Study study study....

I'm still waiting for my nutrition text to arrive (class starts on the 5th), so instead I'm working on the research for my art class (class starts on the 14th). I'm big on being prepared (with the schedule I'm using, I gotta be), as soon as art starts, I have my first 3 papers written and ready to email off. This is my first accelerated class (12 weeks of lessons compressed into 6 & 8 weeks), and I'm sure if I get behind I won't find the time to catch back up.
Today is also the day to register for my fall classes, and of course I'm indecisive. My original plan was to take 17.5 units, but that means 3 regular classes and 2 accelerated ones (Aug 14>Oct 6 & Sept 22>Dec 13th) at once. Suddenly I'm not sure if there's enough caffeine on the planet. I'm thinking of only taking 13.5 units (dropping one 3 credit class from my fall plan), but I'm not so sure. I *really* want to finish before 30, but I also don't want to push too hard, I still have my work and kids to take care of.
So at the beginning of summer, here's where things stand:

fall/spring 2003 : 6 units of us history
Summer 2006 : 6 units of art appreciation & nutrition
these 4 classes cover requirements A, B1, B2 & C of my general ed requirements.

Fall 2006 : 3 units of Eng 104 (taking business English)
3 units of Com 103 (covers analytical thinking req.)
6 units of CDE (LOL finally taking a class in my major)
1.5 units of CDE (three .5 point day long seminars)
semi total: 25.5 units (42.5%)

that will bring me to 25.5 units and 18/27 units of general ed complete (I started with gen ED as all of the classes for AA gen ed are online). Since I'm taking Eng this fall, I'll take my math 96, PE and multi-cultural studies in spring/summer 07 to finish up gen ed. Oh yes I'll also need:

27 units in my major (scheduled for 6 of these this fall) and 6 units of electives (1.5 of these are scheduled as seminars). Actually I get pretty tired just thinking about it.

Um...

Oh boy...
it just about kills me to say this but... I was wrong. It seems my two "easy A summer courses, will actually make me WORK for that A. I am in shock, and the subsequent freaking out has my guy-buds shaking with laughter. Apparently they find a strange Karma equality in their brainy chick-bud having to work for a grade. I would be amused too, except it's my damn grades.
Now to bang out 300 words on my presonal artistic tastes..... does crayola count?

Hip to hip rockin thru the wilderness

Well it seems I have part of my annual "things to figure out with no imput from hubby" list, taken care of. We have this agreement that each of us handles the details that matter most to us, what this means in reality is he handles the computers, TV, PS2 etc. and I handle everything that doesn't plug into a wall. So naturally figuring out vacations, family visits etc is all my "part". This year I decided that dragging the kids 800 miles away for a week of high stress family politics is not a "vacation", and that I want some genuine relaxing to happen. I found what may just be the best family vacation spot... http://www.treehouses.com/treehouse/treesort/prclst.html
It looks to be just the thing, semi-camping with the kids, nature, and eco-friendly. I sent Becca the link and we're hoping to get our families together next spring for this (I love how our boys are all near the same age). Maybe I'll even remember to take the camera with me this time.

Pumpkin Cake from 2004

Face is piped on melted chocolate, with buttercreme frosting and double fudge cake.

Birthday cakes

Cooking equals love, at least in this house. We hit 100 yesterday, which mean it's time to say goodbye to the oven for a few months. Today I'm baking up Evan's Birthdaycakes (he's having 2 small cakes instead of 1 big one), Matt's muffins (to munch on the way to work in the car), and then no baking till next week. I really have to find a way to post pics on here (Becca I think I need step by step help on this one), so you can see these cakes I do for the kids. For Erik's birthday last month I made a "spiny catapillar" cake that stood up inchworm style, and the kids would NOT eat it, they thought it was wormie from spongebob..... so today is baking day for the week (in winter I bake something almost every day). In July I'll make Steve his sugar-free raspberry cheesecake for his birthday. If shipping wasn't so tricky I'd mail Becca a cake too.

Welcome Jose & Maria

I normally don't deviate much from my daily ins & outs, but i'm gonna wander off a little here.
The whole illegial immagration thing is pretty hot right now, and being in southern CA just north of a border check point (note to checkpoint, if I know the way around it from 2 mins with a map, everyone does, you're just causing a daily traffic jam). I really think that washington has it wrong on this one, I think we should be at the border with coffee and muffins for the people who want to be in americia so badily they'd run the gauntlet we've set up. These people don't WANT to live in americia with no legal status, they're forced too. What they want is to be given the oppertunity to work and live and participate in americian life. These are the people who love america so much they they endure to come here, which when you think about it, is a much needed shot of patritosim. Way I see if let them pay taxes and work on citizenship while here, they want to be here, they're not going anywhere, so give them some status in society, let them work legally, and pay the taxes that come with it. As for they "they're taking americian jobs" argument...... when was the last time americans lined up to scrub toilets at walmart? or to do a day of heavy landscaping for $40 and lunch? With the kids and college comming up I'm looking at hiring someone to help me clean the house, I love my kids, but they can make a huge mess, I don't care what thier legal status is, i care that she shows up at 10 on mondays and mops well.

Thank goodness for big bird, and caffeine.

Yesterday we took the kids to the zoo, after my dr's appt., and they had a blast. However on the way home baby fell asleep, and slept straight thru, until 6 am today. I feel like a zombie (brrrrrrrrrrrrrains!), and there on the TV is big bird trying to keep my toddler busy (with mixed results, but hey I appreciate the effort). Today I have a meeting at school which I need to be coherent for, so at least for today I've stopped my caffeine reduction plan, and am happily drinking a 2 ltr of diet soda, so I can wake up. I may go back to starbucks later for more caffeine. I'm really hoping that once class starts things will hit an even pace.

Mocha latte

In a sign that my 5 year old may have had 1 too many trips in a starbucks drive thru, he has decided to name his two bunnies Mocha & lathe. They're both pretty sweet bunnies, and we have an indoor space as well as an outdoor one for them, so during the hottest part of the day they can be inside, and still enjoy the fresh grass and privacy of their hut in the garden in the mornings. I was up late last night, and now I'm waiting for the caffeine to kick in. I've spent part of the weekend reviewing both the summer and fall class offerings, and I have it all plotted out for the next two semesters, now I just gotta register for classes on thurs. I look at what I have planned and logically I know it's ambitious, but school comes easy for me, and if the state's going to pay for it, I better get it started now. I'm trying to balance out academic classes with an easy elective each semester (somehow I have zero elective credit, I completely forgot I had to take 17 units of them).
So here it is:

Summer 06 - 6 units
(condensed 6 week classes all online)
Nutrition 101 (physical science requirement)
Art 100 (humanities requirement)

Fall 06 - 17.5 units
CDE 110 3 units
CDE 111 3 units
CDE 201F 203C 203B (a set of 1 day seminars that give me elective credit in my major) 0.5 units each
ENG 104 (business english, instead of freshman comp) 3 units
COM 103 (online 1/2 term class) 3 units
COM 108 (online 1/2 term class) 3 units

Spring 07-
I'll have to take math 96 then, as taking both eng & math together would be too much to fit any other classes.
Physical Education - I'm tempted to take a dance class for this, but the health science classes are online.
from this point all gen ed is done and I can focus on my major and take electives.

My 5 year old has a stock portfolio... Doesn't everybody's?

I did a quick glance at my Quicken and saw that my 5 yr old's stocks are valued higher than my retirement fund (I started them with the same amount). And I have to wonder how many parents actually do these things? Did I mention my 2 year old's portfolio is also going strong? On the one hand I feel like a nut, on the other hand we're talking about 2 colleges 4 years apart, which can be a hefty bill, and the fact that our parents made zero plans/contributions to our college made matt & I aware of how the lack of help/support can discourage attendance. My parents refused to sign my loan papers or to even loan me $300- for books and supplies my 1st year, so when the next year came and I couldn't afford the $600 for books and tuition (from my summer job, as my parents charged me rent even during school) I dropped out and worked for just over minimum wage. I do wonder if my mum's stinginess is why I'm so worried about helping the boys with college (believe me they could easy afford to help pay for classes and books, they just didn't want to).

Domestic Bliss?

Today is also Matt's 1st day at his new job, at the post office. Since we're considered "rural" they hire ppl temp for a year then can put them on career track. Well with 200>600 housing tracks sprouting up each month (in the 5 years we've lived here the city we moved to TRIPLED in population) they really need ppl to deliver. So today I got up before noon (9 am), started laundry, and dishes did Evan;s school and was done by noon. With matt not here I get more done (when I try to get going and he's home he tells me to sit, rest, do it later, and it just doesn't get done). I'm in a pretty good mood, and things are getting done, so far so good... I just have to make sure I don't need any jars opened.

Holy Grant Money Batman!

Well as I said in my last entry, I got my class fees waived, and a credit for up to 20 units each semester, who takes 20 units in summer, I dunno, you'd have to be nutty. Well today I logged on to make sure my classes are still available (my registration date is may 11th, since I took such a long break), and oh my! I have $1,800 in grant checks approved..... EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS! I know that was like a months rent when I lived in San Jose, but down here that's more than my expenses for a month and a half (rent & car payment included)! I'm still a little in shock (boggles my mind that the state's paying me to attend college), but that'll cover books, gas, and mean I won't need to max out daycare capacity over the summer (I usually do for extra cash), so I can study more.

Evan is finishing his electives this week (Art, Science, Music &, History), and then it's just Phonics, Lit. & Math till summer. Over summer I;ve scheduled theme weeks (dinosaurs, ocean & beach, space, bugs etc.) and swim lessons for the kids. I have a Wens. Mommy & me pool class for Erik & I so off to shop for bathing suits. Right now I have this one in mind http://www.newport-news.com/shop/Product.asp?gpcatID=2012&pacatID=2014&subcatID=4804&catid=6891&superstyleID=233064&productindex=2&firstpagetypeid=&pageindex=0
but as always my mind is subject to change. I've come to terms that my figure no longer can pull off the $15 suits at walmart, but with weekly swimming, somehow $60 to make me look slimmer seems a steal. (~.^)
Looks like a busy summer ahead.