Try again?

Well, with good intentions, I created this blog back in December with the hopes of getting back up and running again. To restate the obvious, I didn't quite make it. Oh well, take me out of the running for "world's best blog." I've learned to let go of caring about all the little details in life lately - and it feels GREAT!

Quite frankly, no one has missed much in the past four months...

Dennis is driving for Frito Lay and slowly, albeit reluctantly, is embracing his new white trash/blue collar career. To fully embrace the culture, he's starting saying "get 'er done" a lot more, while showering a lot less. (Where has MY Baby Doll gone?!?!?!) He had four wisdom teeth removed last week, and, well, we all know how much fun sick husbands are... It's been a lonely week, to say the least.

Frankie is now HUGE and gnawing on life with all eight of his teeth. His latest adventures include feeding himself Cheerios, winning a "Most Beautiful Baby Contest" at our local mall and trying to coax Cutie into licking him endlessly while he busts up laughing. Oh, and he also couldn't be more pleased that we recently got cable - not because of Nickelodeon's programming, but because it means the spare remote control (sans batteries) is ALL his with which to play. The simple pleasures in an 8-month-old's life...

Cutie is also well - he turned 10 (aka 70 in dog years) on March 3rd, and still isn't showing it. We were honored when he earned an $9 "special handling" fee during his last trip to the groomers. But, it's not special as in "your dog is great;" more like special as in "your dog rides the short bus to school." So, for those of you who know Cutie, obviously nothing has changed.

As for me, I'm unmanagebly busy with student teaching. I love (almost) every minute of teaching - even with our bomb threat last week. I realized that student teaching is less of a learning experience than it is a filtering process. If you are willing to teach and put up with high school students for no pay for an entire semester, then you certainly have both the passion and tenacity it takes to be a professional teacher. Good news - I love what I'm doing, and wake up every morning excited for the new day! Guess that means I've got what it takes? We're on spring break right now (thus, why I have time to update my blog), which is a much appreciated repreive. Only six more weeks, and I'm a real, live teacher! (Scary thought, huh?!)

My other project is the desperately needed committment to weightloss. Having Frankie helped me lose 25 pounds, but since the adventures of breastfeeding seems to be slowly coming to a conclusion, it seems the pendulum is starting to swing in the direction of putting some weight back on. I've made my goal to lose 30 pounds before we get pregnant with baby #2, which is just unrealistic enough to make the reality of Frankie's eternal only-childedness actualized.

Surprisingly, it seems I have a wicked sweet tooth, conveniently enhanced by a total lack of self-control, which makes weight management a constant battle. It seems the only diet that has truly ever worked is the one I went on during Semester at Sea and my journey in Boston - that is, poverty combined with total starvation. The good news is, student teaching is helping the poverty portion of the plan develop quite nicely. It's the starvation tactic that requires self-control, which is where the problem starts. Nonetheless, the battle ensues.

Well, I suppose that brings our sad, little mundane Mid-West life up-to-date. Stay tuned for more updates and rantings... At least my blog will be updated this week while I'm off! Enjoy the changing seasons, and may Easter blessings be showered upon you all!!!