Mom's got a part-time job

Next week, I'll be starting a part time job as a Nursing Assistant at a 44 resident assisted living facility right here in White Bear Lake. I'll work a couple 4pm to 9pm shifts during the week and 2 shifts every other weekend. This new work schedule will require some adjustments for Dad and the kids, as they will be on their own for dinner and bedtime while I'm working. Crock Pot suppers, here we come!

This week has been busy with Halloween preparations. Ethan's Wall-E robot costume is shaping up and we should finish up the body part (cardboard box painted with computer circuits/parts) this weekend. Mary Kate's costume was easy...she picked out an Elmo costume at Target. All I've got to do is convince her to wear pants and a shirt with for outside trick or treating. She insists on taking off all her clothes before she puts it on.

And we took a trip to the doctor's this morning to make sure the colds both kids came down with earlier in the week aren't anything serious. Despite a horrible sounding cough and sore throats, they are OK.

Ethan is a Level Three Swimmer!

For those of you following Ethan's swimming career, he is excited to announce that after three short months in Level Two swimming lessons, he has been promoted to Level Three!! Ethan truly loves to swim and it is so much fun to watch him in the pool during his lessons. In the past, we haven't taken the camera to lessons, but maybe we will in the future so we can share some swimming photos with everyone.

Birch Lake - August vacation

It's been an incredibly long time since our last post and we apologize! School is keeping Mom busy...this semester it's Biology and Intercultural Communication. Over the summer, it was Medical Terminology, Medical Dosages and Nursing Assistant class and exam/certification, as well as CPR and Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professionals. I'll now be searching for a part-time job as a Nursing Assistant to fulfill the 480 hours of direct patient care requirement for the RN program.

OK, now that Mom's excuses for poor blogsmanship are out of the way, on to an update.

In August, we enjoyed our annual one week vacation at Birch Lake in northern Minnesota.

On our way to the lake, it's a tradition to stop in Royalton and visit a store called Treasure City, which the Grilz family has done since they started going to the resort in the 1960's. The kids took turns as captain of the Robert E. Lee.

Fishing, swimming, boat rides and playing in the sand were favorite activities, as well as playing games in the lodge in the evenings.

Beach time. As you can see, Ethan (in midair) loved jumping off the dock onto a tube.

MK preferred floating in her own boat.

Ethan shows off his prizes from the fishing contest.

This picture is one of my favorites...it captures Ethan's personality so well.

The kids on the their favorite rock.

All of us...