progress

My home study is slo-o-owly coming along. I went back to the doctor for the another physical and bloodwork (the other was done last July and had to be updated) and I even sent off my I600A!! Now that's progress. Yeah, it's on now! I project that it will be finished with my home study by the end of August. Let's see if that happens!

Meanwhile, on the job front, I have applied to a few more places but there really don't seem to be as many jobs floating around as usual. I hadn't really felt the pinch of the recession or the uneasiness of unemployment until now but I am starting to get just a little, teensy bit nervous. I find out in the next couple of days if I can be hired for the preK position I applied for. It's contingent upon them actually needing new teachers and not being able to fill it with existing teachers currently under contract. If not, I do have some other options that I didn't really want to exercise, but just might.. and then there's always Starbucks; they have that great $4,000 adoption assistance benefit! And I swear, I am /this/far away from applying to doctoral programs. I've rebuffed my parents suggestion of getting a Ph.D. for years cause I'm lazy I didn't think I could write the dissertation, but I just learned that dissertations aren't required for most Ed.D. programs. I had no idea! Since both of my parents have Ph.D.s that's all I ever heard about (and I think to some an Ed.D is a watered down version, a less respected degree cause it doesn't require as much research and theory) but it sounds totally up my alley.

A friend of mine is a professor at UCLA and had lots to say on the matter and was totally convincing. I told him I couldn't imagine going to school full time with a new baby but he assured me that I could find somewhere that would offer me a full ride and that university campuses are great places for young children. I will at least look into it. Like he said, I lose nothing by applying. I can always turn it down or if it's too difficult to do next year, possibly defer. So, why not? So, doctoral programs but since I am really more interested in art-related fields I am going to see what programs there are where I can do what actually interests me.. arts education? art therapy?

Meanwhile, since I am not working yet, I have been organizing my house. Everyday I do a little something (or a lot) and it is slowly becoming less cluttered and more organized. Why do I have so much stuff?? Ridiculous.

For fun, I went to visit my old roommate (the one who got married a couple of weeks ago) before she returns to London. Look at how freakin' adorable her kids are!

I mean, seriously, could they be any cuter?!

I've also gone swimming at my friends pools; enjoyed food, folks and fun at my friend Michele's housewarming; and went to a birthday party with Andrea at a fabulous house with an international crowd. Good, clean (cheap!) fun.