Welcome to 2012!!!

Welcome to 2012, everyone! I apologize for being absent for so long. Perhaps one day I will start an entry without an apology. Ha! 

I will begin by updating you on the boys, everyone's favorite subject. The big boys went back to school on Thursday. They weren't too excited.... ok, they were not at all excited to go back. We all had a great Christmas break. We got to spend two full weeks together, all five of us! It feels as though it has been forever since we had time to just relax without work or school or, dare I say it, travel. After getting their electronic gifts at Christmas, Trey and William had to practically be forced outside to play with their friends. We let them be lazy often enough,don't get me wrong, but I wanted them to still be active and not get used to only having online "friends". You can call me a mean mom if you want. :) Speaking of active, it is time for Trey to sign up for a new "club" after school. He has decided to choose flag football for his first choice and soccer for his second this semester. William has been taken under Trey's wing. He has been learning different plays and terminology from Trey. I am so glad they are starting to become better brothers instead of just fighting and aggravating.

Alex got very use to us all being here. I think he may have enjoyed it as much as I did! He got a little bored the last couple days without having his brothers to follow around. However, yesterday morning was his first official meeting with his Speech Therapist. She, as well as the other two ladies that had come before, can see that he is a very smart little boy without being able to physically voice his needs/wants. His therapist will be working with him to help him vocalize better. We have all started using sign language with him, and he is catching on very quickly. Just to clarify, we have no reason to think he has hearing issues, though we are going to get his hearing checked soon with an audiologist. The sign language just helps him "voice" his needs. He knows now how to ask for more food/drink, and say "please" and "thank you". He knows "cat" and "dog" when I do them, but he hasn't quite mastered them. He is moving his mouth in more intricate ways as though he is trying to say words but has yet been able to figure it out. His next appointment, and subsequent, are scheduled on Mondays. I will try to keep you all informed as he grows. I am sure he will do great!

Onto us parents, I suppose. Papa Shu started school this week! He is going for his Bachelor in Information Technology. It will come naturally to him, I am sure. He is so much smarter than he believes. He is not looking forward to the actual coursework, however. His is a lot more involved than mine. Where my classes are to be done in my own time, he has assignments that are to be turned in by a certain day of the week. He also has to post a conversation topic of some sort and comment on so many of the other students' posts. He says he isn't looking forward to all the work that has to go into it while still working and being in the field two weeks out of the month. I can't say I can blame him there, but I know he will do a fabulous job and graduate with honors again. I am so proud of him!

And for Mama Shu... I am doing pretty well. I have completed another course, Music Appreciation. I love music, but I was not a fan of this course. I didn't want to take it, but I had to for my General Studies program. I am now working on my Psychology course (or "psycho-babble" as Robert puts it). I actually find the course very interesting. Aside from the Computer Application course, this is my favorite so far. I have three more exams to take in Psychology, my English Composition course, and two proctored exams to finish this program. As of right now my course average is 97%. Once I get the rest of these exams finished, I will get to move onto my Medical Assistant courses. On a separate note, I had an interview today at the library here on post. I had applied for the position in August and had forgotten about it until she called last week. I think the interview went well. I was there for about and hour and forty-five minutes. They should be getting a hold of me at the beginning of next week. The only issue I have is pay, as far as the boys being in daycare. They will all three have to spend some time in CYS (daycare on post) as the latest I could be working is after 7pm. Having Robert gone half the month, I will have to make sure I have them taken care of above all else. Having Alex in full-time daycare is $430/mo, plus what it would be for the older boys to be in CYS after school. As of right now, I don't know what we are going to do. But, getting the interview is a start!

So, to sum it all up, we are all doing great and starting off 2012 on nothing but a positive note! 

Here are a couple pictures from New Year's Eve:

Alex had already gone to bed when we took these, but I hardly ever get a picture with my husband! Bonus!