Well, I'm surviving the heat ok. We've got all 3 of our airconditioners going full blast and they are keeping the whole house cool. We finally got our pool up, so have been really enjoying that. Patrick and I spent an hour and a half in it last night after he got off of work. It was gorgeous out. A new moon so plenty of stars to see. A good way to unwind at the end of the day. If anyone wants to come out and go swimming, you are more than welcome. Bring the kids, it will be fun.

Anyway, Patrick and I got registered for school. I'm taking 6 classes and he's taking 5. I have four regular ones and two online. Patrick has 4 regular and one online. I built some time into my schedule this time to get homework done away from home. It was just too hard last semester trying to do it all at home with my kids here. I have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Patrick has class on Mon, Tues, Wed, and Sat. Tuesday I have it starting at 10, then 1:30, then 5. There's an hour and a half lag between my afternoon classes and then Patrick has class till 9:40 when my 5 o'clock class ends at 7:30, so that gives me 2 hours there to work on homework. Then on Thursday I only have one class at 7:40, but I drop Patrick off at work at 3:30, so I have 4 hours to work on homework there.

I'm looking for someone to babysit on that Thursday. Grandma will do it, but she doesn't want to. Thursdays is her lodge day. I'm willing to negotiate with someone for the time on Thursdays. My son goes to bed at 7:30, so he can be put down then and the only kid that anyone would have to worry about is Dayanera. She goes to bed after it gets dark (between 8:30 and 9:30). If I have to, I can give up some of my study time and drop my kids off at a sitters later. I'd like at least an hour and a half, if I can get it. So that would mean dropping kids off at sitters at 5:30 or 6. I need this for the semester.. 16 weeks. It's only one night a week and I'll pay 250 for the whole semester. That's what I pay my Grandma for a day like that. She'll be getting 250 for Tuesdays. It kills me to pay out 500 a semester for babysitting but it can't be helped. sigh. Anyway, I pay in November (when we get student loans), so whoever does it will get the money in a lump sum. So does anyone want to make some extra money? You'd make my Grandma a happy camper. She's getting old and her health isn't that great. Some industrious person could take both days if they'd like and make the whole 500. Tuesdays is from 9:30 till about 10. It's a long day but like I said kids go to bed starting at 7:30. And on Tuesdays Dayanera is in Preschool half the day so you wouldn't even have her till like noon. Anyway, if anyone is interested give me a holler. I gotta find someone by the second to last week in August when school starts. I promised Grandma I would ask around.

Well, I need to get some house work done around here today. The kids have my living room trashed as usual. Par for the course with kids. Talk to you all later.

Blessings,

Natalie/Em