College Student

I'm starting school tomorrow. I'm so excited! I always hated school when I was younger, but I really can't wait to go back. I'll only be taking two classes, a math class(yuck) and a psychology class. I wasn't sure if I was even going to school this fall. I only just fully decided in the last week. I had applied for a grant to go back to school in June. I did it online and after it was submitted it sent me an email telling me that based on my income I would get such and such amount. Awesome!! In July, I then got a letter from the state telling me that since so many people had applied and the state has no money, I will not be getting money to help with schooling. I was really bummed. The program I'm wanting to apply for requires you to take some classes before you even apply. If I wasn't getting the money, then I couldn't take the classes and then couldn't apply for the program. I have to apply by January 15, 2010 for the next school year. I know I probably won't get into the program for the 2010 year, but I'm hoping I can get into the 2011 year. If I wasn't able to take my classes I may not get into the program until 2012, which by that time Logan would be 3 years old and 5 when I graduate. I didn't want to wait that long. So you can see my dilemma with not getting the funding for school. Well, it just so happens that last week I get something from ICC telling me that I did get a federal grant and I will be able to go to school. Mind you, this was a week before school started. I'm still looking for a job and was hoping I could work my school schedule around my job, but with no job, that's kinda hard to do. I decided to just try and take some morning classes and hope I could get an afternoon/evening job. I go to ICC this past Thursday. I was able to get the psych class for the morning, but the only math class they had available was a night one. I decided to take it because I have to take it to apply for the program. I just hope any job I find will let me work around that class. Oh yes, and I'm planning on applying for the physical therapy assistant program.

Ok, so I think I mentioned this in an earlier blog, but I want Logan to eventually have another sibling. He does have Jason, but he's 6 years older than him and only a half brother. Of course I plan on being married before I have another baby. The thing is, Logan will be 4 years old when I graduate, if I get into the program in 2011. I really wanted Logan to have a closer sibling. I plan on getting a job once I get out of school and work for at least a year which will then make him 5 years old. I don't know how I feel about that. So I told Vince, if we could somehow plan it just right, we could have a baby in one of the summer semesters when I won't have school. He doesn't want to, but I'm hoping I can change his mind. It is a few years down the road after all. If we have another boy, I think they would be ok with being 5 years apart. But if it's a girl, then we might have some problems. It seems like siblings of the same sex get along better. Maybe it's just my family. Ashleigh and I are 6 years apart and we got along pretty good as kids. Now Ashleigh and Brandon are, correct me if I'm wrong mom, 7 years apart I believe. And let's just say they aren't always very civil to each other. But what do you think about trying to have a baby in the summer semester? Here I am talking about babies and I have a 6 month old, but I know the years are going to fly by so I should start planning now :)

Finished!!

Our house is pretty much finished! We only have a couple more pieces of laminate to lay and the quarter round and then the main floor is done!! It's so nice to have a house that is usable. We would still like to tile the bathroom on the main floor, but it's not a necessity. The upstairs isn't really quit finished yet either. We are going to re mud Logan's room and then paint. We'll also be getting different carpet for his room as well. My parents are getting new carpet in three of their rooms and they will be giving me some of the old carpet. That's wonderful because the carpet we have in there now stinks like pee. Now that the lead workers are done we can go full swing into his room. We really are needing to move him into his own room as soon as possible. He wakes up about three or four times a night now and I grab him up right away so he doesn't wake up Vince. If he's in his own room I can let him fuss for a bit to try and get himself fall back asleep.

We had our family reunion this past weekend and it went really well. It was hot and sticky, but Logan did good for the most part. I brought food for the first time. Normally I just let my mom bring everything, but I wanted to really be a part of it. I made a dessert with sponge cake, fruit and white chocolate and I also made lil' pigs in a blanket. Glad I used three packages of lil' smokies cause there were 76 people at the reunion so most of everything got ate up. My mom walked around with Logan most of the day and he was able to meet all his cousins. Everyone thinks he looks like Vince, but everyone on Vince's side thinks he looks like me so we really have no idea at this point.

I'm still on the hunt for a job. Things are starting to get really desperate at this point. We have property taxes due in October and they are going to be almost $2000. Vince barely makes enough each month to pay bills so coming up with this amount of money in two months would be a miracle. I was hoping I'd have a job by this time so we could have saved some money up to pay for these things, but alas, I still don't. The real problem is, if you don't pay taxes someone could pay them off and in essence, own our house. I do not want to lose my house over property taxes. We just finished a huge project on the house. Plus I don't know what we would do if that happened. I don't plan on moving, especially with Logan at such a young age. I just really, truly need a job....now!

Too Long

It's been a while since I've blogged, things have been pretty busy. Logan is getting his first teeth. He actually got them while he was four months old, kinda early I know. He was still too young to hold onto the teething ring so I was giving him tylenol. When the next teeth come in I think I'm going to try teething tablets. He's been grouchy so they may already be coming in....fun, fun. We are finally getting new windows. This is the only good thing that has come out of us living in the city. Our house is loaded with lead which can be very dangerous to a growing baby. So they replaced all the windows and are putting aluminum wrap around all the wood outside. It almost looks like a new house, I'm so excited!!! Now, we just need a new roof.

Vince and I were planning on moving out of this house in four years because there is no chance that I would ever let Logan go to Peoria schools. But now I'm thinking I really just want to move out now. The kids in the neighborhood have a total disregard for other people's property. A few evenings ago we were in the back yard grilling up some pork chops. I can see our front porch from the back yard. These three black kids come around our house and try jumping onto the newly painted porch by grabbing onto the wood and pulling themselves up and over. I was about to yell at them but then one of the turns around and sees me staring at him and he stops. Then they run around the other side of our house and who knows what they were doing then. I can't see that side from the back. I really don't want Logan growing up with kids like that. The parents obviously never taught their kids anything about respect. They just do whatever they please, like shooting off fireworks at 1 in the morning. Ugh!! I hate this city and it's inhabitants so much!!!! Speaking of the city, I have been trying to get a hold of my case worker for the past week now. I accidentally threw away a paper that I needed to redetermine my Medicaid benefits and I need to know what I should do because I can't loose these benefits, especially for Logan. She won't call me back which means I will have to go down to public aid and talk to them face to face. I know there are a lot of people in Peoria County that are on public aid, but come on a week and she still won't return my calls!! I hate to say this, but I think it's true; in Peoria they favor the blacks over whites, plus my case worker is also black which doesn't help me in the least. I'm only using the government's help for now while I'm struggling. I don't plan on being a burden to society for the rest of my life. I don't live on welfare, I plan on going back to school and making something of myself. I just wish my life would turn around faster than I want it to. I just takes time.