The Dead Washer

UGH!! Well the repair guy came out and I have to say I have never been more thankful that my washer is under a 5yr warranty that will be expiring sometime next year because it has to have 3 major things repaired. First off is the motherboard, which is what the replaced just last month. The also have to replace the motor's board and the motor. Otherwise my day has been uneventful other than I had a phone interview that was going really well until she had to question if I have more than $4500 in debt and behind on payments. With K's medical bills, well I've got way more than that and of course I'm behind on those payments because I'm taking care of household stuff and putting food on the table, so that made me disqualified for the job. Which I'm so pissed off about but my Mom said that it wasn't the right job for me and that's why this happened. Well it was more money and payed medical, dental and vision, which would have been really nice to have. But I guess I'll just keep looking for something better.

Tuesday happenings....oh wait, it's 149am on Wednesday

Well Uncle N has been sick since Sunday (more likely Friday or before but it didn't really cripple him till Sunday) and today he was such a big baby about it. K on the other hand seemed to be doing ok till this morning, she was warm but once she woke up she threw-up all over the place. So after cleaning her up, called the physical therapist and canceled and rescheduled for hopefully Thursday. So we spent a very lazy day today. So happy that the repair guy is coming out tomorrow to look at the washer because I really need to wash clothes and now bedding since we have 2 sick people in the house. I just hope I don't get it, I started feeling queasy right after my lunch break at work and just praying it was because am stressed. Otherwise my Mom work sucks, she is working half days the rest of the week and being forced off on Friday for lack of work, yuck, yuck, yuck. Otherwise it's been 2 1/2 weeks since I started my 2nd job and they still have not payed me and I'm suppose to get paid every week. It seems the temp agency is wanting to get a bigger cut and are holding are paychecks until we all agree to it. Basically with the cut they want it would be cutting us down to even below minimum wage per hour and trust me, we were making a good $10 above it, so its a huge chunk that they want. But I think I may have a new job lined up to take the place of my midnight job, so we will see if it pans out because at least at this point anything would be better as long as I get a payed. Oh yeah it's still cold here, it was basically 35 all morning which just sucks. So here are a few pictures from Friday when it was still warm.

Grandma has a blog

Just wanted to let you all know that my Mom has started a blog, to talk about life but also about whatever creative endeavor she undertook at the moment. Sara did an awesome job of blinging it so it would be exactly as my Mom wanted. Thank again Sara! So feel free to add my Mom to your website lists :)

A New Week

Well after the last few weeks, all I can keep thinking is life has to get better but of course one last thing had to happen to snag this week, my washer, the same washer that they were just out to fix in the last month quit on me again. UGH! The bad thing is none of us has clean work clothes, so I spent the morning hand washing shirts, pants and undergarments for me, Grandma & Uncle N so we have something to wear the rest of the week. Otherwise the weekend was good other than it going from a beautiful 80 degree weather to now below freezing, so I had to unpack some of K's winter clothes and winter coat since it's not going to be getting above 60 all week.

AfterShocks

Now I understand why people who live in California really get sick of earthquakes and aftershocks. We just had another aftershock at 1230p, not sure what it registred yet.
K had a really hard time falling asleep for her nap today, other than that was asleep at 7am and then up and going by 830 am and for some reason I seem to have excess energy? Worked on hairbows, finished a whole bunch of hairbows, packaged up some custom orders from people I meet on ebay and now I'm looking at the window in my office/sewing room watching a thunderstorm roll in and wishing it wouldn't because it's going to be freakin' cold this weekend (won't even hit the 60's). Well off to eat some lunch.
One more thing, it's noow 1236p and we just had another aftershock but not as violent as the other one.

EDITED TO ADD: It was actually not an aftershock but another earthquake, this time about 20 miles closer than the last one but luckily it was less than 4.5

taken yesterday (4/23) right before Mommy had to leave for work

Foster Care, Life, and everything else

Well my sinus infection is back in full force, could it be that all of a sudden we go from wearing sweatshirts and warm clothes over the weekend to 80+ degree weather with almost 100% humidity. I mean seriously, it's never gets this warm in April, usually I'm enjoying the 70's right now. K's new physical therapist is going well. She had her 3rd session with K yesterday and since K is so fanatical once you put on her shoes and don't want to take them off. I decided to leave them off until the PT came and have her put them on so she could do K's stretches, worked like a charm, no fussing from K at all. I just love it, when one of my ideas work. Otherwise had an appt yesterday at the attorneys and had to take K with me, it's set up like a doctor's office and when the lady came from behind the door and told us we could go back, K panicked, she though we were going to see a doctor and then they showed us into a room all by herself, hysteria set in. I felt so awful and the women was like "what is wrong with her" I tried to explain but she just didn't get it. Otherwise we slept in late today, thanks goodness because I was so exhausted yesterday I actually fell asleep 4 different times in the middle of encoding checks at my job. Thank goodness no one was around to see me do it except the mail room guys and because I don't rat them out on stupid stuff they do, they keep there mouth shut about me. Otherwise, I had a heart to heart with the Foster Care supervisor, seems they have had me sitting in the wrong pile all this time and that's why I haven't had any placements. Guess the new licensing worker got her a$$ chewed out because she called me 4 times already trying to set up an appt to come out. I didn't want to put it off but there's no way I can get my house in order by next week when she wanted to come out, so I asked to put it off for 2 weeks. I feel so guilty about doing that but I just can't do it right now. Well gotta go, K is up from her nap, to tell you how exhausted I am, K woke up wet as can be, I couldn't figure out if her diaper had exploded or what, nope Mommy forgot to put one on her. Man, I need to find better paying jobs that will allow me to get more sleep!!

The weekend

Well I haven't felt like posting at all this weekend even though instead of sitting at home and just feeling sorry for ourselves, we went to a playgroup, meet our China June DTC Secret Pal and had a wonderful lunch with her and then spent today working on making some hairbows. But I really am sick of looking at the earthquake pictures, maybe in a few more days I'll post more pictures but right now, I've got to just not think about it because it just makes me sick, well I've got to think about it everytime I go into my bathroom or look outside or walk into different rooms in my house but I don't want it to invade other parts of my life if it doesn't have too. Well headed to work, so good night everyone!


EDITED TO ADD: As soon as I posted this we had another really strong aftershock, this one seemed to last forever and I almost fell off my computer chair. I guess the earthquake won't let me forget about it that easily!
EDITED AGAIN: It was a 4.5 aftershock

Damage from Earthquake

Ok, the damage is more severe than I thought and I can't even imagine if my house would have been any closer than we are. We are about 100 miles away from the epicenter. Not only is the pool a total disaster, it also shifted my house on it's foundation and I now have pipes (I'm assuming water) bulging up through my floors in the bathrooms. So I called my insurance company and questioned what will get covered and that's when they came back with you don't have earthquake insurance so your screwed. I mean I'm looking at least $50,000 plus in repairs. I am just sick over all this, I could hardly concentrate at work thinking about the earthquake and the damage it left behind.

So here are 2 of the pool pictures, I guess if I ever uncover it, that's when you will have the full effect. I wouldn't be so upset about it if I knew that this was such a great exercise for K last year and helped beyond belief with her legs. I truly believe that she gained enough strength and connection back in her legs from swimming that was why she was able to move her toes. I tried to take pictures of the pipes and foundation but they didn't turn out that well, so will try tomorrow since it's not like it's going to be going away anytime soon.

EARTHQUAKE

Wow, it's been a crazy and amazing day today.....I was actually at home in my own bed when the earthquake struck this morning at 437am because of lack of work. My Mom woke up and asked me if I felt that and I said yeah, it's probably nothing. So she went to look because she thought for sure that an airplane had crashed in our yard or something but there was nothing and it took the news over a 1/2 hr before they reported anything on it. There has been alot of aftershocks but the one that hit around 1030 was the worse. The only damage I can see is the concrete around our pool is wrecked and I'm not sure if there is damage to the pool or the pipes or anything like that yet. I am sick at how bad the pool looks right now and how it actually shifted in the ground. I will post pictures of it because it's amazing.

Two Years ago today plus 1 day

Well I wanted to post this yesterday but well I have no time left at all for getting on the computer. I guess I appreciate sleep more than I realized. I canceled K's speech therapist yesterday and canceled her physical therapist today and have them both rescheduled to Thursday when Uncle N is off that way it's all done on one day and if I get tired I can go lay down. Both K and I have an awful sinus infection, hers is doing so much better but I don't think mine will get better anytime soon.

Well two years ago plus 1 day or April 14, 2006, I was waiting in the front room of my previous house on my daughter's referral package so I could see her face for the first time. This time it didn't seems as special since just in the week before we had lost 2 referrals for little girls that were suppose to be my daughter. I was heartbroken and didn't want to get attached to this new picture I was getting because who knows if she was going to be the little girl I was going to bring home. So there we were, it was Good Friday, so my Mom and I sat there staring at the window waiting on the Fedex truck, well when the USPS truck pulled up and ran a package up to me, I didn't think anything of it because it was suppose to be a Fedex package. And then I looked at the return address and a flood of emotions came over me, the same emotions I had, had with the other 2 packages, they had just delivered my daughter. When I opened up the package there was relief that I had never felt with the previous two referrals and a connection to the little girl who was sleeping in what looked like a Harry Potter sweater with Griffendorf's colors. I knew this was finally my daughter, the little girl that was suppose to be mine and that finally after the previous 2 lost referrals that this baby girl was mine. Too bad that with every step closer we would get to K that we would take a thousand steps back but today that doesn't matter because she is her with her Mommy who loves her more than anything.

As for April 14, 2008, K is a little confused about Mommy's new work schedule and had a really rough first night with Grandma and then when she woke up the next morning Uncle N was asleep across the room. Luckily Mommy had gotten off 20 minutes early because of lack of work, so as soon as I walked in the bedroom she leaped into my arms and was an angel all day long. Mommy had a conference call for a j0b, which I'm still debating on taking or not and after that we played with her toys. We then took almost a 3 hr nap in the afternoon and then we ate a quick lunch together before Mommy had to head off to work again. She spent the evening playing with Grandma and the FP toy in the picture that we got at a yard sale last weekend for 50 cents.

Some Pictures

Ok, so it's 2am right now, I decided that I need to get some stuff done and also decided to download my pictures from this week. Wow, I've really been slacking in the photo dept. Otherwise work was good, my keystrokes keep getting faster every night, I think I may keep a running tally on the side bar just so I can see how fast I can get. Otherwise looking forward to Saturday, my only day off.

wearing her sunglasses on Monday, it was such a gorgeous day!

Wearing her NEW SHOES and new brace

Wow, it's Thursday already!

Wow I can't believe that the time is flying. I haven't downloaded my carmera at all this week and this is the longest time I've been on the computer and it's only been 20 minutes because K's Uncle is watching her. All I seem to have time to do is check my email and all I keep thinking is, I haven't even started my 2nd job yet, I'm really not going to have anytime then. I haven't gotten out of work all week until after 2am and then it takes about 1/2 hr to get home. I've found that I can work on my bows during my lunch 1/2 hr and get them almost complete and just leave the finishing work for at home (attaching them to the clip, etc). Otherwise K meet her new PT on Tuesday, she seems really nice and I think she will work out really well. K also got her new brace today. It was so funny because of course K was hysterical but the minute that I mentioned she was getting new shoes, she stopped crying and was her perfect self. It was so funny, I guess I'm in trouble that shoes can calm her down!

Monday, Monday

Sorry got that song stuck in my head for some reason. Today started off just yucky. I woke up yucky, K woke up yucky and if I could have, I would have stayed in bed. But today I had new employee orientation. Needless to say it all started to go downhill when my Mom didn't get to leave her work on time, thus making her get home late and leaving me less than 20 minutes to across the river and downtown. I had a good idea where I was going but I also knew that I was going to be cutting it super close on making it there by 10a. By the time I found the parking garage it was 955a, by the time I found a parking spot on the 4th level it was 957a, the have no elevators so I had to climb down 4 flights of stairs and then when I emerged onto the street that's when I realize I have 4 city blocks ahead of me before I even get to the building, look at the clock, it's 959a. By all means, I not a skinny person and I have had breathing problems all my life, even when I was skinny, so I knew there was no way I could run it and make it to at least the building by 10a and to the 4th floor without having an attack. Needless to say it was a little after 10a when I reached the Security officers desk and of course I am not on the list of New Employee Orientation. UGH!!!! My HR rep is so irresponsible, so needless to say they do let me go to orientation after a little of my grumbling on my part, I sit through the presentation that didn't apply to me at all because I'm not a freakin teller and then we go have our badges made, of course I'm not on that list either. Another UGH!! But luckily they took my picture and I've got my badge, I then hiked back to my car, walked up the 4 flights of stairs and I report to work tomorrow afternoon. I also got another call today and accepted a 2nd job working midnights, which I start next week, so basically I'll be working 16 hrs a day and then up most of the day with K and then get some sleep when she takes her nap. And the midnight job is 7 days a week, no days off, so this will prove interesting. At least with my afternoon job, I'll have both Sat & Sun off for awhile before it changes to Sat & one day a week.



Otherwise flash back to our weekend. We had so much fun at the ballgame and K just thought she was the belle of the stadium. She waved at everyone. Her biggest thrill was when she got to see the team mascot on the field. She waved and waved and waved but of course since we were on the 2nd deck he couldn't see her but it didn't matter. We then went to the Boutique, the women there is very interested in my Mom's clothes and said that she would be in touch with her in the next few weeks, so that is an awesome sign. We then headed to the Shriner's Circus Kick-off party. K had such a blast playing games. She also had fun petting all the animals but she got pretty freaked out when the donkey tried to eat her clothes, luckily Grandma saved her while Mommy took pictures but even when we moved away from him and was trying to pet other animals, he would come over and try eating her clothes again. K was the only kid that he tried eating her clothes. It was actually really funny even if K didn't think so.

A Few Pictures from Saturday

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from this weekend. I'm too tired to write a post right now but hopefully after some sleep tonight and new employee orientation tomorrow, I'll get some time to catch up in the afternoon with lots more pictures and a post.

Why didn't the Phone Ring??

Well today is Friday, I expected and really, really hoped the phone would ring today and I would hear that I was getting a callback interview for my dream job. But it didn't ring at all, the phone was silent all day and trust me, I picked it up several times just to make sure it was still working. I keep thinking maybe they are dragging their feet and haven't called anyone yet or I knew the job too well and they wanted someone right out of college so they could mold them into what they wanted or maybe someone in a short red dress so she could hit on all the guys and make them feel wanted. I'm just so mad and upset! At least I've got my bank job and I can keep looking for something better. Otherwise, Saturday is going to be crazy, we are going to a baby sale, Baseball game and the Shriner's Kick-Off for the Circus that is for patients, parents & hospital staff. Plus my Mom want to make contact in person with a boutique that is interested in buying some of her stuff to sell since we will be over that way. So it's going to be nuts! So I'm grabbing my shower tonight, then off to bed and then up way to early in the morning to start our day.

These were a few things I saw around the house today, that really made me rethink my parenting skills......

Should K's babies really be sleeping with knives?

Even better, Toaster in the Sink, now she's trying to electrocute someone!

And I just really liked that Potato Head looked like Ganesh with the multiple arms

Sick, Birthday & Baseball

Well I wasn't feeling good on Sunday & Monday and by late Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday I felt like my body was going to explode. So sorry for the lack of posts, thankfully this morning I woke up and felt good as new...well after I took a handful of sinus/allergy pills that is. We celebrated my Mom's birthday last night, nothing big since we couldn't afford it. Uncle N bought the fixin's for dinner and I cooked. Then today we went to the ball game since I got tickets for next to nothing for today's game. No one else could go with us, so it was just Uncle N, K and me. We had lots of fun in the bleachers and K really enjoyed the game. She did get bored because there was really no action so she bent a straw in half and started using it as her form of chopsticks. So she would pick up the relish packet, a balled up napkin and Uncle N's water bottle. At least it kept her busy and happy. By the bottom of the 6th, it decided to start raining again, most people with kids left but I just put K in her rain coat and she was happy as could be, so we stuck it out to the last inning with our teaming winning.