Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Have you missed me?

It's been a really long time since I've posted a blog. I decided to just have this blog and give up my previous blog for good. That blog was so focused on my weight that I didn't feel right posting about anything else.

My life is crazy, but in a good way. I'm going to school full-time, studying Social Work. I love it. I'm working full-time, too, at the local high school. I don't love that quite as much. The work is good, but I would rather do less of it. I found out last week that my student is moving to Phoenix, so it might not be much of a problem for much longer.

Adrienne has jumped headfirst into the high school experience. Drama club, playing drums in the Jazz Band, singing in the choir, learning French, writing, learning, boys. It's practically a full-time job just getting her around to her bazillion things.

Nick has been totally integrated at school this year (regular classes instead of spending all day in a self-contained classroom.) I didn't expect it to work, and I've been incredibly pleasantly surprised. He's passing all his classes, doing the same work as everyone else, and he's holding it together emotionally and behaviorally for the most part.

Ruby will be three in six weeks. Amazing. She's talking up a storm, as opinionated as her mama, and absolutely fearless.

Kevin is still Kevin--working hard. Still would like things to always stay the same, forcing us to find a balance between my need for change and his need to never ever ever change ever.

That should catch you up on us all!

Here's somethings I'm sure I'll be writing about in the next few weeks:

I'm advising the school Writer's Club, which I'm totally in love with. I have half-a-dozen kids all jazzed up about Nanowrimo. They've made their goals and we meet every week to discuss their stories. They have so many great ideas, I'm feeling inspired. I've mapped out my own Nano story. Because, you know, I don't have enough on my plate. Luckily we have a lot of time off of school in November...a whole week for Thanksgiving, plus an in service day in there.

I submitted a story to Amazon's Breakthrough Novel contest. It's the novel I wrote for Nanowrimo in 2005. Keep your fingers crossed for me, eh? And send me some good publishing mojo.

I also submitted a short story to Ellora's Cave. It made it past the first editor, and now I'm waiting to hear from the acquisitions editor. More mojo, please?

The Alburger family is attempting to get a little greener, a little simpler, a little less consumption-driven. I'm certain that I'll feel moved to post about my thoughts on this topic. Sometimes they are the only thoughts I have.

And pictures. My goal is to post a bunch of them.