I'm off to school

I am off to Briercrest for 2 weeks of classes! My first class is Theology of God and Creation and my second is Problems and Procedures in Counseling. The second one will be way easier than the first! I am actually really intimidated by that one and am very scared about it. But apparently I am told that everyone going into that class feels the same way - so at least we will be in the same boat!

Grade 3 Proofs

This is the grade three proofs of Dallas. I think I am going to order the second one - although the first one is cute too - he just needed to smile more.

Dallas Grade 3 ~ 9 years old

What Disney Character are you most like?

Which DISNEY character are you most like?

Minnie Mouse Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Update

Ok - so I love working at Walmart! It is nice to have a job again. I have been technically out of the work force for 8 years now - I worked at Zellers and then took Dallas in. I ended up quitting there because it was too hard having a young child at home. But now it is wonderful! Earning money does something to a person. For the past 4 years I have been on student loans and even though had money to live on it still isn't the same feeling. I just need to get a handle on the childcare issue - finding a good babysitter is hard! Not that I want to have a babysitter - I would really love to work during school hours and then be home in the evenings. But with Christmas coming it is going to be crazy for awhile.

Who is the Newest Walmart Associate?

It's me! I started yesterday - I was hired as a cashier and am being paid more than starting wage based on my experience. Which is awesome! I am only part-time (which is what I want anyway). I am looking forward to working - it has been a long time since I had a job. Since I got Dallas pretty much. I miss it - school is good but there is something about earning money that is different than just getting a student loan.

You are Ocean Blue

You're both warm and practical. You're very driven, but you're also very well rounded. You tend to see both sides to every issue, and people consider you a natural diplomat.

What Color Blue Are You?

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

You are kind, popular, and generous. You tend to be successful at anything you try. A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd. You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

You Are a White Flower

A white flower tends to represent purity, simple beauty, and modesty. At times, you are dignified like a magnolia. And at other times, you represent great ecstasy, like a white orchid. And more than you wish, you're a little boastful, like a white hydrangea.

What Color Flower Are You?

Your Inner Child Is Sad

You're a very sensitive soul. You haven't grown that thick skin that most adults have. Easily hurt, you tend to retreat to your comfort zone. You don't let many people in - unless you've trusted them for a long time.

How Is Your Inner Child?

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it. You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less. You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way. Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can. War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace. You are a good mediator and a true negotiator. Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy. While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental. You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take. On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit. You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Shingles

Well Dallas has come down with a bad case of Shingles. So for the last few weeks of summer he will be under the weather. Shingles can last from 1 - 3 months. Hopefully he will be better by the time school starts.

Please pray for him as this can be excruciatingly painful and itchy. 100 times worse than chickenpox (this is the chickenpox virus).

Stress

I am so beyond stress right now that I cannot even describe it. Well it is kind of like being in the depths of despair - but without the despair if that makes sense. With everything that is happening with Emilie, 3 extra people living in my house, moving at the end of the month, and most importantly my classes in which there are mountains of assignments to do snowballing together - I am going CRAZY ! These past several days I have been trying to work on 3 papers that were due on Friday (of course it is late) and I can't even keep a train of thought! My papers consist of many paragraphs that start off good - but fizzle out becuase I have lost it. ARGH! I am just frustrated. I have been staring at my laptop for several days with nowhere to go. Frankly I wish I could just drop out of school and go on an extended break and do nothing but clean my house. Of course I won't drop out of school - I have gone into too much debt and too far in my program to quit. But it just feels like it. I am burnt out and tired. I just want to SLEEP and SLEEP and SLEEP. For the past few weeks the most sleep I have really gotten is 4 hours a night - and I cannot function on that. I need at least 8 - 10 hours of sleep to be at my optimal level. Ever since I had mono I have been like that. Hopefully I can get my papers done tonight with the least amount of frustration and then I am off to family camp at Living Waters Camp. That will be nice and relaxing for sure. Spending time with God will be wonderful and secluded from the distractions of the city.

Oprah

I watched a short clip from Oprah yesterday. There was someone on that said that she had weight issues. Oprah corrected her and said "You don't have weight issues, you just have issues in your life that you hide behind your weight". I really like that because that is true for me - I hide behind my weight. My insecurities, my fear of vulnerability, my fear of rejection, etc. It is a scary thing to let people into my life. It is so much easier to not be vulnerable - but it is a very lonely place.

I also did a paper recently on cutting and self-mutilation. One thing that one author said is that not taking medication that is required is a form of self-mutilation. That hit me big time - as I often don't take my medication - claiming that I 'forget' - but I think that I do it because I feel that other people's needs comes first before my own. That is always the case with me - I don't view myself as important enough to make an effort to remember my pills. I really need to be held accountable for this as I am hurting or abusing myself through this. I could develop complications that could result in death (well in extreme cases).

Life Update - moving

I am moving at the end of July! Just to a 3 bedroom townhouse in the same complexes that I am living in right now. So it is just a block away! But I cannot wait - I can get away from my abusive neighbor! I am very excited to move - but there is packing to be done - so I am not sure how well that will go. Some of my new house is painted - so I am excited about that. I will just have to paint my bedroom an nice hue of yellow to go with my blue!

Dallas goes to kids camp in 2 weeks and I think I am going to see how well he does by himself. I am leery of it as his counselor wasn't very good last year, but we'll see. I can use that week to pack without him around. Which also means that I can possibly dispose of some toys that he won't notice. Here's hoping anyway.

Turning 9

Well this past weekend we had Dallas' ninth birthday at the bowling alley. My goodness was it ever crazy! We invited all the boys from his class (usually half can only make it) but 11 of them could come! So in total we had 16 kids including Dallas - and all together 13 boys! Yikes I am nuts! It was so loud and crazy! Dallas did really well however...no meltdowns! It was some of the other boys that were really out of control. He had a great time - but next year we are going smaller!

Today (the day before he actually turns nine) on his own had the idea that he needed to learn to ride a two-wheeler before his birthday. I tried many times last year but to no avail. So he went and got his bike and brought it down to where my family were for Father's Day (our community centre). My brother Rob helped him and he did it! He was so proud - now he can ride a two-wheeler! I am so happy for him. Funny thing - is that once he got on he stayed on - last year he kept falling off! So obviously he was ready!

Update on Emilie

Today I got to hold her for the first time! It was great - she is so precious and beautiful. I could only stay for a half hour - because I had to go to work but I really wished I could have stayed longer. She was awake the whole time today and was just focusing on her surroundings. It is always hard to leave when she is awake, but it was harder today because I had to put her down!

She is doing good - she had a bad night the other day and had to be put on the venitilator for awhile again. But she is breathing on her own again and just has oxygen. In the picture, the blue tube is just an oxygen tube that blows oxygen over her traech (I don't know how to spell it).

This is a recent picture of Emilie (Monday) - isn't she beautiful? She looks so wonderful without all the tubes on her face! Check out her top lip? Does it look familiar to anyone? Even the downward droop looks familiar! Oh and the picture doesn't show it well - but those are tiny curls on the top of her head! On the left side of her head is just an IV - nothing major, but everytime they do it they have to shave her front part of her head. If you look closely you can see it.

Dallas' Softball Game

This year, Dallas decided to join softball instead of doing soccer. I was really apprehensive leading up to it as I wasn't sure whether he would understand it. He really wanted to do it - so we signed up. I am so glad we did as he is thoroughly enjoying it! His coaches are really good to him and they encourage him alot.