Recap

I've figured out a way that will help me work more frequently on the blog. I have set my homepage to the blog, so that it's the first thing that I look at when I go on the internet. I figure if it's already sitting right there in front of me, then I won't need to "think" of it. It'll just be there. That's a good start, I think.

I had to change my start page anyway, because it had been set by default to the apple website. Why, you may ask?

Because I just got a brand new MacBook Pro! Huzzah!

I had been grumbling to Tim that I really needed a new laptop soonish, and couldn't wait to get one, since I would definitely be getting one for school this fall. He suggested that since we got all of our credit cards paid off and have some money in the bank that I should just go for it and get a macbook.

We also got new iphone's (iphone 4) so that we can do Facetime together while he's away. (It's like Skype on your phone, except way better quality.) Hence the MacBook. Tim is in love with apple. He said, "We're an apple family now."

We're loving our new iphones and AT&T. We switched from Verizon. The coverage is far better (I can talk to anyone from anywhere in my house now, rather than the two small hotspots!), and while Verizon had free mobile to mobile with other Verizon customers, AT&T is free to any other mobile customer using any other company. We're paying the same amount per month for our phones now with two smart phones as we did with one smart phone and one plain ol' phone with Verizon. Overall it's just really fantastic. And of course we love all the apps and toys that come with our phones. We both have the Netflix app downloaded on our phones, and we can watch anything on our phones. It's really great. :n) Happy, happy happy!

The kids had their Open House the other night. For Corbin, it was a chance for him to show off some of his work in his classroom as well as in the artroom. For Brooke, it was an invitation to come look around at what sorts of things the Kindergartners do. We did this last year for Corbin, too. This time, Corbin got to introduce his little sisters to all of the teachers. So many of the teachers pulled me aside to tell me what a wonderful little guy Corbin is. I think there were 3 of them. I've already heard it from his classroom teacher, but the art teacher and the music teacher both told me what a wonderful, helpful and sweet boy he is. And it wasn't like I was going up to them to speak with them privately. They actually pulled me aside to tell me on their own. ;n) Not that that's any big surprise. I've known how wonderful he is for 6 years now. :n)

Brooke enjoyed most of the tour after Corbin was done showing me his stuff. (For her, that part was boring. LOL) She liked going through the classrooms and playing with the smartboards. We also visited her class, which was nice for her.

She's doing really well at home, too. She's not having accidents like I had anticipated when Tim started working away. She's using the bathroom all of the time, and has even gotten up in the night to go sometimes. She's becoming quite the silly character, always making me laugh.

Academically, she's begun really reading. She is able to sound out most all of the simple 3- and 4-letter-words, and recognizes a few on sight.

I just got book orders yesterday, and I had ordered books for Corbin about all of the planets, and ordered a set of Bob Books for Brooke (very simple books for first readers) and a game called Build-a-Word. She and I played that today, and we both had a good time. It's a bit like Uno or Go Fish, but with words. You get a set of beginning letters and a set of ending sounds (an, ip, at, etc.). You get five cards and try to make a word with the card that's already played, whether it's a beginning or ending. If you can't make a real word, you draw a card, and if you can make a real word, your turn is over. You try to get rid of all of your cards first. Really neat game, and actually not uber boring for adults like a lot of other kids games *cough*CandyLand*cough*.

LeeLoo and Dharma are doing great, too. Dharma has basically gotten into the groove of how things work around here. She's definitely still quite puppyish, so she jumps up a lot, which is something that I'm really trying to work on. That's the main issue with the kids is that she jumps on them. And she's really tall, so she can get right up to their faces almost, and it's irritating. But she rarely has accidents in the house anymore, and I have them on a "ruff" schedule. har har.

I took my placement test for school, too. I didn't do so great on the math portion, but the writing portion I did do great at. I have my first counciling meeting coming up at the end of April.

Tim is doing okay at work. He wishes that he were home (we all wish that) but he's doing well. We miss him, but we're coming to be used to the way that life has to be, and that's the best that we can hope for at the moment. We enjoy it very much when he's here for a whole week though. :n)

And I suppose that's at least catching everyone up on what's been happening lately. And I'm hoping to be more regular with this now... so I'm going to make it more of a priority.