New old news

So, the old news is that I passed boards! I pretty much told everyone via email, I think. If I missed anyone, I'm sorry! But this old news just stays new news to me. It is still sinking in that this saga is really over. I love it. This past week, I've gone to work and come home. Then I made dinner and I wondered what we should do as a family that night. Bike ride? Swimming? Walk with Rosie? Whatever I want??? Yes! It's whatever we want to do and its great. No more studying, no more papers, no more stressing, no more spending relentless hours completely ridiculous questions! Over. I was driving home from work today and I was singing to the radio and the sun was shining and I realized.....I'm so happy. I don't have a care in the world. Well, in my current world anyway. I have to say, I don't know how long it will last, but while it does, I'm enjoying this simplicity. I have time to do flashcards with Olivia, and time to play UNO with Steve and the girls. I have time to make nice dinners and time to run in the evening. Yes, there's long days at work, but there's also full days at home with nothing to do but be home. Wow.

The girls seem to enjoy it too. They seem calmer and happier and we have lots of time to read together and ride bikes, color with chalk, talk about their days. Sophie made a new best friend at school. I breathed a sigh of relief because I felt like it was taking forever for the girls to connect with people there. But it is finally coming around and Sophie is enjoying her days more and more. She rarely tells me her days are a secret anymore. Now she rattles off this and that and so and so and who and what. She does have a tendency to embellish the truth at times. Most of the time we let it slide. But recently, here are a few we didn't.

Sophie was outside playing and had an accident in her underwear. Steve brought her in and asked her why she went in her pants. Sophie told Steve indignantly, with bright blue eyes sincere that Rosie Posie (our dog) pooped in her pants. To clarify, Steve asked how this was possible. Sophie replied with a straight face and a little bit of impatience in her voice that Rosie opened up the back of her jeans and pooped into her underwear! Duh!

Sophie also told me that the reason she peed her pants during her nap at school the other day was because her teachers NEVER let her get up to go to the bathroom. I didn't buy that one either.

She told me today that she got a silver star because the teacher said she was the ONLY good kid in the class.

Olivia cracked me up the other day in the car when we passed a field full of cows. I point out the scenery as we drove by and showed them the cows and mooed for extra effect and some giggles. We slowed to stop at the stop sign. Olivia said, "Mom, those cows are for sale!" I said, "No they aren't. They belong to a farmer and they just hang out in the field." She said, "Then why do they have price tags in their ears?" I guess I'd never thought of it that way.

Olivia has been doing better and better in Kindergarten. She has been receiving increasing amounts of stamps at the end of her days. She's been making good friends and comes home with gifts of artwork from her buddies at school. They write to each other in their Kindergarten grammar and spelling with big letters followed by small ones. Adorable little letters about being friends.

The other night we worked together as a family to put in a doggie door from the backyard into our garage for RosePose. We finally got it done and Rosie happily jumps in and out at her own discretion. This really surprised me considering we had to run outside this summer with each storm to make sure she went in her house and wasn't just sitting in the pelting rain in a puddle of mud...which she almost always was....taking it like a woman. "Bring it on rain! Is that all you got?" But, so far, she seems to love it. Our garage had a built in fenced in area for a dog kennel and we just connected it to the outside. Now she'll have a warm, dry place to hang out this winter, which takes away some of the guilt I have about not having an inside dog. But all that hair and pee and poop and chewed up things....weren't dogs made to be outside? I do realize that other people have great inside dogs. I think we bought one about 100 lbs too big and about 95% too naughty. All the love and training in the world doesn't change some things. Luckily Rosie would rather be outside most of the time. She can be found running laps around the fence and peeling paint off our garage. Uprooting plants and chewing through out air conditioner wires. She even swings on the girls' swing set! On more than one occasion, I've rushed outside because she was hanging with front paws inside one swing and back paws in the other swing, belly hanging down in the middle. I thought she was stuck and for how long? All night like that? She was swinging back and forth. But, as soon as I opened the gate, she jumped right out of the swings and ran up to me, tail wagging like this was all in her days work. I told Steve about it and he said he's seen her do it before too. She also likes to dig in the girls' sandbox.

Rosie is getting ready for her big debut as a hunting dog this weekend. Steve is going on a hunting trip to Sioux City with some friends. Steve has worked very hard with Rosie to learn how to retrieve and swim. She loves to listen to him..not so much to me...but does listen to him and does a very good job! I'm excited to see how she does her first time on the hunt!

Well, that's all the update I have for now. I am welcoming fall with big wide open arms. I LOVE the cooler weather. Hope everyone is doing well and is as happy and fulfilled as we are this week. Thanks for all the prayers and support to help me pass boards!!!

Mel