Lots of exciting things are happening around my house. Alexis started preschool last week. It is only 3 days a week for 3.5 hours each day but she likes it and I am sure that she has needed this socialization for some time now. The preschool is a program at our local high school so there are teenagers caring for her under the supervision of a classroom teacher. I am nervous about this, but I am ok with the arrangement so far. My mom went to check it out prior to her enrollment. She took Alexis and Nathan in to see everything and meet the teacher and students. Of course Nathan being the player he is had all of the girls wanting him to go to the school too. He is not potty trained yet so he cannot attend. Strangely some of those girls said that they would change his diapers if he could stay because “he is just so cute”. Yeah- he is cute, and I love him, but they have no idea what they are getting into with that. So he is not enrolled yet. I am hoping he will be able to go by Christmas.
Alexis has found a Humpty Dumpty doll that my grandmother made for me. I have always felt that Humpty Dumpty was a boy, but the doll has eyelashes and according to Alexis- eyelashes are for girls. So that doll is a girl. Boy will she be disappointed when she realizes her brother has the longest eyelashes ever and he is most definitely a boy.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Things You Miss
Right after Alexis was born my parents had the opportunity to spend a lot of those early months with her, they also had the same chance with Nathan. My mom had retired early and my dad was finally at a point with his business that he was comfortable to leave the jobsite for a few hours or days at a time. So they were both witness to many of those early milestones such as rolling over, crawling, talking, and walking. I was thrilled to have the chance to see these things with both of my children, and also happy that my parents were enjoying this special time with their grandchildren.
The other night the kids had spent the night with my parents and I went by the next morning to pick them up. My mom had picked up a small bicycle with training wheels on it at an auction some months back. I remember when she got it, but I was starting my new job and I really hadn’t thought much about it, until this morning when I witnessed both of my kids cruising around the garage at breakneck speed on their bike. It was so funny to see this skill that I was unaware they had. With any other riding toys I had seen them on before, the pedaling was too difficult. They now had this down pat and were having a great time. When my dad realized my shock he explained to me that this was one of those milestones that he had missed when my sister and I were growing up, just like the rolling over and the crawling.
After a while the sadness had set in about not knowing what my kids were doing when I was away from them. They often come home singing a new song, or reciting a new nursery rhyme, but the bicycle got to me. It then occurred the true sacrifice I made by taking this job that is farther away from home. I know it is a good choice for the financial stability of my family. The compensation is good, the perks are fantastic, and I am finally with a company that offers health insurance. I am actually pleased with the work I am doing and I can see myself with this company for a long time. I know deep down that everything will be fine. I know from my own experience the times I spent with my own grandmother while my parents worked was wonderful. It was in her home that I learned to read and write and I was prepared for kindergarten when the time came. I know my own children will have those same types of memories with their Grandma. I guess it is just a little bittersweet to know that I am missing those important stages in the lives of my children, but it is nice to know that my parents are getting the opportunity to make up for that lost time they had. Maybe this is all just part of the cycle, and I am just another spoke in the wheel. I guess that I know Alexis and Nathan will grow up to be well-adjusted adults despite the fact that they are away from me more often. I turned out pretty good, and I had the same type of experience as a child.
The other night the kids had spent the night with my parents and I went by the next morning to pick them up. My mom had picked up a small bicycle with training wheels on it at an auction some months back. I remember when she got it, but I was starting my new job and I really hadn’t thought much about it, until this morning when I witnessed both of my kids cruising around the garage at breakneck speed on their bike. It was so funny to see this skill that I was unaware they had. With any other riding toys I had seen them on before, the pedaling was too difficult. They now had this down pat and were having a great time. When my dad realized my shock he explained to me that this was one of those milestones that he had missed when my sister and I were growing up, just like the rolling over and the crawling.
After a while the sadness had set in about not knowing what my kids were doing when I was away from them. They often come home singing a new song, or reciting a new nursery rhyme, but the bicycle got to me. It then occurred the true sacrifice I made by taking this job that is farther away from home. I know it is a good choice for the financial stability of my family. The compensation is good, the perks are fantastic, and I am finally with a company that offers health insurance. I am actually pleased with the work I am doing and I can see myself with this company for a long time. I know deep down that everything will be fine. I know from my own experience the times I spent with my own grandmother while my parents worked was wonderful. It was in her home that I learned to read and write and I was prepared for kindergarten when the time came. I know my own children will have those same types of memories with their Grandma. I guess it is just a little bittersweet to know that I am missing those important stages in the lives of my children, but it is nice to know that my parents are getting the opportunity to make up for that lost time they had. Maybe this is all just part of the cycle, and I am just another spoke in the wheel. I guess that I know Alexis and Nathan will grow up to be well-adjusted adults despite the fact that they are away from me more often. I turned out pretty good, and I had the same type of experience as a child.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
As Promised... a Thousand Years Ago
We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend and let the kids pick out their own pumpkins. After no time at all Nathan had chosen this one that Jessica is helping him with.
Alexis was searching all of the bins. She is never pleased with her first option. She managed to choose two small sugar pumpkins instead of one big one.
There was a bin of grain set up with bottles and other containers for the kids to fill and pour. Nathan enjoyed the pouring the most.
Alexis, true to form, made sure each bottle was filled to the very top before she would pour any out.
All of the kids posed in the mums for one last picture.
Alexis is going to be Cinderella for Halloween. She will be all decked out with a tiara and high heels. I will be taking her Crocs with us just in case. Nathan has chosen a pony costume that he puts his legs into the back legs of the horse, and it will appear that he is riding a bronc. It is very cute, and I managed to talk him out of the pink pony that he had originally chosen, just because I knew it would freak out his daddy. I must say the pink pony was very pretty. Jessica has decided she is too old to dress up for Halloween. I am not sure what is up with that, because I love a good costume. Her mother seems to have a warped sense of what being a kid and having fun is all about, so Jessica seems a little scared to let loos e and have fun with stuuf like this. Hopefully I can convince her to get a costume, because she will be with us on Halloween and I don't want her to feel left out without one.
Friday, October 10, 2008
New Baby
A good friend of mine had a baby this week. I went to see her after the baby arrived via c-section, and stopped in the nursery first to see the new bouncing baby boy. He was there all new and wrinkled and looking quite tiny and sweet. It is hard to believe my baby is almost 3, and also hard to believe he use to be that small. Well my baby was with me at the hospital for this visit and he was enjoying being able to get right up at the window to view the new arrivals.
We talked about how little the babies are and that they had all just gotten out of the tummies of their mommies. He watched with curiosity as a nurse gave a little boy his first bath. She got him all cleaned up and dressed in a new diaper, then turned him around so that we could see him. Nathan looked at him and talked about his toes and the thing (security device) on his leg. Then in a very scared voice said "oh no, mommy? why is his penis on his belly?" Yes, the belly button was there in all the newborn glory stretched out and clamped off, and my boy who is obsessed with his own penis was completely concerned about the penis of the new baby. It was a good laugh for me and my friends, but the new dad in the room, looked a little worried, until he realized it was not his baby being discussed, and that it was just a new belly button in the makling.
I will try to get some pictures up this weekend of our trip last week to the pumpkin patch.
We talked about how little the babies are and that they had all just gotten out of the tummies of their mommies. He watched with curiosity as a nurse gave a little boy his first bath. She got him all cleaned up and dressed in a new diaper, then turned him around so that we could see him. Nathan looked at him and talked about his toes and the thing (security device) on his leg. Then in a very scared voice said "oh no, mommy? why is his penis on his belly?" Yes, the belly button was there in all the newborn glory stretched out and clamped off, and my boy who is obsessed with his own penis was completely concerned about the penis of the new baby. It was a good laugh for me and my friends, but the new dad in the room, looked a little worried, until he realized it was not his baby being discussed, and that it was just a new belly button in the makling.
I will try to get some pictures up this weekend of our trip last week to the pumpkin patch.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Someone Got My Gizmo Wet
Remember that movie Gremlins? It started with a cute furry little creature called Gizmo, and then turned into horrifying scaly slimy vile creatures. Earlier this week I felt like the guy who owned Gizmo in that movie.
My new job is going well. I am still figuring out the little quirks and things that go with the job, but overall it is working out as I had hoped. There are however a few things that are being changed, as the person who was doing this job before had made her own rules. I am now falling into the trenches and having to dig my way out.
See, I am doing accounts payable, and as many of you know, every bill has a different due date. Just like your car payment and your electric bill are not due on the same day, the payments to all of our vendors are not due on the same day. Here is the kicker- they have all been paid on the same day for the past 5 years. This means that many people may have an invoice that is 2 months old (due to our system for having backup) going out with some that are just a week old. So I am dealing with angry vendors who want to be paid, missing paperwork, and the frustration of being new and people assuming I don’t know what I am doing. Not only do I know what I am doing, but I do not need anyone coming along behind me making sure I did my job, and then telling me how and when I should do certain things. There is of course one person here who is not my actual boss, but feels the need to continuously tell me how she would do this if it was her. I do appreciate some tips, but I also am very independent and need to do things on my own. My actual boss has already handed over several problem accounts to me in order to let me fix them. My theory is that she would not be doing this if she did not think I was capable.
So I have vendors calling me about invoices that were due 3 months ago (as in before I got here), and Ms. Helpful telling me what I need to do, and then the actual stuff I know I am supposed to be taking care of. I had some big stacks of crazy stuff on my desk the other morning when I came in. I know that they were not there the day before because my desk is cleaned every afternoon before I go home. It was quite overwhelming to see all of these things thrown my way at once and know that it was all someone else’s slacking that created it. I also saw some things that Ms. Helpful had said she was going to take care of. They are now over a month old. It seems she could be trying to sabotage me. I am not sure, we will see.
Just had to vent a little, maybe I can tell you about the cute kids and their Halloween plans next.
My new job is going well. I am still figuring out the little quirks and things that go with the job, but overall it is working out as I had hoped. There are however a few things that are being changed, as the person who was doing this job before had made her own rules. I am now falling into the trenches and having to dig my way out.
See, I am doing accounts payable, and as many of you know, every bill has a different due date. Just like your car payment and your electric bill are not due on the same day, the payments to all of our vendors are not due on the same day. Here is the kicker- they have all been paid on the same day for the past 5 years. This means that many people may have an invoice that is 2 months old (due to our system for having backup) going out with some that are just a week old. So I am dealing with angry vendors who want to be paid, missing paperwork, and the frustration of being new and people assuming I don’t know what I am doing. Not only do I know what I am doing, but I do not need anyone coming along behind me making sure I did my job, and then telling me how and when I should do certain things. There is of course one person here who is not my actual boss, but feels the need to continuously tell me how she would do this if it was her. I do appreciate some tips, but I also am very independent and need to do things on my own. My actual boss has already handed over several problem accounts to me in order to let me fix them. My theory is that she would not be doing this if she did not think I was capable.
So I have vendors calling me about invoices that were due 3 months ago (as in before I got here), and Ms. Helpful telling me what I need to do, and then the actual stuff I know I am supposed to be taking care of. I had some big stacks of crazy stuff on my desk the other morning when I came in. I know that they were not there the day before because my desk is cleaned every afternoon before I go home. It was quite overwhelming to see all of these things thrown my way at once and know that it was all someone else’s slacking that created it. I also saw some things that Ms. Helpful had said she was going to take care of. They are now over a month old. It seems she could be trying to sabotage me. I am not sure, we will see.
Just had to vent a little, maybe I can tell you about the cute kids and their Halloween plans next.
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