It's been such a long time since I've written here, and I knew I needed to stop by and say hello to some old friends. My life has been so crazy since I lost stopped in. I apologize for staying away so long.

The kids have been keeping me busy with their school activities. My daughter has been very busy with science club and dance team after school, which means extra trips to the school for pick-ups. It also means running from point A to point B to get the items she needs for both. She's going to be nine in just two weeks!

My oldest boy has been having some problems at school that required some rescheduling. He's no longer just a first grader. He's a first grader AND a second grader. He spends his mornings in second grade and his afternoons in first grade so that he can add a little challenge to his day. So far it has resulted in a great turnaround in behavior and school performance, and I'm not having to worry about him calling me wanting to come home from school as often as I was before.

My youngest just turned two! Where did the time go? He still isn't talking very well, and the doctor is only slightly concerned that his speech is delayed. If we don't see improvement in the next couple of months, he's going to be going through some tests to find out what is causing the delay. I'm pretty sure it is only because he has an older sister and brother that want to do the talking for him.

I spend Wednesday mornings bowling on a league. It gives me some good adult time to talk and have fun with friends. Plus, it's something I really enjoy. I spend $10 a week to have someone watch my youngest while I play three games (the games and childcare are BOTH included in the $10). It's $10 well spent for me to get a break.

The break has become something of importance in recent months. I recently decided to go back to school. It's a big step for me since I never went to college after graduating high school, and it's been tough to get back into the studying habit (especially while raising three kids) after such a long break from school. I'm taking four courses right now, and it's been a bit of a challenge to keep up with everything. Thankfully I'm a little ahead right now in most of my classes, and right on schedule in the other.

Things are still kind of strained between my husband and me. I'm trying to do my best to work things out, but I'm not really sure what I even want anymore. I've been struggling a lot with making some major decisions the past few months, but I still can't come up with anything definite.

To top it all off, we've been having other family issues on my side of the family. The stress has been mounting, so I know it's not the right time for me to make any major decisions about my marriage, but it is finally letting up a little. Dealing with all those issues has proven to be very time consuming and it has tested me in so many ways.

Hopefully as things begin to calm down, I'll be able to stop in and say hello a little more often.