GRE Scores

They're not really amazing but I think they will get me into grad school, so HOORAY!!

Verbal/Analytical - 510
Math/Quantitative - 390
Writing - won't know for about 2 weeks, but I think I did really well on this section. I'm hoping my writing will up my score by a hundred points or more.

I am just really glad I got the dang test over with. I hope I never have to take it again!

Happy Early Halloween

We have had quite an eventful weekend here. BigBro and DocRom came to town to celebrate Halloween with us a little early. We had big fun sitting around our fire and catching up. On a more serious note, we took Evelyn to the ER on Sat. morning because she had an infected bug bite on her thigh. The doctors were concerned about the bite and suggested surgery to get the abcess drained and healed. Luckily, the abcess started draining on it's own and everything seems to be getting better. We go back tomorrow for a follow up. So that was our wacky fun weekend. Here are some pics. =)

GRE

October 27th at 9AM

Jen aka Evilynmo vs. GRE

The first and long awaited match up of Jen and the GRE.

Maybe this is "normal".

Evelyn hasn't gone to daycare in 2 weeks. We decided to pull her out because she kept getting sick after going, even for just 6 hours a week. Evie has been sick for like a month now, and she still isn't 100% yet. So now I am beginning to wonder if this runny nose/moody/clingy phase is just Evelyn's "normal". We've taken her to the doctor twice in the last month and they say the same thing every time, it's a virus and we just have to wait it out.

So I suspect there is a conspiracy among pediatricians to make parents of toddlers believe their kid is sick, instead of revealing the truth which is that 1-2yr olds are just snotty, in every sense of the word. Of course I think Evie is the most precious, adorable, smart, and talented, snot-filled toddler that ever walked the earth, no doubt! But the lack of sleep that accompanies the sick toddler syndrome is pretty sucky when it lasts for over a month. I really can't complain too much though. Evie does sleep well every once in a while, which is wonderful. And Ben and I switch off nights, so usually one of us has gotten a reasonable amount of sleep on a given day.

But to be honest things in our world are going pretty well. Evelyn has suddenly and adamantly stopped taking a bottle. She won't even drink water out of a bottle. It is what we wanted to happen but it kind of surprised us that we didn't have to fight her on it at all. Also she has really started eating like a champ! It's hard to know what she'll go for at any given meal, but in general if it has bread and cheese she will be into it.

Another new development in our life is the start of potty training. I know she is only 15 months and she doesn't need to PT yet but we noticed that she goes off by herself to poop and she sits on a chair to poop too. Those are pretty obvious signs that we can recognize and use to train her to poop on the potty instead of in the diaper. We haven't had a poop since we got the potty chair, but hopefully she'll think it's cool to poop in the potty. I bought a book for her with pics of toddler girls using the potty and I got a book for myself about early potty training. I would love for her to be diaper free by 2 yrs old, we'll see. If she isn't potty trained by then it's not a big deal.

Also we have word that we will almost definitely be here for another 3 years. The Army has basically ok'd Ben's paper work which would keep him here and active duty for another 3 years. Ben and I are both thrilled financially. We're both worried and concerned about what the next 3 years of active duty will bring to our family. We're hopeful that he won't be deployed but the reality that he could be deployed is looming over both of us. I don't think about it all the time but it is always in the back of my mind.

Ben starts his MBA classes next week! He is getting his MBA through Phoenix University online. We know it isn't prestigious but he just wants to get a masters degree. I'm excited that he'll be done in 1.5 yrs or less, that is awesome! I wish my masters program were that easy. I need to sign up to take the GRE and get my application together. I'd love to start classes in the spring or summer but we'll have to see.

Half marathon training is off to a slow start but I think we're doing well and I really think we can do it. We just have to make ourselves get out there and run. It's not easy with a sicky toddler but we will persevere!

I am a Triathlete

I am so proud and excited that I finished the triathlon! This was my first race of any kind and I loved it! I got so pumped up the morning of the race and I just stayed super pumped the whole time, it was awesome! We all finished the race and none of us came in last, I am really proud of us, this was the first triathlon for all of us. We won't have our official times til today or tomorrow. I know I beat Gramper and DocRom. It is too close to call a winner between BigBro and I. Here are some pics from Tri day.


Here's Ben and Evie cheering me on for the swim.



Here's me coming out of the water.



Here's me coming back from the 13 mile bike ride. And here is the transition area.




Here's me going out to do the last leg of the race, a 3.1 mile run.



Here's me running to the finish line!! Whoo HOo!



And here's our Tri Team after the race =)



The only thing I didn't like about this experience was how awful I felt after the race. I was nauseous and had a splitting headache for 4 hours after the race. I think next time I will eat during the race and I will drink Gatorade. I drank water throughout the race but Gatorade and some food probably would have saved me from the post race awfulness.

Lake Stay Before the Triathlon

Here are some pics of our stay at the lake the day before the triathlon.

Here's Gramper and BigBro with Evie.



Here's Evie running around Grammy and DocRom.



And here's almost all my favorite guys. (TwinBro is missing.)



And here's Evie with her Grammy and Gramper.