Updates on just about everybody

Here we begin my favorite month of the year: October!  I love it around here when the leaves are changing and the weather is cooling off.  After so much busyness and a month of not posting, I'm finally trying to update.

Russ:  as of late October, will be done with his job at Windstream.  A strange thought, considering he has been there 13 years--I've never known him to work anywhere else.  There have been continued changes in their system, and I think he has been unhappy there for quite a while.  Add that to the fact that he is getting close to his Master's degree, and it made sense for him to try to go elsewhere, at least in the short term.  He has applied at several places and is still waiting to hear back from some.  It will be interesting to see where he ends up in all of this.  Just when it seems like things are starting to slow down....

Caleb: 2 years and 1 month old these days.  I am aware more and more every day how he is simply a great kid.  He's doing well at daycare and spends a day during the week at home with me when I have a day off.  Aside from going home sick this week with 102 degree temperature, he has been healthy and happy.  A speech therapist from the public school system, Sharla, has been coming to our house every couple of weeks and working on words with him.  Between signing and vocalizing, he really does try to say a lot of things.  Sharla has said several times, "he really is just a very vocal child!"  and I would agree with that wholeheartedly.  Quiet and serene he is not.  He is constantly chattering away about something, even if it only makes sense to him.  

Owen: one word: naughty.  I thought the addition of Zeus to the family would shape him up a bit, but instead, he seems to be trying to turn Zeus to the dark side.  We have been continuing to work with him on obedience and discipline, but sometimes, I really think it is a lost cause.  If he isn't in a structured environment, he can really get out of control.  A couple of days ago, we had a neighbor who complained about his howling.  I felt bad, because who knows how long they have noticed it and not said anything?  Once again, he is wearing a bark collar--a training method for any other dog, but a permanent fixture for him.  He knows when it is off and will resume his bark/howl as soon as possible.  Sigh.

Zeus:  a little less well-behaved than when he first came home.  He is, at times, quite needy and will push everyone out of the way (including knocking Caleb to the ground at times) in his quest for attention.  But, he is not beyond hope of being well behaved.  He, too, has a bark collar that only needs to be worn occasionally, because he actually learns and retains knowledge, unlike certain other beagles in our home.  If he gets his regular walk and exercise, he does well.  Both dogs' behavior reminds me of that of a young child, so it is like having 3 toddlers in the house--only 2 of them probably won't be growing out of this stage!

Me: what can I say?  Working, being a mom/wife, taking care of 2 dogs, church, friends, etc.  My job is....well, I won't go there much today.  Let's just say that I am very aware that I used to have a very technical, challenging job (before the school nurse gig) and now I don't.  And that isn't the greatest thing because I feel overqualified for this job.  Which could be fine, but it gets dull.  I do really enjoy the people and the doctors that I work for, though.  I think that, at least in nursing, jobs are a toss-up: you either work at a job you love and are passionate about but with less-than-great hours, or you take a boring job with the greatest schedule ever.  Ok, maybe that is only in my case, I don't know.  I'm not complaining, I'm just...thinking, that's all.