IT'S ALL ABOUT THE U -- Yes, it really is!

Now, I am a LSU girl. I love them. If I had to choose colleges/universities right now to submit my transfer record to, LSU would be on top of the list (along with Tulane). They are my NCAA team through everything. And all was right in my world when they won the NCAA World Series last year. But......... I want my son to go to the University of Miami (FL). Why? Because they have one of the best NCAA football programs in the country. Sure, their record hasn't been showing it, but look at the football talent that has gone through there. Some of the current NFL players -- Frank Gore, Devin Hester, Darnell Jenkins, Ray Lewis, Willis McGahee, Santana Moss, Sinorice Moss, Clinton Portis, Ed Reed, Glenn Sharpe, Jeremy Shockey, Santonio Thomas, Jonathan Vilma, Reggie Wayne, Kellen Winslow II, among others. Past NFL talent includes, among many others - Bennie Blades, Ken Dorsey, Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly, Jim Otto, Warren Sapp, Vinny Testaverde, and Sean Taylor. Now, why wouldn't I want my son to go through their program? Yes, I am one of those moms who wants their son to be the next football star. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't. But, if it does, you won't find a more proud mama in the world!

Now, there is a Hurricane fan in my household -- my husband. He always has been, always will be. So, Miami clothing is normal around here.

So, I took these pics of Connor just for the hubby. Ok, and the fact that one day I hope he does play college ball there.

Updates, updates, updates.....

Well, it is 20 days into 2010 and I have only written one blog for 2010. I always tell myself around December 30th that I will blog at least 5 times a week. It never happens; I don't know why I keep lying to myself about it. So, since I've already ruined the 5 times a week thing, I am resolution free!



Updates on us:



Chris -- Not much to report on. He's still working.... and hating it.



Me -- Spring semester has started for college. I am only taking 4 classes this semester: Intermediate Accounting, Auditing, Cost Accounting, and Principles of Macroeconomics. Hopefully I'll do decent this semester, and keep current in my classes instead of falling behind.



Crystina -- Well, in as little words as possible, she is no longer a little girl. And we'll leave that at that. However, no - Daddy and I are not dealing with that all that well. Its a hard fact to face. Also, on the Tina front, she has become such the typical teen lately. However, this attitude just isn't going to cut it here anymore. She blatantly lies to us. I mean we can literally sit here and watch her do something, see it with our own eyes, then ask her about it and we get the "It wasn't me. No I didn't!" Any advice on how to curb this attitude, please let me know. I just don't want *my* kid to be the lying, stealing kid!



Carolyn -- Has become highly whiny. I mean every time she says something its with a whine. She is still such a tattle tale. Every little thing is something I must know about whether I want to or not. I mean do I really need to know that one of the kids is wearing mis-matched colors? Not really, but apparently Carly thinks I do.



Caitlyn -- She is still my tomboy. She is also the more aggressive of the 4 youngest. She still loves wrestling and is determined to one day marry John Cena. Not sure how to break it to her that it will most likely never happen, but for right now she can dream. It's either him or Mickey Mouse and I really don't want my daughter to marry a mouse! LOL



Charlotte -- Still convinced she is a princess and says that one day her prince will come for her. I hope her fairy tale happens for her. She is prissy and loves to dress up.



Cheyenne -- Is the most talkative child I have ever encountered! She talks from wake up to bedtime and even in her sleep! She still sleeps with us. I don't think she understands how it's going to be once Connor is born. She prefers to be right between me and Chris. She's still a little chunky thing!



Courtney -- Is still my runt! She is barely wearing 18 months; they are still too big on the waist but she needs the length. She loves all things monkey. She's obsessed, I would say. I even call her my little monkey because of her long legs and arms.

Pregnancy -- I am 33 weeks along now. I am eager to meet my baby boy. I am eager to have my body back. I don't share that well, body space included. Chris and I have been arguing over the details. You know, which college should Connor play football at, what position, what we would do if he got drafted to an NFL team we hated (cough... cough.... Cowboys). You know, all the things parents of boys worry about during pregnancy! LOL Just 7 or less weeks and he'll be here! I so cannot wait!

Semester Update

This was the list I made on November 21st of assignments that needed to be done by the end of this semester.

1) Accounting for the Small Business –
Final project due 12/8

2) Computerized Accounting –
Chapter 13, E-mail reports due 11/22
Chapter 14 due 11/22
Test 3 due 11/29
Final project due 12/6

3) Interpersonal Communication
Discussion 4 Due ASAP
Discussion 5 Due ASAP
Discussion 6 Due ASAP
Discussion 8 Due ASAP
Discussion 9 Due ASAP
Paper for 10/17 Due ASAP
Paper for 11/7 Due ASAP
Discussion 10 Due by 12/14
Discussion 11 Due by 12/14
Discussion 12 Due by 12/14
Final Discussion Due by 12/14
Assertiveness Quiz Due by 12/14
Stress Management Quiz Due by 12/14
Conflict Resolution Quiz Due by 12/14
Final Exam Due by 12/14

4) Principles of Accounting
Chapter 22 Quiz Due by 11/29
Chapter 22 Homework Due by 12/7
Chapter 24 Homework Due by 12/7
Final Exam Due by 12/6
Computer Problem #2 Due by 12/6

5) Survey of Economics
Chapter 3 Due ASAP
Chapter 4 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 5 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 6 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 7 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 8 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 9 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 10 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 11 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 12 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 13 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 14 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 15 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Test 1 Due ASAP
Test 2 Due ASAP
Test 3A Due ASAP
Chapter 17 Pre, Post, Quiz Due 12/4
Test 4 Due 12/7

6) Greek Mythology
Chapter 20 Assignment
Exam 2
Exam 3
Exam 4

As of today, this is what I have done:

1) Accounting for the Small Business –
Final project due 12/8

2) Computerized Accounting –
Chapter 13, E-mail reports due 11/22
Chapter 14 due 11/22
Test 3 due 11/29
Final project due 12/6

3) Interpersonal Communication
Discussion 4 Due ASAP
Discussion 5 Due ASAP
Discussion 6 Due ASAP
Discussion 8 Due ASAP
Discussion 9 Due ASAP
Paper for 10/17 Due ASAP
Paper for 11/7 Due ASAP
Discussion 10 Due by 12/14
Discussion 11 Due by 12/14
Discussion 12 Due by 12/14
Final Discussion Due by 12/14
Assertiveness Quiz Due by 12/14
Stress Management Quiz Due by 12/14
Conflict Resolution Quiz Due by 12/14
Final Exam Due by 12/14

4) Principles of Accounting
Chapter 22 Quiz Due by 11/29
Chapter 22 Homework Due by 12/7
Chapter 24 Homework Due by 12/7
Final Exam Due by 12/6
Computer Problem #2 Due by 12/6

5) Survey of Economics
Chapter 3 Due ASAP
Chapter 4 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 5 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 6 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 7 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 8 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 9 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 10 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 11 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 12 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 13 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 14 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Chapter 15 Pre, Post, Quiz Due ASAP
Test 1 Due ASAP
Test 2 Due ASAP
Test 3A Due ASAP
Chapter 17 Pre, Post, Quiz Due 12/4
Test 4 Due 12/7

6) Greek Mythology
Chapter 20 Assignment
Exam 2
Exam 3
Exam 4

So far my grades are:

Computerized Accounting - B

Accounting for the Small Business - A

Principles of Economics - B

Principles of Accounting - No Comment

Greek Mythology - Not finished

Interpersonal Communication - Not finished

A Dirty Word: Procrastinate

pro⋅cras⋅ti⋅nate [proh-kras-tuh-neyt]

–verb (used without object)
1. to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
–verb (used with object)
2. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

This has totally been me lately when it comes to schoolwork! I am so behind, it is really not even funny. I chose to take online classes because let's face it -- I am way too busy to have to go sit in a class at a set time. I have 4 kids under the age of 5. Plus 2 of school age that I home school. I always end up doing my schoolwork late at night after the hubby and kids have gone to sleep. And just like the previous 2 semesters, I have allowed myself to get behind. I always do it. I start out great, everything done each week and always on schedule. That usually lasts a couple of weeks, then I start slipping. In the classes where there is an absolute deadline, as in the professor pulls the quiz off line and refuses make ups, I am usually found doing it within hours of that deadline. And in the other classes where they give you a suggested timeline but all you have to do is make sure you have all assignments done by the last day of class, I am usually working 10 hours a day the last week to get them done. So, this semester is no different. I am once again behind in almost every class.

How far behind, you ask? Let's put it this way: I am currently taking 6 classes totalling 18 credits. Here is how far behind I am in them:

1) Accounting for the Small Business - I can say that I am not behind in this class. All I have left is my final project due 12/8.

2) Computerized Accounting - Again, I am not behind. I have to complete Chapters 13 and 14 and email 2 reports by midnight EST on 11/22. After that, I have my final test due by 11/29 and my Final Project due by 12/6/

3) Interpersonal Communication - Hahahaha!!!! Ready for this? I have to complete 5 online discussion questions and 2 papers just to be caught up. I still have 3 online discussions plus a final discussion, 3 quizzes and a final exam that are due by 12/14. Wonderful. This class wasn't even a requirement. I just thought it would be a good subject for someone who wants to work with the public. WRONG! I learned that I was a doormat and my parents set me up for failure as a child. Oh, and I'm prone to health issues due to my communication skills. This class was such a self-esteem booster, I tell ya!

4) Principles of Accounting II - This is one of those classes where the professor is strict and you will not ever be behind! I have to complete 2 chapters of homework and 1 quiz by 11/29. I have my (optional) Final Exam and a computer problem due by 12/6. I will be taking the optional exam. It replaces my lowest test grade and heaven knows I need a better grade.

5) Survey of Economics - Just to be caught up I have to complete 1 quiz in chapter 3 and 3 quizzes in each of these chapters: 4-15. And complete 3 tests. Then, I still have 3 quizzes in Chapter 17 due by 12/4 and one test due by 12/7.

6) Greek Mythology - Oh, just shoot me now!!! I totally hate this class. I had to take a Humanities course for my degree. Yeah, well, this is what you get when you let your husband choose a class for you. I love Mythology, but this class is ridiculous! I have to email my professor because a) I haven't done an assignment in 2 weeks, b) I've missed 2 tests and I know she allows makeups, but I need those 2 tests plus the last one mailed to library in Louisiana so I can have them proctored there and c) For extra credit I am reading Homer's Odyssey and saw another book I want to see if its acceptable and what I need to do for the credit. Blah.....

And, did I mention that I have registered for my classes in the spring. And again I have probably bitten off more than I can chew: Intermediate Accounting I, Cost Accounting I, Auditing I, Principles of Supervision I, and Principles of Macroeconomics.

Right now, the dirtiest word in my vocabulary is procrastinate. Does anyone know if there is a support group for people like me???

25 Randoms

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you (or even didn't tag you), it's because I want to know more about you...

I'm not doing the whole tag thing. If you post this about yourself, leave a comment so I can read yours.

25 Randoms About Crystal

1) I never dreamed of going into accounting. It was the page I flipped to and so I chose it. When I did all my personality assessments in my College Orientation class, my answers always came back to Accounting as one of the best majors for me. Guess something was telling what to do when I enrolled!

2) I do not trust very easily. If I give you my trust, don't blow it because you will never have it again. I won't eliminate you from my life, but I will never trust you 100% again.

3) My favorite toy as a child (and I was an 80's child) was Cabbage Patch Kids. I had 6 of them including 2 sets of "twins". Was it a glimpse into my future?

4) I used to be very active in 2 charities: March of Dimes (for my miscarried babies) and PanCan (Pancreatic Cancer Research in memory of my granddaddy). I miss it.

5) I love History. I could sit in a history class all day long and never be bored. When I was 10 I could tell you the chronological order of every Civil War Battle with general's names and casualties for each side. I have since forgotten this information!

6) When my first child was born, I did everything as I was told to. By the time #2 was 6 months old, I discovered I had a brain and capable of having my own thoughts. I am technically, by definition, classified as a "Crunchy Mama".

7) I was raised as a Washington Redskins fan. I always have been, until now..... Louisiana takes control over you and I am now a Saints fan. I still love the 'Skins though!

8) I love spicy food, which works out great considering I'm in Cajun Country!

9) I am 100% a computer geek. I taught myself everything I know on a computer. And if, you want the answer to something, I will find it!

10) I am a Republican. The only thing I will not agree with the republicans on is banning gay marriage. I believe they have just as much right to be miserable like the rest of us. Just kidding, about the miserable part. But, yes I believe they should have the same right to legally be called married as I do.

11) I find great fault in the Welfare system of this county. There are too many benefits abusers in the system and obviously nothing is being done about it!

12) I hate that the mother to my youngest nephew doesn't let me have contact with him. No matter what my brother does or says, I love that little boy and want to be in his life. I've already missed a year!

13) My favorite color is Pink! I LOVE PINK!

14) My dream is to one day have my house with palm trees in the yard.

15) I love to cook. I will cook all the time. I just hate cleaning it all up! I make up recipes, I collect recipes. I just love to cook! End of story.

16) I was anorexic/borderline bulimic in high school. By borderline, I mean I never made myself throw up; I just exercised my tail off. I starved myself for almost 4 years; eating little to nothing each day. I weighed anywhere from 80-90 pounds all 4 years. I weighed 85 the day we graduated in 1996; 90 when I got pregnant in 1997. I stayed that way until 2001. I'm not proud of it and I don't need criticism.

17) I can get lost anywhere! But I can always find my way back out, just don't ask me how I did it!

18) I have an above average IQ and graduated with honors, barely. I never applied myself in high school. One of my major regrets!

19) I believe everything happens for a reason, even if it hurts like hell! I've made mistakes, hurt myself, hurt other people, but in all honesty, if I change those mistakes then I change who I am today. And I don't want that.

20) I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. My cabinets have to be a certain way. My drawers have to be organized a certain way. Clothes folded right. Dishes washed in a certain order. I will even eat my food in an order 90% of the time.

21) I have 7 piercings: 3 in each ear and my tongue. Want to get my navel done.

22) I was once a volunteer firefighter/EMT. I left when I became pregnant with my oldest twins (2005). Sometimes, I miss it.

23) I love the shows "Girls Next Door" and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians". Also like the show "Jon and Kate plus Eight". The Duggars annoy me so I rarely watch that. My favorite show is House though.

24) We all have a "celebrity crush". No matter how old we get. I don't know many people that don't. Mine is Jeremy Shockey, TE for the New Orleans Saints.

25) I have 2 items on my current wish list. Jeremy Shockey jersey's. One is from the Saints ($60) and the other was his college one ($190). I've been granted permission to buy the NFL one. Chris about passed out over the College one. LOL

A Look Into 2009!

Again, better late than never! Here are my goals for 2009:



1) Already broke this one: Blog every day. So, I'm changing it today to Blog at least 3 times a week. Maybe that will work better for me. I have 4 blogs, so this will be easy or a challenge depending how I look at it. Blog at least 3 times a week no matter which blog or blog at least 3 times a week in EACH blog. Hmmmm........ Please be sure to check my other blogs out.

2) Stay on schedule, if not ahead with my schoolwork. Last semester I allowed myself to fall behind which really hurt me. So, now I plan to stay right on with the syllabus, even if the professor gives until the end of the semester to have quizzes and such done.

3) Another school related one - Pull my GPA up to a 2.5. It's possible but I have to stay focused in all of my classes!

4) Find more interesting ways to teach the girls. I so hate structured school (hence why i take online classes).

5) Get us all officially moved to Louisiana.

6) Meet Jeremy Shockey (of the New Orleans Saints). Haha....... Just kidding although it would be cool!

Accounting Workbook for Dummies

I normally don't do product/movie/anything reviews, but this one is worth the time! I went to Barnes and Noble about my books for the semester and wandered through the Accounting book section. Now, I got behind in Accounting last semester because I didn't ask for help when I first needed it. This semester I have 2 Accounting classes. I decided that I needed to do some remediation. I quickly glanced through the shelves and settled on this book:

I am only partway through the first chapter and feel as if I am learning so much. It explains a subject then gives you sample problems. It also has detailed answers so you can see how the answer is what is. This book is for someone who has a background in accounting, not for a first timer.

From DC to SC

Sunday night Chris got the call from his boss that he needed to leave DC and go back to Charleston. So, Monday morning we pack up and head out. Now, this is a 9 hour journey. Yay for me! So, about 15 minutes into this trip I decide to start the License Plate game. 600 miles and 9 hours later, I successfully found 40 states, DC and 3 different locations in Canada (are they called provinces?). Chris swears he saw Alaska while I was napping. He very well may have, but I didn't so it didn't count. LOL

I have narrowed it down to 4 places I would live and possibility of another. The possible one depends on how I like Louisiana when I get there. The other 4 in order of preference are Corpus Christi, TX; Charleston, SC; Elizabethtown, NC; and Mooresville, NC. So one of these plates could be in my future:





I also saw a few good movies the last few days: The Comebacks (ok, wasn't good good but it was good enough for a laugh); http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790804/, 27 Dresses (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988595/), Hairspray (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427327/), and Charlie Wilson's War (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/).

On the down side, we never got to finish what we wanted done in Washington, DC. I am hoping to go back there, but more along the lines of Spring time. It was rather chilly to be walking around the city with the babies. I still had about a week's worth of stuff left to do. Hopefully, soon....

I have 25 quizzes as well as an Extra Credit assignment due on Thursday for my Business Law I class. Talk about procrastination. I have done about 10 quizzes and have not even begun my EC assignment. I guess I really need to be doing that right now. So, off I go.........