Christmas is over

Well another Christmas has come and gone - Kate had a good day even though she is still under the weather. Her favorite presents seem to be the ponies - two plastic ones that she painted herself and the stuffed pony. Bucky - that's the new stuffed pony - came to the movies with us this morning. We took her to see The Tale of Despereau - I wasn't sure if she would really like it. The storyline is a bit complex for her but she seemed to follow well enough and liked it. She still talks when we take her to the movies but mostly she is quiet and just watches. A couple of times she asked "Where's the princess?" and "Where's Despereau?". I figure it is a rated G movie and little kids talk - what are you going to do?

Todd got his new ipod so he is very happy - it fits in the speaker system we already have from the previous ipod so we are happy about that too. I got new slippers - my old ones were pitiful. Plus a kit on learning to crochet and a book about Barack Obama.

With her stuffy nose, Kate is still having sleep issues..getting to sleep is her problem, after that she is fine. We figured out a couple of things. One, she still needs physical activity even though she is sick b/c otherwise she is not tired enough. Two, the stuffy nose keeps her from sucking her thumb and therefore from falling asleep easily. Nothing else really soothes her like thumb sucking - she is lost without it. We made a plan - extra meds at night before bed, steam her in the bath, and we bought a humidifier for her room. She took an hour to get to sleep last night but then slept very well and wasn't up until 7 am this morning. She is just a different child when she is not sleeping well. Nap is a whole other problem - the last 2 days Todd has put her in the car to get her to sleep. Yesterday we let her nap in the car, in the garage (window and door open). Today he just brought her in and put her in her bed. He said it took 8 mins in the car before she fell asleep.

We didn't take many pictures yesterday - mostly we got Christmas on video. One of these days I am going to figure out how to get it off the video tape and onto the computer so I can burn it to DVD. I plan on sending the DVD to my mom - I know she would love that.

I'm so tired!!

Not sure what else to write - the title says it all. Ever since I started working full-time again, I haven't been able to find time for the YMCA. When I don't exercise, I get very sluggish. I would like to go after work before I come home, but I feel guilty about being away from Kate any longer than I have to. I get home between 5:15 and 5:30 pm and her bath starts at 6:30 pm and lights out by 7:30 pm. If I go to the gym, I would miss family dinner. In the past, I've tried to get up and go before work but I am so NOT a morning person. Once a week on Saturday is just not enough. Thank God for the holiday this week - hopefully I can get in some more exercise.

Kate is sick - AGAIN! I could just shoot myself. She has basically had the same cold off and on since the beginning of October. Her ped says it is normal b/c of her age and being in preschool. She gets 3, maybe 4 days, of feeling well and then the runny nose starts again, becomes a stuffy nose, and then drainage that causes her to cough. I feel so bad for her.

Work is slow this week and my boss is out of town. Going to take it easier this week.

Still having Jack-in-the-box toddler at bedtime syndrome. Some nights are great - she doesn't get up at all or only once. Tonight she won't stay in bed for nothing. There is nothing we can threaten or punish her with - she cares about nothing. Her ponies are her favorite toy. I tell her "get out of bed again and I take a pony away." So what does she do? One minute later she comes to the door of her room, all 3 ponies in hand, and says "here are the ponies, you take them."

Bath time and really the whole evening ritual are mostly unpleasant - she is constantly battling us over everything. Doesn't want to get in the bathtub, doesn't want to get out of the bathtub, doesn't want to brush her teeth, doesn't want you to comb her hair, have to chase her around the room to put her lotion on and PJs - Ugh! I wonder if all two year olds are like Kate or if other parents have "better-behaved" children. You ask her a question and she ignores you. Tell her to wash her hands, take off her shoes - she pretends she doesn't hear you. Todd is better at "tricking" her into doing what we want - me, not so much.

Kate in the box toddler is up again - gotta run...

It's almost here

Very excited about Christmas this year b/c Kate makes it so fun. She sings Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She knows 90% of the words and will sometimes combine songs to be silly, like Frosty with a shiny nose. We went to Toys R Us today, a place we rarely go, and got a couple last things for Kate. We picked up a stocking stuffer - paint and brush all in one set with 4 colors - and Goodnight Moon board-game plus Madagascar puzzle. I can hardly wait for her to open her gifts. She is also getting a "soft pony", ie Webkinz brown Arabian and Todd picked up a paint your own pony set. Oh, and Grandma got her an A to Z Zoo with 26 animals figures. I think she will love it.

We saw Yes today with Jim Carrey - a must-see, very funny movie!!

Finally a moment to breathe

Been wanting to post for a few days now but had a take-home final exam for one of my classes. It was due tonight. Turned it in a couple of hours ago so now this semester is finally finished. Only 5 more semesters to go....

Been taking lots of Airborne in the last 24 hrs...came home from work yesterday with a slight fever, sore throat, and runny nose. It is no wonder - Kate has been sick off and on (mostly on) for about 5 weeks now. It is just crazy. The poor child has a cough that won't go away. Before that it was stuffy nose. I feel so bad for her.

I like being back to work - it feels so normal to be in an office setting again. On the other hand, I am busier now and I sure do miss Kate some days. Weekends are just not long enough. I am glad for the month break until school starts again - I will have more time for her in the evenings and weekends. My company is great - nice people and laid back about things. I can connect to work from home so I can opt to work from home once in a while. My boss suggested I take off or work from home on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. I wasn't even going to ask to be off since I am so new. She told me I should.

Sold my first Mary Kay at the office - my boss bought Satin Lips. Trying to make sure everyone at work knows I sell MK - can't hurt to get some new customers.

She's gone!

Todd and Kate dropped mom at the airport this afternoon - it was getting very stressful for me. I am glad for Kate - she loves spending time with her grandma. Still I am glad it is not too much time b/c my mom has many theories/ideas with which I do NOT agree. For starters she is prejudice and I do not want Kate exposed to that. She said to Todd, and I quote, "Obama is an evil, evil man who hates white people and his grandma". She jokingly (?) told Todd she might have to stop speaking to us b/c we voted for Obama. She snaps at me for the littlest disagreement, meaning if I don't agree with her 100%, then I am wrong and she is right. If I even suggest their are other viewpoints, she gets angry. Also, she is very rude to people at times. We took her to the YMCA as our guest to workout. The lady at the front desk asked her to sign in and she got nasty with the lady - "well, why do I have to do that? I've been here 2x before and didn't have to do that." Her tone was not nice. As Todd always reminds me, mom is mom and at this point in her life she is not going to change. Doesn't make her any less irritating.

Kate is loving Christmas time. We bought a tree, pre-lit, from Lowe's and put it up yesterday. She loves it. Also we went to Michaels and got her a kit to make her own ornaments - she, Todd, and mom made some this morning. Kate's wishes for Christmas are a hard pony (My Little Pony) and a soft pony (stuffed animal pony) plus a blue pickup truck. We have a plastic snow globe with a Santa in it and she loves it. It plays music when you push the button - it was the first thing she went to this morning. I've always liked Christmas but it is so much more fun with a child.

Very glad to have this extended break from my new job. It has been tough working so much after so long of not working. It was, however, very exciting to deposit my first 40 hour a week paycheck in over two years. Did some shopping with LLBean.com this week - got some clothes for work and some new warm pjs for Kate.

Weekly update

It has been "cold" this whole week. Poor Kate, she has been complaining about cold hands on the playground at school. We are going to get her some gloves this weekend. Her little knuckles are getting red and dry. It doesn't usually stay this cool for this long here, especially this time of year. I love it but I am out of warm clothes too, especially for work. Darn - will have to go shopping - what a shame.... :)

I finally uploaded the Halloween pictures and Kate's new "big girl" bed. Will attach to this post.

Last night Todd and I went out to dinner and bowling (have a sore arm today). Carrie, our babysitter, came over and Kate was so happy to see her. Kate actually told us to "leave now". Carrie couldn't believe the change - the last time she watched Kate about 3 months ago, Kate cried when we left. School has made a big change for her. She is much more confident about her abilities and the knowledge that Mommy and Daddy always come back.

Speaking of school, Kate has a "boyfriend". Not really, but a little guy in her class named Ty, is her favorite classmate and Ty has to hug AND kiss her before she leaves at the end of the day. He is shorter than Kate and barely speaks versus Kate's non-stop talking. It is funny. Apparently Ty talks about Kate at home too, per his mom.

Hallelujah!

Finally took the GMAT this morning - so glad that is over. Score is slightly lower than my goal but I think it is good enough for the school to officially "accept" me. They said my course grades would be the biggest deciding factor and those are both 'A's right now. December 6th is our last class session for this semester. I will be glad for the break for a month until next classes start.

First week of my new job went well. Co-workers have been friendly and nice. They set all new people up with a 'buddy'. My buddy took me out to lunch on Wed. I see extreme busyness in my future - learning like crazy. There is lots to do. So far I upgraded my computer monitor and got a different keyboard tray.

Can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here. My mom is coming to visit. She and Kate will be spending the day before together since Todd & I will both be working. That should be interesting.

On that note, Todd is getting laid-off after Thanksgiving. We sort of knew this might happen eventually. Todd has been job hunting. There will be some severance package - we are waiting for the official paperwork.

By the way, if you haven't seen Get Smart, I highly recommend it. I laughed so hard - very funny stuff.

It's Saturday

Yesterday was my last day of freedom - can't believe I really start work on Monday. I had to go pee in a cup yesterday - just hate that. It feels so invasive. Just spent an hour or so trying to contact some of my Mary Kay customers. I can't believe how time just flies by and next thing I know it has been 6 months since I last spoke to her. I am not pursuing any new business right now - just maintaining the customers I already have.

Turned in my last paper yesterday. Have an oral presentation with slides due tomorrow and then a final. Our last day of class this semester is Dec 6th.

Took Kate to see Madagascar 2 this morning - she had been waiting and waiting for it to come out. It was good - even for adults - some great 'adult' humor that the kids don't understand.

Maybe this weekend I will finally have time to upload the camera with Halloween pics.

Good news!

WooHoo - I am now in the ranks of the Employed! The big job, the multiple interview, close to home job finally called me yesterday and made me an offer. I start on Nov 17th. I will be eligible for benefits on Jan. 1. Best part is the salary is the highest since I've been here in FL and the job is so close to home. It took 4 months but it was worth it. I used affirmations almost every day for this job and it worked!

Kate is doing much better. Get this - 3 am Todd gets up to pee and decides he should check on Kate. He finds her, sound asleep, with her feet on the floor, bent over with upper body and head leaning on bed. He moved her bottom half back onto the bed and covered her up - he said she never even stirred. How funny is that?

We took her out for Halloween - she definitely caught on to the candy thing. I hide the candy after she went to bed last night b/c I don't want her to have it. She didn't forget and this morning wanted to know where it was. I told her the Great Pumpkin came during the night and ate it all. She said "We have to go get some more." We let her have one piece last night, a mini Reese's cup, and she really liked it.

What a week!

Well Kate got full-blown sick, sicker than she has ever been before. Her fever started Sunday night and was finally gone this morning. She has been extremely congested and has a very sore nose. Needless to say she has been home from preschool all week which puts a major cramp in my schedule. Our second group paper is due this weekend and I have not been able to work on it during the day like I usually do.

Last night we moved her into a twin bed and out of the crib. She slept great and she loves the new bed. We got her cute flowery sheets from Target and a matching quilt. She thinks it is so cute. We found a great deal on a bed (used) off Craigslist and Todd got a us a great deal on a discontinued mattress that was a floor model. She doesn't use a pillow but did stay under the blanket last night - that is huge! That was our biggest concern - she doesn't seem to stay under any blanket or sheet. And we've had cool weather this week, which we haven't been able to enjoy.

Good news and bad news - I have an interview tomorrow morning. Job looks promising. And, I have some of Kate's symptoms...runny nose and itchy eyes today.

Planet Jump and others

We took Kate to Planet Jump again yesterday - she just loves it. This time I went on most of the inflatables with her - it was fun! Had something out of the ordinary happen. I took Kate to the bathroom to wash her hands. First thing I noticed was it smelled horrible. There were 2 little girls in there - apparently related. One girl (turns out she is 4) was crying with her stall door partially open and was the source of the smell. Turns out she didn't quite make it and had pooped her pants. She was a mess - tears running down her face, nose running, and pants full of poop around her ankles. She was beside herself and didn't know what to do. I quickly got Kate out to her dad and went to talk to the girl and her sister/cousin (?). Told the other girl to go get her mom right away - she says "My mom isn't here. She is with her grandpa." Grandpa comes to the door of ladies room. I tell him it is ok to come in - no one else is in here. He tells her it is ok and that she is not in trouble. (I would certainly hope not - I always cringe when I find out people yell or punish their kids for potty accidents.) I hated to just leave her - it was apparent Grandpa was unprepared for such things. He had no wipes or clean clothes. I thought for a moment and remembered I had spare clothes for Kate in the trunk of the car. Since the girl was 4 and Kate's clothes were 2T, I wasn't sure it would fit but I figured tight, clean underwear and shorts was better than nothing. So I sent Todd to the car for the clothes and went back to the ladies room. By this time, the Grandpa had her up on the changing table (she had poop all up and down her legs). He had washed her pants out in the sink and wiped her down with paper towels. I offered the clothes but said I wasn't sure they would fit. He said "well, she is small for her age. I think they will." Sure enough, the underwear and shorts fit her. He asked for my name and/or a way to return the items. I said "Don't bother. It is no big deal. Just keep them." Truthfully, the shorts were $4 at Target and too small for Kate anyway and what is one pair of underwear. I thought about that little girl all day yesterday - I just felt so bad for her. She didn't look particularly well cared for anyway - her shirt was stained and her hair looked unwashed and uncombed. Who knows - maybe I was reading more into it than was there. I was just glad I was able to help - the Grandpa was going to put wet pants with no underwear back on her. He must have thanked me 4 times before they left, which was right after this incident (as I am sure you can imagine). Something about the whole situation made me sad - can't really say why. However, I have to say of all the donations (mostly cash) I've given to worthy cause over the years, nothing made me feel as satisfied as helping that little girl with $5 worth of clothes. Probably sounds silly, I know.

Different note, Kate woke up sick this morning and was feeling particularly bad by bathtime. Her fever was 102.8 so we gave her Motrin plus cold medicine. She went right to sleep. I know she will be disappointed if she can't go to school tomorrow. This morning she told us at breakfast "I want to go to school." We went to church and she was happy with that - she loves the Sunday school teacher.

Friday update

First thing - please check out this blog... I like their stuff. http://lastofourkind.blogspot.com/

Second - checked on the big job today. Turns out they have another interview next week so it will be at least one more week before I know anything. I am not happy about this. By the time of the last interview next week (Wed), it will be 2 weeks since they saw me. Let's face it - people tend to forget. Even if they liked me, they will have a hard time comparing me to this last candidate since that person is so fresh in their mind and I am not. When interviewing you tend to remember the beginning and the end and not so much the people in the middle. Still applying to other stuff. Talked to Accountemps today - they might have something for me. Will follow up with them on Monday.

We bought a little person table and 2 chairs today for Kate. We got it used off Craigslist. She loves it. It needs a sanding and repainting but is solid so it should last. Tomorrow we are going to look at a twin bed for her. We looked at new but no matter what we picked it was going to be $600ish with tax and delivery. We just can't spend that right now.

Updates on stuff

Job front - still waiting to hear on the interview from last week. The HR lady said she should have an answer mid to end of the week so hopefully I will know for sure by Friday. Meanwhile still applying for jobs as I see them posted.
School - We got an 'A' on our first group paper - WooHoo! So far, so good this semester. I signed up to take the GMAT on Nov 15th - not looking forward to that. It has been 20 years since I took a standardized test. Only good thing is now they are on computer so no more filling in the stupid little circles with a #2 pencil.
Kate - School is doing really well. She seems to be enjoying herself and having fun with her schoolmates. We got her a "pretty kitty" costume for Halloween. I will post a picture after the holiday. Last night, she wet her crib, apparently in her sleep. I went in to pull her pant legs down on her PJs and realized one leg was all wet. She was totally asleep - didn't notice she was wet. We got her up and Todd changed the sheets while I changed her PJs - she was upset. She gets pretty upset when she knows she's had an accident. It just doesn't happen much anymore so I think that is why it bothers her so much.
Finally had some cooler weather - been able to open the doors for a bit each day...it is nice.

Job interview

Ok, today was the big interview. I talked to the Head of Ops for an hour - a very nice lady named Susan. She has a PhD and 4 children, one of whom is Kate's age. I then talked to the accounting manager, Michelle, who has 2 teenage daughters. Apparently both of them occasionally work remotely from home - nice option to have. The position is newly created b/c of growth, benefits start after 30 days, and 401(k) matching. Had to take 2 tests, Excel and a bookkeeping test. Got a 90% on both of them. I think this job would be perfect - even possibility of having my own office. At the very least I will share an office with another accountant - NO cubicle!

I really want this job. Nice offices, close to home, good pay and benefits, and a challenging position. Everyone pray for me!!

Thoughts

Spent an hour on the phone this morning with Alisa, a girlfriend of mine here locally. It was so good to talk to her and just get caught up. She has 2 children and one is a 13 yr old boy who plays football and she is the team mom. She is so busy with her kids that she has no time for herself and her husband is only moderately helpful. She promised me some face to face time after football season is over.

I am relishing this "extra" time I have right now before I go back to work. I know it will be soon - I can feel it. Once work starts, plus school, plus life, I know I will look back and think of things I should have done while I could. Or at least not complained about the spare time. Still some days I long to be in an office and to feel like I am productive. Today has been good so far - great workout this morning, cleaned the bathrooms, leftovers for lunch, some job hunting, and after this posting, on to some reading for school.

Alisa and I talked about Catholicism b/c she is sending her son to classes for the sacraments. I asked her why she would do that when she herself didn't like the 10 years of Catholic school she went to. I told her I consider myself a recovering Catholic - took me years to get away from all that religious crap. Bottom-line for me, I don't believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Organized religion makes people do stupid things, in the name of belief. Just my two cents worth for today.

We are probably going bed shopping for Kate this week. I don't know that she really cares one way or the other. We've talked to her about a bed - she seems mildly interested. Too funny - yesterday Todd was up first and Kate wasn't awake yet so he just opened the door to her room so the noise would wake her naturally. About 10 mins later, he hears "You can't just leave me in here." She is so funny sometimes - I don't know where these things come from.

Todd taught her our address - we keep asking her everyday to see if she remembers and so far, so good. And apparently at school they recite the Pledge of Allegiance b/c now she is saying it at home. I assume that is where she picked it up. Even for Kate I am pretty amazed at that one - the words are long and it is rather complex. She is only 28 months old.

She is entering a clothing phase - she only wants to wear certain things and gets very upset if you try to put something else on. You can't force her to wear anything b/c she knows how to get undressed. If she doesn't like it, off it comes. I tried pants this morning and she immediately crys "No, I want a dress." I managed to convince her to wear a scooter skirt but only b/c I bribed her with her favorite Dora shirt that lights up. I think the days of shopping for clothes without her are over.

Sunday update

Todd and Kate are outside putting up Halloween decorations. He actually bought the orange lights to hang up, similar to Xmas lights. We also have a "bag" with a sensor so when you walk past, it cackles and says "Happy Halloween". Kate likes it so much Todd had to put it away for now b/c she won't stop running in front of it. We are still unsure of taking her trick or treating or just staying home. She doesn't know what candy is and I like it that way. Todd would end up eating all her stuff anyway.

We were in Lowe's last night and it is full of Xmas stuff already, of course. We walk in and Kate says "Christmas!" We went to another part of the store and Kate says "I want to go back to Christmas." Only two and already she associates the commercialism and stuff with Christmas - I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry. She has informed us she wants a "soft pony" for Christmas this year. She saw a Webkinz horse in a store at the airport and that is what she wants. At least her requests are still cheap and easy - for now.

I got an A on my first paper so I am happy with that. We turn in our first group paper/project today. I think we did ok but it is not my best effort.

The picture is Kate and the horse lesson - the horse is named Bucky and Sarah was the instructor. Kate is loving the pictures - actually asked to take one of the pictures in the crib yesterday at naptime.

Job interview

Good news - the phone interview has turned into a real interview. I have a scheduled appointment on Wed at 1 pm. Yeah! More update later...

We are back!

Oh my gosh, what a week! I have so much stuff running around in my head that I can't possibly get it all out. MI was great - Kate loved Uncle Gene, Aunt Mary, and Grandpa. She took a bit to warm up to Uncle Gene b/c he is currently sporting a full beard in anticipation of deer hunting season. She doesn't really like facial hair - I think mostly b/c Todd is clean-shaven so beards weird her out. The weather turned quite cold (30s in the am) the last 3 days we were there. I didn't have a warm enough jacket and we put 2 jackets on Kate. It was great! Came home and I wasn't off the plane 30 mins before I was sweating - Ugh!

We spent a day running around Ann Arbor and surrounding area - we are thinking of moving up there once we can sell our house here. The area is lovely - all I hoped for. Ann Arbor is fairly major since it has U of M and there are very nice small towns around the outskirts in which to live. We took Kate to a horse farm and she did a 30 min riding lesson. It was very basic since she is rather young still for riding. The instructor said she did really well for age 2. They don't usually do any lessons until age 4.

Traveling home yesterday Kate didn't really get a nap - she fell asleep for all of 30 mins on the plane right before we landed. She was SO tired - she was watching Madagascar (again!) and just fell asleep in my arms. One minute eyes open, next minute fell over into my arm. She is still a bit off - been a little cranky today. But hell, so am I.

The sucky part of vacation is coming home. Unpack the bags, do a crapload of laundry, house is a mess (cat litter all over) and tired. The poor cats - our catsitter was not paying attention and let their water fountain run dry and I mean totally dry. When we got home last night, the cats were dying of thirst. Cosmo must have drunk from the sink for 5 mins straight and then went back for more. My mood hasn't been great either - started my period on the plane home yesterday. I just hate that I can't get control over those 2 or 3 days right before and just starting my period. My thoughts turn all dark and depressing/angry. I snap at Todd and Kate for the littlest things. I try to override it and keep it down inside but sometimes I just want to scream at anyone for no reason. Am I the only one who has this problem?

I am behind on school work since we were gone. I did some while we were at Mary and Gene's house but no reading. I have lots to read this week and my first group paper is due Saturday. One of my group members emailed late Friday that she is dropping the class so we are down to 3 people.

Upside - had a phone interview for a great job while in MI. It is an excellent position, good company with great benefits, and close to home. Please keep me in your prayers - I would love this job. Will be at least a week before I hear about a 2nd interview.

Will upload some pictures of Kate as soon as I get around to downloading the camera - could be a few days.

Poopy on the potty!!

Guess what - Kate actually went poop at school and on the potty yesterday. This is very exciting news! Hopefully this means she is finally comfortable enough with school and her teachers to let them wipe her butt.

I do hope our trip to MI won't set us back. She will be out of school for a whole week.

Anyway, this has to be short. I am in middle of writing my first paper for school. It has to be done before we leave. I have six of my 10 pages completed.

Howdy

Counting down to our vacation to MI. We leave Saturday morning - I am so excited! The weather will be beautiful. Had to buy some "cold" weather clothes for Kate - long sleeves, pants, and a jacket. Speaking of weather, we got our first taste of relief this week. It is actually going to dip below 70 tonight - WooHoo!

School is going well for me so far. I am learning a LOT! Oh my gosh, who knew there were so many ways to steal money from your employer. These people are so deceitful - it is scary. Also, starting to study for the GMAT. Not looking forward to that test.

Still looking for a job. One of my staffing agencies may have something for me. It is below my pay range but right now I am desperate. Times are tough here in FL - housing problems hit us hard. Construction was one of the big employers here plus of course tourism, which is also way down. I heard unemployment is at a 13 year high in our area - 6.5%. Can't wait until things turn around so we can move out of FL.

Planet Jump

Just wanted to publish this picture of Kate coming down a slide at Planet Jump. She just loved the place. Wanted to go back again the next day. Daddy had fun too - he went on several inflatables with her.

New stuff

In my second week of school and things are going well so far. I found a job listing this morning for exactly the type of position I want. It is an actual forensic accounting job - I am hoping they will take me since I am in school for that field. We will see.

Todd and I went to a parenting seminar sponsored by the YMCA last night. The speaker was John Rosemond. He has written several books and is a licensed psychologist. It was great - he talks about what he called a "retro-parenting" revolution. I really liked his ideas and he says the parents who try them have success. He talked about taking charge and being a leader that your children can look up to. He said the primary relationship in the family should be between husband and wife and not between any one parent and the child. Look him up if you are interested in more.

We also went to the movies and saw Burn After Reading - it was twisted and funny! I definitely recommend it. Brad Pitt was very funny as a personal trainer - a different role for him - I liked it.

At my wit's end

I know there are probably a million reasons to not worry about this but here goes.

Kate had a terrible potty week at school. Three days this week she pooped in her pants. She stopped pooping in her diapers, for crying out loud, when she was 15 months old. We had maybe 5 poops in her diapers after that time. She asked for underwear at 23 months. When she is with us, she doesn't have accidents anymore. She pees on the potty at school just fine - UNTIL today...two pee-pee accidents at school today. One I understand b/c it was at nap time - sometimes she wakes up and just pees. The other time I don't get - she just stood in the middle of the classroom and peed like nothing was happening.

Last night and this morning I talked to her about using the toilet. She seems to understand, says "ok", etc. I asked if she wanted diapers or underwear and she said "underwear". Sometimes I wonder if the unpotty trained children at school confuse her. She will come home and say things like "I smell something. Let me check you for poop." and will try to pull the back of my pants down. She asked me yesterday if I poop in my pants - I told her "no, mommy poops on the toilet."

It makes me feel so guilty b/c it seems all school related. I know I can't just take her out of school b/c I hope to be working soon but then I wonder if we put her in school too soon. However I like her in school - I am the most sane I've been in a while (most of the time).

What do I do, if anything, to help the potty situation? I am afraid her teachers will tire of all this and ask to put her in diapers. I do NOT want to go backwards. Help!

9/11

Kate's school asked us to put the children in red/white/blue today for Patriot Day. I sent her in her 4th of July shirt - blue with a flag on it. I went to the Y and half the TVs had the memorials on. I had to stop watching and go do something else. The emotion was just too much. Hell, I get misty-eyed at Hallmark commercials - you know 9/11 stuff is going to be too much for me.

I have a friend whose birthday is today - doesn't that just suck? Speaking of birthdays, Todd's 45th is coming up and I have no idea what to get him. We leave the day after for MI so I don't want to spend too much either.

Have a list of things a mile long to do today and don't feel like doing crap. Maybe I'll feel more motivated after I shower (but I doubt it). :)

Oh, one last thing - today is World Day of Prayer. Please take a moment out of your day to pray for peace!

Busy, crazy day

Day didn't start great - know how it is when you have "bad" dreams and then wake up in a foul mood. That is how my day started. I did a 10 min presentation at my Mary Kay meeting last night and mentioned my parents. Well, last night I dreamt about them. I was who knows where, but I remember I was trying to sleep and they kept waking me up. I don't remember specifics at this point but I was so angry with them and yelling and cursing at them. My parents in turn were saying not nice things about me - basically putting me down and saying "see, how you are and you are always like that." They didn't mean it in a good way either. Yuck! I had all that crap in my head when I woke up - what a sucky way to start the day.

The interview I really wanted for the job near home - didn't get it. At least the company had the courtesy to let me know I was not selected. Back to square one - still job hunting and applying almost every day. If I don't get a job soon (by end of year), we are going to end up in foreclosure on the house or bankrupt. We are seriously broke.

On a brighter note, I started working on my classes today. I'm in for quite a bit of work including group paper/presentation. I HATE group projects, especially over the Internet - they are such a pain to organize and get everyone to do their part on time. Ok, just read over that - doesn't sound much better than other stuff I wrote. Geez - what happened to me today?

Ok, something good today - I had a great workout this morning. Been at the Y almost every morning for about six weeks now. Haven't lost any weight yet but definitely feel better and can see some muscle tone coming back.

Ooo, count down to MI trip - we leave Sat the 27th - can't wait. I've shown Kate pictures of Grandpa Luna, Uncle Gene, and Aunt Mary and taught her who they are. She can identify them in the pictures - hopefully she will recognize them when she sees them in person.

Friday!

Well, today was a better day. Kate cried again when Todd dropped her at school but once again she was fine after he left. I was very busy today between last minute school forms, cleaning up the office, balancing my MK checkbook (4 months behind), and taking Cosmo to the vet (again).

Todd worked late and so he missed dinner, bath, and bedtime. After bath and pjs, Kate finally asked where is Daddy? We called him so she could say "good night". Bath was ok except for teeth brushing - had to pin her down and she cried quite a bit.

Funny thing for the day - before dinner I guess something startled Kate and she says "Scared me out of the crap." Oh boy did that make me laugh! It is so funny when she mixes up the words in a saying she has heard.

My first online class is tomorrow. It is the start of 2 years of hard work towards my master's degree. I am very excited - I've wanted to go back to school for a while now. The career opportunities that will be available are exciting too.

Wish it were better

As much as I am trying to keep a positive attitude and my spirits up, today was not one of my better days. It doesn't help that I am in the middle of my period - I hate being a "slave" to my stupid hormones. Men don't have to put up with this crap. (FYI, I too take daily meds for my PMDD - Prozac 10 mg - just enough to take the edge off.)

I am tired of looking for a job, tired of not having enough to keep me busy all day, tired of us being broke all the time. I swear 98% of the conversations Todd and I have are about money. I am working thru a self-help program by Terry McBride. It is helping but just not today.

I was so short on patience today. I had people in the library giving me dirty looks while I was yelling at Kate to listen to me and do what I asked. I was so frustrated with her - she will run off and I have to chase her down..again and again. I was in line to check out some library books but she would not stay put so I picked her up, which I hate to do b/c she is 30 lbs and too big to carry around. She is trying to push me away and screaming to get down. I am trying to hold on to her - ugh - it was not pretty. What are you suppose to do when the child will NOT do what you told them to? There is no way to punish her - I have no leverage - she is too young to understand taking something away for bad behavior. It has to be something immediate - like what?

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day. I will work on making it better!

Political - read at your own risk :)

OMG, I am flipping out over McCain's choice of Palin for VP. She is the type of politician that scares me - she is WAY too right of normal. I wasn't voting for McCain anyway - I preferred Hillary but I will settle for Obama. I never thought the VP choice was that important but I now I think - God Forbid McCain does get elected and then drops dead a year into office. We would be stuck with Palin - that frightens me! Anti-choice, abstinence-only (with preggo daughter, mind you), gun-loving hunter - just generally small-minded. And, just my own personal thing and petty I know, but she sure did pick some stupid names for her children.

I wasn't planning on getting involved at the ground level with this campaign but now I am thinking "how can I help get Obama elected?" Just voting in November is not enough any more. This country CANNOT have 4 more years of the same stupid Bush policies! All McCain and his people can talk about is war related stuff - we need out of Iraq now - never should have gotten involved in the first place. Hello??? People are losing jobs, can't pay their bills, and paying $4 for gas in non-fuel efficient cars. Think maybe we need to spend some more time and money here at home??!! Ugghh!

Ok, I must stop or I'll rant and rave all day. Going to the Y to work off some steam.

After the holiday

For the first time, Kate cried when I left her at school this morning. I knew she would be fine but it was hard to leave with her crying and saying "mommy". I think the 3 days in a row with all Mommy & Daddy all the time was too much. Saturday we took her to the beach. Sunday morning was church and she just loves Ms. Bridgitte the nursery teacher. Yesterday we took her to the pool at the YMCA.

My environmental tip for the week - stop using plastic bottles! Only about 26% actually get recycled and they take FOREVER to break down in a landfill. See this website for a great alternative - filter your own water (we use a Brita) and use this refillable stainless steel container. www.kleankanteen.com

Week got better today

Well Kate's pants came clean and the shoe looks ok but still smells funny. The rest of the school week has been uneventful. Kate did stay home sick on Thursday - woke up with small fever. We finally gave in and got her Amoxicillan from the ped. She has been sick, various symptoms, for almost 3 weeks now. We had them add grape flavor, which is her favorite, but she is still having a hard time drinking it down.

I never heard back from either of my job interviews and it has been over a week so I am assuming it is a no-go for either of them. Today there was a new job posted, near home, that looks fabulous! I applied and will call to follow up on Tuesday. Everyone pray for me!!

Thursday was a bit crazy. Todd got home from his business trip in the middle of the night, Kate was up at 6 am, and 2 of the cats had to be at the vet before 8 am. Cosmo and Mikey had dental cleanings - too damn expensive but has to be done. It had been over 2 years since the last time. I don't want their teeth falling out. Minnie seems to do ok w/out cleanings but the boys get terrible tartar build-up. The vet actually sent home toothpaste and finger brush for me to clean their teeth at home - Yeah right - I can barely get Kate's teeth brushed.

And, oh my gosh, I start FAU for my master's next Saturday. It is a 2 year program - 5 classes each year - and I will be done.

What a day!

Todd left early this morning on a two day business trip. It is his first trip since April. Things at AutoMart/AutoTrader are in a bit of upheaval lately so he thinks it might be his last trip this year. Thankfully Kate is in school so I don't have her 24/7 with no break like when he travelled in the past. I know it probably sounds bad but I don't have the most patience and when I have Kate for extended periods like that, I start to lose it!

I pick her up today and the teachers inform me she pooped in her pants after nap while on the playground. Apparently she didn't want to stop playing to go potty and then comes in from outside and doesn't tell them she went in her pants. They smell it, find her, and turns out it was runny poop (what fun!). She got poop down her pant leg, on her sock and on her BRAND-NEW shoes! UGH! They did rinse out her clothes and shoes and I washed as soon as we got home. We have to wait and see how the shoe turns out. We threw out the underwear and one sock. I didn't have spare shoes for her at school so they put Kate in an extra pair they have for emergencies - they are 1/2 a size too small and they put them on without socks. I don't know why - she has two extra pairs at school in her cubby. Now she has "rub" sores on the backs of her heels from those shoes.

The rest of the afternoon/evening was ok but I was a bit stressed out. I had leftovers planned for Kate and it went bad so I picked out something else for her to eat - she didn't like it as well. I was trying to occupy her while I fixed our food so I let her have the Windex spray bottle and a paper towel. She really wanted to "clean the counter". I've done this many times before with her and she has done fine. Not tonight. She sprays herself in the face - it totally freaked me out. I rush her to the tub to rinse her eyes out with water - this freaks her out. What a disaster! Thankfully she was fine - I think she just got her cheek.

During this time, a guy with one of the staffing agencies with which I registered calls to talk about a job. Few minutes of Blah, blah, blah and "oh, it pays $14 an hour." WHAT??? I made more than that 10 years ago before I even had my degree. What an insult!

Now that I've got that all out I feel better - time to kick back and relax before bed. After all, Kate will most likely be up at 6 am.

Interview & funny

Had my first job interview today. I would say it went well but he didn't ask me many questions and nothing about my actual skill set. Nice guy but some people just don't know how to interview. His "real" job is an attorney but he got roped into being the HR guy for his law firm. He is looking to make a decision very soon. If the money is right, it seems like a good opportunity. The drive might not be fun every day but I will try to get educational stuff to listen to in the car.

Kate had another great day at school - she was ready to leave the house earlier than I was so Todd ended up taking her to school. I asked her what she did today at school and she says "played with horsies and Play-doh". Then at dinner she starts talking about tuna fish. We have never mentioned this to her - I offered her some once and she took one sniff and said "no". So I ask who had tuna fish and she tells me "Ms. Judy had tuna fish." I ask about the rest of Ms. Judy's lunch and Kate says she also had pretzels. It amazes me the stuff she remembers some times - like why did she bring up lunch and specifically what her teacher ate? Early today she mentioned Nancy, who was our realtor, and how Nancy bought her ice cream once. That was back in March - we couldn't believe Kate remembered that.

And the funny one - tonight Kate is peeing on the potty and says to me "I made bubbles with my whoo-ha (our family word for her privates). She has a big smile on her face when she tells me this. Pretty funny stuff!

School & TS Fay

Well, Kate's first day of school went really well. She ate her lunch, took her nap, and went potty all day with no wet underwear. Her teachers were very impressed. The school was so nice - they actually called Todd mid-morning or so to let us know that Kate was doing well and had adapted nicely. Todd said she was very happy when he picked her up.

Then today no school - yesterday they announced all area schools would be closed today b/c they weren't sure where the storm would hit. Lots of people were off work too. They even closed the public library - one of the places I like to take Kate when we have time. And, of course, no storm in our area at all! It was a bit windy and it rained for about 20 mins this afternoon - that was all we got of TS Fay. Don't get me wrong - I don't want a hurricane at my door but it sucked that everything was closed for no reason.

I took Kate to the YMCA this morning and when we pulled into the Y parking lot she said "where's my school?" I explain as best I could about the storm and why she didn't have school today. So much for consistency...

Side note - Kate has been sick (cold) for over a week now. At first it was nothing serious, just little runny nose and some sneezing and no fever. But for the last 3 - 4 days a deep chest cough has developed. It has lots of phlem - she almost chokes when she coughs sometimes b/c of the phlem she brings up and doesn't know how to spit it out. Our ped said to try Dimetapp C & C and if she doesn't show improvement in 48 hrs then he wants to see her.

Stuff in general

Bath time has been nothing but "mommy, mommy" lately. I used to use Kate's bathtime to get a few things done. Todd has been giving up and I have to finish bath, brush teeth, lotion her, and pjs. Tonight we decided to try faking her out. I said I was leaving to go work, opened and shut the garage door and jingled the car keys. Then I actually snuck into our bedroom and am using the laptop. So far, so good - I think she believes I am gone. Oh the things we do for our toddlers!

Kate's preschool starts tomorrow - I am very excited. We went shopping for new school shoes tonight - Kate is getting rather picky about her shoes these days. Stride Rite had a buy one, get one 1/2 price sale so we ended up with two pairs.

I have all kinds of plans for things to do this week while she is in school. My office needs cleaning up and out badly - I am drowning in paperwork! Plus my 2 interviews this week and applying to more jobs. We will see how it goes - it will be very weird to be away from Kate for a whole day. As long as I am not working, I will pick her up between 3:30 and 4:00 pm. If I don't get a "regular" job this week, then next week I will spend a lot of my time doing Mary Kay. Must do something to bring in some money.

Good news

Well, it was a great Friday. Todd took the day off. We did a meet & greet at Kate's new school and she really liked it. When we said it was time to leave to go to lunch, she said "I want to stay here." Todd and I both like her teachers and for the beginning of the school year there will be only six children in her class. We had lunch at Jason's Deli - one of Kate's favorites - she loves the apple juice and ice cream.

On the money front, I had a Mary Kay class on Wed night. Also, I have two job interviews lined up for next week - one Tues am and the other Wed afternoon. Finally!!

Tomorrow we have a b-day party for one of Kate's school buddies from her summer camp school and Sunday I am hosting the babywearing meeting for our local group of moms.

Kate made a funny

Oh Lord, did this make me laugh tonight. It was bathtime and Kate was crying for me as usual and generally giving her daddy a hard time. She was wrapped in her towel and sitting on top of the toilet. Her face was wet and nose runny from the crying. Todd reaches for nearest thing - a piece of toilet paper - to wipe her nose. Next thing I hear is "that's for wiping butts." OMG, I laughed so hard! The things that come out of her mouth.

As a side note, she has been going to the bathroom by herself a couple of times a day now. Well, almost by herself. She can do everything except get her underwear and shorts back on after she is done. This is in the bathroom with the step stool too. She is funny - she says "I do it by myself" and then pushes me out of the bathroom and closes the door. She actually takes her shorts and underwear completely off, gets on the stool, and then sits on the potty seat on the toilet. If I don't catch her as I open the door, she will run off with no bottoms on. She thinks it is funny to run around the house with no underwear on.

Sunday & stuff

We took Kate to the zoo today. We asked her beach or zoo and she immediately said zoo. I was surprised b/c I thought for sure she would prefer the beach. However, she does love animals - all kinds of animals. Today Kate went on her first pony ride at the zoo. She said she wanted to go but sometimes with new stuff - well lets say up close she will change her mine. This she loved - was smiling the whole ride and chatting with the zoo lady guiding the pony.

As for me, I am still looking for work. Using a great self-improvement program by Terry McBride and applying for university. I am planning to go back for my master's degree. Watching the Olympics tonight - how about you?

Funny & frustrating

Today was Kate's last day at summer camp - they said she did great. No wet underwear, no pizza sauce on her shirt - Yeah!

Not so great at bathtime. She seems to do fine when it is just Kate and Daddy but if Mommy is home we end up with fussing and crying. Last night she starts crying and yelling for Mommy for no apparent reason - Todd was just finishing bath. I try to ignore the behavior b/c it just makes it harder for Todd. Then Kate says "Pattie? Mommy? I'm crying." We had to laugh but Kate didn't think it was funny that I was "ignoring" her. As soon as I go to her, the crying stops immediately, she hugs me, and the thumb goes in the mouth. Short of leaving the house every night at bathtime, I don't know what to do. Teeth brushing gets crying almost every night no matter who does the brushing - it is getting old. No matter how upset she gets the dentist says we must brush her teeth every night.

Next week is no school - I am planning playdates, library time, and A Play Patch at least twice. I do have my babysitter on Wed and Fri afternoon so I get some Kate-free time. I notice she is less fussy when she spends time with someone else and then gets Mommy back.

Count down to our trip to MI - seven weeks from tomorrow we leave. This will be the first time Kate gets to see Grandpa that she might actually remember him.

Poopy shorts from school

Today Kate came home in a completely different outfit than the one I sent her in. When I checked her backpack, it had one bag with her shorts and shirt from the morning. The shorts had poop on the back of them, on the outside. The shirt had poop transfer from being balled up in the bag with the shorts. Kate has never pooped in her underwear during the day. She stopped pooping in her diapers at about 1 year old (occasionally some diaper poop when her schedule was off). When we asked Kate what happened, she says she pooped in the toilet but got poop on her shorts. Couple of things here - 1. How does that happen anyway? 2. No note or explanation from the school staff when I picked her up. 3. Do you think they could have at least rinsed the poop off before putting them in the plastic bag? Do you know how hard that stain will be to get out now? 4. What is up with putting the shirt in the same bag? That just made it worse.

Now this is our first experience with a preschool so tell me if I am asking too much here. The other day Kate got pizza for lunch but no bib - the staff doesn't believe in bibs for 2 year olds. They say if you stop putting a bib on then the child will stop spilling on herself. I got a pizza sauce stained shirt home in a plastic bag, no attempt to rinse or wipe off shirt either. Treated and soaked that shirt for over a day and the stains are still there....not bad but I can see them. Is this what I can expect from a preschool? I don't expect the clothes to be soaped, etc but come on...throw it in a bag and let the stain soak in for half a day?

Todd thinks I am making too big of a deal out of all this. He says call the school and ask about the poop incident. I probably will but she moves to her new school in less than 2 weeks so I don't know if it really matters. I will definitely be asking about these types of issues before she starts at the new place.

What really bothers me is what is happening with Kate to make her "miss" the potty? She has been out of diapers for 3 months now and rarely misses when she is with us. I worry that the stress of school is causing potty issues. Or maybe I should say, is school stressing her and what can I do about it? For my other moms reading this blog, please leave comments for me on this issue - Thanks.

We need PAID leave for new moms!!

Please see link. Go and send an email to your Congressman today! Thanks!
*Tell Your Congressperson it's Time to Pass the Family Leave Insurance Act: http://www.momsrising.org/NationalPaidFamilyLeave

The US is the only 1st world, Western country with no PAID leave for moms - it is ridiculous!

Summer Fun

Kate has been in summer camp preschool most of June & July. First we did 3 half days per week and since that went well, we tried 3 full days per week. Last week she was out of school since we went to SeaWorld but this week we are back for her last week. She goes to "summer camp" Tues/Wed/Fri from 9 am to 3 pm. I wasn't sure if she would nap at school but her teachers say she does fine. We were having occasional issues with wet underwear at school - at first she didn't want to tell anyone but us that she needed to use the potty. That seems to be better - today she was in the same pair of underwear when I picked her up as when I dropped her off. I was very excited!

Starting Aug 18th, Kate will be in full-time preschool at New Horizons. It is very near our home and a great little private school that only goes up to the 3rd grade. The outdoor playground is big and well shaded by a few very big trees. I am currently looking for a full-time job and will continue to do Mary Kay part-time on the side. I am excited about going back to a "regular" job, which may sound strange to some of you, but I am not cut out to be a full-time, at home mama.

By the way, it has been a rainy summer for us, which is great because it is saving our water bill since we don't have to water the lawn as much. Not too long ago we installed a new A/C system (had to - old one died) and our electric bill actually went down $10 or so last month. That was kind of exciting. Geez...the life of married with child - how exciting!?

Breakfast with Elmo at SeaWorld

This was the best thing we did with Kate. Once she stopped being afraid, she had fun. The only characters she would get near were Elmo and Zoe. She was terrified of Cookie Monster.

Starting out

Rebecca inspired me to start my own blog. Being the computer-loving person I am it only makes sense to journal online instead of on paper. Plus this way all our family and friends can find out what is going on with us. I will post some pictures of Kate too.

This photo is from our recent trip to SeaWorld. It decided to pour down rain while we were there so we took a lunch break - Kate loves watermelon and Todd took this photo because he thought she looked so cute eating. Our SeaWorld trip was a last minute thing but we pulled it together and had fun although my back hurts from too much walking in "bad" shoes. We saw Shamu, which Kate loved, and the sea lion show. We also took her to Downtown Disney - crazy busy - and Rainforest Cafe where she got a stuffed elephant that she named Pat.