Oh I am so glad to hear your daughter's visit went well for you all!! How many children do you have? I can't remember if you've said before - Two? Three? I know the daughter, and your son who lives with you.... As I babble about them a lot, I know you all know I have three hahahah My daughter is the middle child.

I also need to do my tree, now that they've been released. I did finish my tree in real life :) Well MY part of it. Nathan helped me put on the lights, and I put on my ornaments (not all of them, I left off the heavy ones and breakable ones, so they won't fall if the puppy bumps the tree). Nathan still has to put on his.

Back to work today. And Wednesday I have a professional development class in Macon (about an hour drive) with college zoom class after that. Urgh. I hope I get back in time. Usually these trainings let out early, but it SAYS its supposed to last til 430, so I will email my teacher to tell her what I am doing in case I get home late for class.

I found my schedule for spring - good to know I've been registered for my classes (my advisor told me in the beginning that she would register all her students for classes each semester). I need that to send to DECAL for my scholarship, along with my grades and my paystubs and a few other things I'll need to look for soon to send in. I found that my classes will be Monday and THURSDAY next semester. Fun. Also three of them are showing as BLENDED - which means we have to go to campus. I guess we will see what happens. I don't mind having to go to campus (its only supposed to be something like 2x per class - so 4x per 8 weeks) but it adds to what I've got to do, as that is another 45min drive (more if traffic is HORRIBLE, 45min is if traffic is BAD which is usually is that time of day through that area). Plus there are no great fast food choices on that route to/from - so who knows what I'll do for dinner those nights!

I don't know if I've ever said here. I know I have elsewhere but, hold on to it...

I have 5 kids. 2 of them are step but considering I raised them from the ripe old ages of 1.5 years and 2.5 years old I consider them mine. Here's the break down: Seth (mine, oldest, 30yrs), Rachel (mine, 2nd oldest, 28yrs), Aileen (hubby's, third oldest of the kids,23yrs), Gwyndolyn (hubby's, 4th oldest of the kids, 22 years), Owen ( both of ours, the baby of the family, 20years.) Phew, takes a breath They can be a handful but tend only to show up at different times. All 5 of them together are a lot, like a mini tornado. 😂 The oldest 2 live in Pennsylvania near their dad. The two youngest girls moved to Texas right after I had my stroke. Their mother lives down there and Hubby sent them to her because he couldn't take care of me and all the kids. I was a full time job at that point. So, because he made the sacrifice I did the same and sent my 2 north to Pennsylvania and their dad. That left us with our son, Owen. He was a lot easier to take care of especially since he was homeschooled and I had his lesson plans for the next century planned out already. He graduated with honrs 2 years ago. Right now he's working on his video editing business and helps hubby take care of me. Which is now like a part time job to my poor hubby as he's disabled, also. When I married him I thought it would be me taking care of him. Didn't turn out that way, though. He's amedically retired army combat veteran who is disabled through the VA at 100%/unemployable because his parachute didn't deploy during a "training operation." Oh, and his name is Michael. So, now you have all the details, I think. If I missed something or something doesn't make sense I blame my hubby since he say's he's responsible for everything. 😂

Kat, I'd be really upset if my guidance counselor signed me up for classes without asking me first. Does she know what you want for electives or is it a set group of classes that everyone has to take? I wish you luck on your scholarships! You make me both happy that I'm no longer inschool and make me miss it at the same time. :P 😂

Oh no, its perfect for her to do it! Hahahah she talked to me about it (and I assume, everyone else) when I first signed up at Mercer. She told me what classes I needed, which semesters I should and COULD take them in (because certain classes are only offered certain semesters, so like a spring class would not be available in the fall, they don't have a teacher for it then) and stuff. I am not taking any electives or anything like that, only the classes required to get my degree. I have done more than enough classes at the other college to count as elective hours, since only certain classes count towards the degree.

I have this feeling I am going to miss it when I am done. I'm already KIND OF looking at what to do for a Masters Degree, but not sure I want to. I would get a better paycheck and have been told its only another year of online college...but it is a LOT of writing. We will see. I might take a break of a year or two before I decide, or maybe only a semester hahaha I feel like I will get bored not doing classes once I'm done with my degree.

If I raised kids from that age, they'd be mine too, I get that! Heck I practically consider my nephews mine, but I wasn't so close to them, I don't think they feel that way. But I would, NO MATTER WHAT take in any/all of my nephews and my niece should I ever need to, no questions asked. The answer is YES. Even their siblings, who are NOT related to me, YES I would take those two boys as well. I would NOT want to separate them from their brothers!

I always wanted MORE kids - but at the time we had Nathan (who was an OOPS well here we go baby!) I had to pay for him out of pocket, no insurance, too much income for medicaid and it cost me a bit over 5k. So since hubby didn't really want kids anyway (he would have been happy to stop at one but knew I wanted more), he got a vasectomy. I scheduled it tho. I think he never would have done it if I didn't....I mighta had two/three more kids before we divorced had I not :P Kiind of sad, but also glad for that I guess. (Sad, wanted more kids, glad, no kids other than Nathan for divorce issues)

Kat, oh, ok. That makes sense. It's always interesting to hear how other universities do their online schooling. You should take a break before you make up your mind about contuing your classes. At first, right after I graduated, I didn't want anything more with school. About 6 months out, I really started to miss it. I was looking for schools to do my master's at when I had the stroke. :)

You're a natural caregiver, that's why you wanted more kids. You've found the perfect solution for your needs by becoming an early childhood educator. I may have gone the same way if I hadn't loved writing so much. I also find it interesting what leads to our life decisions. I would have loved to have more kids but I had a bad pregnancy with Owen and the doc advised me not to have any more. So, for once in my life, listened. 😂

You found a fairy while making a post!

I saw that when I came back. I went to go work on my lesson plan. I finished it. I don't think I did a great job on it, but oh well.

YES Absolutely! I feel that being with my preK babies keeps me with kids and I love it. I always have at least one or two wanting me to hold them or hold their hand. Many of them want snuggles and hugs. Today, when I first got to school, one of my students had just been dropped off and her brothers pointed me out, walking across the crosswalk to go inside, and she turned and held out her arms for a hug and I was like, awwww melt my heart - because you'd stay in the cold and wait for a hug for me!! I LOVE IT! I babysat when I was a teen and then got my first job at daycare. I knew I always wanted to have kids (When I was 12, I wanted a dozen LOL and I only reduced it to like 6 by the time I was 16-18) ROFL I had my first child at age 21. :)

Oh goodness. Glad you listened. I did not have any rough times in any of my pregnancies, in fact I LOVED being pregnant (once I got past the throw up stage)! I am thankful for that when I hear about others having a rough time.

edit: 552 Welp. Time for class. Am submitting the lesson plan and the literacy center presentation. See ya'll later after class (unless it runs late in which case I'll see you tomorrow!)

I would have gone down the same path except books called to me too strongly. lol It wasn't the throwing up that got me. My CHF reared it's ugly head for the first time when I was 6 mo pregnant. The doc at first thought it was pnemonia but it didn't respond to antibiotics. I ended up in the icu because I couldn't breathe. They ended up intubating me and that's when the doc realized what was really going on. They diuressed me and kept me in the ICU for the next 2 weeks until I was at the 7 mo point and Owen's lungs were fully developed. Then he was born by c-section. You'd never be able to tell he was a premie if you looked at him. The boy is built like a brick sh!thouse. 😂 My CHF stayed away from that point (2004) to 2020 where it flared up again because my then-doc was an idiot. Ugh, it's been so much, I really should write a book about it all. 😂

I think it's so cute that the little one waited for you so she could give you a hug. :D

I am glad everything turned out well for you and Owen - Its funny how sometimes the tiniest babies turn into the biggest bulkiest men!! My baby brother Jon, we adopted him - we got him when he was like 1 1/2 - he was in foster care for like 6 months or more before we got him - he was small, undernourished, neglected...(the foster family who had him before us showed us pictures, they planned to eventually adopt him, but his birth parents had not yet given up rights, and the foster family had to move out of state, so they could not keep him). They taught him how to walk and everything, the poor baby was barely toddling when we got him. The man is over 6ft tall and is built like one of those big football players. He's in his 30s now lol He is STILL my BABY brother - but he's bigger than the rest of us! My BIG baby brother lol

Class is over - and I was surprised - we did NOT present our powerpoints. I swear we were supposed to! But I am NOT complaining....because I know in Wednesdays class we WILL be presenting (she's warned us that our class will be like 3hrs long when we ALL have a turn presenting) So I will NOT complain that Monday teacher did not have us present anything. So once she grades it, then I can turn it in on the Anthology thing - and I've never done that so hopefully it is easy. I tried signing in and looking around but it didn't really give me a lot of options to do anything. Hopefully if I have a problem SOMEONE will be able to help me because I have to turn in the OTHER one on Anthology too! (Anthology is like, a portfolio that shows my work and shows I did all the required projects for my special education endorsement).

[edit] - did you check your achievements? Do you need fairies to release? I have donated the ones I found so far, but if ANYONE needs them and tells me, I will save them for you

[edit] Tues 805pm Guys. I'm so sad. I just went to the high school chorus Christmas concert - I didn't have any kids in it but thought I would enjoy it anyway - and I did...but guys :( GUYS! There was like only 30 kids. AND only THREE alumni joined for the last song. AND guys!! The building was over half empty!! I was SO SAD for the chorus. Last year, Nathan's last year doing it, it was at least mostly full, and there was probably like 50ish kids. Probably 15-20ish alumni joined. When Katie was in chorus - and THIS is what makes me REALLY sad - there was over 100 kids. OVER!!! And the building was always packed FULL. And we'd have a good 20-30 alumni!! The group did pretty good. The first song was kind of high and sharp but after that, I enjoyed it. They did a few of my favorites - Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and audience joined in for Joy to the World, and they, like always, did the alumni song - Carol of the Bells. :)

[edit] Wednesday Dec 4 911 pm Ok ya'll. I'm editing AGAIN Dobby is a FREE ELF! CLASS IS OVER! SEMESTER IS OVER. Phew. Tonight was our presentations. And yep. It took just over 3 hrs for 11 people to present. Teacher said we did not have to have a zoom meeting next week, but to finalize and turn in all assignments by then. Then we had one girl walk us through how to submit to the anthology portfolio so I was able to easily do that. I did however realize I had to email my OTHER professor, as I swear she said we had to sumbit our literacy center to anthology as well, but I don't see how to do that in her class. So I may have to log back on to do that. AND I will log back on to see what my grades are on my final assignments as NONE of them have been graded yet. (Come on teachers, get it together! LOL) - I currently have a 98.5 and a 99.8 hahahah I am fine. I know I'm fine. I can fail the final projects and still pass (and yes, I know I will NOT fail, I'm just saying I could have 0s and be ok) LOL

CONGRATS on being done with the semester Kat!!!

And gosh, 30 kids is a good amount, I would think... but maybe not when we compare school sizes haha.

Sooooo... Els school is getting their accreditation taken away, so there may be a transfer there close in the future. What a disaster for right now, though.

And last night after the Christmas market, I threw my phone on my bed (like I have daily for the past 34 months!) and it just.. died. The screen completely died, somehow, even though the case was fine and so was the screen itself. So to the Verizon store first thing this morning (poor guy was still counting money when I got there at 9:01!). Got a 9 instead of a 6, so a good upgrade I guess.. but I don't see a difference so far? Maybe because I iddn't really have time to play, I was at the Christmas Market for over 9 hours today haha. Maybe tomorrow, since it's a short day! But then we need to pack everything up...

Hi Mieke!! Oh no about El's school! I hope she finds somewhere else she is happy to go! :( Ooh weird about your phone, but yay for a new one I guess? I often don't notice much difference in phones myself.

Hahah yea, not when you compare school sizes probably. Like, our high school is grades 9-12 and it has over 1200 kids each year. But mostly my comparison was to how it was when Katie was in chorus, to how it was when Nathan was, to that night. It was a drastic change.

[edit] its only 9am and I feel quite accomplished. I have washed three sink-loads of dishes (pots/pans mostly and water bottles) AND started the dishwasher I have made 7 reindeer ornaments (out of clothespins/pompoms/googly eyes) I have completed about half of my quests on here I have cleaned out the fridge and restocked Nathans sodas I have straightened up my food cupboard and put my groceries away I have made muffins for breakfast and I've even found out how to get the return label, printed it off and am ready to return my schoolbooks!

I still need to finish dishes (about 2 more sinkfuls, sheeeeeesh I'm behind on that! but its only so many because its all been big bulky stuff), I want to sweep/mop the kitchen and bathroom (because guess what, I have YET to do that even tho I wanted to a couple weeks ago!), and I want to clean off the kitchen counter before I make my hamburger stew (I'm going to fry up the hamburger and then do everything else in the crockpot!). I also really want to clean out the vacuum (like, blow it clean with my air compressor hahaha!) and clean out the storage box on the porch and get some of that stuff out of there and into the backhouse.

I am beginning to believe I have ADHD tendencies. I do a LOT of stuff and jump in between it all and I noticed this past semester that I often fiddle with something (clicking a pen, twirling my chapstick in my fingers) when I am bored during zoom meetings.....errr.. lol

Oh yeah.. ours is 7-12 and we have 540 kids LOL. So 50 kids would be pretty awesome, almost a 10th of the school! ... and I think we actually have about 50 between junior high and senior high choir?

Also I'm impressed, you really were a busy bee! Did you get it all done, everything you wanted to?

PS I got your Christmas card today and it was ADORABLE! Thank you <3

Well I didn't finish the dishes - the electric crockpot grill was still soaking in the sink. Yuck - I did wash it today, so its clean now. I forgot to start the dishwasher, so I added a few things that we used yesterday and started it this afternoon. Annnnd I did NOT do anything to the bathroom yet sigh

I now have the little menace back, Anna dropped her off and left again with Shane (I'm not sure WHY Shane is not already at work and gone, but whatever), Anna is going to come back and sleep here tonight and then go meet her trainer tomorrow. And so I now have the little pain in the butt until Dec 29th (excepting weekends when Shane picks her up).

Ooh you're welcome!! Glad you liked it!!

Oh oh oh oh! Did I tell ya'll that Nathan had an interview at Dollar General? I don't think I did. So he interviewed Thursday, and the guy literally asked him if he wanted the job, so Nathan said yeah. They did the background check and then Saturday he got a text to fill out w4s and direct depost - so we went and got him a bank account and he did all that. And today he got a text to come in and schedule his first day, so his first day is this upcoming Thursday!!

Yay, I'm glad he finally has a job! I've heard they suck and don't pay well, but I mean.. he's 18 and has nothing else to do! D worked there for a few months, too.

I'd be so annoyed with partial custody of a puppy I never asked for hahha.

He said they're paying him 10 something. Its a dollar general market, not a basic dollar general. I don't know the difference, so I am gonna have to go in there one day and see! lol

Yeah. I'm not thrilled about the puppy, but I can't just make them get rid of it just because she got a job. What annoys me more is that I really feel I am going to end up with it full time. She says she wants to take her on the road but...I just don't see that working well. I know people DO do it, so who knows tho.

My uncle used to take his cat with him when he was on the road LOL. Had a bed up front with him.

I've never ever heard of a dollar general market! Does that mean there's like... fresh fruit and veggies and stuff?

Sorry, ran off to eat supper and then clean up (mostly) after. And was reading. Yep I think so. Some of the dollar generals have a small "market" spot added in where they do fresh produce (the one I typically go to down at the 4way is like that), but this one is an actual market store, so again, I'm not sure what all the difference is. Which is why I say I'll have to go check it out. Its not much further than the other DG is, but is in the other direction lol

i can see taking a cat. Well except for the litter box, in that small space? yuck LOL I can see taking a fairly small dog (chihuahua or Pomeranian size) But this 40lb puppy that is going to get bigger? I can't imagine it.

Oh wow! I've never seen a DG with fresh anything except bread LOL.

Either way.. YAY FOR A JOB!!!! Yay Nathan, congrats!!

Wow some good things happening for ya, Kat! Minus a puppy that needs supervision. Grats to Nathan! Glad your semester is all done! Mine finished earlier today, with a final.

Hope you both are finding some peace and quiet in this season! I know I am now that I have just work and church until the 21st of January.

Hi Beth! Your next semester doesnt start until Jan 21? wow. Nice long break. Mine restarts Jan 6.

Yes I'm excited for Nathan!! I know its not the job he "wants" but its a job to get him started, which is what I kept telling him to do. Puppy is whining at me already for being in the bedroom while she is awake and in the living room sigh

and everyone else - sorry that I poofed. My left hand swelled up from gout and I couldn't type. The swelling's gone down some so I can now hunt and peck. But, if the swellling gets worse again, I'll be m.i.a. again. I hope all of your luminaire's are going well as well as your Christmases. :D ❤

Hi I wondered what happened with you! Hopefully the swelling will stay down!

All good here. Most exciting news is that Nathan starts work tomorrow!!

I got the CUTEST little reindeer candle holder from my secret santa today!

edit: Have any of you tried the new Mysterious Melody ? I have thought about joining but am not really sure about it. Melody did buy from my shop tho! LOL Black Leather Mini NPC Melody 139,000 sP 12/11/24 - 12:45:32 pm

edit: Ok I decided to give it a try and just pulled some random items from my shops to gift LOL I guess we shall see what happens.