Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Did It Have A Red Nose?

The other night we were driving home. We passed an area where deer have been spotted often. There was on about 2 feet from the shoulder. I asked if everyone saw it to which Jordan & Makenzie said yes. Sammy did not see it, but she asked me "Did it have a red nose?"

December Highlights

I cannot believe that Christmas is right just a few days away! I have sooo much left to do. Here are a few highlights of what has happened lately.

* The kids decorated gingerbread men the other day. I have pics to post later of these interesting cookies. Sammy decided that one needed a beard. She then proceeded to pile about an inch of icing on another.

* Finding "the doll in the dress with the hair" for Sammy was a bit of a problem. (Translation: the Rapunzel doll from Tangled.) It took going to 1 Target & 3 Walmarts before we found it.

* Shopping is done. Wrapping is no where near complete.

* I've registered for 4 classes. 2 start in January & 2 in March. I may still sign up for another as long as my financial aid gets processed correctly prior to the start of the semester.

* I have less than 2 weeks left at work.

* Brian got a new job. I hope that it works out!!!!! He was at his last for over 15 years and had not gotten a raise in over 8 years. The new one pays alot more and has more benefits. Now I don't have to worry so much about finding a job right away.

* The kids had 2 snow days last week.

* Jordan had finals/mid-terms the last two days. Unfortunately, he failed his Algebra exam and will have to repeat the class sometime before he can graduate. His Science teacher allowed him to retake that exam, which was great. He failed the first time and passed the second.

I'll post some pics later this week.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Job Update

I have had several people ask if I am OK with what is happening at work. I tell them that No, I'm not OK with it, but I have come to terms with the situation. It does no good at all to be/act miserable about it. It's going to happen no matter what I do.

I will be working until the end of the year, which is a relief. I will at least have a whole month of income for December. Christmas is still going to be slim, but at least bills will be getting paid and there will be food on the table. As far as what I will do come January, I think I have that decided. I want to go back to school & get my Bachelors degree. I just need to get an advising appointment, get my education plan established, apply for financial aid, and register for classes. It seems like a lot, but it really isn't. I just need to get my butt in gear & get the advising appointment ASAP.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Black Friday

No, I am not referring to the Friday after Thanksgiving. Black is how I would describe this past Friday.

I was having a great day at work, that is until I got back from my lunch break. My boss told me he wanted to talk to me about a few things. The way he said it had me thinking "Oh no, what did I do?". Well, I didn't do anything wrong, but I am still going to be without a job very soon. So, now do you see why I have dubbed last Friday as Black? What a bombshell to have dropped right before the holidays!!

I work for a real estate company and the market has not been good. The owners have decided to consolidate two offices into one and go from three office staff down to only one. I was hoping that they would take seniority into account, but they have not. I can understand the reasoning behind consolidating, but not their staffing choices.

I have never been fired or laid off from any job before, so this is pretty hard for me to handle. I have basically come to terms with the situation, until someone asks how I'm doing or talks about how inconvenient it will be for them to drive to the other office. It's at these times that I want to cry or scream. When they talk about the inconvenience, I say "At least you have a job." I know that they work on commission, but they are not losing a steady income that they depend on. They also do not have family of 5 to take care of. I will be able to draw unemployment, but it will not be what I make now. I wanted to be able to spend more time at home with the kids and to be able to have some extra time to craft, but this is not the way I wanted to get that time!

Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho it's off to search for work I go.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

What Is a Calorie?

I received an interesting email yesterday with "What Is A Calorie?" as the title. I enjoyed it so much I just had to share.


What is a calorie?

Calories are the little bastards that get into your wardrobe at night and sew your clothes tighter.

MY CLOSET IS INFESTED WITH THE LITTLE SHITS!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Girl Scouts

The cookies are finally in! Tonight I will be sorting them & getting them ready for distribution tomorrow.

Makenzie has a meeting tomorrow & I get to be a parent helper. I was informed that we will be doing a project with duct tape. If the girls get out of hand, do we get to us the duct tape on them??? Just kidding. It should be fun. Makenzie is enjoying it so much. I hope that I can convince her to stay with this troop next year when I start a new one for Samantha. This troop is full, so it is very unlikely that they will have an opening for Sammy next year when she starts Kindergarten.

I have little to no time for myself these days and yes I am crazy enough to volunteer to take on a Daisy troop next year. I have another mom who wants to be co-leader, so it's not like I have to do everything myself.

Me? A Mom?: CSN Winner!

Me? A Mom?: CSN Winner!: "Happy Monday! The winner of the $35 gift certificate to CSN Stores is..... #58 - Amy who said: The kids would love the doggie salt & pep..."

WOW!! I CANNOT believe that I won! Now the fun begins... choosing what to get with it.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Take Your Daughter to Work Day... Are You NUTS???

That's how I was feeling yesterday by about 11:30.

Makenzie has not been herself & was complaining about a sore throat. She had been exposed to strep, so I thought I'd keep her home from school and take her to the doctor. I ended up taking her to work with me. She usually goes downstairs to our conference room where we have a large table as well as a TV & DVD player. I brought her a few DVDs & lots of books.

She decided it was better to stay upstairs by me. I always brag about how good she is when she's at work with me. She usually keeps herself busy & doesn't bother me. Well, this time she DROVE ME NUTS. I don't think I will be repeating this any time soon.

Twilight Saga: Book vs. Movie

I took the kids to the library on the 30th. As I went to look for a book that has quilting projects in it, I walked past the young adult fiction section. I saw Twilight on the shelf. I have heard all the hype about the books and movies, so I thought I'd give it a chance. I haven't read a series of books since Harry Potter.

Once I got started I couldn't quit. You have to understand that I am a reader. I LOVE to read. I worked at a library when I was in high school & it was like I was in heaven. Anyway back to Twilight.. I finished the book this past Saturday, so I just had to go back to the library on Sunday as soon as they opened to see if New Moon was available.

I ended up with New Moon and also Twilight on DVD. I often watch the movie after reading a book. I try not to do it in reverse. In my opinion it's better to get all the details from the book then watch the movie. I was very disappointed this time around, which shouldn't surprise me. That is how I often feel about movie adaptations. So I moved on to reading New Moon.

I took the book to the bowling alley with me. I was subbing for one of Brian's teammates on their Sunday night mixed league. I read between frames and finished about a third of it. I stayed up until about 2 am to finish all but about 100 pages. At work on Monday I went to our library's website & searched for Eclipse, book 3 in the series. I found it at the library that is closest to my work, as well as New Moon on DVD. I spent my lunch hour running to get these 2 items as well as reading part of New Moon. After I finished the book later shortly after the kids went to bed, so I sat & watched the DVD. I have to admit that the 2nd movie was better than the first.

I understand that not every detail can be used in the time that is allotted, but this was a better adaptation of the book than the first. It flowed so much better.

I reading Eclipse now and I am currently on page 332 of 629. I can't wait for my lunch break to start, so I can get back to the story. I guess I'll have to wait until December to see how the movie compares to this book.

What is your favorite & least favorite book/movie adaptation? Would you rather read the book or watch the movie?

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Fabric Has Arrived, Let's Get Crafting

I went crazy the other day on Ebay. I have flannel fabric that I bought last spring to make quilts for the girls. I needed some additional accent pieces. I also have some baby shower gifts that I want to make & decided that flannel would be a prefect choice for these projects. I was looking at things on Ebay and found a seller who was getting rid of several lots of coordinating flannel remnants. I ended up with 6 of these lots which totaled about 18 yards of fabric for less than $1.75 a yard, including shipping!!! Now I can't wait to get started! Once I have projects going, I'll post pics.

1/4 School Year Finished-- Will We Survive The Rest?

School is officially 1/4 finished. We got 1st quarter report cards a few weeks ago. Makenzie is doing GREAT in 1st grade. She is about 1/2 a year ahead in her reading level & is doing great in math & grammar.

Jordan on the other hand is not doing so well in high school. He is grounded until he gets his grades up. There is a tutoring program that he qualifies for, we are just waiting to see if there is enough room for him. There is limited funds, so they take the kids with the greatest needs first. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets in. I am at a loss with what to do with him. He's not a dumb kid, he just does not apply himself. He uses the excuse "I forgot" all the time. He always "forgets" to bring home his notes, etc to study for tests. He "forgets" to bring home his homework. I'm scared that he is going to become a high school drop-out like his dad. Although his dad did go back and get his diploma through a correspondence program & graduated about 6 months after he should have, if he had finished going to regular high school. Like most parents, I want better for him. I want him to succeed in school and life. Any suggestions are welcome.

Fall Is Here

After a VERY HOT summer, Fall is officially here. I finally broke down and turned the furnace on last week when it was registering 55 in the house. I hate having to turn the furnace on for several reasons: the cost, it dries out the air in the house, and admitting that cold weather is on it's way. I would love to have temps between 60-70 all year long. Here in the St. Louis area it is very humid all year long. We have hot summers and cold winters. I have a fiend who moved about 300 miles south of here and she says the summers there are not as hot as they are here.

Halloween was fun. The kids and I were in 2 parades with my work. They had a BLAST dressing up and throwing candy to the crowds. I'll post some pics later. We went Trick-or-Treating and came home with way TOO MUCH candy. Sammy has been bugging us about every 10 minutes for candy. "Just one tiny piece?" or "Just one more?"

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

School's in Session

Well, I was able to get Makenzie enrolled without a hitch later in the day. She is now a happy 1st grader at the school down the street from our house. Jordan is doing surprisingly well so far in high school. At this point his lowest grade is a C, which we can definitely live with. Sammy was not able to go to the Pre-K program through the school district due to transportation issues on our part. She is however receiving speech therapy 2 days a week. She goes to a day care that has an awesome preschool program, so she's not really missing out on anything.

We have already completed our first fundraiser for Makenzie's school. This year we sold frozen pizzas. One bad thing about selling frozen food is that someone has to pick them up at 3pm on delivery day. This means that I have to leave work early to get them. I thought about having Jordan walk down to the school to pick them up, but it's probably too much for him to carry. I guess picking up perishable fundraiser items is a good excuse to get out of work early, especially since my boss bought some. :)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

It's That Time of Year

On Monday I registered Jay for high school. HIGH SCHOOL!!!! I cannot believe that he is in high school already. Boy am I getting OLD!

Today I attempted to register Zee for 1st grade. Registration began at noon. I got there at about 12:05. There was a line about a block long waiting to get into the school. I decided not to get in line and stand in the 100 degree heat for the hour it probably would've taken to get inside the building. I will be leaving work early to get there before the parents who have to do the after work (5-7 pm) time. Wish me luck!

Friday, July 23, 2010

A Quiet Night

Last night was a quiet night at home. I did not have to worry about:
Giving baths
Helping kids with their jammies
Telling the girls to stop talking & go to sleep 100 times.

The girls spent the night with Grandma.

This morning was great too. No rushing to get the kids ready or finding lost shoes.

It was a welcomed break. Thanks MOM!!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

When Do I Start Kindergarten?

We have started our back to school shopping already. Registration is in just a few short weeks. Sissy keeps asking me when she gets to start Kindergarten. She actually means Preschool. I have talked to her about the possibility of going back to preschool in the fall. She is very excited about this. She is still having speech issues that I would like to have addressed before she actually starts Kindergarten in fall of 2011.

Our school district has a need based preschool program. The kids have to be screened & meet certain criteria to be eligible for the program. If there are lots of empty spaces they will accept children who do not have the greatest amount of need. I fully believe that Sissy will not have a problem with qualifying for the program again given her history of speech problems.

I need her to be in the pm class, because I want her to continue with the great preschool program that her daycare offers as well. She will learn more at daycare than at preschool. I just need to be able to coordinate transportation for her, which will not be the easiest thing to accomplish.

Hopefully we can get things figured out to get her back into speech services.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Tooth Fairy Update

Well, Zee was disappointed this morning when she woke up. The Tooth Fairy had not left her any money. I let her know that the Tooth Fairy came to our house last & realized that she was out of money. The Tooth Fairy asked me to give Zee $2 & she would pay me back the next time she came to our house for Zee's next tooth. This seemed to appease Zee. She told me that the Tooth Fairy left the best for last.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bring On The Tooth Fairy!!!

After a whole year of Kindergarten with most of her classmates losing teeth, Zee has FINALLY lost her first tooth. And when I say lost, I mean it literally. She was at summer day camp and it came out while eating her lunch. The kids told the staff that Zee didn't know where it was. One of the staff told her that when you lose a tooth like that, the tooth fairy pays double. She had one of the office staff write a letter to that effect, but from what I understand the Tooth Fairy delivered a letter there for Zee. Once I get home from work I will have to see what the Tooth Fairy said. All of the staff at her day camp just love her. She is such a well behaved & loving kid. That's what they tell me.

Now I wonder how much money she is expecting the Tooth Fairy to bring. More later.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Back to Blogging

After almost a 3 year hiatus I am back to blogging.


So much has happened in the last 3 years that I cannot put it all in one post. Here's a brief overview:

Jay: Graduated from Junior High & is now in a High School summer school class that is a bridge program between JH & HS. He will start his freshman year with 1/2 a credit. Very much the big brother. Love to torment his sisters.

Zee: Finished Kindergarten with a reading level of a 1st grader at mid-year. Her teacher wanted to keep her for next year also.

Sissy: No longer in speech due to not being able to get her to & from the school district's preschool program. She goes to daycare Mon-Fri & is a favorite among the teachers & kids.

B: Still working at the same place. Still having knee problems, this time it's repeat episodes of Gout.

Me: I've been working full time as a secretary for 2 years now. It's a job that I enjoy most of the time, but I really miss being at home with the kiddos. I also miss being able to do my cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc. during the week & not having to cram it all in on weekends & evenings.

The Pets: Jazzy- our small but mighty terrier mix is still around causing trouble. Chance- our Lab mix still cannot be trusted to stay in the yard. He loves to jump the fence. Sassy- our outside cat is still around & as skittish as ever. The newest addition, Harley - A Siamese- Himalayan mix kitten. She (or is it he?) is a crazy cat that loves to play. I was told that she was a girl kitty, but I think I was misinformed. More on that later.

There's a very brief overview of our family. I will elaborate on a few other past items in future posts, but for now that's all you get.