If 5th Graders Had My Job

As the final portion of my internship, I have the task of choosing ten outstanding and creative essays (or, as one little girl called them, "S.A."s) from the 5th graders in Monroe County. Their prompt was: "How would you end hunger & homelessness?"

OH

MY

LORD

they are cute.

and weird.

In many of the essays, the parents' political persuasions are pretty obvious. In others, I can tell that one proud kid annouced, a bit too loudly, his/her perfect idea, which was then repeated in ten other essays. Little shits. Many of the essays are just repeats of the same few ideas, but I thought I'd share some of the gems I've found so far:

• have a charitable "festibal," featuring a show of volunteers with "wacky talents," and give all of the proceeds to the homeless to go to college for at least two, but no more than four, years. With this education, they could get jobs that pay "proximy [approximately] $15-$25/hour. That's over $100/day!"
• have a charitable marathon (the marathon for cancer research, a huge event in Bloomington, was the week before they wrote the essays)
• make the homeless and hungry wear identifying tshirts so people would know who to help (reminiscent of Nazi Germany, but maybe they haven't covered that in History class yet...)
• a little socialist after my own heart wants to make huge charitable donations (to the hungry, homeless, and poor ONLY) mandatory for millionaires (remember the parents' political persuasion thing?).
• make signs that say "end homelessness" and "feed the hungry"
• make tshirts that say "end homelessness" and "feed the hungry"
• make tshirts with turkeys on the front that say "feed the hungry"
• make tshirts that say "will eat for food" (???)
• create a caveman-like society for the homeless and hungry so they can "work together to hunt, fish, and search for fruit[s] and vegetables."
• hire experienced, professional survival specialists to help said society
• migrate said societies in cold states to "sunshine states" in the winter (ok kid, turn the tv off. you've had enough Bear Grylls for a lifetime.)
• give every veteran $100 because they served our country and deserve a fresh start (remember the parents' political persuasion thing again?)
• every sale imaginable: lemonade, bake, garage, car wash, used clothes "that aren't all tore up for the homeless to wear"
• collect food for people who "have to live on the streets or have to live in boxes."
• give the hungry food so "they can be happy and not look grose [gross] because you can see their rib cage."
• "if you have any scraps left over, you can put it in a container and give it to the homeless." The table scraps idea was pretty popular.
• put the homeless in nursing homes
• stop firing people from their jobs
• give a stimulus package to hungry and homeless people (why are you watching CNN, little girl? Watch some freakin' cartoons!)
• have teachers and college students tutor the homeless (it should be noted that this young boy's explanation of the cause of homelessness was when parents are uneducated and fight, then th mother moves in with her parents, then the grandparents can't handle the kids in the house anymore and kick them out--bam. homelessness. experience speaking?)
• install solar panels for heating and air conditioning on metal shipping crates and let the homeless live in them. Arrange the shipping crates in a circular neighborhood with a community garden in the middle. (How freaking adorable--and weird.)
• collect canned goods for the hungry, recycle the empty cans of food, then give the money to the homeless.

Ok, these kids are a complete riot. I can't say I've found more than five solid, unique ideas, but the idea of the essay was to get the kids thinking about the issues.

I did discover one very important thing through reading these essays:

MY CHILDREN WILL NOT GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The composition, grammar, and punctuation is so atrocious that I feel nauseated. I will speak no further on the matter. HOMESCHOOOOOOL

I hope you enjoyed these little dears' ideas as much as I did!

Sitting in Class

I'm sitting in class, learning NOTHING, and resisting the calculation of how much I'm paying per minute to blog through class. Piece of paper. Piece of paper. Piece of paper. Once I can add that additional line to my resume, some idiot will be willing to pay me several thousand dollar more each year. Grad school is an investment, right? Riiiight?

My professor keeps talking directly to me because I am one of the, hm, three people who ever comment or ask a question. He's a genuinely nice guy, but I think we're all SO sick of theory. We're going to graduate and have little more knowledge of how to run a nonprofit than when we did before we came to SPEA. That's freaking concerning.

On an entirely separate note, I've started a pretty solid gym routine, and my thighs HURT. I can't really move them inward or outward without a whimper. I'm hoping to combat the big scary weight gain that come with Depo. It already makes me an emotional freak (I cried during a cell phone commercial last night because they used picture messaging to find a little girl's puppy). I talked to the doctor about it, and she said, "oh, hunny, that's pretty much exactly what you'll be like when you're pregnant. It's the same amount of the same hormone--you better get used to it." Get used to it? Get used to it?! She better get used to a punch in the face. FIX ME, LADY! I feel bad for the poor schlub who knocks me up. God help that poor man.

My brother comes home from Iraq really soon! Mom drove up to NY to hang out with Steph and Anthony, and Doug will join them in a couple of weeks. Between Christmas and New Year, Doug, Steph, and my adorable, chubby-cheeked nephew are visiting Ohio! Many of you know that I haven't met little Anthony yet, so you can imagine how pumped I am! I am the aunt that smothers her babies in hugs and kisses and messy toys that annoy their parents. I can't wait to snuggle this little guy. I feel sorry for everyone else around, because I'm snatching my nephew up and never letting him go.

Oh, sweet Jesus, I still have 20 minutes left of class. Shoot me. I'm going to Facebook for a while and gchat with the rest of the people in the room. Oh, higher education.

I Have a Crush On My Job

I love my internship. I have a big giant crush on the work we do. If it was an above average-looking, brown-haired man with ambitions and a strong love of family and God, I'd marry it.

My coworkers are hilarious, our residents are the sweetest kids God ever put on the planet, and I also spend my day laughing and playing. I spend a good portion of my day trying to look busy. I have my gmail up on another tab, and frequently click back to it and mutter things like, "Jesus, why haven't these people emailed me back?" and "Ugh, why does no one care about homeless youth?" Everyone knows I'm just faking it, mostly because they're faking it, too. It's a fun game we all play. Working in this business has a lot of down time and a lot of fast-paced get-your-shit-together time. It's an interesting balance. Working with these kids is a lot like parenting--screw all of you older folks who complain about teenagers all the damn time--I love them! They call contantly for silly reasons, have life-altering problems (like being late to a movie or running out of orange juice), and get into friendship-ending fights that are forgotten the next day. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to hang out with.

That's really all I had to say. Sometimes I just have to gush. :o)

Another Summer of Saving the World

My internship freaking ROCKS. I think I should probably begin with that bit of information. I wear jeans and flip flops, we have a full kitchen, my coworkers are total riots, and part of my job is to just hang out with a bunch of teenagers. DANG. I can NEVER find a job like Freedom Schools, but I think this summer is going to be wonderful. I have already built a bit of rapport with a couple of the kids, and I spent an hour this morning just talking with one of them.

I have a BAD habit of vocalizing my critiques of grammar and punctuation, and I was doing it today. One of my coworkers very calmly said, "You know, Suzzy, that's a really long document, and although it may need a lot of work, you might want to be kind of careful about critiquing out loud in case someone's feelings are hurt." I realized I was a total jackass. I would never want to hurt someone, so I'm glad she pointed it out to me. She was very sweet, but got the point across. If that is an indication of how the organization is, I'm hooked.

On another note, I'M GETTING A CAR! It's no Ferrari, so don't get all excited that I'm going to visit you every weekend (those of you who live outside of Btown), but I can go Kroger any time I need groceries instead of waiting for a friend to need to go. I can also drive to work on rain days (I have discovered that I love taking the bus to work). A really importantpart of my job is being a useful resource for the kids, including driving them to appointments, job interviews, or just shopping. I am SOOOOO thankful to Aunt Laura and Uncle Don for giving me such an AMAZING gift (and Michael for giving up his old baby)! YOU ROCK and I LOVE YOU!

I have a ton of take-home work to do, so I'm going to wrap things up.


Until next time,

TA-TAAAAA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUCY!

I won't be at my computer tomorrow, so I wanted to wish my darling niece, Miss Lucy Cooke, a great-big-full-of-love-and-smooches "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She has grown SO much, and I really miss being a part of her life in the same way I used to be. She's a gorgeous little lady, and she is as charming as could be. I've been madly in love with her since the staff meeting when Andrew announced she was coming. From her fiery curls down to her marker-painted toes, I just love her to bits! So enjoy the Big Two, LuGoose. Aunt Suz loves you!

My Masterpiece is Finished!

It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted (I should have gone with the duller green color), but the more I look at it, the more I like it! It's definitely unique, and I like that I painted it myself. I've posted closeups of the hands below; some are definitely better than others. I guess if I start to hate it, I can always spend another $3 on paint and make it brand new once again!

Happy Birthday, Boys!

On April 27, two of my ADORABLE nephews had their birthdays. My little buddy, Chase Michael, turned 10, and the too-freaking-cute-for-words Anthony James turned 1. I dedicated my Facebook status and photo to the little darlings all day, and I thought I'd share the picture with you. They're just too precious for words!

LOVE YOU BOYS!

Creative Stroke of Genius of Laura Cooke Proportions!

I have been staring at my sad, beat up, $4 garage sale coffee table all winter long. I've been waiting for the weather to get a bit warmer so I can make this interestingly-shaped coffee table look fresh and fun. All of my staring finally paid off this morning! I have decided how to make it fabulous once more.

I'm going to paint it a deep, chocolate brown (to match my TV stand [also $5 at a garage sale. Holla.]). I will then paint my hands a nice spring green (the color of my laptop, bedspread, oh goodness, I LOVE that color!) and put a handprint in each corner of the table. After letting that dry, I'm going to...get this, people...paint on henna designs. WHOAAAA. I know, I'll give you a minute to handle my greatness.

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**** still admiring? Ok, I'll give you a moment more.

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Ok, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea to have bright green painted hands on their coffee tables, but it is SO mine! Plus, it gives me an opportunity to paint very tiny things, which always centers me and makes me happy to be in the world. And in case you're not sure what henna is, I've included a photo below:

I'm super pumped! When i finally get around to buying the paint (because you KNOW I don't like to pay full price for anything [which drives Ivan and my mother nuts...but they secretly LOVE it]), I'll post a picture of the grand "new" table.

On a furniture note, if anyone would like to visit good ol' Btown on August 1 and surprise me with a comfy couch (ugly is ok, thrift store sheets make great slipcovers) or a couple of kitchen chairs, I'd be eternally thankful!

CONGRATS, IVANI!

Ivan just got his email that he has been accepted into medical school! He's going to the American University of Antigua (it's in the Caribbean--hello, 2010 vacation spot!). He'll study the academic part there, then do his rotations, residency, etc. in the States. I am freaking PUMPED! We've been friends, etc. for quite a long time, and becoming a doctor has always been his top priority. He hit a few bumps along the way, but we all knew he would get into med school. I'm SO proud of him!


Here's the site: http://www.auamed.org/
The picture above is Antigua. Doesn't it look like a dream? I'd much rather be there than Indiana, that's for sure.

Louise and I are SICK!

I was so sick yesterday! I was really considering going to the ER. I was throwing up about every 40 minutes from 1am to 2pm. Yuck. I'm much better today, but I tried to get up this morning and fell right back down on the couch. Dehydration sucks. I was so weak, but I'm on glass #12 today of water, and I can really feel a difference.



Perhaps more importantly, my Louise is ill. I read online that the lifespan of a hyacinth is pretty short, but she's just looking terrible. She grew SO quickly (perhaps 8" since I bought her?), but she's starting to thin out. Her delicious, sweet smell is starting to turn into something quite gross--I'm not sure why that's happening, but she's about to have her flowers trimmed off!

On a completely unrelated note, I think I'm going to start adding pictures to my blog. Laura is the blogging QUEEN, and I am just trying to steal all of her good ideas and improve my own blog. Celebrating Haikusday is tempting, but that is just too dang clever to steal. Sigh. One day I will reclaim my blogging glory.

Assistance Needed!

I woke up this morning and greeted my dear, sweet, Louise. Unfortunately, she is looking very droopy. Does anyone know how to keep the stalks strong and straight on a hyacinth? The poor lil thing is looking very sad. I think I'll leave some Mozart playing while I'm gone today. I remember someone's plant project for the 8th grade science fair that showed that classical music promotes significant plant growth. It should be noted that my 8th grade science fair project was pouring various cough syrups into plants and seeing which ones died faster--I was no scientist.

Leave your advice in my comments, please! By the way, I already did a brief internet search, and I didn't find much.

Thanks!

My Dear Louise

I finally went grocery shopping today with the Kroger gift card Mom gave me. I have discovered that I am super cheap and super shopping savvy (well, at least when it comes to groceries). I know I only use bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, so I buy the 56cent bread. I know I doctor my soups, so I buy the Value brand at 47cent a can. I also just discovered the "must sell" section of the meat department. I bought a pot roast for just under $3, cooked it today in the crock pot, and have lunch for the rest of the week.

Anyway, I was on my way to the checkout, feeling quite proud (and looking quite pretty in my floral skirt from morning mass), and I passed by the flower section. I smelled the hyacinths, and thought, I did VERY well with my grocery shopping. I'm going to buy myself a present. I chose a very pretty purple one. Since I tend to forget about plants and kill them rather quickly, I decided to name this one in hopes that I can take better care of it--er, her. Her name is Louise. She is going to replace the dog that I can't have in this AWFUL apartment.

On a completely unrelated note, the new Quizno's commercials are REALLY starting to make me uncomfortable. If you haven't seen it, the basic rundown is that the oven is sexually harassing the Quizno's employee. It asks his to "put it in" him (the new sandwich). When the employee refuses to rub the oen down with a shammy like "last time," the oven says, "Come on, we both enjoyed that." AWKWARD.

Rough Night

I went to bed at 5am. Well, I went to bed at 10pm, then woke up at midnight for Ivan's yearly April Fool's Day joke (surprisingly, I wasn't gullible this year--I was prepared for the call), back to bed at 1:30, then back up at 3am. Why was I up at 3am? The worst April Fool's Day trick EVER--played by my apartment complex. Unfortunately, it was no trick. Water was dripping/pouring from the apartment above me, soaking the smoke detector and everything in my hall closet. The alarm went off, I freaked, called my rental company, wrote down the emergency maintenance number, and called--twice. It had been disconnected. SUPERB. I then resorted to calling 911, screaming "NOT AN EMERGENCY!!!!" as soon as the dispatcher picked up, and explained the situation. She referred me to the Bloomington Police Dept., who then referred my to the Bloomington Fire Dept. By this time, I was sick of trying to yell over a fire alarm (and it was really freaking me out even more), so i threw an oven mitt at it until it quieted down to a sickly, squealy groan (water and batteries don't play well together...?! Sigh.). I told the dispatcher several times that it was not an immediate emergency and that human lives weren't being threatened, but they still came speeding through the city with their sirens blaring...all three trucks carrying all six firefighters and the fire chief (the picture above is of the fire trucks parked on the street). I understand that it must have been a slow night, and they were probably bored, but I was trying not to wake my neighbors at 3:30am. They investigated, nearly smashed through the window of my upstairs neighbors, and drained their 30 gallon water heater. They will have cold showers this morning. I think it's good payback for all the loud lovin' they do every day at 8am...and 11am...and 3pm...and 10pm. Sheesh.

Meanwhile, three random neighbors from the house across the alley, whom I had never met (or cared to meet), were discussing the situation with the firefighters. They were up at an ungodly hour, no doubt because of all the commotion I brought to the neighborhood, so I kindly offered them a beer from my fridge. It is important to note that the beer was Bass Ale--no cheap Keystone for these fellas. They gladly accepted; I then discovered that they were all drunk, and one was especially obnoxious. They requested/entered my apartment on their own for a tour of the situation, so I begrudgingly complied. After all, a team of Bloomington's finest protectors were just a few feet away. I realized the drunkest one had a cigarette in my apartment, near the dying smoke detector, right in front of the firefighter. I shooed him out with a very stern, motherly lecture on fire safety and respecting people's space, and they all went back home. Yuck.

The fire chief told me their heater had been leaking for a while, but they hadn't felt the need to mention it...idiots. he also said that the manager of my rental company was furious that the emergency number on the recording was wrong, so I began to worry. Would people lose their jobs over this mishap? The economy is bad enough--I had better be sure that the number was wrong. I called the main number back and listened to the recording again...OHHHHH...the area code was 888, NOT 812....shit. I freaked out. After the firefighters left with a flurry of me screaming "thank you" and "I'm so sorry it wasn't a real emergency," I waited another half hour for the maintenance man to finally take down the screeching smoke detector.

The adventure doesn't end there. The maintenance man who came to my house was obviously drunk, and I suspect that he was into meth (rotting teeth, open sores of picked skin, etc.). He took down the smoke detector, then stayed another 20 minutes to tell me about his new Blackberry and walk in stumbly circles. Sigh. While the odd meth man was fixing my flooded apartment, I hear a knock at the door. Who would knock on my door at 4:30am? Oh, hooray--the creepy drunk neighbor boy! He half stumbled into me, asked if I wanted to smoke a cigarette with him, and when I said I didn't smoke and was going to bed, he walked away in a huff in the opposite direction of his house. In the words of the Four Seasons, "oh, what a night!"



On top of that, I have a paper due at 1pm today. Ugh.

I need a hug.

Q & A

I was browsing blogs, and I found this Q & A. Enjoy learning a few completely useless facts about me.

1. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a lawyer for many years. I am fantastic at arguing, and could sell a ketchup popsicle to a lady in white gloves. I think I had some very serious and noble motivation for wanting to practice family law, but the only thing I can really remember now is that I wanted to debate and persuade people as a career.

2. What have you done in the past week to help someone else?
My team won Rally for Service! Rally is a somewhat complex week-long event, but basically my awesome team pulled together and beat the HUGE Nonprofit Management Association team. We are privileged to give over $350 to the Shalom Community Center in Bloomington, the charity we chose. They're fantastic. Google them.

3. Who is the best-dressed person you know?
The best dressed man I know has to be the guy who sits in front of me in Public Organizations. His name is Zach, and he always looks like a thirty-something business executive on the weekend. He looks so put together, but not too fancy.
I'm not really sure who the best dressed woman I know is, but Rachael always looks quite put together, even on her "scrubby" days.

4. What is on your nightstand?
My cell phone charger, in-progress novels I'll probably never finish, a box of the AMAZING tissues with Vicks in them, my stuffed lion named Button that i've had since I was three years old, and a few fancy earrings. I always forget to take my earrings out after I've been to the bar, so I wake up in the middle of the night being poked in the side of the head, take them out, and throw them on the bedside table. They never seem to make it back to the jewelry box.

5. If you were a cat, what kind of a cat would you be?
I think I'd be the kind that lives in a very loving home, but sneaks out every day to explore the neighborhood. I'm a restless and adventurous soul, but I always come back to what I know and love.

6. If you lived in a house surrounded by acres of trees, what particular type of tree would you want flourishing on your land?
I want a magnolia tree or some other tree with giant blooms. I love them!

7. What do you find to be very overrated?
American Idol, most Will Farrell movies, and professional football are my current gripes.

8. How many email addresses do you have?
I'm not quite sure, but I have them all forwarded to my gmail account.

9. Have you ever felt replaced?
Yes, but I'm never particularly upset about it. I mourn the loss of my place in that person's life, but I celebrate the new opportunities for both of us. Wow, that sounded like such a canned, crappy answer. Sorry, but it's true.

10. Would you rather watch football or baseball?
I love baseball and hate football. I think I hate football mostly because I don't understand it. The game of baseball is far superior, but football comes with hot wings and other delicious food. Does that make me a serious fat kid that hot wings make the baseball/football decision rather difficult?

11. What is the wallpaper on your phone?
It's a disco ball. It makes me feel very cool and party girl, even when I'm on hour six of writing a paper.

12. Name a lyric from the song you're listening to.
"But when he's gone, me and the lonesome blues collide. The bed's too big; the frying pan's too wide." --"My Old Man," Joni Mitchell

13. Do you use a feed reader?
I'm not even sure what that is. I assume I don't, but heck, who knows?

14. What chocolate do you always leave in the box?
The fruit creme ones are disgusting. I'm not much of a boxed chocolates girl. I think they're usually worse than anticipated. Chocolate should NEVER disappoint!

15. What would you do if you found out your ex is engaged?
I'd be shocked. I could only hope it would be the oh-so-classy Whitney...hahaha. He'll get that reference. I just don't ever think he could find a chick as awesome as I am, so I'd feel bad that he was settling. ;o)

16. Do words hurt you?
Yes. I am very sensitive. I'm working on thickening my skin, but it's a long, rough road.

17. Are you a talker or a listener? Is it ever possible to really be both?
Anyone who has known me for more than three minutes knows I'm a talker. Anyone who has ever had a problem knows I'm a listener. I hate silence, so I always try to fill it; however, I am a very good listener for anyone who needs one.

18. Have you ever walked on the beach at night?
Yes. It was a bad night. I still feel very sad when thinking of the tide coming in, us sitting on the lifeguard chair, crying, wishing I could swim away.

19. Who is your favorite professional athlete?
Uhhh, any baseball player with big arms and a cute face. Haha!

20. Which TV show have you seen pretty much every episode of?
The Cosby Show. I'm obsessed.

The Hot New Children's Story

Rachael (a close SPEA friend) and I sat next to one another during our Nonprofit class today. We were gchatting (it's instant messaging via gmail, for those of you who aren't hip to the new forms of communication), and our very boring and inept professor said something about a sinkhole. We only listen to about 10% of what he says, but we generally pick up on the extra strange bits. I told her I'd like to watch a sinkhole swallow an old refrigerator. Somehow that comment turned into an entire conversation about sinkholes, and I decided I was going to write a series of children's books about a young boy named Leo who befriends a lonely sinkhole named Francesca. He brings her mint chocolate chip ice cream and veggie pizza, and she tells him of the exciting, magical world inside her tummy. By the end of the series, he decides to give up his boring seven-year-old life for an eternity of whimsy inside Francesca's stomach. Well, here's the kicker folks...she was tricking Leo all along, and just eats him.

The ending was Rachael's idea. She's more nuts than I am.

Perhaps we should pay attention in that class, but we have tried that--total waste of time, believe me. Sometimes grad school really is a "pay your fee, get your B" type of situation.

Oh well.

Blogging Revival...?

I was reminded that people actually do check my blog, so I feel obligated to give the yearning public something.

Life updates are rather boring. Blogs are, by nature, incredibly self-absorbed (and I LOVE it--mine and everyone else's...I am a big believer in blogging), and I don't really care to talk about my life in great detail. If you're curious, call or email me.

I miss the days of serious blogging. I used to make people laugh, cry, and think, all in the same post. It was fantastic. I have seriously slacked. I feel like my life is progressing SO quickly--I can't keep up! Grad school has been a wonderful experience, but awful at the same time. I love my friends here, and living by myself has been fantastic. I've learned so much about myself and my capabilities. Paying bills is satisfying. I pay them on time and in full, which is a very grown-up thing I've never really had the opportunity to do. The coursework has been either impossibly difficult or annoyingly easy. I've had a couple of classes that were challenging and enjoyable, but I've been quite disappointed with the program so far--that sentiment has been echoed by my fellow students many times, so I'm not just being silly. I'm not dating anyone--I know the family really likes to keep up on that (by the way, I think it's hilarious that the older family members are questioning my ability to find a husband and are wondering how the probably-barren body of this old spinster will EVER produce new kids for everyone to snuggle. To those very loved family members: CALM DOWN. I'm still VERY young, and I promise that I will someday marry a nice young man and produce several snuggly little ones for you. Until I call you to invite you to a wedding or baby shower, STOP ASKING. Thank you. I do love you very much and know your concerns are just from your love for me and concern for my happiness.). Since school and my love life seem to be the only real portions of my life most people ask about, let's move on.

I visited Maryland during spring break. Sigh. I can't even express how much I love the people there. The friends are fantastic, and they're the kind of friends with whom I speak every couple of months, but can still rely on for anything and have a great time whenever we reconnect. I went for my little MoRo's baptism (the newest Cooke cutie). Laura's youngest brother, Paul, celebrated his first Eucharist during the same mass, so it was a fantastic event. The Cookes are much more like family than friends, and I have adopted their families as my own, also. I love those folks. They're always full of hugs, rambunctious kids, baked goods, advice, and truly attentive listening (I'll never understand how they do it with at least one child hanging from them at all times). The Cookes (including the Merkels, Laura's family) are just incredibly loving and accepting people. I'm blessed to know them and have them as examples of what successful families are like. And, it must be said that LuGoose has become exponentially cuter. I can't even describe it. I say "AWWW" at everything that girl says and does. She's just perfect.

Ok, I'm going to say goodbye for now. I've been "studying" and "paper writing" for so long that I've seen enough of TLC's giant families shows to make me think about very strange things (Will someone donate college money for the kids like they did diapers and strollers? Which kid will be the rebel and on the cover of Star or People in ten years? Do the parents EVER have quiet time to themselves to just be a couple?). My, oh my. I need sleep.

I hope I can find time to blog more often. I really miss it.