Looking back.

I just spent that last few minutes reading most of my blog posts from 2007. I was hunting for a particular post (never found exactly what I was looking for) and was caught up in all of my arguments for the passage of pro-midwifery legislation. I can't help but grin. I'm really proud to be able to say that typos aside, I stand by what I wrote and think it may be time to pull some of those past posts to the forefront.

So, if you have a few minutes and want to walk a while in the past, or if you are new to my blog, check out 2007.

What follows is a great post from Nov of 2007. What I realize is that I am practicing what I preach. I am back in school, working to complete a goal that I set for myself years ago. I am not neglecting my children because I am taking care of myself. In reality, I become a better, stronger, and more well rounded mother because I am also an individual.

Follow Your Passion (Nov 2, 2007)
The weekend is here and we are busy as ever. Odin and Byron are camping with Cub Scouts tomorrow through Sunday, and I leave tomorrow for the LLL of Mo Conference. I am presenting a session on Following your Passion while Raising Your Family. Here's what I am am hoping the attendees will understand when they leave:

I want to be my children's Mom, but I don't want to JUST be their Mom. I want to be ME! That includes being the best Mom I can be, while modeling that I am important too! My passions are a worthwhile endeavor that make me a better person. In turn, following my passions makes me a better Mom!

I will do my best to prioritize my life to include taking time for my passions. I won't need to neglect my children as I will find a way to make sure their needs are met. I will utilize the support of others to meet this goal and I will do my best to support them in turn.

It's my turn

Many of you know that I have not finished my degree. I started right out of high school, but then got married and the babies kept coming. I tried going back about 6 years ago, but new babies and older children and the house and Odin's job and all my volunteer work... It just didn't work out.

I am getting ready to try again. This time around, I'll be planning on needing time away from the kids for class and study. For the first time ever, I will be paying a full time sitter to watch Valen during the school year. I'm very happy with the choice we made in sitters and he can't wait!

I'll be going for a teaching degree in Family and Consumer Science (FACS). For those of you who don't know what this is, think home ec. I get to start on May 11 with a sewing class. I'm very excited because it is 4 days a week, four hours a day, for three weeks. Can you just see how happy I'll be getting to sew without little people interupting every five minutes?!

I'm still waiting for my official acceptance to UCM and to see how many hours they will transfer. I'm hoping that most of my gen eds will transfer and that I don't have to retake much.

Homework time at our house will probably look a little different for the next few years. Instead of me making supper while I help with homework, I'll be sitting at the table with them doing mine while they do theirs!

Not quite two -

On Wednesday, Valen will be two years old. It seems to me that this child, the youngest of the six has come into his "twoness" quite early. The words and signs have been there for a while. He is able to get into the treehouse, able to get up on the trampoline, gets onto the counter to get into the upper cabinets and last but not least he knows how to get on the computer.

This last one is the reason I have been so quiet lately. Around December 20, Valen climbed up and opened my closed laptop and proceeded to rip 21 keys off the keyboard, and chew on a few before I realized what he was doing. To make it a little funnier - I WAS IN THE KITCHEN - 10 feet away, with no walls between us. Needless to say, he did this in record time. I have been without my laptop in the dining room since then. It came home fixed and with a big price tag on Friday.

Odin has up a group shot of the kids at Christmas, and as soon as I catch up and get the photos downloaded, I'll get more up!

Not knowing is worse than knowing

Have you ever been too afraid to get an answer because you are afraid of what the answer might be?

Not me! Especially not now. The not knowing is just about killing me. I am wandering the house trying to figure out what to do next. I have too many things that I am waiting to hear back on that I am in a weird situation of lots to do, but not really able to do any of it until I get some answers.

I guess I'll do the laundry and the dishes. No matter what happens, the laundry and the dishes will always be there waiting for me.

So much to do!!!

I haven't been posting lately because I have been running around barely taking time to refuel. So here's the latest.
- I now have a 6th grader, 5th grader, 2nd grader, a preschooler, and a toddler. Byron was promoted to the 5th grade this past Monday. So far, so good. We pray this will be a better fit for him.
-We are talking with a Realtor here in town to try and figure out what we would need to do to sell the house should Odin get a new job soon.
- I am speaking at the Missouri La Leche League conference this weekend.
-And the big news.... Odin, Valen and I are flying out to Utah on Monday.

I can't just drop that on you without an explanation. Odin has an interview at Southern Utah University and I am tagging along to check out the area, housing, and schools. I have two friends coming with their kids to keep my older four in line and Odin and I will only have the baby with us.

The stressful part of this situation is the not knowing. We don't know if he will get this job or not, but we do know the job starts in January. Lets see, housing market is not thriving and if he gets this job, we would have to relocate about 6 weeks later. We are definitely in a situation where I need to keep telling myself that God will put us where we need to be. As long as I do everything within my power, I have to trust that God will take care of the rest (the sleepy kind of rest, too!!).

Time to get back to Halloween preparations! The kids are going trick-or-treating downtown, and I get to help get balloons ready to pass out at the church. Check out Odin's blog in a few days for pictures.