Mornin' d! I'm slow all the way around these days but I'm rallying back today. I've had enough of the sluggishness and I'm jumping in wide open. Well, probably not wide open, but certainly with more enthusiasm that I've had.

Now I know why colleges have such long breaks. They cram in mini-mesters! Who can do 16 weeks worth of work in 4 weeks? Over the holidays?!?!?! All I know is it delays my own semester until January 20 and I need to get back into a routine!!!

YooHoo--anyone breathing out there? Everyone always makes a slow reentry in January. The piece and quiet of having a break--what fun. I don't even want to THINK about driving. Seriously, I'm more interested in how to keep from crashing heads during puberty. The idea of smashing cars is much too attractive right now.

Had to wear heels today. THAT was fun. I've spent the last six years in crocs and now I'm in heels. Before crocs it was combat boots. I'm pretty sure my world is getting more and not less complicated.

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You could be right, CC. Maybe it's just a girl thing, because my 13 year old son is already chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel. She does seem to be coming around, so this Friday I think I'll stop by the DMV and get a book for her to study.

Illinois requires 50 hours of driving time, with a certain # done at night, in order to get a license. It takes a lot longer than you would think to get time in!

I've tried to have Shorty do practical things. Yesterday we went to a bank ATM, through a car wash, into Culvers (yummy!) for lunch and then onto the highway. There was more highway traffic than I wanted (it's usually pretty quiet that time of day) but he did fine. I'm proud of him.

LUV, maybe it's a gender difference. When my twin brother and I were 15 he wanted to drive everywhere all the time. I had no interest. It was weeks after our 16th birthday when my mom finally just drove me to the dmv and told me to get in there and get my license. I just didn't care.

CC, it's great that your son is getting so much practice. I think we're going to have to drag our daughter in to get her permit. She really has zero interest in driving, but we talked about it over break and told her we really want her to start learning, so she will better prepared when the day comes that she can get her license. Her best friend, who is not at permit age yet, has been driving a little on some private property they own, so that may prompt our daughter to want to get going. It would be nice to have another driver in the house since hubby isn't always available to help with taxi service.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and rang in the New Year in a safe, happy way. 2009 already..... Wow.

We just got home yesterday but I still have two weeks until classes start so I have plenty of time to get things in order and catch up on everything before I'm back at the daily grind.

Shorty got his driver's permit just days before Christmas break so we've been practicing like crazy! He's a natural. Thank God for a week of 60+ degree weather in Alabama and then coming home to clean roads. He's been getting all kinds of behind the wheel time without having to deal with lousy weather. I cringe to think of the day he turns 16, gets his license and drives off on his own.

If you have little ones at home, hold on tight because the time goes by way, way too fast!!!!!