Updates - finally!!!

Yes, I know - my last two posts have been about being a slacker at keeping this blog updated, so I won't say it, even though that is what has happened. I can't believe we are already into November - a mere three weeks from Thanksgiving and SEVEN weeks from Christmas! Where has the year gone? They say time gets away from you the older you get, and "they" (whoever "they" are anyway!) weren't lying!

Where to start? RP is doing fantastic, despite a few rough patches over these last several weeks. She has completed her second session of gymnastics and already started her third, and still loves the rough-and-tumble time it allows her, although she now runs and jumps through the house repeatedly, which is fine for now but keeps me up at night thinking about when she actually learns how to do flips and watching her do them through the house - ugh. I will be an utter basketcase! She also has started ballet class, and absolutely loves it! It's just through the park district, but it's a perfect intro for her and she has a friend in the class as the daughter of one of my high school classmates is in her class, so she loves playing with Sami after class every week. She has a couple of weeks off between sessions, but will be in her first dance recital in January and I already can't wait - although, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was disappointed to find out that the kids don't get actual costumes for the recital but rather wear their normal class attire. Good thing we purchased the "Ballerina in a Box" costume set from Danskin - she is set with her own tutu already! RP has also expressed an interest in taking figure skating classes, but that is going to have to wait a bit - she is already at pre-school two days a week, ballet one day a week, and gymnastics one day a week. Maybe it's me, but that seems like plenty for a three-year old!

As if our schedule wasn't packed enough, RP is going to compete in her first pageant on Saturday. It isn't a "Toddlers and Tiaras" pageant, which is the only reason I'm letting her do it, but she gets to wear a pretty dress and all the kids get crowns at the end. My little competative soul, however, has already told me that she is "going to winnit Mama," while "de other girls are gonna lose..." I swear I didn't teach her this, but her competative spirit fits right in with the family - we've all always been competative! I'm excited for her and think she'll do great, but I'm afraid I'm going to get more stressed out than she is, and it will be a nightmare. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Work is going well. Being a remote employee definitely has its ups and downs, and the commute for the most part just sucks. I figured out that I put over 100 miles a day on my vehicle, and when you drive a mini-van that gets 19 mpg because your previous job had you driving less than 30 miles per day, it really adds up. I've been looking at getting a new car but just can't find one I like, or that I can truly afford right now that will give me maximum mpg. I used to love car shopping, but my last employer wiped all the fun from that experience so this has just been a chore and a half... and then some. The work is definitely more challenging on many levels than I originally gave it credit for, and mind-numbing in other areas, but it is steady income and I am enjoying it so far.

Finally, this wouldn't be a full and complete update without noting that I am an aunt again - for the FIFTH time! Baby Anna arrived Friday afternoon, four weeks early, and is headed home tonight. I can't wait to see her and hold her, but Mom and baby are doing great and that's great news for right now! She is the youngest of five, and I still can't get over the fact that I now have FIVE nieces and nephews. Five. Wow. I don't know how they do it - RP keeps me hoppin' to the point that I can't fathom taking care of one more, let alone four more of her. Guess that's why THEY have five, and I have RP - God gives us the family we were meant to have!

Whew! This was LONG, and long overdue! Hopefully it won't be as long for my next post, and I'll have exciting news to share, along with some new pictures!