that right, a turkey cooked in a garbage can. Maybe it's a Cook thing? I don't know... lol! Oh, and I got plenty of baby holding time in too. Jay's newest cousin, Quinn was there and he's too cute! Had to get the holding time in as I probably won't see him again until Christmas and he will probably be crawling by then. Jay even held him, which was kind of funny and yet sweet to see.

We got home on Sunday night around 9:30pm and pretty much just crashed. We left the cleaning and what not until yesterday, but then of course niether Jay nor I were really in the mood to do anything, but unfortunatly I made Jay get some cleaning done. I wasn't going to have my house looking like a complete pig sty. I did some laundry and got the kitchen and dining room clean and the bedroom. Ayden's room is still pretty messy and he has toys all over the living room, but he's a kid and that is to be expected. Today was his first day of 4K and he was so excited to take his backpack with him. I also had to try and find his sleeping bag from Spring to take it back to daycare, but it is no where to be found. I'm pretty sure that I brought it home from daycare because he wasn't going to need it during the summer, but I cannot seem to find it at home either. That is the second thing that we've not been able to find in the past couple of days. We were also looking for his baseball tee thingy to take up north with us, but that eluded us as well. Jay and I checked in every spot that we thought feasible and once again no where to be found. He thought maybe someone could have climbed over our wall in the garage and taken it, but I find that highly unlikely. Why would they just take some kids toy and nothing else, we have things (ie: Jay's tools) that are worth a whole lot more in that garage than just kids toys. I don't know, it has to be there somewhere, right?

My first class today was Abnormal Psychology and wouldn't you know that I already have a two page paper due by Thursday. Great fun, eh? But it's basically an opinion based paper so I am not worried about getting it done in time or about what I am going to write. Three of my friends have already taken the class and all have loved it, thus the fact as to why I am taking it. Well that and it counts for more credits for my psych minor. I've had the professor before and she is a great teacher! I'm excited to learn the material in this class, even if it means doing team testing (which I did in the Spring and didn't really care for).

My next class in Speech and Hearing Science... my one ComD one for the fall. It is with a professor that I've had twice before, but not for like two years. I didn't much care for her in those classes, but I've heard good things about her and I suppose that if I get to know her a little better that it might not be so bad. I've spoken to her with a few of my friends from time to time and she is really nice outside of class. Maybe it is just that teacher/student thing... the anxiety of needing to do really good. She sort of imtimidated me in the earlier classes, but now that I have friends in my class it will be easier to go to one of them for further explanation if I do not understand something.

As my title suggests... I cannot make any promises, but this blog may be coming to an end. I really hope not, as it's nice to have an outlet again. Right now, I will try and continue this, but I am not sure how busy I will get as the semester progresses. I will be getting my clinic assignment tomorrow and will need to contact my supervisor for my client and then go from there as far as setting up our appointments for the week. It will only be twice weekly for an hour, but all the prep and writing afterwards is what might take up more of my time. I hope that this will not be goodbye as I feel like I am just getting into the groove of everything. And this really is a good stress outlet as well.

I will try and post pictures tonight of our awesome weekend and hopefully some of the zoo as well, as I haven't gotten to those yet either... CIAO! LOVE ME!

100th Post!

Sorry blogger buddies... I wanted to make my 100th post super long and good, and I have a whole bunch of stuff that I wanted to write about and even pictures to post... however... I'M SICK!!!

Ayden and I got a cold Friday morning and it hit big time yesterday. Jay and I are both down for the count and feeling pretty crappy. Doesn't enhance the fact that classes start tomorrow... I hope to feel a little better tomorrow and will hopefully get that long post in!

Until I'm feeling a little better... CIAO! LOVE ME!