Lara at a reading lesson. Still trying to decide if we should continue it or wait until she is a little older.



We spent the morning at my parents' house yesterday as it was Slaughtering Day! My parents had about 45 chickens to slaughter, pluck, and gut. Dustin was really interested in participating so we drove down there. Poor little chickens.Now, I don't know how, but this guy figured out how to avoid the awful punishment for being a chicken. He got himself a home and name: Diesel. He lives in this tree.Wonderful news: I AM starting to hear better out of my left ear. I continue to have no problems and lots of great progress. I first noticed this the other day, after an ENT appointment, when I found I could hear just fine when listening on the phone using my left ear. It's not like I feel I am hearing better in general, because I only had about a 20-30% hearing loss to begin with (not in the left ear, I am talking all together). But it's just hearing little things on my left side. Like, for instance, the other day, I kept thinking my car window was down a little because I wasn't used to hearing the wind on the driver's side. I feel really lucky about this, as I don't think I was all that hopeful that the hearing bones would be successful.

Lara with her friend Addy, playing while the parents talk.
Addy at Qdoba playing (on the table) with her friend Lara. on Twitpic

What do you think about me getting my master's degree? I had attempted it right when Lara was born, through a school in Scotland with the hope of spending some time there near the end to complete my work. While Dustin reminds me that I really enjoyed the learning, I couldn't continue it once my one class was done because a) it felt like too much work while taking care of a colicky baby and b) I had a hard time learning Scottish-English. (I did not expect that, but there was an issue of trying to decipher meanings through the readings and chatting with other students in Scotland.) Well, I am thinking on it. I would love to get my master's, and it would be in Early Childhood Education. And it would all be done online with practicum at the end, which I would do through opening my own preschool. It's just a thought. I am collecting brochures. But my family comes first; being a mommy and wife comes first, and I will not sacrifice that time. And before anything, Dustin needs to complete his MA thesis.

Well, here is to a life of opportunity and restoration!