Eh, I don't update nearly enough, but I really want to

I'm tired of the bad news showing up too. So I'll just quickly start off with this: My dad's brother did lose his battle with cancer as we expected, and we lost him in July. Granddad, my dad's dad, is needing surgery on his gall bladder, and no one is optimistic he'll survive the recovery. This has been an off year for us.

I am contemplating a job change. Doing work very similar to what I'm doing now, just minus the burden of long-term travel and it's in-house. The pay and location are way better. Plus I already know the team, and one of them is one of my best friends. David took me under his wing and mentored me when I showed up as an 18 year-old private at Fort Hood. He had only been in a year before me, but had his college degree. Sometimes he's more of a big brother to me than my own is, though I wouldn't trade my bro for anything; but David has been looking out for me and my career for a number of years. I've never asked him for help, but he's always been willing to help out anyway, and he's been great.

One of my greater fears might be emerging....and it's more or less a petty fear.
My kids aren't doing well with school. I wasn't the greatest student, I don't think, when I was younger. However, my brother taught me to read before I entered kindergarden, as well as to count to 99. So, dealing with a child in the first grade who has trouble reading has been frustrating to say the least. Having trouble with math I can understand....math sucks. But by first grade, I would have thought she'd be a little further along.

Her younger sister is having trouble with everything. She's about to enter kindergarden next year, and can't figure out the difference between numbers and letters. She just learned how to spell her name, but only because we went over it and over it in a sing-song way. She has Hannah Montana's music catalog down, but can't get her name right.

Sometimes I wonder if their issue is for lack of effort. They seemed so bright earlier, but I fear I'm doomed to have kids who will struggle in school. Unless they're taking after me. I was an average student until the 7th grade...then something clicked and I never had any problems with school until college.

My oldest finished a soccer tournament today. She scored another goal, and seems to have the talent to be a good soccer player the older she gets, but she doesn't seem to give her best all the time.

Alright....I feel bad for raggin' on my kids now, so I'll just post some pictures of them.