The month of January flew by or maybe I should say, I flew by. Seems like our family has been traveling on one of those high speed commuter trains with barely any time to catch our breath which has made me so thankful that we took the entire month of December to relax and just be a family.

We've dealt with bronchitis, pink-eye and three serious colds. We've got Tanner registered for classes at A&M and Blinn. We've been carting Kate to school, balancing our work-to-school schedule, building bookshelves, teaching, cleaning, skating, fixing leaks and all the other things that go along with home ownership.

I have to admit that it is a challenge to balance the kids, go to work and get Tanner to school. We've had to sit down a couple of times just to make sure the kids are actually getting the attention that they deserve and need. It's hard for me to accept that Tanner has a different parenting style from me. I tend to do projects with the girls, teach them how to fold laundry, put toys away and things like that. Tanner tends to play games with them, send them outside to play and teach them to color. As a result, the house isn't as clean as I keep it. Yes, Mom, shudder, it's actually possible for the house to be messier. Dinner usually isn't made or it consists of something odd like iceberg lettuce with pepperoni, and the laundry piles up until my only day off, Monday, so I spend the entire day doing load after load after load.

They try. They really do, as long as I remind them before I leave for work, or if I make a list of chores. For that, I am thankful. I just have to remind myself that they're not use to just knowing what needs to happen in the house because usually the stuff is already done. On the plus side, when Tanner cleans the house it is the most beautiful house ever. I just don't get how he does it. Everything looks so much neater and tidier when he cleans. So, I have extra appreciation for him on Sundays and Tuesdays since those are the days that he makes a concentrated effort to keep the living room clean because I teach on those days.

Tanner is really excited about attending A&M. He went to a career fair this last week and talked with a lot of engineering companies. Most of them were looking for interns, and they typically only want kids that are in their Junior year, but several of them, when they heard that Tanner had run his own business, asked him to submit an application in September. There are a couple of programs in Corpus Christi that would give him great work experience. It would mean moving there for a summer, but we think it might be worth the effort since it will teach him what to expect in a particular field of interest. Plus, it would be right next to the beach... The really neat thing is that he could take a different internship every summer, and that way he could figure out if there is a particular company or type of engineering that he really likes. There are so many types of chemical engineering: petroleum, pharmaceuticals, bio-medical, industrial, computer, ecological, and then there are the research fields like nano-technology.

So, lots of excitement and adventure seem to be hovering on our horizon.

About kids...well, what can I say? Georgie is a momma's girl. She is currently grabbing onto my shirt sleeve, trying to climb onto my lap while bawling, all because...I'm not holding her. No other reason. Before you think I'm cruel, I've been holding her for the last hour and a half and now she is beside herself with angst. I think her love language might be touch, what do you think? Reagan told me the other the day that the happiest day of her life was her birthday. Kate thinks she is a real ballerina because she has an Angelina Ballerina outfit.

If this blog seems a little disjointed I think it is because I am drinking coffee. Yes, coffee, not espresso. I just can't seem to find a Starbucks that will consistently grind the beans correctly and the last batch of beans was way too coarse for an espresso grind, so I got my coffee maker out and have been brewing coffee for the last week. I know, I should go to Starbucks and return the beans, but it just seems like way too much work right now. Plus, I know if I go, I'll end up with a cappuccino...so they win in the end anyway, right? So, I'm suffering and drinking cafe au lait until I run out of grounds.