So the results are in! We're being forced to move out of our base house and into another house on base that has already been renovated. Dang blast it! We just moved from a 2-bedroom house to this 3-bedroom house four months ago! Argh! One of the things I'm most upset about - is all of the hard work I put into painting the 2-bedroom (then painting it back to white - like the goverment requires of us) and then painting this wretched old thing to make it look more cozy. I knew it would take a lot of sweat and hard work on my part...along with a few angry curse words here and there (under my breath of course), but I thought it would be worth the huge hassle - we weren't supposed to move again until July 2010! Why meeeeeeee??!! They better not make me paint this house back to white too! They're the ones forcing us out of here, so they can make some major renovations! Hmph! So help me - I'll pop a huge vein if they make me paint this back to white! I wasted so much money on paint already and I can't bring myself to shell out the buckaroos to do it AGAIN only four months later!
Okay - I think I got that all off of my chest! Let's change the subject!
What else is new?... Oh! So we're enrolling Kristin in ballet classes at the San Antonio Ballet Academy next week. We stumbled across it after making a wrong turn (much to my delight)! Jason has been badgering me into enrolling myself in ballet classes as well - after he found out that the studio also offers a teen/adult ballet class. He knows me all too well. He knows I regret not having taken ballet or gymnastics (or piano lessons or just about anything for that matter) growing up. I don't blame my Momroo - she wasn't a pushy kind of Mom. That and there wasn't a whole lot to offer in Turkey (where I spent almost all of my childhood). When we lived in Washington State before that, she had enrolled me in a ballet class when I was 5 or 6 and after one or two classes, my instructor skipped town with no explanation whatsoever. Then when I was about 14ish, she asked me if I wanted to take piano lessons at the youth center while we were in Turkey (since they finally got an instructor) - which I thought sounded kind of lame at the time, so I politely declined. Man! Do I regret that dumb decision!! I guess it's nice not to have a pushy Mom who lives her life through her kids, but I wish she had at least forced me into choosing an instrament and a sport - something to better myself and make me more well-rounded. You know? Jason said that was how he was raised - to pick whatever instrament and whatever sport he wanted to do (it didn't matter what - he just had to do one of each). He said it gave some confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Which is something I feel I lacked growing up. I eventually got involved in volleyball, band, choir, drama and a few other things in high school, but I wish I could have done something throughout my childhood that could have lasted well into adulthood. Why am I going on and on about this? Sheesh! Anyways - after giving it some thought (more importantly - I made sure that there were more adults than teenagers), I think I'm going to do it! I would have loved to have done gymnastics over ballet, but I can't see myself jumping around, spinning myself on uneven parallel bars or doing flips and whatever else is involved...if I ever had the potential of accomplishing those feats of gravity before...it's long gone now! ;) The only thing I don't like about it...is that everyone has to wear the studio's uniform. Which is a black leotard, light pink tights and ballet slippers. Eek! I'm going to see if I can get one of those little skirts...and maybe some cushy black leg warmers! Woohoo! Stay tuned for my ballet debut! ;)
Not only are there a ton of things I'd like Kristin to start doing, but there are a ton of things I want to start learning too! Is that greedy and selfish or what?! There's a music place that offers private piano lessons for Moms and tots, but there just one teeny weenie obstacle...and her name is Katie-poo. I have to call and find out if I can bring Katie with Kristin and I. If I can't - there aren't really any other options as far as piano lessons go, so hopefully they'll be able to work with me. I just need someone to tell me what the freak to do! I can't do this whole teach myself thing! It'll never happen!
Hmmm..what else? I still haven't taught myself how to crochet yet. I have an awesome instructional book, yarn and a couple of hooks (and I've had them for about 5 months now), but I still haven't found the time to sit down and learn! At least Jason's Mom was able to instruct me on how to start up quilting when we lived in Maryland. Which reminds me...I still haven't completed my first quilt! Rrrr...
Jason has promised to teach me how to bowl the correct way and I'm super excited! Now - I just have to get my own bowling ball, so I can practice using the same ball everytime. I just hope I don't buy one...and never use it. I'm frequently reminded of things not used whenever I look at the amazing keyboard Jason got me for Christmas last year. I plan on using it eventually though! I promise! Jason wants to get Kristin her own bowling ball and shoes too, so I guess I can challenge my 4-year old daughter to see which of us can improve our bowling score first! A little competition never hurt anyone! ;)
Kristin can't wait to do ballet! She also wants to do gymnastics, soccer and swimming. I don't have to worry about trying to get Kristin involved with extracurricular activities - she already wants to do everything! Almost as much as I do (if that's even possible)! For now, I think I'll just have her in ballet and hopefully taking piano lessons with me. I think I'll alternate soccer with swimming. We're also trying to get her involved in learning Chinese with us. Learning a second language can't be a bad thing right?
Right now, Jason and I are learning Chinese together. Jason already has a head start though. He started learning Chinese back while he was in medical school, but after about a year - he got too busy with his studies. I'm only slightly discouraged at learning Chinese instead of a different language - since we not only have to learn how to speak Chinese, but we also have to learn how to draw all of those pictures for the writing portion! It's like learning two completely different things! Eek! Jason assures me that it's the best one for us to learn since most people don't choose Chinese as a second language (since it's so freakin' difficult to learn!), so it'll be like our own secret language (as long as we're not in China)!
Oh! And I'm extra excited that Jason and I are going to start taking dance lessons in March at a Fred Astaire's dance studio. There's a great drop-in daycare place not too far from the dance studio, so we're going to start taking the girls there for an hour once a week while we go take our lessons. Yay! We'd do it now, but we have to wait until Katie turns 1 before we can take her to the daycare place.
To top it all off, I want to read my Bible on a consistent basis - as well as go to my MOPS group and Ladies Bible Study at our church. I also want to start working on my MBA. I'm really not sure why though since I plan on raising my kids before I ever go back to work. I think I just like accomplishing things. A little too many things! I wish there weren't so many things that I wanted to do! I think I end up wanting to do SO much, that I get overwhelmed and never end up doing anything! Not this time! Not this year! You'll see! I will overcome my severe laziness and procrastination issues! I can and I must! :)
Did I forget to mention that I'm also seriously considering homeschooling Kristin? It's all Jason's Mom's fault! I never knew anybody who homeschooled (I'd never even heard of the term homeschool) until I met her. All of her kids seem to have done really well and they're all so sweet and polite! I keep telling myself that if Jason's Mom can homeschool 12 children, I should be able to homeschool 2-4. Right? Did you just laugh at me?! How dare you! That's it...I'm doing it! I'll show you!! ;)
3 comments:
Oh my Tricia-licia...you are such an ambitious little girl =) I think it's great that you are starting to take lessons for all the things you want to do. Me, I would love to do all those things, but if we have extra money for stuff like that, then I always think of what else I could put Hailey in instead of thinking about myself. I am jealous of all the things you are doing...I wish we could do them together. I miss you =( (I can't wait to se eyou in your ballet outfit!)
I didn't laugh at you, I know that homeschooling is a good thing. I am still very much so considering for Hailey.
Ugh, this house thing is ridiculous! I don't know what to tell you though. Have you decided yet for sure what you are going to do? I keep thinking about it, and it would be so nice to be close to all the things that you are doing, but the security of base is nice too. But, then you would have a bigger apt, but one less bedroom...I don't know. I think either decision would work. They should pay you to move to a new base house, right? At least it's renovated. I'm sorry I'm not much help =/ I love you and miss you! Let me know when a good time to call is and we can talk!
My dearest Laura-poo,
It seems like a lot of stuff that I'm planning on starting, but it really isn't (at least the things that I'd be paying for). The only things I'm considering paying for (for myself) are the ballet and piano, but I feel less bad about them because I'm "doing them with Kristin" in a way. The dancing class with Jason is another thing, but it's going to be like our "date" night out. Instead of going out to eat or something, we'll just go to a dance class together. I think I'll definitely put Kristin in more things when she's a little older (especially if I decide to homeschool her)! After she tries out a few different things, I'll figure out what she really loves doing the most and then let her just focus on a couple of things (I have a feeling she'll like everything though). It doesn't seem like there are as many cool things to put her in out here as there is out where you are! Dang blast it!
Have you looked into any homeschooling programs yet? So far, I've only looked at the A Beka ones. Ugh...I don't know what to do! It's a bit overwhelming and it looks like each grade level (from K-12) costs around $1,000 each year (per kid). I didn't know Jason's parents shelled out that much mula every year for all of their kids! Yikes!
Pssh! Knowing us, we'll just end up staying on base. It sounds like they'll pay for us to move from base house to base house, but not from on base to off. Which really stinks! We're going to see what two houses they're going to offer us on base and then we'll go from there. I really like having the third bedroom! It's so nice to have a guest room!
I'm thinking Tuesday might be a good day to talk, I'll make sure and write you later! :)
You are such a Super Mommy! Just reading this made me feel very lazy. So I took a nap.
I am with you on the not-being-pushed-enough thing. At the time I thought it was great that my parents never made me do a sport or an instrument, but now I wish I could play some kind of instrument. I also wish they had forced me to wear braces when it was free! I also wish I had been made to do some kind of volunteer work. I think it's important (not to mention it looks good on college apps), and my kids will definitely be doing some kind of community service every summer.
Hmm. . .what else? Chinese! That's what I want Huck to learn. To prepare him for the economic take-over. And I'm totally serious.
My sister homeschools. I think it's been good for her kids at the elementary school level. I think having such an individualized education by someone who is totally invested in them is the best way to bring them to their full intellectual potentials, BUT I also hope they go to high school. I think it's nice to have that social experience and get crushes on boys and go to prom and all of that stuff. Not to mention foster some independence, which teenagers need.
By the way, Steve read this entry and later asked me if you were really going to do all that stuff ("the ballet and the piano and learning Chinese?! And jujitsu? AND going to the gym? And I bet their house is just as clean as when we visited them!") He said he's glad we don't live near you because you'd either inspire us, or we'd just feel badly about ourselves, and most likely it would be the latter.
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