The Baby is wearing Big Boy underwear. He has decided that he wants to so I am putiing them on with a purty big smile. He has had one accident but that is fine with me. It is good to see the light at the end of the buying diapers tunnel.

The smile on his chubby face is just priceless. He is so proud of himself. He climbs up n the toilet and stradles it to sit on it to pee. I think he has the basics done. Now it is time to refine and perfect the process. Of course I think this part will take years as the older Boys are still refining their process. oh well.

Ok I am cruising now. I got an A on my first drafted, revised and proofed essay this week. Now I have six more essays and a huge project to do by the end of the semster and I am set to get my A average to begin my college career. Wish me luck and tell me some ways to keep from going gray (besides color) and not hurting anyone. LOL

I got another A on my Psyc test form last week. It was the second highest grade in class. I was beat out by one point. I am ok with that. I don't want to be the number one just very close to it at all times. I am just glad I am able to spend as much time studing here at home or at the library. The family have been grat about it. I am hoping they conitue this for the next 6 1/2 years.

I am swelling up again for no reason. Someone told me it could be stress and she could right. I am hoping that when I start working out it will go away. I planned on starting to day but two little boys woke up before I got the rest of the kiddos off to school. Once they are in bed I will lay out a blanket or sheet and commence to strechting body parts I forgot I had. If I do it while they are up they think they can dog pile me. And let me tell you it is not fun to be in some weird position and have about 60 pounds of boys drop on you from behind. I have been hurt really bad and I really don't want to feel that pain again.

Well I am off to do some laundry, yes , laundry again. It never stops. I thought I was caught up so I did bedding for everyone yesterday and when I looked in the baske in the bathroom I was shocked to see at least two more loads. Add to that the clothes the Kiddos wore yesterday and Hubby's uniform I have about 5 loads to do today. Not fun at all.

An A!! I made an A on my Reading Test last night. I am so happy. Tonight I find out about my Psyc class. We had a test last week. It was 17 multiple choice and five essay. I am working my butt off and loving it. Sweetnes jumped up and down for joy when I told her this morning. They knew how much this area kicked my butt. Tomorrow is a Math test and the beginnings of a new essay. Tonight I also find out about our group project and the Self Change Project. Busy from here on out.

I am on the hunt for a yoga mat so I can get back ino my Pilatets. I need to get back into shape and Butterfly Wife and Claire are shaming me into it. They are both very faithful in what they do and if they can do it so can I. Plus I am looking at the benefits of sleeping better at night if I work out in the morning. We shall see. Maybe I will head out to Target today or WalMart to see if they have one and if I am willing to spend that kind of money on myself. Have a wonderful day.

Comfortly Numb by Pink Flyod

Hello.
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?

Come on, now.
I hear youre feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts:
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I cant explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.

Ok.
Just a little pinprick. [ping]
Therell be no more --aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.

Can you stand up?
I do believe its working. good.
Thatll keep you going for the show.
Come on its time to go.

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

This is how I began to feel when Hubby had been gone two weeks or so. No matter how long or short the deployment, I would go into a numb stage and stay, even through R&R til he was home for good. It is a weird state to be in and function.

Oh my. It is Friday and I am bushed, worn out, and stick a fork in me I am done. I have been at school or the library everyday this week. Well not today. (It is Friday and Hubby was working in town so I played hooky with he books)I did see some good things come from it. Two 100s on assessments in my Critical Reading class. I was so excited. It took me a couple of weeks to get ahold of what i needed to get it done. Now tha I have I can move forward hopefully without to much trouble. I also turned in my first essay that was drafted, written, rewritten, peer edited and then rewritten once again. I hope I did good with it. I do not like being told what to write and then having it edited and graded. I do know that I need to have a few writing courses since I am going to be in Law School and that entails a but load of writing.

Anyway onto the family. Big Man has Open House on Monday and of course I have class. Huby is going armed with a long list of questions for each teacher. Somethings Big Man is saying is just not jiving with us. Sweetness helped Buddy Lee speak with their Principal today about the noise level in his class. I do have to say I felt horrible when I learned that he was having issues from his sister and he could not tell me. I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry my eyes out. Sweetness did tell him some right on things to do to handle the problem and even helped him approach the man who can make change happen. Yet I still feel like a failure with this happening at the same time the mess with Big Man is going on.

Boy with Gum in His Ear is ready for school. I am ready for him to go but don't want to let go. He needs to be with others to learn and hopefully not be a bully. I can only take him so far when his brothers and sister beat up on each other and he is right there with them. The Baby is doing good. He is growing so tall. Hubby told me last night he scared them to death almost. The Baby was tired and did not want ot go outside with Big Man. It took Hubby about 15 minutes to realize that the baby was quiet and went looking for him. hey did not find him right away and that is when worry set in. I can only imagine the family running through the neighborhood calling for the Baby. Gives me a smile because it did not happen to me. LOL Hubby did check the room where he was at first but did not look down on the floor. They found the Baby sleeping quite nicely just inside his door on the hardwood floor.

Those are the highlights from our home to yours. I am off to bed and some much needed sleep.

Wow!! It is only Tuesday and I am wiped out. Life is good. Big Man is responding well to Hubby and right now I have just stepped backed and decided to be there bu not there. So far it is good. We will see what the long erm effects of this passive parenting will be but for now I need it for my sanity and to deal witht he ther four Kiddos.

School is good. Oh and Claire I do not have a reading list for my Critical Reading class. It is a bunch of articles that I have to outline and find thesis statements for. It does suck the joy out of reading. I spoke with my teacher for that class today and she said that as long as we are making progress and she sees we are working then not to sweat the test deadline. She will work with us as long as we are trying to pass and not coming in at the lsat minute to do do the work.

Today the Boys and I walked down to the neighbhood Head Start and applied for Boy with Gum in His Ear. He will be four in Jan and I really want to switch to day classes next year. This semster and next will have to be nights til I can get Baby in also. Plus Hubby wants to start back to school to get his BA in the spring semster. We will be one studing family soon. Probaly pretty cranky too. We will see.

I am off to catch up on my blog reading and commenting. Like i ever did alot before. LOL Ayway have a good evening.

Hello, my name is Reasa. Yes it is my real name. I decided it was just to confusing anymore to post as either National Guard Wife or Reasa. I have been commenting alot longer than I have been blogging. When I started commenting on blogs I was just Reasa. Then I started writing my own blog and had an alias. I decided to go with Reasa for the fact that I like my name and it is alot easier to remeer what name I am using on the blogs I comment on. LOL

School is going great. I am haivng a hard time in one class. My Criticial Reading course is kicking my butt. I love to read but don't ask me the thesis or main supporting ides or even the minor supporting details. I can find the thesis but the main and minor details are all alike to me right now. I want to pull an A but it looks like I am pulling a very low C right now. It is hurting my ego that I am having this many problems with on course of something I love to do.

Hubby and Kiddos are all still very suportive. I really do not know what I would do with out them. Hubby has been wonderful about keeping the Kiddos inline with homework and chores so I can hit the library after classes for an hour or so to study. We miss out on time then but we are making up for it in little trips to the store together or sitting outside at night chatting on the porch. All around life is good and looking better for this househould.

Tomorrow Hubby and I have a morning date. We are having breakfast out and a pedicure afterwords. I can't wait. Hubby is not to sure about the pedicure but wants to have a little pampering himself. He had a facial just to get a massage in Iraq and loved the facal. He told me now he knows why women like the spa so much. LOL Plus it will give us our weekly time alone. ext week it will have to be a pinic or something like that. It is tough finding a good time for the two of us to reconnect throughout the week. Sometimes it is hit and miss and others it is right on target. Anyway tomorrow will be a wonderful day.

I am still working n the schedule with studying and such. The two little Boys are real clinging when I am home. When I leave for class they are fine and asleep by the time I return. Yet when leave for the store they become cranky and upset. They have even begun to cry again when I go somewhere without them. We have devised ways to trick the Babies. Food is a wonderful attention grabber with my Kiddos. I am sure it is with all but I am amazed at how my kiddos react to food. The Baby will scream "CHEESE! CHEESE!" at the top of his lungs if we mention the word cheese around him. They are like that with aples and watermelon to. Oh my I can not forget he strawberries. We had them tonight with our dinner and all five Kiddos were happy as clams.

I am off to try and get some sleep. I am worn out and have a busy weekend ahead. I need my energy to even think about it.

I got an A on my first English writing assignment. I was so excited. The Math is coming back to me too. It ha been fun to have concepts come back to me as I do my homework and classwork. Gum in the Ear Boy has decided to be smack dab next to me when I sleep at night. And when I am home he is totally underfoot as is the Baby. I leave 3 nights a week without them and when I am home they want to make sure I go no where without them. I can't do alot of housework and chore with them this week. I am hoping by next week I can really get into my groove and keep to a better schedule than what I do have.

Hubby is officially back at work. He is still looking for another job. He also is looking at becoming an instructor down in Hood. They want Soldiers who just come back from Iraq and Afghanistan to teach some classes on what it is really like to deploying troops. It is up to a year and we would have all the benefits and pay of Title 10 orders. We shall see. It will depend a great deal on how work treats him in the next month.

My oldest is giving me a hard time. am at the point of if he wants to act like a man and think he deserves it then fine go get a job and pay your own way. I told him that next time a situation comes up I would not hesiatate to put him out. I have to many other Kiddos to raise and I will not have him setting a bad example for them. Sweetness has turned into a grump as of lately. I don't know if it has to do with being a Tween or just trying to get back into our household rules. She has run her mouth off also and i was ready to wash it out with soap. Sweetness is calming down but an attitude is rearing it's ugly head. Buddy Lee turned seven this last week and made almost 30 bucks. He loves the custom of giving money on Birthdays. especially when it is the equalivint to his age.

I am off to do some reading for Enlish and laundry once again. Tonght is Bible Study and I am looking forward to my Women's Group. I have missed them since Hubby came home. It is nice to sit around, talk and laugh about the life's daily grind. I need a fix. :)

What a week. Buddy Lee turned seven yesterday and Big Man is filling out his first appliaction for a job. Let alone the first week of school is over for all of us. I took yesterday off form studing and hung out with Hubby. Today he went back to work and then is off til Tues. We will be heading down to my Dad's for a mini family reunion. I am looking forward to getting out of town for a couple of days.

The Pooch is at Doggie Daycare. She loves going to play with other doggies. I am still a little worried about her since she was hit with the briick. Pooch has never been the same. One day she is nice and friendly and the next she is barking and snapping at us. She has mellowed since Hubby came home. I am glad of that. Maybe she just needed hi home.

All the Kiddos are doing good with Daddy home. I know they loved having him to themselves just about allday everyday. Hubby did take the boys quite a bit these last couple of weeks so I could have some quiet time and get some things done around here. I was able to get my hair permed and I cut about five inches off. I had thought abou tit one night and decided now was a good time. It looks kinda cut. I am still getting used to it. Hubby would rather have it long but ummm I hate long hair. LOL

I am off to do last minute laundry and pack. The Kiddos are waking up and ready to go. Have a safe and wonderful weekend.