The job is great, the baby is awesome! It was a fun, relaxing day. The woman who has been taking care of her stayed with me today and will do so again tomorrow. She is so nice and we got along very well and had plenty to talk about, so it wasn't awkward at all. That was nice since we were sitting in the same small room for five hours. She told me that the doctors I work for are fantastic, which I had gathered from my experience with them, but it was nice to have it confirmed. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!
For the Hotel Cinderella fans, don't despair, a post is in the works!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
New Job
I am starting my new job tomorrow. I can't wait. The only bad thing is that I don't have my schedule for Friday and I might miss Alex's end of Shakespeare Camp performance. I will be working either from 8:30-1:30 or 11:30-4:30 each day. If I get morning duty on Friday, I will be fine, but if I get afternoon, I will miss his play. At least I now have a video camera and can have someone record it for me, since my mom gave me one for Christmas.
Since Drew and Luke are in Chicago until Tuesday night, I have to coordinate rides when I'm at work. Luckily, a neighbor is attending, also, so we are going to car pool. Thank goodness!
Can't wait to spend the day with my new baby tomorrow!
Since Drew and Luke are in Chicago until Tuesday night, I have to coordinate rides when I'm at work. Luckily, a neighbor is attending, also, so we are going to car pool. Thank goodness!
Can't wait to spend the day with my new baby tomorrow!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Packing
Well, I am leaving for the Hotel Cinderella in less than 24 hours. I don't have one thing packed or even ready to be packed. And you know how the HC works, you have to bring your own food and other supplies, so I still have that to do. Then I get home from being at Alex's play performances all day and find that Denise has finally decided to read my blog and comment on posts that are from so long ago I had to read them again to refresh my memory! Does she think I really have time to read and publish all of her comments when I am supposed to be dressing in my rags and packing up my cooking and cleaning supplies? Ugh! That isn't too high maintenance, is it??? The comments were pretty funny, though, so I guess I will let her slide this time!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
For Mikey
So...Mikey has been bugging me about not posting. Well, more like bugging me to post! Here is a quicky. Alex has been in a theater camp for the past three weeks. He is playing Aladdin in their production of Aladdin on Thursday. The last day of camp is Friday and we will be heading up to Philadelphia to visit Nick and Denise, as well as Jack and Janine. We can only stay for a few days because we have to be back on Tuesday because Drew and Luke are going to Chicago and we can't leave the dog at home alone. It will be a quick trip, but I'm sure we will have a great time! Who wouldn't have a great time at the famous Hotel Cinderella???????
I have to take Luke and Stephen B. to register for college on Friday. Ugh, that should be fun, as anyone who has ever spent time with Luke and Stephen B. should know. Today Stephen B. asked me how they make a penis for people who have sex change operations! Oy. They just left here, after arguing with me for an hour about getting up early on Friday to be at the school by 8:00 am.
I quit my job! Yes, the job that I loved. Yes, I really did love it, but I also hated some things about it. I loved the work and the babies and loved, loved, loved my co-worker, Nelma. We are now the best of friends. The problem was that I was gone from home for 50 hours per week. Another issue was that when I was hired, the director assured me that getting time off for trips with Mike, family trips, IEP meetings, and doctor appointments for me and the kids wasn't going to be a problem. At first it wasn't, but then she decided that she didn't want people taking time off. I was very sick with bronchitis and missed three days of work because I was not only too sick to work, but also contagious. The director and owner were mad at me for that. It didn't matter that I would have gotten the babies sick or passed out while carrying one of them, they still wanted me there. They have plenty of substitutes, so that isn't the problem. In the 5 months that I was working there, 10 out of 12 people left. Does that tell you anything?
The good news is that I found a way better job! I will be making a lot more money and babysitting for one little girl (instead of up to 13 babies at once!). She is 5 months old and has Down syndrome. I am so excited and can't wait to start on August 2nd. Plus it is only for 4-5 hours per day, so I have plenty of time for appointments and other things I need to get done. The baby is adorable and I know I'm going to love caring for her.
I have to take Luke and Stephen B. to register for college on Friday. Ugh, that should be fun, as anyone who has ever spent time with Luke and Stephen B. should know. Today Stephen B. asked me how they make a penis for people who have sex change operations! Oy. They just left here, after arguing with me for an hour about getting up early on Friday to be at the school by 8:00 am.
I quit my job! Yes, the job that I loved. Yes, I really did love it, but I also hated some things about it. I loved the work and the babies and loved, loved, loved my co-worker, Nelma. We are now the best of friends. The problem was that I was gone from home for 50 hours per week. Another issue was that when I was hired, the director assured me that getting time off for trips with Mike, family trips, IEP meetings, and doctor appointments for me and the kids wasn't going to be a problem. At first it wasn't, but then she decided that she didn't want people taking time off. I was very sick with bronchitis and missed three days of work because I was not only too sick to work, but also contagious. The director and owner were mad at me for that. It didn't matter that I would have gotten the babies sick or passed out while carrying one of them, they still wanted me there. They have plenty of substitutes, so that isn't the problem. In the 5 months that I was working there, 10 out of 12 people left. Does that tell you anything?
The good news is that I found a way better job! I will be making a lot more money and babysitting for one little girl (instead of up to 13 babies at once!). She is 5 months old and has Down syndrome. I am so excited and can't wait to start on August 2nd. Plus it is only for 4-5 hours per day, so I have plenty of time for appointments and other things I need to get done. The baby is adorable and I know I'm going to love caring for her.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Quote of the day
Me: "Someone said she looks like Mary Tyler Moore. Have you ever seen 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'? She's the wife on that show."
Stephen B: "Ha, Dick Van Dyke. I like that, dick and dyke in the same sentence."
(Only from the mouth of a teenager!)
Stephen B: "Ha, Dick Van Dyke. I like that, dick and dyke in the same sentence."
(Only from the mouth of a teenager!)
Luke's Graduation Pictures
The Family
Mommy and Lukey
Daddy and Lukey
The Family and Gramma
Best friends since third grade, Luke and Stephen B.
Just jumping right back in here! Luke graduated from high school last weekend. We had a wonderful family weekend, with Jack and Janine coming in from Philly. Everyone got the day off work and we all attended the graduation. My mom went, as well as a friend from Illinois, Adam. We went to Sal's for a delicious Italian dinner after the graduation. Janine took more pictures with her camera. I will post those once she sends them to me. (Hint, hint, Janine!) I know she is a bit busy, since her Godson was born a few hours ago. Congratulations to Janine. Can't wait to see pictures!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Las Vegas!
Mike and I are in Las Vegas, again! Mike is doing work at The Venetian and has to stay for three weeks. We decided that I would come out to spend eight days with him. I arrived Saturday, at about 10:00 am. We had a wonderful time on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was gorgeous, too. After he picked me up at the airport, we headed straight to our favorite Chicago restaurant, Aurelio's. The pizza was delicious and we split an Italian beef sandwich, but that wasn't quite as good, since they way overcooked the beef. True Chicago Italian beef is not cooked within an inch of it's life!
After Aurelio's, we came back to the room to drop off my suitcase. The room is awesome! Mike made me wait in the hall, while he went in and "prepared" the room for me. He turned on all the cool lights. They have a long table in the bedroom that has a transparent slab of marble on it, that lights up. It is really pretty and he knows how much I love light up things! There are also some really cool lights next to and above the bed, as well as some pretty sconces in the bathroom that are on a dimmer switch.
This hotel is an all suites hotel. The entry is large and so is the bathroom. Actually the bathroom is really large. They both have beautiful marble floors that have an inlaid pattern. There is a roomy tub and large shower, as well as a double sink vanity and a make-up vanity with a lighted mirror. Talk about luxury! The bedroom is also large, with a super comfortable king size bed. Next to the bedroom, there is a sunken living room with an L-shaped couch, desk area, and a dining table. All of the room have their own television. We have a decent view, as we are able to see mountains all around and some of the strip. We have a great view of the volcano show at The Mirage, which is right across the street.
Back to Saturday. We took a nap, after returning to the room, since neither of us had gotten much sleep the night before. I had to get up at 2:00 am Virginia time (11:00 pm Vegas time), in order to get to the airport for my 5:40 am flight. Saturday night, we met with two of Mike's co-workers and went to dinner in a nice restaurant, The Grand Lux, in the hotel. After dinner, we headed down the hall to see Jersey Boys. It was excellent! Mikey and I both loved it! I felt fine until after the show, when I suddenly started feeling completely exhausted. I then realized that other than the nap I had taken earlier in the day, I had been up for 24 hours. I am thankful that the bed is so comfortable because that helped me get a great nights sleep.
On Sunday, we went for a walk on the strip and Mike took me to see some pretty fountains. They were turned down, though, due to very high winds here. We walked through The Mirage atrium, which is absolutely gorgeous. The flower arrangements there are spectacular. We went to the laundromat to do Mike's laundry for the week and did some shopping. I needed some bandages for my finger and a few other necessities. For dinner we decided to get some gyros, since we can't get them in Virginia, but the place we went to was closed on Sundays. We headed back to the hotel and got carry out from the same restaurant that we went to on Saturday. They make a BLT that is so delicious, I could eat one every day!
On Monday, our day sort of sucked. Mike had to work from 8:00 am until 9:30 pm. We met at lunchtime, but only had about 45 minutes together. It was a pretty boring day for me, but also relaxing. I missed Mikey, though.
Tuesday was a bit better, as Mikey got off work at around 8:00. We met three of his co-workers for dinner at First Food and Bar. The restaurant was very interesting and probably not one that Mike and I would have ventured into on our own. It turned out to be very good and we both enjoyed it. I got fish and chips, which is weird for me, but it was so good. They served soft pretzels with fancy dipping sauces instead of rolls. We had a nice time. Mike's co-workers are fun to be with and made me feel very comfortable, even though I don't work with them.
Today Mike has a break between classes/meetings, so we went outside and checked out the hotel pools. WOW! The pool area is gorgeous. The landscaping is breathtaking and the jasmine is blooming and it smells heavenly. I think I will go sit out there and read a book when Mike leaves later this afternoon to go to a meeting. I will take pictures and post them later. We went and picked up another delicious lunch from one of the hotel restaurants and brought it to our room to eat. The fresh strawberries here are really delicious. Speaking of strawberries, I wonder if mine at home are setting fruit yet. Hopefully, the dog hasn't eaten them all!
The kids seem to be doing great at home without me. That is good because I was a bit worried about being gone for so long. The longest I have gone away for before was about five days.
After Aurelio's, we came back to the room to drop off my suitcase. The room is awesome! Mike made me wait in the hall, while he went in and "prepared" the room for me. He turned on all the cool lights. They have a long table in the bedroom that has a transparent slab of marble on it, that lights up. It is really pretty and he knows how much I love light up things! There are also some really cool lights next to and above the bed, as well as some pretty sconces in the bathroom that are on a dimmer switch.
This hotel is an all suites hotel. The entry is large and so is the bathroom. Actually the bathroom is really large. They both have beautiful marble floors that have an inlaid pattern. There is a roomy tub and large shower, as well as a double sink vanity and a make-up vanity with a lighted mirror. Talk about luxury! The bedroom is also large, with a super comfortable king size bed. Next to the bedroom, there is a sunken living room with an L-shaped couch, desk area, and a dining table. All of the room have their own television. We have a decent view, as we are able to see mountains all around and some of the strip. We have a great view of the volcano show at The Mirage, which is right across the street.
Back to Saturday. We took a nap, after returning to the room, since neither of us had gotten much sleep the night before. I had to get up at 2:00 am Virginia time (11:00 pm Vegas time), in order to get to the airport for my 5:40 am flight. Saturday night, we met with two of Mike's co-workers and went to dinner in a nice restaurant, The Grand Lux, in the hotel. After dinner, we headed down the hall to see Jersey Boys. It was excellent! Mikey and I both loved it! I felt fine until after the show, when I suddenly started feeling completely exhausted. I then realized that other than the nap I had taken earlier in the day, I had been up for 24 hours. I am thankful that the bed is so comfortable because that helped me get a great nights sleep.
On Sunday, we went for a walk on the strip and Mike took me to see some pretty fountains. They were turned down, though, due to very high winds here. We walked through The Mirage atrium, which is absolutely gorgeous. The flower arrangements there are spectacular. We went to the laundromat to do Mike's laundry for the week and did some shopping. I needed some bandages for my finger and a few other necessities. For dinner we decided to get some gyros, since we can't get them in Virginia, but the place we went to was closed on Sundays. We headed back to the hotel and got carry out from the same restaurant that we went to on Saturday. They make a BLT that is so delicious, I could eat one every day!
On Monday, our day sort of sucked. Mike had to work from 8:00 am until 9:30 pm. We met at lunchtime, but only had about 45 minutes together. It was a pretty boring day for me, but also relaxing. I missed Mikey, though.
Tuesday was a bit better, as Mikey got off work at around 8:00. We met three of his co-workers for dinner at First Food and Bar. The restaurant was very interesting and probably not one that Mike and I would have ventured into on our own. It turned out to be very good and we both enjoyed it. I got fish and chips, which is weird for me, but it was so good. They served soft pretzels with fancy dipping sauces instead of rolls. We had a nice time. Mike's co-workers are fun to be with and made me feel very comfortable, even though I don't work with them.
Today Mike has a break between classes/meetings, so we went outside and checked out the hotel pools. WOW! The pool area is gorgeous. The landscaping is breathtaking and the jasmine is blooming and it smells heavenly. I think I will go sit out there and read a book when Mike leaves later this afternoon to go to a meeting. I will take pictures and post them later. We went and picked up another delicious lunch from one of the hotel restaurants and brought it to our room to eat. The fresh strawberries here are really delicious. Speaking of strawberries, I wonder if mine at home are setting fruit yet. Hopefully, the dog hasn't eaten them all!
The kids seem to be doing great at home without me. That is good because I was a bit worried about being gone for so long. The longest I have gone away for before was about five days.
Medical Woes
I have a staph infection in my finger. I have no idea how I got it, just that I first noticed it at work. I went to the doctor about a week after it started, as it has started to get itchy and grow larger and I had a bunch of puss filled pockets. Yuck! The doctor lanced the pockets and squeezed out as much infection as he could. Yuck, again, and Ouch! He put me on medication to treat MRSA, as he thinks that my infection could be MRSA. I am still waiting for the biopsy results. MRSA or not, this thing is painful and itchy and annoying.
On a good medical note, I finally went to the doctor. I am a doctor-phobic person so I avoid the doctor whenever possible. I haven't had a pelvic exam or pap smear since 2001, which was also the time of my last physical. I did go to the doctor when I had a kidney/bladder infection, back spasms, and the torn hamstring. I feel so much better now that I have made myself go. I had to get a TB test for work, but I could have gone to the local health clinic and just gotten that done. I decided that this would be a good reason for me to go to the doctor for a full exam, instead. Everything checked out so far, except for my high blood pressure. He put me on a sample medication and I go back in three weeks to see how that is working.
On a good medical note, I finally went to the doctor. I am a doctor-phobic person so I avoid the doctor whenever possible. I haven't had a pelvic exam or pap smear since 2001, which was also the time of my last physical. I did go to the doctor when I had a kidney/bladder infection, back spasms, and the torn hamstring. I feel so much better now that I have made myself go. I had to get a TB test for work, but I could have gone to the local health clinic and just gotten that done. I decided that this would be a good reason for me to go to the doctor for a full exam, instead. Everything checked out so far, except for my high blood pressure. He put me on a sample medication and I go back in three weeks to see how that is working.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Washington DC
I was able to get Friday off work and Mike and I took the three youngest to Washington DC for the weekend. What a great time we had! They picked me up at work on Thursday evening and all came in to wait with me, for a mom who was late. Turned out she fell asleep and forgot to pick her baby up! Ugh. We finally got out of there and stopped a little over halfway to DC for dinner. We ate at Golden Corral and we all had a delicious dinner. Alex started with his smart mouth, so that part sucked, but most of the dinner was fun. I don't know why that boy can never shut his mouth when he needs to. He is, for the most part, a great kid, but the smart mouth is killing us!
We ended up arriving in DC around 10ish, I think. We unpacked, watched a little tv and hung out with Mike's work friend, Anet, who was also staying at the townhouse that night. We got to bed a little later than we wanted to, so we slept in a bit on Friday morning. We had been expecting rain and thunderstorms all day, but woke to a cool, sunny day. We decided to take the Metro train into DC, instead of driving, since it is really hard to find a place to park or van. The parking garages don't accommodate vehicles with the height of our van. It was fun to take the train. We started out at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which I thought was pretty interesting. Although the kids said they liked it afterwards, it was sort of hard to tell while we were there, as they whined, moaned, complained and talked back most of the time. Alex was in his prime with the back talk and got his phone taken away for a good, long time. I really wanted to slap his face several times, but didn't want to get arrested! Oh, well, I got to see Julia Child's kitchen, so the annoyance was worth it!
After that museum, the kids decided they wanted to go to more. Go figure. Anyway, by then it was after 5:30, the time the other museums close. So we decided to abandon our idea of looking at cherry blossoms and having a picnic on Saturday and we spent another day at the museums instead. Good thing, since the cherry blossoms are gone! We drove in on Saturday, hoping for a street spot, which we found plenty of, but they were all two hour parking only. We drove around for awhile and then ended up driving out to the waterfront, near the marina where we found an above ground lot for only $10 a day. We parked there and took the bus to the National Mall, where all the Smithsonian museums are. We went to the Native American Museum, which had a wonderful show and gift store, the Air and Space Museum and The Museum of Natural History. The last museum had a cool butterfly habitat, which Hannah and I loved. I tried to get her to go in with me, even though it cost $6 per person, but she was afraid of the butterflies, since they land on people. When she was little, we took her into a bird habitat at Busch Gardens and they were landing on her and she freaked out. We settled for looking through the window and saved $12, but we both were longing to be in there, so we could see all of the butterflies. The view through the window was very limited, but we still saw some beauties.
We went to bed early last night, since we had to drop Mike off at the Richmond airport for a flight to Ohio. All in all, in spite of Alex's behavior and a bit of whining from the girls, it was a great trip!
We ended up arriving in DC around 10ish, I think. We unpacked, watched a little tv and hung out with Mike's work friend, Anet, who was also staying at the townhouse that night. We got to bed a little later than we wanted to, so we slept in a bit on Friday morning. We had been expecting rain and thunderstorms all day, but woke to a cool, sunny day. We decided to take the Metro train into DC, instead of driving, since it is really hard to find a place to park or van. The parking garages don't accommodate vehicles with the height of our van. It was fun to take the train. We started out at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which I thought was pretty interesting. Although the kids said they liked it afterwards, it was sort of hard to tell while we were there, as they whined, moaned, complained and talked back most of the time. Alex was in his prime with the back talk and got his phone taken away for a good, long time. I really wanted to slap his face several times, but didn't want to get arrested! Oh, well, I got to see Julia Child's kitchen, so the annoyance was worth it!
After that museum, the kids decided they wanted to go to more. Go figure. Anyway, by then it was after 5:30, the time the other museums close. So we decided to abandon our idea of looking at cherry blossoms and having a picnic on Saturday and we spent another day at the museums instead. Good thing, since the cherry blossoms are gone! We drove in on Saturday, hoping for a street spot, which we found plenty of, but they were all two hour parking only. We drove around for awhile and then ended up driving out to the waterfront, near the marina where we found an above ground lot for only $10 a day. We parked there and took the bus to the National Mall, where all the Smithsonian museums are. We went to the Native American Museum, which had a wonderful show and gift store, the Air and Space Museum and The Museum of Natural History. The last museum had a cool butterfly habitat, which Hannah and I loved. I tried to get her to go in with me, even though it cost $6 per person, but she was afraid of the butterflies, since they land on people. When she was little, we took her into a bird habitat at Busch Gardens and they were landing on her and she freaked out. We settled for looking through the window and saved $12, but we both were longing to be in there, so we could see all of the butterflies. The view through the window was very limited, but we still saw some beauties.
We went to bed early last night, since we had to drop Mike off at the Richmond airport for a flight to Ohio. All in all, in spite of Alex's behavior and a bit of whining from the girls, it was a great trip!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Glorious Day, Part Two
This afternoon, Mike and I went to the library. I can't remember if I blogged about this before, but I was extremely excited when Mike was listening to the same book on CD that I was reading. Well, I wasn't actually reading it until I found out he was listening to it, but it was on my shelf, waiting to be read. I have had this long time fantasy that Mike (who hates to read anything other than websites, magazines and newspapers) would learn to love the books that I love. It was fun to be reading the same book at the same time. So, today we headed to the library with the idea of him picking out some CD's to listen to on the way to and from work and for me to get the same in book form. We ended up with Columbine. That isn't the type of book I normally read, but it looks really good. I was hoping to talk Mike into getting at least one John Sandford book, but he picked several others, instead. Hopefully, he will try one of those in the future because I think he will really like them. There are at least 18 books in the Prey series and I think I have read them all at least once, but I would still love to see if he likes them. They are, in my opinion, even better than "Killer View" by Ridley Pearson, which is the one we just finished.
After coming out of the library, we sat in the shade, under the wisteria arbor, next to the fountain. Our library has a beautiful area with chairs and short walls to sit on and the wisteria was in bloom and smelled wonderful! I found some Birds and Blooms magazines in the used book area for only .25 each. I thumbed through those while Mike read the information booklet from one of his books on CD. It was so nice and relaxing, sitting there in the breeze with the smell of wisteria in the air. I think I have a new appreciation for little things like that, now that I am gone from home so many hours for work.
Alex had a good time filming his movie today. The movie, called "The Bill of Rights" is supposed to be on PBS in November. He is looking forward to doing it, again, tomorrow. Time to go grill the chicken and pork chops that have been marinating all day!
After coming out of the library, we sat in the shade, under the wisteria arbor, next to the fountain. Our library has a beautiful area with chairs and short walls to sit on and the wisteria was in bloom and smelled wonderful! I found some Birds and Blooms magazines in the used book area for only .25 each. I thumbed through those while Mike read the information booklet from one of his books on CD. It was so nice and relaxing, sitting there in the breeze with the smell of wisteria in the air. I think I have a new appreciation for little things like that, now that I am gone from home so many hours for work.
Alex had a good time filming his movie today. The movie, called "The Bill of Rights" is supposed to be on PBS in November. He is looking forward to doing it, again, tomorrow. Time to go grill the chicken and pork chops that have been marinating all day!
Glorious Day!
What a glorious day! It is beautiful outside and I have the day off. The daycare center is closed for the day, to celebrate Easter. I haven't been there long enough for it to be a paid holiday, but I really don't even care. Mike is home for the week, to keep an eye on the kids during Spring Break.
Mike and I got up at my regular working-day time today and took Alex to Colonial Williamsburg, where he is an extra in a movie. He is excited because this is his first movie and he gets paid $12 an hour to do something that is tons of fun. They also serve them snacks and lunch. He will do it today and tomorrow and should make about $120. We then tried to go to the library, only to find out that it doesn't open until 10:00. So we headed to Walgreens, where Jack and Drew were both working, and bought some Easter stuff at 50% off. We decided not to do baskets this year, as the kids said they would prefer to just get some new clothes. Shauna, however, wasn't a part of that conversation and I found out on Saturday that she still wanted a basket. She was more than happy to get a big bowl of candy (for the whole family, not just Shauna!) on Easter and wait a few more days for a basket with some goodies. I still have a couple more things to pick up for her, but when we tried to go to the hair care store to get them, they didn't open until 11:30. What is with these stores?
On Saturday morning, just as I was about to step into the shower, I got a text that my mom was being taken from work to the hospital by ambulance. I went to the hospital and, luckily, she was doing pretty well. It turned out that she had been at the cardiologist on Thursday, to get a stress test because she had an abnormal EKG. During the stress test, they had to stop because her blood pressure shot up super high. She was put on a beta-blocker drug and it slowed her heart rate drastically. That caused her to feel light headed and otherwise horrible. She was released after a few hours, after being given the option of staying until they got the meds regulated or going home to do it. Hopefully, she will be able to find a good combination of meds that keeps the blood pressure down and doesn't cause her heart rate to slow so much.
I am officially ready for the return of my beloved hummingbirds! I have one feeder out in front and Mike just helped me put a new one on the sun room window. I was at Walmart a couple of weeks ago and decided to buy Alex the hummingbird feeder that he had been asking for last year. While I was getting it, I saw that they had some hangers that could be attached to a window with heavy duty suction cups. I bought one, as well as a small feeder to go on it. I was so excited because we will be able to sit in the air conditioned sun room and still see the hummingbirds! Our front porch faces southwest, so it is usually too sunny and hot to sit out there in the evenings. Since I will be at work in the mornings, when I would usually hang out there to see my birdies, this will work out perfectly! Another plus is that the hummingbirds will have more shade because the window feeder is on the northeast side of the house. I still have two more feeders to prepare, but I am soaking those in bleach water to kill any mold. Now all I need is for the hummingbirds to migrate back up here.
Mike and I got up at my regular working-day time today and took Alex to Colonial Williamsburg, where he is an extra in a movie. He is excited because this is his first movie and he gets paid $12 an hour to do something that is tons of fun. They also serve them snacks and lunch. He will do it today and tomorrow and should make about $120. We then tried to go to the library, only to find out that it doesn't open until 10:00. So we headed to Walgreens, where Jack and Drew were both working, and bought some Easter stuff at 50% off. We decided not to do baskets this year, as the kids said they would prefer to just get some new clothes. Shauna, however, wasn't a part of that conversation and I found out on Saturday that she still wanted a basket. She was more than happy to get a big bowl of candy (for the whole family, not just Shauna!) on Easter and wait a few more days for a basket with some goodies. I still have a couple more things to pick up for her, but when we tried to go to the hair care store to get them, they didn't open until 11:30. What is with these stores?
On Saturday morning, just as I was about to step into the shower, I got a text that my mom was being taken from work to the hospital by ambulance. I went to the hospital and, luckily, she was doing pretty well. It turned out that she had been at the cardiologist on Thursday, to get a stress test because she had an abnormal EKG. During the stress test, they had to stop because her blood pressure shot up super high. She was put on a beta-blocker drug and it slowed her heart rate drastically. That caused her to feel light headed and otherwise horrible. She was released after a few hours, after being given the option of staying until they got the meds regulated or going home to do it. Hopefully, she will be able to find a good combination of meds that keeps the blood pressure down and doesn't cause her heart rate to slow so much.
I am officially ready for the return of my beloved hummingbirds! I have one feeder out in front and Mike just helped me put a new one on the sun room window. I was at Walmart a couple of weeks ago and decided to buy Alex the hummingbird feeder that he had been asking for last year. While I was getting it, I saw that they had some hangers that could be attached to a window with heavy duty suction cups. I bought one, as well as a small feeder to go on it. I was so excited because we will be able to sit in the air conditioned sun room and still see the hummingbirds! Our front porch faces southwest, so it is usually too sunny and hot to sit out there in the evenings. Since I will be at work in the mornings, when I would usually hang out there to see my birdies, this will work out perfectly! Another plus is that the hummingbirds will have more shade because the window feeder is on the northeast side of the house. I still have two more feeders to prepare, but I am soaking those in bleach water to kill any mold. Now all I need is for the hummingbirds to migrate back up here.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Has it been a month already?
Well, I think this may be the longest I have gone without posting. One full month. I have a very good excuse, of course, but I thought I would jump on and do a quick one before I head to bed. I have been working for five weeks now. I still love the job. The only hitch is that I have fifty fewer hours at home every week. Fifty hours. That is a lot of time and it is so hard to get everything done in the time that I am home, but I am getting better at it.
Last week we went to a birthday party for my work friend's son. She rented out a small bowling alley for cosmic bowling and Mike and I took Alex, Hannah, and Shauna. It was a lot of fun! My friend's family is very nice and were very friendly and welcoming to us. She has three bio daughters, all adults with kids of their own, and three adopted sons, ages 13, 14 & 15. Her son Josh, is doing drama classes and plays with Alex.
This weekend, we concentrated on cleaning out our sun room, which we have been using as a storage area. We are not done yet, and won't be until Steven moves out and takes his stuff, but we made a huge difference and I'd say we have about 20% still to go. I'm hoping to finish it next weekend, although I have to go to a CPR class on Saturday for five hours, and we really need to get some gardening done, so I will have to see.
After two days of sun room cleaning, Mike and I took the kids out for ice cream. That is a pretty rare treat for us and we all enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day in Colonial Williamsburg today! We brought Luke a sundae because he was having allergy problems all day at work and didn't feel like going with us. One of the drawbacks of living here is the allergies! However, living in a place where spring weather begins long before spring on the calendar is a big, big bonus! After an exceptionally snowy winter, we were all happy to see the trees and daffodils start to bloom.
I put my hummingbird feeders back out today! I'm not sure when we will see the first birds. I've done some research and have seen everything from mid-March to mid-May for the first Williamsburg hummingbird sightings.
On a sad note, we found out that our next door neighbors are moving. We really like them and will be sad to see them go. Please pray that we get nice ones, again! Wrigley will really miss them because whenever they make meat with good dog bones, they give them to him. Jerry made beef short ribs and put the bones in his freezer and has been giving him one every day. Wrigley has been in heaven!
Off to make my daily gallon of iced tea for tomorrow and some pound cake before I get to sleepy to accomplish anything! I hope I still have a few readers after my long absence!
Last week we went to a birthday party for my work friend's son. She rented out a small bowling alley for cosmic bowling and Mike and I took Alex, Hannah, and Shauna. It was a lot of fun! My friend's family is very nice and were very friendly and welcoming to us. She has three bio daughters, all adults with kids of their own, and three adopted sons, ages 13, 14 & 15. Her son Josh, is doing drama classes and plays with Alex.
This weekend, we concentrated on cleaning out our sun room, which we have been using as a storage area. We are not done yet, and won't be until Steven moves out and takes his stuff, but we made a huge difference and I'd say we have about 20% still to go. I'm hoping to finish it next weekend, although I have to go to a CPR class on Saturday for five hours, and we really need to get some gardening done, so I will have to see.
After two days of sun room cleaning, Mike and I took the kids out for ice cream. That is a pretty rare treat for us and we all enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day in Colonial Williamsburg today! We brought Luke a sundae because he was having allergy problems all day at work and didn't feel like going with us. One of the drawbacks of living here is the allergies! However, living in a place where spring weather begins long before spring on the calendar is a big, big bonus! After an exceptionally snowy winter, we were all happy to see the trees and daffodils start to bloom.
I put my hummingbird feeders back out today! I'm not sure when we will see the first birds. I've done some research and have seen everything from mid-March to mid-May for the first Williamsburg hummingbird sightings.
On a sad note, we found out that our next door neighbors are moving. We really like them and will be sad to see them go. Please pray that we get nice ones, again! Wrigley will really miss them because whenever they make meat with good dog bones, they give them to him. Jerry made beef short ribs and put the bones in his freezer and has been giving him one every day. Wrigley has been in heaven!
Off to make my daily gallon of iced tea for tomorrow and some pound cake before I get to sleepy to accomplish anything! I hope I still have a few readers after my long absence!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Valentine's Day
I almost forgot about Valentine's Day, but was reading Denise's blog and she reminded me! Alex had a performance that day. It had been scheduled for earlier in the month, but due to snow, it was changed to the 14th. He was performing at a beautiful theater in Colonial Williamsburg. We got there early for rehearsal, dropped Alex off, and Mike and I went off to find a parking space. As we walked to the theater, Mike steered me towards a candy shop. I told him that wasn't the theater and he told me to just go in. It is no secret that I'm addicted to chocolate, so I normally stay away from candy stores. I had never been in this one, even though we have lived here for ten years. It was delightful! I was told I could pick anything I wanted. I sent straight for the sale racks, as all Valentine's stuff was on sale for 30% off. It looked good, but not great. Then I saw the fresh candy counters and found my favorite of all favorites, creams!!!! I asked the girl if the orange creams had any hard pieces in them, which I don't usually like, and she offered me one to taste. It was absolutely delicious! Almost as good as Fannie May. I ended up getting a pound of orange, vanilla, chocolate and raspberry creams. They are so yummy! Mikey got some chocolate covered cashews that were on a bogo sale and we headed over to the theater.
Alex's performance was great and he got a lot of compliments from his instructor and the audience. I am hoping to post a video of it, but I'm waiting for Jack to get it off the video camera for me. Hint, hint!
Alex's performance was great and he got a lot of compliments from his instructor and the audience. I am hoping to post a video of it, but I'm waiting for Jack to get it off the video camera for me. Hint, hint!
My wonderful gifts! (Sorry Nick!)
(Sorry Nick, but you aren't going to like this "bar raising" post at all!!!)
When I got home on Friday, Mikey was already home from work. He had washed the dishes, which was a wonderful gift in itself! He also had a gift and card waiting for me. The card congratulated me on my first week at work. The gift is the cutest statue of a mom/angel cuddling with a baby. I was so impressed that he not only thought about getting me something, but that the gift was so well thought out and perfect!
Another gift I got this week was from the kids. On Wednesday, which just happens to be the hardest day of the week at work, I came home and was shocked to see a completely clean family room and kitchen. When I left for work that morning, there were piles of clean, but not folded clothes covering both couches, plus other miscellaneous stuff on the counters and floors. The kids each do their own laundry, but they put it on the couch and I fold it. I guess they figured out when there wasn't anywhere left to sit, that I was at work and the laundry wasn't going to fold itself! Anyway, apparently Steven took charge and gave each kid their assignments. Shauna said, "Mom, Steven was you, but in a good way." I'm wasn't quite sure how to take that, but she assured me that she just meant that he told coordinated the "family clean-up" the way I usually do. It was SO nice to walk into a clean house!
When I got home on Friday, Mikey was already home from work. He had washed the dishes, which was a wonderful gift in itself! He also had a gift and card waiting for me. The card congratulated me on my first week at work. The gift is the cutest statue of a mom/angel cuddling with a baby. I was so impressed that he not only thought about getting me something, but that the gift was so well thought out and perfect!
Another gift I got this week was from the kids. On Wednesday, which just happens to be the hardest day of the week at work, I came home and was shocked to see a completely clean family room and kitchen. When I left for work that morning, there were piles of clean, but not folded clothes covering both couches, plus other miscellaneous stuff on the counters and floors. The kids each do their own laundry, but they put it on the couch and I fold it. I guess they figured out when there wasn't anywhere left to sit, that I was at work and the laundry wasn't going to fold itself! Anyway, apparently Steven took charge and gave each kid their assignments. Shauna said, "Mom, Steven was you, but in a good way." I'm wasn't quite sure how to take that, but she assured me that she just meant that he told coordinated the "family clean-up" the way I usually do. It was SO nice to walk into a clean house!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I didn't quit yet!
This will be a very quick update, just to let everyone know how things are going with my new job. Thanks to all of you who commented with such encouraging messages! I really appreciated them. Yesterday was my first day and it was a slow day, kid-wise, because it was President's Day and a lot of the parents were off. That worked out perfectly for me because I was able to really ease into things. I felt a little awkward at first, not knowing the routine, but by the end of the day, I was doing pretty well. By the end of today, I had really fallen into the rhythm of things! The two ladies in the infant room with me are very nice and we all mesh really well. I was a little worried about fitting in with them, since they've known each other for a while, but it has been great.
So, the ladies and babies were great, but I was EXHAUSTED when I got home the first day. I take that back, I was EXHAUSTED for the last hour and a half of work. I'm not talking about regular exhaustion here (hence the capital letters!). I am talking absolute bone-aching exhaustion! My feet were killing me, I was getting cramps throughout my feet, toes, and legs. My back was sore and my hamstrings were hurting. I was barely able to lift myself into my van!
The rest of the week was a bit better. I was still sore on Friday, but a lot less. Who thought working full time would be a good idea for me??? I love the job, but it is much, much, much harder than I thought it would be. The job is harder than I thought it would be, but manageable. The part I'm having the hardest time with is being away from the house for 10 hours a day. When I get home, I am so tired that I can't even think straight. I fall asleep an hour or two after I get home, so I really don't get to spend much time with the kids at all. I keep telling myself that things will get better, once I'm used to everything and have been doing it for a while. I hope I am right! I just never expected to have such a hard time with this, emotionally.
So, the ladies and babies were great, but I was EXHAUSTED when I got home the first day. I take that back, I was EXHAUSTED for the last hour and a half of work. I'm not talking about regular exhaustion here (hence the capital letters!). I am talking absolute bone-aching exhaustion! My feet were killing me, I was getting cramps throughout my feet, toes, and legs. My back was sore and my hamstrings were hurting. I was barely able to lift myself into my van!
The rest of the week was a bit better. I was still sore on Friday, but a lot less. Who thought working full time would be a good idea for me??? I love the job, but it is much, much, much harder than I thought it would be. The job is harder than I thought it would be, but manageable. The part I'm having the hardest time with is being away from the house for 10 hours a day. When I get home, I am so tired that I can't even think straight. I fall asleep an hour or two after I get home, so I really don't get to spend much time with the kids at all. I keep telling myself that things will get better, once I'm used to everything and have been doing it for a while. I hope I am right! I just never expected to have such a hard time with this, emotionally.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A new chapter
Tomorrow is a huge day for me. I am nervous and excited. This will be the first time I have worked full time, out of the home, since August of 1983! I still don't know how I am going to handle this, but I am excited about meeting my babies tomorrow. I'm going to really miss being home with the kids. Several of them still need hands on parenting, but I cannot afford to stay home any longer, so I just need to suck it up, I guess.
I am praying that Hannah's great behavior continues and she doesn't revert to tantruming. I don't know if I will be able to continue working if she does. I won't be able to leave her home with the other kids, without me to intervene. If you've noticed, there haven't been any rage posts because there haven't been any rages! Well, a minor one here and there, but she hasn't hit or kicked me or damaged anything in about 5 or 6 months. That is a HUGE accomplishment for her.
I have tomorrow's dinner all ready to go into the crock pot in the morning. I also prepared several dinner items for the week. I got everything that could be made ahead done, so I can just put things together and cook when I get home from work. Tomorrow we are having Ravioli and Red Lobster Copycat Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. Yum! I wonder how long I will be able to stay this organized? Now I'm off to get to bed early, I will need all the strength and energy I can get tomorrow!
I am praying that Hannah's great behavior continues and she doesn't revert to tantruming. I don't know if I will be able to continue working if she does. I won't be able to leave her home with the other kids, without me to intervene. If you've noticed, there haven't been any rage posts because there haven't been any rages! Well, a minor one here and there, but she hasn't hit or kicked me or damaged anything in about 5 or 6 months. That is a HUGE accomplishment for her.
I have tomorrow's dinner all ready to go into the crock pot in the morning. I also prepared several dinner items for the week. I got everything that could be made ahead done, so I can just put things together and cook when I get home from work. Tomorrow we are having Ravioli and Red Lobster Copycat Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. Yum! I wonder how long I will be able to stay this organized? Now I'm off to get to bed early, I will need all the strength and energy I can get tomorrow!
Friday, February 12, 2010
More Blizzard Pictures
The neighbors digging out
Mikey digging my van out of the driveway
Alex, Shauna, and Hannah playing and helping
Hannah's turn to shovel. She is a great shoveler!
Part of the kitchen of the new townhome
Alex and Shauna, braving the huge snow pile at the end of the street
The top of my van in front and the buried cars in the background. We could only see the side-view mirrors and the windshield wipers that had been pulled out so they wouldn't freeze.
Alex and I made Denise's mashed potatoes with spinach and corn. We were being silly and pretending we were plating it for Iron Chef! Too bad I'm the only one who thought it was really delicious.
The neighbors helping Mike get the van unstuck from the middle of the street
Shauna, pretending to be me. I did not appreciate the extra padding in the stomach area!YESSSSSS! I GOT A JOB!
I am so excited, I just found out that I got a job that I had applied for and wanted to get so badly!!! I can't wait to start on Monday. I'm going to be an infant teacher at a small daycare center. I love the people I have met there, so far, and I love the way they run the center. It is very family oriented and doesn't have the cold atmosphere that so many daycare centers have.
Of course, starting next week is the worst possible time, since Jack is leaving for Philly on Monday and Drew is leaving for Chicago on the same day. The kids are also off that day, so they will be home alone for the entire day, unless Mike can stay home that day.
Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to swing working and being a single-during-the-week mom at the same time. Getting everyone where they need to be is going to be the hardest thing, next to meal preparation. The hours I will be working are a lot later than I was hoping for, but I will just have to find a way to make that work.
Of course, starting next week is the worst possible time, since Jack is leaving for Philly on Monday and Drew is leaving for Chicago on the same day. The kids are also off that day, so they will be home alone for the entire day, unless Mike can stay home that day.
Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to swing working and being a single-during-the-week mom at the same time. Getting everyone where they need to be is going to be the hardest thing, next to meal preparation. The hours I will be working are a lot later than I was hoping for, but I will just have to find a way to make that work.
Snow adventure
That poor little thing on the right is a (formerly) tall evergreen. In the middle of the night before this picture was taken, I looked out my bedroom window and that evergreen and several others were just starting to hunch over and they were slowly swaying side to side in the wind. They looked like they had monk's robes on and their heads were bent forward. It was weird and creepy.
Last weekend, we got tickets for a Capitals game in DC. We decided that Mike would just stay there for the weekend and I would drive up on Friday with Alex, Hannah and Shauna, to go to the game. We heard about the big snow they were expecting and rather than cancel the trip and just have Mike come home before the snow started, we did the smart thing and headed up a day earlier than planned! We left after school on Thursday and got there in the late evening. The snow started in the morning on Friday and didn't stop for a long time! We ended up deciding that driving to the game wasn't worth the risk, so we stayed at the townhouse and watched it on television. Too bad we couldn't have gone, since the game was great. We had fun watching it on tv, while checking the snowfall totals frequently. We ended up with at least 25 inches.
Alex, Hannah, and Shauna had never experienced that much snow, so they had a blast! Mike was shoveling every few hours and they did some helping with that. Alex and Hannah did the most shoveling. Shauna tends to take after me and she doesn't really get into the physical stuff! The really enjoyed climbing the big snow hills and sliding down. It was a little rough on them since we don't own snow pants or boots anymore. Poor Alex had on a pair of thin canvas shoes and would have probably gotten frost bite, were it not for the plastic Walmart bags we made him put on his feet. The girls had boots, but they are more fashion boots than snow boots. They still had a wonderful time and I got some good video of the event. I will try to post pictures, but right now Mike is figuring out how to get them off his Blackberry. I had my digital camera with me, but a certain son, who shall remain nameless, but did go on the trip with us, had taken my card out and not returned it.
Being snowed in was fun. We brought plenty of food and the kids even pitched in with the preparation. They got bored several times, but I think it was good for them. We played some board games and I was reminded about why we don't do that much at home. They are freaking annoying to play with!! They can't count spaces on Monopoly or Sorry. They get mad if I try to tell them a better strategy for winning. They take forever to remember that it is their turn. They quit in the middle of a game because they are bored. There was more to annoy me, but I can't remember everything now. I was wishing Denise was there, she is a good game companion!
We also played dominoes and Mike joined in. That was semi-annoying but still fun. Mike wasn't annoying, just the kids!
Mike just came in and handed me 5 mini Reese's peanut butter cups and said, "Happy Valentine's Day". Wow, I'm sure he only did it to throw me off, since he really plans to give me a dozen roses, a box of Fannie May, and a diamond ring! Who says there is no romance after 27 years of marriage????
Back to the snow weekend. I had planned to leave DC (actually Northern VA, but DC is easier) on Sunday afternoon, so the kids would only miss one day of school. However, the roads were still really bad and when Mike pulled the van out of the driveway to shovel around it, it got stuck in the middle of the street and three neighbors had to help get it back in, so I decided going home was out of the question. We ended up leaving at 1:00 pm on Monday, which was a bit iffy. If I wasn't so concerned about school, I would have stayed one more day because the highways weren't all that great. In the left and right lanes, it was fairly clear, wet, but clear, until suddenly a huge pile of snow would pop up right in front of the car! The middle lane was clear in a few spots, but in most areas, it had several inches of thick ice. I had a small panic when my windows got dirty from the salty snow spray from trucks and it turned out my blue stuff wasn't coming out. I'm sure there is a proper name for the blue stuff, like windshield cleaner, but we always call it blue stuff! I stopped as soon as I could to go to a gas station. The roads off the highway were even worse and I was terrified that I would get stuck. Alex got a squeegee and cleaned the windshield, while the girls and I tried to figure out how to open the hood. Shauna finally figured it out, just when I was going to look for the manual. After breaking all the thick ice under the wipers, thinking that might be covering the exit hole for the blue stuff, realized that that wasn't the problem. We headed into the gas station to buy some blue stuff and got there just in time, as they had just figured out that they couldn't sell anymore gas and were getting ready to close. I don't know why they couldn't' sell gas, they still had power, but the owner came in all in a panic to say they had to put signs on the pumps. Maybe they were out of gas, I'm not sure, as most of the conversation was in Chinese. When we finally got the hood open (turns out you still have to maneuver another latch under the hood, as well as inside the van) and located the blue stuff container, I realized that it already had blue stuff in it! I suppressed my panic and put my fingers in, pulling out chunks of ice that had formed inside. I topped it off with the new stuff and was thrilled when it actually worked!!!! The kids were sweet, too, as they worried about my fingers getting frost bite and even offered to do it for me!
After getting back on the road and getting a bit further south, the roads got much better and it was smooth sailing from Fredericksburg all the way home. The kids were excellent in the car, even though the converter isn't working, so they couldn't watch television. I was happy because I got to listen to some great music! We arrived home in one piece and Wrigley was very happy to see us! All in all, it was a great trip and I look forward to the next one!
Out to lunch
I've guess I've been "out to lunch" on blogging lately and I went out to lunch today. Jack took me to a yummy Chinese buffet and Drew joined us. It was a delicious lunch, which I really enjoyed because I haven't been to this restaurant in a couple of years. They had changed the layout of the buffet a bit, but the food was better than ever. They even had brown rice. That made me happy because, after many years of not being willing to even try brown rice, I now love it. I always thought it was a health food and must taste awful. Other than some of the conversation being a little inappropriate for a public place, I enjoyed having lunch with my two oldest babies!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Quote of the day
"Tell Luke the "moist" brownies are ready. I'm calling them "moist" instead of raw in the middle."--Alex
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Cold
Alex wanted me to take him shopping today. I told him I wasn't leaving the house today because it is too cold. He told me that this is the coldest month of the year, so I better get used to it. I have now decided that I am not leaving the house for the entire rest of the month! Some kids are going to have to learn how to drive!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Stupid Dog!
It has been really cold here. In the 20's at night. We even got another half inch of snow last night. I mean we got .06 inches of snow last night (sorry CUP!). I decided that since Mikey is coming home from cold, snowy Boston tonight, I would make something warm and delicious for dinner. I put a new recipe in the crock pot this morning, Steak and Ravioli Soup, and it has been smelling yummy all day. Just before I drove Alex to his drama class/play rehearsal, I put two loaves of Cheddar Bread in the oven. When I got home, I took them out and put them on a rack to cool. (Can you see where this is going?) I then went into my bedroom to vacuum. Bad idea. Good for the carpet, bad for the bread! I had set a timer to put the pasta into the crock pot and I heard it going off. As I came out of the bedroom, I saw Wrigley dash to his cage in a quick hurry. There on the counter, stood one lone loaf of cheddar bread! Stupid dog! Luckily, I had just enough time to throw another batch together and pop them in the oven, but Mr. Wrigley is going to spend the evening in his cage. He had eaten almost the entire loaf before I caught him. He usually doesn't take anything off the counter, but I guess the bread must have smelled too good to resist.
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