sleepless in austin.

Isn't Sleepless in Seatle a love story??

Well, this isn't quite the reason for my sleepless night in Austin. I have this ongoing list that is constantly running through my mind. It is on every other page of every spiral that I can furiously write/scribble/purge my thoughts, worry, and do configurations into. The list is keeping my eyes wide open, my mind jumbled, and my stomach sick. It's too much. Lots of serious if this, then that. Lots of major work, cramming of info into my brain and making sure that I purge it out in just the right way. Lots of processing big moments. What in the world am I talking about??? I'll tell you....in list form.

January 2008: sick, sick, sick (not so much planned, but took up almost our entire break), solidify internship and jump for joy that I got my first choice, begin my final semester of college. assist Alec with completing his first Science Fair.

February 2008: read, read, read & retain, retain, retain...Research Methods, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, and Playful Parenting, in addition to anything that will contribute to the development of my portion of parenting classes I am co-facilitating (& then implement it), and of course hundreds of research journal articles to determine which ones fit appropriately with my 2, 30 page paper requirements. Get the best grades I possibly can so that I can afford to lose any points I might need leeway on for the final papers (nice, positive way of looking at it..geez). Write the rough draft of the literature review that thankfully will overlap for both papers, observe 15 parenting classes/workshops, and attend Alec's aunt Janet's long awaited wedding to a wonderful man. Oh, and complete that massive wall in my room for a more peaceful view...the final touches are still in the works.

March 2008: on the 5th take my midterm, on the 7th take my COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS that determine graduation, spring break, create my teacher portfolio, write the rough draft for each paper, and celebrate Easter.

April 2008: Write and complete BOTH final papers, attend the teacher job fairs which are basically the "in" for teaching positions, present my internship experience to the entire Family & Child Studies department including faculty and staff, complete my internship, get a visit from my dear dear friends, the Grimmer's.

May 2008: take the Research final exam, the 9th at 2pm is GRADUATION where I will be receiving my Masters Degree!!!, the 18th signifies my 10th year of motherhood as my cute boy turns 10 years old. My best friend Jaime is trying to get me to celebrate that moment by completing a mini-triathalon. I'd likely be finishing about the time of Alec's birth which in itself is almost worth embracing and doing no matter all that I've listed above. I need a physical experience that forces me to use my mind and body together for something beyond what I'm feeling capable of. It could be a defining, empowering, life changing event. I need it, but can I pull it off in the mix of it all???

June 2008: work, work, work (the drive-in, Girl Power...where I will be work work working is yet to be determined); prepare my classroom (assuming I get hired at the job fair in April).

July 2008: the 9th I will turn 30 years old. I'm embracing it...because quite frankly I've felt 30 for years now. But still, my instinctive thought is, crap.

August 2008: finally quit the job I have been holding onto since I was legally able to join the workforce at the ripe ol age of 16. It's a milestone in itself. Begin my grown up job that I have aquired my impressive amount of student loans to do (again assuming I get that job in April). This jaunt to the new job (if all goes as planned with 1st choice of district and what not) will be a commute. Alec will begin a new school for the first time ever, most likely where I will be teaching, and also most likely about 25-30 minutes away.

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008: look and solidify a possible move (to be in our new district).

December 2008: move out of our apartments that we moved into when my Alec was a wee 7 month old. We will have officially lived here a decade. Hopefully it will be time to transition into a cute little OLD old oLD "grandma house" with tons of character (a rental of course)...which brings a move into the picture. This also brings Alec leaving his neighbor friends, and us changing wards in our church to be in our new area. Christmas break- the plan is to be settled into our new pad so that all we have to think about is SLEEP. And then wake up January 1st to a much less eventful 2009.