Well it has been over a year since I have been able to access this account. It makes it hard to post updates when you don't remember how to log in. A lot has happened in a year. To start with, I withdrew from the MFA program and focused on paying my loans after all. Then my car died a tragic death that had everything to do with age and nothing to do with my particularly unique style of driving. Or perhaps it was the fact that I took my eldest and his siblings out for their first drive in it... yeah I can blame it on that.
Then Will got a job doing more than acting. Did I mention the acting before? I don't recall. He has been working as a human resources officer for a company and started acting on the side. The money was ok and the work was fun so it was something that kept his mind off the fact that he wasn't really working full time or doing what he loves. So he kept looking. And then he found a teaching gig for a free trade zone university. This is the best thing that could have happened to him.
Then he got offered a promotion. He is now an academic dean and teaching MBA courses.
Not only that, he is flying to places like Kuwait and Bahrain to teach one day a month, driving to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to teach one day a week, and all in all is busier as a bee. This has radically changed our life pattern.
See, I am still over working myself, as I usually do. This semester I am on 26 hours. That might not seem like a lot, but if you work in the prep and grading hours that teachers do, you simply double the numbers and that shows you how many hours a week you work as a teacher. I do 26, so that is roughly the equivelant of a 52 hour work week. Usually I stick to 20, which is your standard 40 hour week, but I couldn't pass up the chance to teach the extra classes. Not to mention the fact that the overtime is payed in a lump sum at the end of the semester. And I am teaching 24 next semester, which is 48 hours a week. That is easier than 26. I don't really understand why but the difference between 24 and 26 hours (which is technically 4 hours if you count the prep time) is huge! Not to mention the difference between 20 and 26!
I am still doing IELTS on weekends, but I am limiting it to roughly once a month, to bring in an extra grand a month. This is slowly going to any emergency funds and to pay off the car. I mentioned the death of my car, but what I didn't mention is that we chose to buy, for the first time ever, a new car. We shopped around carefully and did comparisons, and decided on a nice little hyundai, the Santa Fe Grand. It fits all of us, comfortably enough to go to Dubai without fear of squashed kids, and it runs like a champion. Of course it is still new, but we have already driven to dubai, al ain, abu dhabi, and back enough that we are probably going to hit the end of our warantee long before the expected time.
Back to the family.
William started the IB program and had a complete burnout moment, so we have moved him into the A levels where he feels more comfortable and more confident. We are working on finding a good educational psychologist to have him properly evaluated for ADD, as his dysgraphia has had a major impact on his studies over the last few years and his focus has actually grown progressively worse. Finding a qualified expert in this country is more difficult than you might imagine, especially in our location. He is still focusing on science and math because it is easiest for him, but he is confused and feels a lack of direction for the future. I think it might be good to have him take time off after school and work on more physical activities, such as working on Grandma Diane's ranch, rather than try immediately to go into school. He might even be better served in the peace corp. I worry more about him than any of the others. They will make their way, but William is less sure of himself and needs to do more personal discovery before he can find his way.
Zebbediah on the other hand is growing more confident and cocky as he gets closer to his exams. He is expecting to ace through his IGs and fly into the IB program, which would not be a huge step for him. He has grown in popularity and is making freinds like there is no tomorrow. He tells me he wants to be an engineer, so he focuses a lot on his science and maths. He is also working up his french and I do enjoy seeing this brainy child growing into a young man.
Raedrael is brilliant, strong, and powerful. She is growing into a capable and strong willed young woman. While she of course has some difficulties with people on occasion, she is such a little powerhouse that it is hard to remember how young she is. This winter break she wanted to dye her hair, so we did. The blue and red actually looked lovely on her. Then for her birthday (belated) she got her ears peirced. It was belated because I needed to find a proper peircer. I was NOT going to have her go through the physical trauma and damage that going to the mall kiosk with the earring guns does to ears. So when I found a qualified and experienced tattoo artist who offered peircings, I made the appointment. We went to his apartment which had a proper clean room (with booties for shoes) and I watched him take out the sterilized packaged equipment, watched as he replaced the needle for the second ear, and ensured that everything was as sterile and clean as I could possibly have wanted. It was exactly the level of clean I was looking for, and he was extremely professional.
Then she had her orthadontist check up. And in the same visit she got braces (this was a week after the earrings). So for Christmas this year I gave her braces.
I took all the kids to American Eagle Outfitters for clothes they could relax in. A skirt , shirt, and cartigan for Rae, jeans and polos for William and Zeb.
Then I took the boys to a suit store in the mall for their first proper suit. Full suits, jackets, ties, dress shirts, and even dress socks.
For Zebs birthday he had asked for Boots, so I took him to the CAT store in the mall and bought him REAL boots. I figured I could buy him something sturdy that would last for a while. He hasn't really had his feet growing so much anymore, so it worked for me to get him proper boots. I am pretty sure these are the kind of workboots my dad would wear on the job, but it wouldn't matter. Zeb loves them. He has started wearing them to school regularly. The argument is that school requires black leather shoes, and the boots are in fact black and leather. As long as his pant leg hangs down properly you can't even tell that they are boots. He wears them everywhere. I got William sandels. Rae didn't want anything. I am really hoping that the CAT shoes last longer than the Hush Puppies that William wore out in 6 months, or the Birkinstock sandels that he wore for two years which finally cracked and gave him blisters.
The dog is lovely, Lady is still an excellent dog. I need to spend a lot more time working on her training, but I just can't seem to find the time. The cats are all great. Jo has a recurring infection that bothers me, but doesn't seem to bother her so I am working on not worrying about it. All of them need a vet visit, so that is on my MUST DO list.
The family and I are discussing starting a hobby size aquaponics farm in the backyard. We have the space and It is something I would like to try. Our neighbor has chickens which run free range around the neigborhood. I would really rather have ducks, but I am worried that we might have to leave sooner than we would like, so the ducks are on my Not Right Now list.
I think that is enough of updates for today. I am getting back to work. Hope your year was as interesting or better than mine.
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