How ya been?

Me? I've been running around with my head chopped off. As usual. Isn't that a normal mommy type thing to be doing? :0)
To catch you all up to speed.....I'll go through it real quick......

I only have three weeks left of class and then I will be officially done with my associates program. I will have an actual college degree. I'm pretty sure there may need to be some celebrating going on at some point around the end of July to commemmorate the occasion. The bachelor's program starts up only three weeks later, so there isn't much "free" time to spare.

I chopped most of my hair off, and because I'm hoping that blondes really do have more fun, I went back to my old blonde hair. It's fun to watch people not recognize me for a minute until they realize that it really is me, it's just not "my" hair. :0) Good stuff.

Jaysen will be leaving me for the second time in two months to run off to some fabulous spot for training in his field. This time he's gone for almost the entire week. :0( We are going to miss him.

Took a friend shoe shopping and ended up convincing her to buy four pairs of shoes. The hubby was not too thrilled about the dollar amount spent, but he does think her sassy cute new plaid ballet flats are wicked awesome. :0)

Four weeks of swimming lessons have finally been taken care of. Now we are on to basketball camp for my son and still getting through dance and tumbling for my daughter.

Work is getting tedious and ridiculous. The hubby knows....he's my boss. :0) Well one of them anyway. My workload has practically doubled, and I am continually harangued by those who could get the information themselves, but are too lazy to do so. I think I need a raise. :0 ) I'll go tell my boss.

Sigh.

Life just keeps on trucking along. So far I seem to be able to keep up with all of it. We'll see how long that lasts.

Toddler for sale.....

I wish I could say she was cheap, but that would be false advertisement. Between swimming lessons, dance class, and a shoe fetish like her mother.....this little one can take a huge chunk out your pocketbook.

But after today.....I would be willing to simply hand her over to you. For free.

This girl is going to give me gray hairs I tell you. Since when did the terrible twos become the terrible threes and soon to be the terrible fours? When does the terrible go away? I don't remember my son EVER being so dramatic. And the temper tantrums she can throw....holy cow! It's like the flick of a switch too. She can turn it on or off at will. My mommy brain is fried. Is it bad that I wanted to just lock her in her room today? Of course, no such thing happened. But the thought did pass through my mind. :0)

Sigh.

I need a margarita.

Sh! It's a secret!

It's June. I'm sure you knew that already....

but did you know that it also means that my birthday is coming up in just a few short weeks? This year marks my 30th birthday. But....

SSSHHHHHHH! Don't tell anyone.

Because honestly......I don't want anymore birthdays. I knew this birthday would be different from the others for me, but I didn't think I would be having this hard of a time with it. I don't feel old, nor do I think that 30 is old. I just feel like I'm in between places right now. I know it sounds random....but I'm wondering.....does a new decade mean I can't try to pull off "Young and sassy" anymore? I'm not going to be in my 20's anymore. The 20's are fun and exciting...right? Except for that I became a mom at 20 and so my fun consisted of Blue's Clues and Spiderman. Now that I don't have an infant in the home any longer....I feel the urge to act a bit more immaturely and want to just have some fun. You know, be crazy.....{as crazy as a mom can get anyway}. But then I remember.....I'm going to be 30. I told the hubby that I felt like I couldn't pull off cute and sassy because I felt like I was supposed to look a certain way now. What certain way you ask? Not a clue. I'm not old. But I have a kid who's almost 10 years old. So, how do you mix motherhood and being young and sassy?

Random thoughts....I know.

I also told the hubby that he was forbidden to celebrate my birthday this year. The present is still expected :0), but nothing else. I don't want the birthday. Maybe if there is no birthday we can all just pretend like I stayed 29. :0)

What do I want for my birthday you ask? Why....what every woman who has had children wants.....

My 18 year old body back!

A little lift and a little tuck.....put everything back into place. I'm not talking sucking or sculpting.....just no more sagging and excess skin. Sheesh....

The hubby says it's not going to happen. He did perk up when I told him I may be willing to enhance certain features if he would fork out the cash for the lifting and tucking. In fact, his exact words were, "Really? So how big we talking?" Such a pervert he is. :0) Alas....he still said this was not the year for any sort of enhancing. I may have to settle for something else.

As long as I don't have to turn 30. But, you all know how to keep a secret anyway right? Just remember.....

Ashlee is 29.......Ashlee is 29......Ashlee is 29......Ashlee is 29.......

Let the chaos begin!

May the HORSE be with you

Morningside Mustangs 2009

I put this on a white tshirt for my son for his last day of school today. His elementary school's mascot is the mustangs and he is obsessed with Lego Star Wars, so I found this quite fitting for him. I sent him off armed with a fabric marker so that all of his friends could sign his shirt.

What does the last day of school mean? It means summer vacation officially has begun. It means my baby is in the 4th grade now. It means......keeping a nine year old entertained for the next three months. I've tried to keep it pretty low key, but after filling in the calendar it seems like I wasn't quite able to pull that off. Go figure. Between swimming lessons for both kids, dance and tumbling for the daughter, basketball camp for the son, golf clinics for the son, and I'm still in school myself.....not to mention that the hubby is going to be gone for part of the summer taking his own set of courses at various locations. I feel tired already......

Oh Happy Day!

Did you see my boyfriend win American Idol tonight? Yes, it's true....I have a slight crush on the boy. I've loved him since Week 1, but when he broke out "Falling Slowly".....I was his forever.

Don't worry....my hubby is fully aware of my obsession with Kris. Though I'm married to the hubby....Kris sings TO ME. Wait...you thought he was singing to you? {stiffling giggles} Well, he wasn't. He was singing to me all these months. What am I going to do now that I can't get my Kris fix on tv every week? Good thing I've bought most of his songs off of iTunes already.....he can sing to me all day, every day.......

Kudos to me!

I'm totally going to brag in this post...just a forewarning. :0)

I am in week 8 out of 9 in this set of classes. These two are the hardest ones in my program, and therefore have been quite challenging. Thankfully, the subject matter has to do with my major and so it interests me. Anyway, as most of you know I am a titch OCD. :0) I like things to be just so. I like schedules and sticking to them. I like knwoing what's going on WELL in advance and don't handle last minute changes well. I also am a bit freakish over my homework assignments. I am a perfectionist in this area. The wording, phrasing, EVERYTHING must be just so. The thesaurus has become my best friend.
Well, I just got back one of my papers from last week and my professor left me a happy little note at the bottom of the grading rubric.

Ashlee, I see in your work a student who should consider graduate school.

OK, so it wasn't like she was chanting my name or anything....but the little pat on the back was so rewarding. The other notes and tidbits she left throughout the paper as well as her praise of my thoughts on the subject matter within the paper didn't hurt either. She said that I offered especially GOOD ADVICE to my mock patients because I offered them a positive outlook and extended hope without passing negative judgments. {Ashlee is beaming}
It hasn't crossed my mind that I just WOULDN'T go to graduate school, but the added bonus of praise from a teacher who has been so nitpicky about my assignments made me so proud of myself. I know, I know....not supposed to be prideful. But poo on that! I'm proud of myself. Juggling school, kids, work, family, and life in general has been quite a challenge for me. There are honestly some days I would really like to just stay in bed because of what was on my to-do list for that day.
So, a pat on the back for me today. I will need it as I am approaching yet another finals week.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Ok, this is going to be totally random....but that is the point of this blog right? :0)
As many of you know, my friend has been in the hospital all week. She was finally able to go home today. I've been just a tad bit preoccupied by it. :0) This isn't the first friend to be rushed to the emergency room these past few weeks either. It is almost surreal to see some of my closest friends having such a hard time. I honestly can't remember the last time I actually CRIED "for real", but I've done that a couple of times here recently. Life is so fragile and it scares me. One moment the world goes by as it usually does, and the very next it's almost as if you are in a different reality.
Anyway....I was thinking about all of this and looking at my "circle" and I kind of wondered....have I formed actual lasting relationships with people? I don't usually let people get too deep into my freakishness :0). I'm pretty sure I would scare off most people. Sure, I let them see glimpses, but for the most part I try to keep it pretty low key. {Low key according to Ashlee that is}
In my classes it is mentioned over and over again about how one of the major aspects of the healing process is the love and support that is offered. Having that support system relieves a lot of the excess pressure and lets the person know that they are not alone in their struggles. I'm not talking Relief Society love and support either {not that I would ever turn down a free meal from the Relief Society} :0)
For me, that almost seems like assigned support. I'm talking about the love and support from people that really know you....but they still love you anyway. :0) It's made me wonder....in my attempt to stay somewhat "aloof" in my relationships, have I prevented myself from having the kind of relationships that I would hope for if I was put in the position that my friends are in right now?
I know....another "deep thoughts" post here. My brain is on overdrive right now. I feel like I've been running around with my head chopped off. But honestly, I can't say that I would change any of the chaos. :0) I think I have put more miles on my car in this last month than I have in the last year. I have truly enjoyed having a sense of purpose though. I would do it for any of you....and I'm not even kidding. You need me....call me. I'm there.
Anyway....sorry for another late night rambling from me. Enjoy a bit of Simon and Garfunkel. They are truly a classic duo. :0)