Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Tomorrow is our 6th Wedding Anniversary!! Shannon has our anniversary off and the day after that off! He didn't plan it that way, nevertheless, it worked out pefectly this week.


On Monday, I sent an email to the Department of Social Services (DSS) for the state that we live in. I decided to email them because I had been trying for a week to reach someone, anyone to answer a question for me. I had left 4 messages, 3 of them with one person and still no response. I was going to out the person I left messages with but decided not to. I wonder if the people in our local office got in trouble? LOL I also decided to turn to emailing someone at the department because the website states to contact them if we have any questions, concerns, or comments.

Here is what I emailed to them:

To Whom it May Concern:

My name is Stephanie ---- and my husband, Shannon and I are trying to apply for food stamps. We received a letter stating we were not approved due to not providing proof of income, even though we included a letter from his Human Resources department stating his hours and rate of pay.

I have been trying to reach someone, ANYONE really...who will answer the phone in the Food Stamp office and nobody will return my call. I have been trying now for 7 days. I left a total of 4 messages, one on Monday & Tuesday of last week and twice today. I understand last week was Christmas but we are just trying to get some live help.

Thank you.
Stephanie ----
(my phone number here)

Well, my day just improved for the better! I just checked my email and received a response from the DSS and they said that our application was denied in error and that the proof was in the agency (I'm thinking it was misplaced). I KNEW I included our proof of income, but our case worker didn't believe me. HA!

We won't be getting as much as we had hoped, BUT it's better than no help at all.

Adventures in Shoes

We went to Walmart yesterday for groceries and other things. While my husband was looking for new shoes, I took our son to look for new shoes for him. So I went over to the kids section and saw an ENTIRE aisle for little girl shoes! I went down another aisle and saw a small section for little boy shoes. Imagine looking down a shopping aisle, now look to one side, don’t look too far down because little boy shoes only cover less than HALF of one side! LOL To be fair, the other half of this aisle had big boy sizes. For my son’s sizes, they had about 6 pairs to choose from…literally! Three of the pairs were Velcro and the other three were shoe laces. I wasn’t about to buy shoes with laces for my almost 3 year old! LOL They had Thomas the Tank, Disney’s Cars, Spiderman and some other brand. Kyle doesn’t really watch Thomas the Tank so we choose Disney’s Cars in his size and Spiderman in one size bigger!

My husband ended buying 2 pairs of shoes as well, one of them is waterproof.

Groceries & Shoes

Shannon had today off and then he has to work 2 more days and then he'll have 2 more days off. UGH! Hopefully it will pick up at his work.

On Monday, if I don't hear from the Food Stamp office by 10AM (which I most likely won't), I am going to call them yet again and leave another message. This is ridiculous. I need to get this taken care of. I'd like to know what else we need to prove our income, besides a letter from his HR department.

We went to Walmart today for groceries. Shannon also bought 2 pairs of shoes. He really needed new shoes, since the ones he wears now are about 3 or 4 years old at least. We also bought 2 pairs of shoes for Kyle. We bought 2 different sizes so that we won't have to worry about buying new ones when his feet get bigger. One of his shoes is of Disney's Cars and the other is Spiderman!

Special Days in January

Our 6th Wedding Anniversary is coming up on January 1st! Wow. Six years!



Kyle's 3rd Birthday is on January 3rd!!! Our little guy is turning 3 soon!

Back to Pen Palling

I have decided to get back into pen palling again. I miss receiving real mail instead of junk, bills, and freebies. Freebies aren't bad but it would be nice to receive letters again. I started writing yesterday and now have 4 letters done! I have several more letters to respond to, so that should keep me busy this week. I also got back into pen palling because I have some really amazing people I write to and I miss writing them!

Shannon brought home a packaged tray of cookies from work on Christmas Day! He said someone from the kitchen gave them to him, I guess the Chef had many trays left over so he was giving them away! They are delicious and Kyle and I have been eating cookies here and there.

Kyle is doing really well eating at the table! While I was writing letters on MY NEW TABLE, Kyle came up and sat down too. So that's when I pulled out his crayons and a coloring page for him to color on. He wanted to scribble on my letters so I gave him a blank piece of paper. He colored a bit on the table but thankfully that came off.

Time with Hubby

Since Shannon canceled his video game subscription, he's been spending a bit more time with us. On some nights, we'll stay up late together and have hot chocolate. Kyle is already in bed by this time, so it's nice and quiet! Last night, Shannon got home around 11:30PM or so and we had hot chocolate together and watched tv.

We stumbled upon a show called Parking Wars. It's centered around the Philadelphia Parking Authority. It's pretty much like the show Airline, but for cars/parking/tickets, etc. It follows the impound lot and meter maids. I feel so bad for the people who get their car towed, but their stories are so funny and the way some of them react is so hilarious. There are people who finally reach the window and then are told they need more documents, then they are forced to leave and come back with the required paperwork.

Throughout the evening, I could hear our neighbors were having a party. I could hear people laughing and then I would hear people outside as well. This went on passed midnight.

Anyway, I really have been enjoying OUR TIME. It's been awhile since we've had that, especially since after Kyle was born! LOL

We have a new insurance rate and it's about $15 to $16 less than before!!! What a savings!!! The last insurance company we were with kept going UP every 6 months to a year! We were with this company for about 4 years! I am so glad we are with this new company!

Quick Vent!

I just need to vent a bit…

Just a little advice ~ If you want someone to purchase from a business that you represent, don’t be RUDE to them!

Here’s what happened to me. I contacted a rep from a home business and I told her I am looking to purchase ONE item. She wrote back saying that I need to make a purchase of $35-$40 to make it “worthwhile.” Since I am not looking to spend that much, I wrote back asking if she knew of any other reps with the company that had this item in stock. I pretty much asked her this because she pissed me off saying that I needed to order so much for MY order to matter!

Anyway, she wrote back saying “why would we know of another rep with this company?” She also included a lot of other crap that didn’t make sense.

Here is the email:

From her ~
“However in order to make it worth our/their while we would need a min of $35 - $40 order. Let me know and we can go from there.

My response ~
“Okay well I am only looking for the soil pack that is priced at $19.95. Do you know of anyone (a rep) who has it in stock?”

From her ~
“How would I know about anyone else? it's not like we've been searching for anyone else selling [said business] ..... I don't think there is anyone left that is a consultant besides us.
We require at least $35.00 worth for an order even in our swapping group so it is not like we exclude you. That is why I suggested you get 2 if you don't want to do so I guess we can't do anything.
We have to protect our place with [said business] for when we actually need something besides accessories. Hope that makes sense and you understand.”

My response ~
“Why do you keep saying "we" and WHAT swap group? LOL I am not in any swap groups. I contacted you because I found your site through a search.”

Here’s what I was THINKING while reading her email:

Anyone else with the company? HMMMM, maybe someone in your downline? Your upline? Sheesh! WTF are you talking about, I am NOT in your damn swap group! So, I am hoping you would “exclude me” because I am NOT in your swap group and because I am a potential customer! Apparently her “place” in the business is MUCH MORE important that helping a customer.

Table for Three!

Shannon put our brand new dining set together last night! It looks beautiful! I feel spoiled just having a dinner table now. We've been married almost 6 years and we've never had a dining set!

Today was our first day of using the table. Kyle and I started off with eating breakfast at the table. It definitely felt odd using it! Kyle got the hang of it. I even had him eat his snacks at the table. Kyle and I also had lunch together. By dinner, we all ate together. Kyle didn't really eat, since all he really eats these days is cheerios.

Shannon has to work the next two days but then he's off again on Friday. Four days off this week! I am still trying to get our food stamp application taken care of. In the meantime, Shannon will be saving his pay stubs. Especially the one for this week where he has four days off.

Just a little Vent!

Well, I never received a call back from the DSS! Surprise, Surprise! I called again this afternoon and left another message. I don't expect a call back until AFTER THE NEW YEAR, maybe even later than that.

Also, I am looking to order ONE item from a home business from an independent representative. Anyway, I told her I am looking to purchase such and such item and she wrote back, "to make it worthwhile, we would need an order of $35-$40." WTF?! Worthwhile for WHO? Obviously not me! So I wrote her back that I am only looking to order the ONE item and asked if she knoew of a rep who had this item in stock. LOL

Not approved!?

We received a response from DSS about our food stamps application and we were "not approved." The reason...wde didn't provide proof of income -- even though we did! Shannon had HR write a letter stating his wage, hours, and income info. How much more clear do they need it to be?

I tried calling the DSS office first thing this morning at 8:10 AM to be exact and left a message because the lady wasn't there. Since it was 10 minutes into her shift, I bet she was already on a coffee break or out on her 4 hour lunch! I just really want to get this resolved and find out what information they need and why the letter isn't sufficient!

Shannon is off today and tomorrow and again later this week. He said he'd put our dining set together, so hopefully that will be today! I am dying for it to be set up!



Our DVR stopped working sometime last night. I have no idea what's going on. But thankfully all the shows are re-runs so I am not really missing anything.

What does Momma say?

I saw this video on Yahoo today! I just have to share it! TOO CUTE! I wish my son talked MORE!!



Whad did mamma say ? @ Yahoo! Video

4 Days Off!

Shannon has 4 days off this week!!! For the last 2 weeks, he’s had 3 days off due to low occupancy in the hotel. He has today off and then split days off this coming week. Everyone in his department has either 4 days off or even as much as 6 days off!!! Although, most of the people he works with are young and in college. He is one of the few with a family to support.

We’re still waiting to hear back about the status of our food stamps application. We checked the department of health of human services website and it said it can take up to 30 days to hear back. Next week will be about 30 days, so we’re hoping to hear back soon.

And now there are TWO!!!

We were just notified that we have a package in the management office of our apartment complex! Since I am not expecting anything and the note said we would need a TRUCK to pick this up, I had a feeling of what it might be. Still I was curious, so I called the office and she said it’s a table from Target! In other words, Target refunded me for the table, yet it was delivered anyway!!!! We have to pick it up from the office by Monday or they will send it back to UPS and charge it to us. Well, we don’t have a truck, so I guess we’ll be sending it back to Target!? I am waiting to hear what Shannon says we should do.

Could it be?

Not even 5 minutes after Shannon left for work today did I hear a delivery truck outside. It was FedEx with our dining set! I never thought we would actually receive it. Third times a charm! I called Shannon to let him know that it was here and he sounded excited. He may put it together this week. He canceled his video game subscription a few weeks ago so he has time after he gets home from work. I can’t wait for our table to be set up, Kyle needs to learn how to eat at the table.

I caught up on a few chores today. I had 3 loads laundry to do! I also cleaned our bathroom.

Kyle received some Christmas presents early. He’s been playing with his new toys since this morning. He got toy cars, coloring books and crayons. I showed him how to color and he colored a bit but he loved playing with the crayons more. He also got a one piece pajamas and a pull-over sweatshirt.

Our Weekend

I took most of the day off from doing my daily clicks on my PTC sites! It was a nice break. It was Shannon’s third day off this week, so we drove up to see my in-laws. We left at around 9:30am. Shannon decided to take the “back way” which he is not familiar with, we drove around for an hour. I suggested we stop and ask for directions but he kept saying he was going the right way. We got lost and wound up going in a big circle and ended up stopping at home for a bathroom break. The second time leaving, we took the freeway. We spent about 3 ½ hours at my in-laws. Kyle played with their dog and ran around the backyard.

Yesterday, we went grocery shopping. I picked up some new socks for Kyle because just about all of his pairs of socks have holes in them. I also bought some placemats for our new table, which should be here soon!

Is there a Table in the Future for us?

I am not sure if the Universe is trying to tell us something. I’ve been waiting over a month and a half for a dining set to be delivered to us. I first ordered our set through Target and it reached our state but then it was determined that it was damaged during transit, so it was returned to sender. Then Target tried sending our set a second time, and it was returned because it wasn’t addressed correctly. So then I had Target refund my money, although I did still get credit through Upromise for my purchase! NICE!

Just a few days ago, I found a dining set at Walmart that I really liked based on the customer reviews. I ordered it and yesterday I received an email from Walmart saying my item was out of stock!!! I started thinking the Universe is trying to tell us that a table is not meant to be for us! LOL

I checked my email this morning and our ordered has shipped! We’ll see how this one turns out. You can see the table I ordered HERE!! It was between that one and a table at Kmart by Martha Stewart. I chose this one because of the reviews and that it is made of “solid hardwood” which sounds really sturdy!

Unexpected Savings!

Our car insurance has gone down! I have no idea why but I am not complaining.

When we first purchased car insurance a year ago, it was in another city and when we moved to our current city, our rate went up a bit. When it came time to renew our insurance, our rate went down again! We are very happy with Progressive Insurance. They have top notch customer service!

We also have to renew our car registration in January and Shannon estimated that it was going to cost between $200-$300, plus the smog check. Well, we just got a bill yesterday from DMV and it’s only $28 for registration!!! I even showed the bill to Shannon because he didn’t believe it.

Busy with new sites!

In the last week or so, I joined 8 new PTC (paid to click) sites! Seven of them are owned by one person and I know her through cafemom. With the addition to the newest 8 sites, they are taking up most of my time during the day. I am looking at joining few more sites too.

I also joined 2 new survey sites. I just started on them and so far so good.

I’ve been updating my other blog as much as I can, I update it when I join new sites or just to post proof of payments. These PTC sites also offer a free way for me to advertise my sites. So I am taking advantage of that feature.

So Unfair!

Shannon received an advertisement in the mail for a local OB/GYN’s office! LOL Well, at least one of us is receiving this information! I’d love to see them take him as a patient.

Nothing New except Hugs and Kisses

Last week, we shaved Kyle’s head! Since it’s cold, I’ve been putting a hoodie over his head when we go outside for our daily walk. I am surprised he keeps it on his head because he used to always take it off.

We sent in the additional info to our local health department and now we’re waiting to hear back on whether or not we qualify. We will apply for WIC if we need additional help with food costs.

Yesterday I wanted to see if Kyle understood the words “hugs” and “kisses” without me doing the gestures. Usually when I ask him for a hug, I put my arms out and he always runs to hug me. Shannon would ask him for a hug the same way. Well instead of putting my arms out, I just asked him if I could get a hug and he ran right over to me and put out his arms to hug me. Then I asked him for a kiss and he gave me a kiss.

Shannon applied for another job this week. We are really hoping to hear back from this one, he really likes the sound of this particular company. Meanwhile, we are both keeping our eyes open to any other positions.

3 Days Off

Shannon has the next 3 days off. He’s going to use his PTO (paid time off) hours to cover one of the days. We applied for food stamps and now we are gathering all the information together to send back to them.

The General Manager forwarded Shannon’s resume to the hotel that is being built across from his work. Hopefully they will call. Shannon also applied for another position in another city that is 2 hours away. He also put for a transfer within the same company but it’s in another state. So, now we’re just waiting to hear from either of the above. We are also still looking for any positions that open up.

We are still waiting for our dining set from Target. I ordered our set over 2 weeks ago. The first shipment made it all the way to North Carolina but was sent back due to damage during transit. I contacted Target and they sent out another shipment and now I am not sure about this second shipment. On the UPS website, it says merchandised returned… But Target is saying it is due to be delivered tomorrow. So, we’ll see. If it does get here tomorrow, Shannon can put it together over his days off. It will be nice to finally have a table!

I am still lauching at the CEO's of the big 3 car companies showing up in Washington, D.C. in their big corporate private jets asking for a bailout from Congress! LOL WTF were they thinking? At least dress and act the part when asking for help.

Stressful Week

It’s been a stressful week for us. Shannon was laid off on Monday, but they did offer him another position at lower pay. Shannon also talked to the General Manager on Tuesday and he is going to send his resume to another hotel that is being built right across the street. The General Manager said he can’t promise anything, but we are thankful he offered to help. Meanwhile, Shannon said he is still looking for other jobs. I am glad he isn’t applying for one job at a time and wait for them to respond before applying for other jobs, like he has in the past!

Shannon did the math to figure out his new wage versus how much our bills are and it‘s not pretty. We’ll be making $600 less each month!!!!!! We decided we are going to apply for food stamps. I have the application all filled out, I just need Shannon to fill out a few things and then I am going to mail it in on Monday.

We had to wait until Thursday night (when direct deposit went through) to buy groceries because there wasn’t enough in the bank.

Shannon’s birthday is tomorrow. He bought a video game with tip money he received earlier this week. He also bought me some business supplies earlier this week.

For the last month or so, I’ve been unplugging the microwave when not in use. I just got our electric bill and it went down $9! I know it wasn’t from the microwave itself, rather it was mostly because our weather was so mild during that time so we didn’t have to use the AC or the heater.

Sad News

Shannon was laid off from work today. Although, they did offer him a lower paid position. They said in the meantime, they understand if he looks for other jobs, applies for transfers at other properties, etc. They also said they will give him references and letters of recommendations! The General Manager also offered to call the hotels across the street and next door that are being built and recommend him for their properties.

Shannon can also apply for unemployment. I did check the company website for internal opportunities and they have open positions in Colorado and Arkansas. I am not sure if Shannon wants to stay local but he has many opportunities in front of him to choose what he wants to do.

He is going to accept the lower paid position for now, as well as look for other jobs internally.

What a great birthday present for him!

I think this is a good thing in disguise, meaning he will find a higher paying job which will be good for our family.

This also has weird timing because I just ordered our dining set yesterday. It’s time for us to be even more frugal!

They gave him the rest of the day off today to think things over and decide what he’s going to do.

Saturday

Shannon has the “weekend” off. I made some business cards for one of my businesses. I will be sending them out to other home business owners. This is a great way to network and help others promote their businesses.

I’ve been wanting to get a dining room table since we’ve never had one. We’ve thought about looking at buying a used one on Craiglist, newspaper, or wherever but that is not an option. We don’t have a truck or a big vehicle to carry it in. Since I don’t know this area, the only furniture I know of (in our price range) is 40 minutes away. I heard about them on TV and visited their website many times to see what they have. I even found the dinette set I wanted. Shannon finally said to buy one online and have it delivered. Since this website didn’t have the option to “buy online” Shannon suggested I check Rooms to go and Rent a center. Both of those places were higher priced so then I thought of Target and Shannon suggested Kmart too. I loved the tables at Target and Kmart. Target is currently offering free shipping on some of their sets. I found a Martha Stewart set at Kmart that I liked but after shipping costs and taxes it was going to be more than I wanted to spend. So I went back to Target and found a table I liked, based on the customer reviews. It’s a little more than the price range I was set on but the free shipping is worth it. Last night, I spent an hour looking and searching and comparing dinette sets and finally found the one we are getting.

Somehow we ended up on the Walmart mailing list and they sent us a toy catalog. Kyle loves catalogs/magazines and he always wants to look through them before me. So I gave him the catalog to look through and there was a full page of Disney’s Cars stuff, including twin bed set, and other toys. Kyle stopped on that page and did a double take. He recognized the cartoon characters! He LOVES Cars!

Time Flying By

This month will mark the one year anniversary of us living in North Carolina. I am amazed that it’s been a year! Kyle has grown so much in the past year. When we left Nevada a year ago, Kyle was about 22 months old. He didn’t like being in the car for long periods of time during our drive here. But by the last few days of our trip here, he learned that he could fall asleep in the car. Now he LOVES riding in the car. He loves looking out the window and seeing everything.

Shannon’s birthday is also this month!

I finally heard back from Kyle’s doctor about a hearing test and they scheduled it for us but I ended up having to cancel it. Shannon’s work schedule isn’t set, it changes every week. So I will have to reschedule.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese this week and Kyle was just not into it. He was overwhelmed by all the lights, music, and noise. He did ride a few of the little rides but he wasn’t into that either. Shannon played a few of the games there with Kyle. We’re thinking next time, we’re going to a park to let Kyle run around.

We Voted!

Shannon had today off! We didn’t go vote until evening time. I made sure Kyle had something to eat before we left, I wasn’t sure if there would be a long line. Kyle was really good while we were waiting in line and voting. He kept looking around at everyone and listening to them talk. We both got the “I voted” sticker and I noticed Kyle had one on too! Shannon said they gave him his own sticker, so I thought that was nice of them.

We are planning on going to Chuck E. Cheese this Thursday! I am excited. I signed up for the e-club where they email you coupons but they don’t really apply to us. They have coupons for extra tokens when you purchase so many of them. Kyle is too young to be playing the video games or other games. I just want him to play and having fun.

Kyle has been into playing with socks! He loves going through the laundry basket putting on our socks and running around the house with his dad’s undershirts. At least he’s learning how to put socks on!

I found some promotional opportunities for Shannon at another hotel (owned by the same company he works for) in Colorado. Since he is still new to the company and still learning the computer system, he’s going to talk to his department head about learning more and his wanting to move up.

Happy Halloween!

Shannon called to say that he is working until 2am, which is perfect since he got off early last night. Kyle and I are staying in tonight, he’s not really into candy and I don’t think he would understand why his mommy would dress him up in a costume.

Kyle’s been practicing using his voice a lot more these last few days. I haven’t heard back from the doctor’s office about the referrals or scheduling our next appointment.

Shannon has split days off next week. We’re still planning on going to Chuck E. Cheese. I am curious to see how Kyle will react about being able to run, play, and climb. I read on the Chuck E. Cheese website that they have a toddler section so I am hoping there will be other kids his age there. I am hoping that once he sees other kids his age talking, that he may try even more to talk.

Long Awaited Doctor Visit

Kyle had his doctor appointment today, the first time since his 18 month check up. The entire staff were really nice, which is a big change from his last doctor’s office in Nevada. Kyle weighs 30 pounds and is 3 feet tall! The doctor said that is all normal.

I brought up our concern about Kyle not talking yet. He recommended a hearing test and then a speech therapist. So the doctor’s office is getting authorization from a Medicaid doctor for us.

They asked if we wanted to get a flu shot for Kyle but I declined because Kyle was already uneasy and ready to leave. I could tell he was uncomfortable.

The doctor also wants to see Kyle in a month, that way he can check in with the progress of the hearing test and speech therapy.

Kyle was really nervous and uneasy with strangers around and it made me realize that he NEEDS to get out and see other kids and adults. I suggested to Shannon that we start taking him to Chuck E. Cheese to play, since it is indoors and kid friendly. This way, he can see and play with other kids and we can get out for a cheap date! LOL I believe there are other kid friendly places to take him, so I asked Shannon to ask around at work.

Kyle and the Triplets

I took Kyle for our daily walk to get the mail and on the way back we saw one year old triplet girls. They were so cute and so small. Kyle was the one who wanted to walk towards them. He was smiling the whole time. I rubbed my hand on his cheek and said, “Kyle, say Hi.” So he reached his hand out and rubbed one of the girl’s cheeks and then he did the same to another girl. It was really cute seeing his little face and how he reacted to other little kids.

The triplets were cute. They were babbling and just seemed like they were running the show. Seems like typical girls!

We’ve been adopted

She first started coming by in July or so. She’d show up on our porch and just meow! The first night she showed up, we gave her a slice of cheese and soy milk (we don’t have cow’s milk). She didn’t eat much of what we gave her but after that she’s been coming by almost every night.

She’s taken to Shannon and usually rubs against his pants leg or meows at him. Every time Shannon would go outside, she’d come up to see him. Or if she sees a light on, she shows up on the porch. Two nights ago she came to our porch and she meow’d every time I looked out to see her. I called Shannon and asked if I should give her some tuna. He said that was a great idea so I gave her a big can of tuna. It took her about an hour and a half or so to eat it.

Kyle loves watching the cat and can sit there and just watch her while smiling, clapping, and just giggle the entire time. Last night she came back and I gave her about a quarter of a can of tuna. She still looked hungry after that. She was back outside this morning wanting more food. She came with another cat, but this cat looked well fed and plump, like it had a home.

I realized something

I’ve been trying to apply for work at home jobs this past week and I even took a few assessment tests. Well, today I took another one that took about an hour of my time. During this time, Kyle was either whining, climbing on boxes, wanting to sit on my lap, or wanting something.

I realized that I can’t take a work at home position with Kyle since I would need a quiet work space.

I’ve been encouraging Shannon to update his resume and start looking for other opportunities or even internal promotions. I just want us to have more money coming in because it seems like we never have enough money. If we had money or even extra money at the end of the month, I wouldn’t have to worry about finding a work at home job in the first place.

Miracle of One Towel

I bought a microfiber towel this month and received it the other day. I finally had a chance to use it today. I think I saved at least 20 or 30 paper towels in the process. I was able to clean all of the surface areas of the house, including the light switches, door handles, and our computers, with one towel.

I hope to purchase more eventually so I can use one for each room or area.

Kyle’s Latest and Privacy

Last week, Kyle started a new thing. He’s opening our dresser drawers and pulling out clothes and running around the house with them. He favors his dad’s shirts and socks.

We now have privacy again in our living room. Our blinds are really cheap (we didn’t choose them) so they easily bend and easily pull off. Kyle likes playing with them, bending them and eventually breaking them off. He ended up pulling off over half of the blinds to where anyone who wanted to look in our living room could! Especially at night, if someone had their headlights on, they could easily see into our living room. So Shannon finally put up a bed sheet over the windows. We have some bed sheets that we got free from my mother in law. They were twin sheets and since we don’t have a twin bed, we used that.

Work at Home Jobs

I applied for two work at home jobs this morning. I’ve been thinking about doing the work at home job thing again, now that Kyle is older. I tend to have time to spare in the afternoon so it would be perfect to be able to work during this time.

With the current path of our economy, I’ve been thinking about looking for a work at home job again.

I am still searching for other work at home opportunities in the meantime.

Only Our Class!

Here’s what I found out when I checked my email this morning, there is a reunion set for mid-November, only 6 weeks away!!!! Such a short notice, especially for those of us who no longer live in California and would have to plan on airfare, hotel, etc. It seems the person who was supposed to plan it got behind??? So a few people got together and got permission from our former class president to put this together. Anyway, they have a page on myspace to stay updated. Then I get an invite from another myspace page about another class reunion planned for next summer!

I thought it was a little unfair that the first reunion was set so close to the holidays as well as with very little notice. Plus, with this economy the way it is, how can anyone afford to go?

I like the idea of the second reunion because they give us several months to plan and save up if needed. Plus it isn’t near the holidays!

Mostly Empty Shelves

Shannon had Saturday and Sunday off, so that was a surprise. I am really glad because we didn’t go shopping on his last day off, which was Thursday. We were literally out of food.

We were almost a week overdue for a trip to Walmart. We ended up buying a lot of bulk items, just in case the prices went up or the stores ran out of food. Also, we both noticed that all the shelves were half stocked or the items were completely gone. I did buy 4 bottles of shampoo that was on sale for $5. Most of the shampoo that was on sale was gone, I was lucky to find the last 4 bottles. Also, the oreos that were on sale were all gone. I don’t know if it was because it was the “weekend” and everyone went shopping or because they were having a big sale. I saw red ROLL BACK signs everywhere for just about everything. It was a little scary seeing the shelves that empty like that.

I had to stop by the nursery and saw a plant that I really wanted but ended up passing on because I knew our grocery bill was going to be big.

We ended up not buying our usual frozen foods this time because our cart was overflowing and we weren’t sure if we were going to have to wait in line for 20-30 minutes like last time. Shannon said he can stop by Walmart on the way home from work to get our frozen foods.

Kyle was so good in the store. He was so quiet and observant of everything and everyone around him. I wonder what it will be like when he starts really talking!

There is also a rumor going around his work that they may have to cut 15% of the workforce. Of course it’s a rumor, but it’s something to keep in the back of your mind.

After we got home and the food in the house, Shannon took Kyle outside to let him play around. Meanwhile, I put the food away. There was so much food that Shannon helped when he came back in. Plus I left some out for him to put away that had to go in the cupboards I can’t reach.

I also had a chance to catch up on laundry this weekend. I need to steam clean the carpets this week. I’ve been cleaning them at least twice a month.

I don’t know what to think about Wachovia merging with Wells Fargo. Wachovia happens to be the bank we use. Not only that, they made a deal with Citigroup. So I have no idea how this is going to play out. I opened up another savings account called Way2Save, which helps their customers save more. Money is put into that account automatically. It was free to sign up and we also earn interest on that account.

3 in 3

Kyle will be 3 years old in 3 months!!! I can’t believe it! He’s growing so fast! We can tell he’s getting taller because he can reach the light switches when he stands on his tip toes.

He learned 2 things

Kyle learned how to do two new things yesterday. He already figured out how to open the refrigerator door awhile ago, but now he can reach the freezer door! He loves to open and close doors for us. He loves opening cupboards too.

He also learned how to turn on the light switches! He loves turning on all the lights he can reach. He must be getting taller. He does stand on his tip toes to reach.

We have Gas!!!

For the last few weeks, our area gas stations have been out of gas. Thankfully, Shannon was able to fill up yesterday before work. He happen to drive by at the right time because by the time he drove home, the gas station was out of gas. But the gas stations nearby had gas. Two nights ago, Shannon said he went to 15 different gas stations trying to find gas, all of them out! I even heard on the news that people were stalking the tanker trucks.

One of our credit card companies is trying to use scare tactics in order to get us to pay our bill -- which is actually pretty entertaining. About a month ago they sent me a letter stating that they are trying to locate my employer, which they obviously had no luck. Then a few days later, they tried calling to “work out a payment plan.” Just this week, they sent another letter stating they are trying to locate any property that I own, such as business assets, automobiles, land, etc. Well, good luck with that!

I did receive 2 payments from my GPT sites! I hope to receive a little more at the end of next month.

Rain

It’s been raining throughout the day for the last 2 days. I haven’t gone to get the mail because I’ve been taking Kyle with me outside and I don’t want us to get soaked!

Our city and many others have been out of gas or low on gas at the gas stations. There were some gas stations that had to limit how many gallons each customer could pump. There are also reports of fights and long lines at the gas station. People have even resorted to calling 911. The news reported that we should have more gas yesterday but it wasn’t as much as we thought. Now they are saying we should be just about back to normal by the end of next week.

Shannon did fill up before this all happened but he is still low. He can make it through the weekend. So hopefully by early next week, there will be gas.

For the last 2 months, Kyle wakes up in the early morning and stays up for a few hours until he falls asleep again. Shannon usually turns on cartoons for him and he tends to fall asleep on his own.

Kyle has his doctor appointment on Tuesday. I am not sure what to expect but this is long overdue. He never had a 2 year check up. He hasn’t been to a doctor in over a year. The last appointment he had was for his 18 month checkup.

Kyle’s understanding of Fish

Since Kyle does not talk, we depend on his non-verbal actions. Well, today we both saw Kyle show an understanding of Fish. We give Kyle a snack called Fish Crackers. Kyle loves these snacks and runs around with one in his hand just playing with it.




When I ask him if he wants fishies, I also use the sign for fish, which looks like this: http://www.mybabycantalk.com/content/dictionary/dictionaryofsigns.aspx?letter=F&word=Fish

Shannon has the day off today and Kyle was sitting in Shannon’s lap watching him play video games. There were fishes on the screen and Kyle put his fingers to the screen and then to his mouth as if to pretend to eat the fish.

Adventures of Plants and Waiting

Shannon had his second day off today. He had split days off for the second week in a row. It looks like he’ll have split days off next week as well.

I ended up taking a nap this afternoon because I was bored and a little tired. I wanted to watch a movie with Shannon but instead, he wanted to watch a bunch of videos and read news articles on the internet instead. I thought he’d like this movie because it’s about the law and finding out the truth, and it’s based on a true story -- Erin Brokovich. A few weeks ago, I had referenced a scene in that movie and I wanted to show him, rather than describe it to him.

We went grocery shopping today and I ended up buying a plant that was on clearance! I couldn’t pass this up because:
1. It was on clearance
2. I really wanted to buy a new plant
3. There were 5 plants in one pot
4. The pot had plants I didn’t have yet and wanted to add to my collection
Since we have our own place again, I have been trying to rebuild my jungle! My new plant comes with a cute outer pot made of heavy paper/light cardboard. It is designed with a “back to school” theme to give to a teacher. When we got home, I gave it a good drink of water with a little fertilizer. I can identify 4 out of my 5 new plants, I will try to find out the name of the 5th plant.

I bought the ingredients to make my own chai tea mix. Since moving to NC, I have been unable to find the chai tea mix that I usually buy. I found this recipe on the internet and I have yet to try it. I found many different versions of chai tea mix so I am hoping I like this one.

Kyle was so good in the store, as always! He’s always so quiet and observant. He just likes looking around at everything and everyone. Once in awhile he’ll turn around and try to pick things up we put in the cart. He hasn’t figured out that he can reach out and grab things on the shelves, which is good. He has tried a few times but we just tell him he can’t do that. He’s not a hyper child in public which is nice.

When we got to the checkout stands, there was no crowd, but there were only a few cashiers open. Of course, we ended up waiting at least 30 minutes and by that time, our frozen foods melted. I am just glad we didn’t buy ice cream because it would have melted completely. There were plenty of self checkouts open but we’ve tried that and it actually takes longer to do, especially when you have a full cart. While we were in line, we saw a toddler bed set with Disney’s Cars on it. I showed it to Kyle and he couldn’t take his eyes off of it. He LOVES Cars! It was cute that he recognized the characters.

Catching up

Since we were approved for Medicaid for Kyle, I was able to schedule a doctor’s appointment for him at the end of this month. I am looking forward to this checkup for him.

Shannon was off yesterday and then he’s off tomorrow. He went to the store last night to get the other half of our groceries. He went earlier this week for groceries but only bought half of what we normally need. He also bought me a big box of envelopes so I am finally able to write my letters. I have about 10 more letters to write.

I placed an order from a company called L’Bri. They sell all natural products made with aloe vera as their first ingredient. Anyway, I received my order yesterday. I had gone to a home party for this company a few months ago and just started using the samples again last week. I loved the feeling of my skin so I bought the full size skin care set.

I seem to have a new obsession with aloe vera and it’s benefits. So far, my plant is still alive.

Picking a Doctor

I don’t have any scientific method of choosing a doctor. The last time I picked a doctor for our son, I chose her from a book from my health insurance provider. I only chose her because she was in the same building as my doctor’s office.

This time around, I don’t know the area and I don’t know what doctors are good or bad. This time, I choose a doctor based on their geographic location. I chose the doctor who was closest to us. We have an appointment set for Kyle later this month.

We were APPROVED!!!

I just checked the mail and found out that Kyle was approved for Medicaid!!!! I am so excited and surprised that we were eligible. I wasn’t sure if we met the requirements, but apparently we do!!! I guess being “low income” has it’s advantages!

Kyle hasn’t been to a doctor is over a year now. I believe he is done with his immunizations, he just needs a regular checkup. It’s definitely nice knowing that we can take him to a doctor without worrying about a $300 medical bill for a checkup.

More Info

I finally made it to the mailbox today. The last two days have been rain for most of the day. Today it finally stopped so I could go outside without getting another shower.

Last week, I received a response from the Department of Health and Human Services, regarding my Medicaid application. The case worker wanted more information from us, such as proof of citizenship, proof of state residence, proof of income, and copies of our social security cards. Anyway, Shannon finally made copies of everything we needed so I was able to mail it out today.

Three Days in a Row

Today is the fourth day of potty training and the third day in a row that Kyle went pee and poo in the potty! We seem to have a routine already. I only have him training for about 2 hours just before noon. He seems to understand that he goes pee and poo in the potty because he gets up after he’s done his business. I give him praise right after. Since he is running around naked, I keep him on the potty or near it all the time. He understands “go sit on the potty.”

Shannon had a three day weekend this week and he goes back to work tomorrow. A few nights ago, an employee was robbed at gun point while waiting for their ride to pick them up! I am curious to see what type of rumors and/or talk is going around the property and if they’ve reconsidered having in-house security.

We also found out that our friends are getting a divorce. It’s really sad because they just had their second child in April. I guess they are still living together, but they sleep in separate rooms and only talk if it’s regarding the kids. Their oldest son is only a few weeks younger than Kyle. They live in Las Vegas now. She wants to go back to where her family lives and she wants full custody of the kids. But I keep telling Shannon that he needs to talk to a lawyer!

Potty Training Beginus

I decided to start potty training yesterday. The day before, a friend on cafemom had posted a journal about teaching her 19 month old in only a few weeks. She then emailed me an ebook about how to potty train in 3 days. I read the ebook for ideas and that method is hardcore. I am not aiming for 3 days. Since I know my son, I wanted to start off slow. So yesterday I started off with taking off his diaper and letting him run around naked from the waist down. At first he did not like it and wanted his diaper back on. So then I put him in plastic underwear and he ended up having an accident in those. Then later he ended up having an accident on the carpet (lucky me). During this whole time without a diaper, I kept asking him to sit on the potty. About an hour later, I put his diaper back on and just got him used to sitting on the potty and made it fun for him. He would run to one side of the room and then run back and sit on the potty and keep doing that.

This afternoon, I took off his diaper and let him run around naked from the waist down. This time he loved it. He didn’t mind being naked today. I asked him to sit on the potty a few times and then he ended up just sitting there and not moving much except to sit up every once in awhile. Well, about 45 minutes after taking off his diaper, he got up from his potty and I saw he went pee and poo IN THE POTTY! I don’t even know if he went in the potty because he was already sitting there or if he understood what he had to do. Either way, I was so proud of him.

Waiting for an answer and Catching up

I filled out an application for Medicaid for Kyle and put it in today’s mail. I am hoping we get approved. He hasn’t been to the doctor since he was 18 months, which is about a year ago.

I wrote two letters today. I have a few more letters to write, which I will get to throughout the week.

Yesterday was Shannon’s first day back after 4 days off from work. It sounds like the issues with the three family members that work there are being taken care of. One of them is a department manager and we think he’s on an action plan. He was mandated to go to a workshop on how to talk to people. He also has a sister in law in his department and Shannon is stuck working with her on his shift. She is a terror and acts like a diva…literally. Apparently she can’t stand to work with certain people (unless they are her friends). If she can’t work with her friends, she makes everyone else’s life hell. Thankfully, it sounds like she’s being taken care of because her attitude has improved, but we’ll see how long that lasts. There have been plenty of complaints about her and even HR knows about her. There is another family member (she works in sales), and she is married to the department manager and her sister works there (the diva), anyway, she is no prize either. There are so many complaints regarding this family that the upper managers are finally investigating, which is why the problems are improving.

Shannon will be eligible to transfer/promotion in a few months, so hopefully there will be opportunities by then.

We’re still waiting on that check. I sent in more info to them so they can investigate my account. I am hoping to have my money very soon.

Cleaning Day

I feel so accomplished and exhausted at the same time. I did some deep cleaning around the house.

I cleaned the bathroom (sink, toilet, and tub) this morning. It really needed a good cleaning because I have been slacking on that for the last few weeks. I also did a load of laundry as well as wipe down the bathroom floor.

The carpet needed a deep cleaning, so I used my steam vacuum this afternoon. I also vacuumed before and after I used the steam vacuum.

4 Days Off

Shannon had the last 4 days off from work. I think his boss gave him 4 days off because she felt bad about taking 3 weeks off about a month ago. Anyway, we had a relaxing 4 days off together. Shannon had a chance to take a long break from work, which will help when he has to go back.

We are still anxiously waiting for a $2800+ payment from one of my sites. Unfortunately when I requested payout, I misspelled my email address. So I have contacted the site and they are looking into it. We plan on getting the car fixed since it needs new brake pads, tires rotated, and a few other things. We also want to get a dining room table, we’ve never had one!

Nap, Mini Date, Stray Cat

Shannon has split days off this week and today was his Saturday from work.

Kyle woke up really early. He went to bed last night around 7:30pm. The tv woke me up a few times this morning. Kyle has figured out the buttons on the tv and likes to play with them. He’s figured out how to turn the tv on and off. I woke up to the news, but apparently Kyle didn’t mind “watching” the news.

I also found out today that one of my home businesses will start charging a monthly fee to help cover the costs of our websites, forum, chat, etc. I was really upset about this and later discovered that many other consultants are too. Many of them are going to or thinking of leaving the company like I am. Thankfully, I have another home business that I am with that sells the same type of products.

I felt tired this afternoon so I was able to take a nap, so Shannon watched Kyle. It was nice being able to sleep in peace.

Shannon and I ordered I am Legend through our cable company. As the movie progressed we were both wondering if it was going to be another BORING movie like Castaway, where the main character ended up talking to a volleyball and a coconut. Since this was a Will Smith movie, it turned out to be really good. We weren’t thrilled with the ending though. Anyway, we ended up having a really good “mini date.” So we’re hoping to do this again.

I gave Kyle a bath tonight and as I was getting Kyle dressed, Shannon led me to the living room and said “That’s so sad.” Of course, I looked around and didn’t see anything “sad” and wasn’t sure what he meant. Then he said “look outside.” There was a stray cat on our porch. Shannon said she came up to him and started meowing. He tried giving the cat water, which she refused. Then he tried soy milk (we didn’t have cow’s milk) and cheese. She ate the cheese and that was about it. I don’t know much about cats except that I am allergic, so I kept asking Shannon about them. She stayed in front of our place for a good half hour and left.

Kyle falling asleep/New Plant

Kyle fell asleep in his own bed BY HIMSELF for the first time last night. We were both so amazed. Normally, one of us (usually me) had to be at his side when he fell asleep.

Kyle still isn’t talking yet, but we are both so eager for him to start. Shannon had met another mother at his work and her son was 3 ½. She had said her son didn’t start talking until around 2 ½. So we’re hoping this will happen for us. The last few days, Kyle has been trying to say many things. We just don’t know yet, but we both stop to listen.

I ordered a free plant (all I paid for was shipping) on my birthday and it arrived today. I ordered a baby aloe vera plant. I am nervous about it possibly dying on me because I did have an aloe vera before and that one died. But I have done my research on what type of conditions this plant needs. So I feel a little more confident with keeping this one alive. Shannon bought me a pot for it so I potted up my new plant tonight. I am actually proud of Shannon because he found a pot that was on clearance! LOL Plus I like it, it’s the type I would buy. I am new to cactus/drought tolerant type of plants so I am hoping I won’t kill this plant with love (over-watering).

My other plants are doing good. I have a handful of my spider plants in the kitchen, the light comes from the living room window. Only one side of our apartment has windows, so I don’t have many places to put plants. I have to keep my plants off the ground and out of reach from Kyle. My other plants are all in our third bedroom, which we use as our computer room.

Communication, Hummingbird, Digital Camera

I’ve had a nice couple of days that were peaceful with Kyle! Yesterday he was well behaved.

Today he actually took a nap. He started to get tired so he climbed up on the couch and fell asleep. He slept for about an hour and a half. It was really nice and really quiet.

He’s been lazy with communication to where I SIGN and ASK him what he wants and he just keeps whining and crying and grabbing my arm to pull me in the direction he wants me to go in. So, I’ve been pulling my arm away from him and asking/signing to him and I won’t move until he finally signs it. I don’t want him to depend on just pulling either one of us to what he wants.

I saw a hummingbird fly up to our window today. It was the cutest little bird. He probably got confused and thought he saw a feeder.

I am looking at buying a new digital camera. We have 2 cameras. One we bought in 2001 or 2002, so it’s big and bulky. We have another one that only survived a short time. The flash doesn’t work, so it makes it difficult to plan your pictures around a sunny window or making sure the lights on. Plus both of them are really slow at taking actual pictures which doesn’t work with a 2 ½ year old who can be very quick. The newer camera also takes batteries which is wasteful and costly. I found a few cameras that I like and of course, they come in the color PINK!

The hospital

I received a letter from the hospital where I had our son 2 ½ years ago. At first I thought it was another bill, which I knew we paid off. It was official looking and it just had that “bill” look. So of course I had to open it right away to see what it was all about. Apparently my personal information may have been accessed by an unauthorized party. Because of this, I was able to sign up for 1 full year of service with a credit protection company. They send me alerts anytime my name and/or social security number is used. I am upset that my information was accessed and compromised but I am thankful that they gave me a year of free service. I signed up without a problem and took a look at my credit report. It’s not as bad as I thought. LOL

Shannon is doing good at work. We really like the place he works for and it seems to be a great company to stay with. Unfortunately there have been a few people who have tried to slander his name, but they are met with dead ends. He is well liked by the General Manager, Director of Human Resources, and the Assistant General Manager of Hotel. They already know his skills and what type of person and manager he is. So when these fools make a fool out of themselves, they are just digging their own graves. Plus, the idiot bitches who are trying to do this are not well liked. They think they know their shit, but they don’t. LOL One of them actually tried to complain to the General Manager about my husband and the Assistant General Manager!

Kyle is still having tantrums here and there. I figured out that his bedtime is between 9:30pm and 10pm, which doesn‘t give me a whole lot of time at night to relax. I don’t know how he can stay up for so long without a nap during the day! I must be one lucky mother - having a 2 ½ year old who doesn’t take a nap!

I started doing Tae Bo again last week. I am doing the “8 minute workout” video. The first few days was torture. I was so sore. My arms hurt so much that I could barely lift them over my head, let alone move them at all. My whole body was sore. I wanted a little break from pilates, so I am glad I found my Tae Bo video.

Better Late Than Never

I checked the mail today and I finally received a Thanksgiving Card from November 2007, as well as a Christmas Card from my Uncle! LOL

I also received a few more pieces of mail from my old address. It’s good knowing they aren’t still trying to stuff my mailbox, even though we moved out in November.

I can’t believe I forgot

I almost forgot to pay our rent for this month! I was reminding myself as the first of the month got closer. We didn’t pay rent until July 2nd. Thankfully they give us until the 5th of each month before it’s considered late.

Shannon has split days off this week. Tomorrow he is off so I did my cleaning today instead of tomorrow. His manager is still out of town. She doesn’t return until next Tuesday. So Shannon’s been running the department with the help of his division manager for the last 2 weeks. He also did the schedule for both weeks.

There are a lot more changes going on at his work. They are cutting hours like crazy! When they cut hours like they are, they are also cutting key positions, so some of the duties those people were doing aren’t getting done because everyone else is trying to do their work as well as do the work of 3 other people. They also sent several people home in the middle of a banquet, so the people that stayed ended up having to do twice the work. The people that went home, also lost out on their hours. The cut backs don’t make sense, and they also end up costing more in the end. They are also putting more strain on the supervisors and the employees that do end up staying.

As far as ordering the supplies they need, they only order what they need for the week and if they run out, they either go out and buy it at the store, or they work around it. This method ends up costing more because you have to send an employee off property in the company van, and buy the products you need. Their methods don’t make sense to the employees, supervisors and even me and I don’t even work there.

I’ve been taking a 10 in 1 liquid vitamin for the past few weeks and finally I had Shannon start taking it. On the first day, he noticed the benefits and he loves it. So I remind him to take his vitamin before he goes to work. Since his job is making some odd moves with cutting hours and putting strain on him and everyone else, I figured he could use the vitamin during this time. I joined a home business and their product is the 10 in 1 liquid vitamin. It is delivered to us every month.

We’re still waiting for Kyle’s potty! Kyle seems so ready to learn too. He’s always interested in our potty and it seems he’s ready to sit down on it.

I steam cleaned our carpets last weekend as well. I ran out of the manufacturers brand of recommended formula so I made a solution from Shaklee products and it worked fine. I actually think it worked out better. There was no chemical smells during and after the cleaning.

New Microwave

This is Shannon’s first full weekend with two days off in a row. He really needed this time off because his boss will be gone for another week. He’s getting a little overtime throughout the week, which will be good on the paycheck.

Shannon went to Walmart today to buy a new microwave. Ours broke a few days ago. I don’t know how old it was since we got it from my in-laws. He decided to buy the microwave today since we weren’t sure if it would fit in the car since we were planning on buying our normal amount of groceries. I am so glad we have a microwave again. It made me realize how much we use it. He also bought some frozen pizzas that we had for dinner today.

Since we bought a potty, Shannon picked up some pull-ups. We’re still waiting for the potty to be delivered to the store so we can pick it up.

I finally saw the movie Brokeback Mountain today. I recorded it last night. It was a VERY long 3 hour movie. It reminded me of the movie Castaway (which I also hated) because there wasn’t much dialogue or much going on in the movie. Shannon didn’t want to watch it because of the “gay cowboy” scenes. LOL Plus it had a few flashbacks which confused me at first, I guess I am used to the show Lost when they play music when there’s a flashback. It also seemed like the movie skipped dialogues or scenes, but that could be because I saw the cable tv version.

Missing the Greens (it’s not what you think)

Since I had to leave my plants behind when we moved to the East Coast, I was really missing having so many plants to take care of. I only have two types of plants and I wanted more! I bought solid green spider plants from a lady on eBay. I found the lady I originally purchased from in 2005, and she was still selling plants. This time, I bought 20 rooted babies! I only paid a penny (plus shipping). I just got them today! I have them sitting in water for now. Once they get a little bigger, I plan on potting them up.

We bought a potty for Kyle! We chose our second choice of potty, instead of the first choice. Mainly because it’s only one piece and I didn’t want to deal with all the attachments and contraptions that come with it. Hopefully Kyle will like it! All of the parent reviews were positive for this product too. We’re still waiting for it to be delivered to the store so we can pick it up. Kyle is already showing interest too. He’s taken notice to (our) potty and wants to see how it all works and how we use it.

Kyle still isn’t sleeping as long as he used to, he usually gets up in the early morning. He doesn’t take naps anymore either and hasn’t for several months. Plus he’s having more tantrums that are more frequent. It’s a little difficult because he doesn’t talk and can’t tell us what he wants or needs.

I am still taking him on a walk everyday. We have to go mid-morning time because after 12pm, it’s even hotter and the humidity is horrendous. Thunderstorms are a weekly occurrence, which is funny because our area is on water restrictions!

Time for a Potty

Shannon still has split days off and has for a few weeks now. The rumors and talk of layoffs still loom over the property! It sounds like they are going to let employees go through attrition. There are employees taking a leave or going on vacation and they don’t plan on re-hiring them when they return. They are also cutting back hours as much as possible, which makes some employees wonder if they need to find another job. Thankfully Shannon’s hours are affected, especially as an hourly manager.

We finally bought a potty for Kyle! I decided to get a different one from the original one I wanted. This potty that we bought is simple and just one piece. Hopefully this potty training journey won’t be too hectic. Ha ha!

Kyle has been fighting bed time for the last few days. He doesn’t go to sleep until 10pm or later! This gives me less time at night to do anything for myself, such as RELAX!

I won an auction on eBay for 20 solid green spider plants. I bought spider plants from this person in 2005 and they arrived healthy. Unfortunately I left my plants behind when we moved to the East Coast. The only plant that survived the trip was my jade plant. Since we have settled in to our new place, I have been wanting new plants! So I bought 20 spider plant babies for only a penny (plus shipping). I didn’t expect to win the auction so I am not even prepared, I don’t have containers or potting soil!

I applied for a secret shopping position with a company that does business with my husband’s workplace. The representative suggested to my husband, that I apply for this position since they are always looking for secret shoppers. So I sent in my resume yesterday.

Trip to the Store, Baby Proofing, and Toilet Cleaning

Today was Shannon’s Sunday. He had split days off, so today was his second day off this week.

We went to the store for food, which we badly needed. Our fridge was pretty much empty and I went to bed on an empty stomach last night. Our grocery bill was high but I was expecting it. I bought some toilet bowl cleaner and a toilet brush. I was going to buy an automatic toilet bowl cleaner contraption but we needed two of them and it would have been about the same amount as buying a box of (92) diapers! We are both trying to be frugal. “Hard times, U.S.A.” So instead, I bought a green friendly toilet bowl cleaner, it doesn’t have any harmful chemicals and it is safe for the environment. I feel safe using it around Kyle, not that I’d let him consume it, I am just not worried about him having to inhale the fumes (which there wasn’t).

We also bought child proof door knob covers since Kyle loves opening and closing the doors and can get into both bathrooms. He likes to play with the stuff underneath the sink. I don’t worry about him consuming anything under there, he usually just makes a mess by taking everything out and then he’ll put them back in once I catch him. We also had to put up the baby gate in the kitchen to keep him from going in there. He liked getting into everything he could and pull stuff out.

For Kyle, we bought him a Spiderman dinner and utensils set. It’s really cute. It came with a plate, a bowl, and fork and spoon.

Kyle was really good and so quiet in the store too. He has gotten fussy and antsy with other visits, but this time he was well behaved like he use to. We got home around his dinner time so that’s when he got a little fussy because he was hungry!

After we got home, I cleaned the toilets. I was going to have Shannon do it but I really wanted to try the new toilet bowl cleaner. I really like cleaning with green friendly products and I actually look forward to cleaning. I was really surprised that it worked really well. So now our toilets are clean!

Cut Backs and Layoffs

There are major cut backs and layoffs planned at my husband’s job. It’s really sad and stressful at the same time. For the last few days, they asked that they send people home and cut as many hours as they can. Basically, they have been working with bare minimum of people. Yesterday, the managers were told there were going to be layoffs of the frontline employees. Of course, word is trickling down to the employees about the future plans.

Passed a Milestone ~ His Discovery!

“Learning is the discovery that something is possible" - Fritz Perls


When Kyle learned to close doors, he would take any chance he could to close them. Every time I would open a door to a closet or anywhere else, he would literally run to where I was and wait until I was done with what I was doing and close the door for me. Whenever he sees a door open, he’ll run over to close it.

He loves to help me whenever he can too. He loves unfolding his clothes that were folded up nicely in his dresser drawers. He would also help me with laundry, he would go into our drawers and pull out our clothes and put them in the laundry basket for us. What a doll! :0)

This morning, Kyle figured out how to OPEN doors. He was opening and closing doors all morning and all day today. Since he just learned how to open doors, he seems obsessed with his new ability. Shannon and I quickly realized that we’ll need to re-Kyle-proof the house again!

Boy, am I confused

I sent a message to my bank asking about a charge from our Check Card. I was confused as to whether we are being charged for HAVING the Check Card or for USING the Check Card.

Here is the response I received:

I have received your email regarding INTL fee. INTL fee is not charged
having a Check Card rather is charged for international Check Card
purchases. Our records indicate a INTL fee in amount of $0.30 is
charged for check card purchase in amount of $6.41. This transaction
was made at 2:59 pm at Concord, NC.

So I wrote them back with the following:

Forgive me, but what is considered "international"? This purchase was made from down the street from where I live (North Carolina), which happens to be part of the United States. Please explain.

I am reading and re-reading your message and even reading it out loud and having a hard time understanding how we are being charged for an "international" fee when we haven't even traveled outside of the country.

Thank you and I apologize for my confusion in the subject of Geography.

Feels like a Vacation

Shannon had Wednesday and Thursday off of this week, then had to work on Friday and now he has Saturday and Sunday off. It feels like a little extra time off.

We have decided to forgo the health insurance offered through his employer at this time. It would have been over $330 per month and that’s not even including dental or vision. Plus that was the lowest plan they offered (they had 3 to choose from). We do hope to sign up for health insurance at a later time.

I’ve been taking Kyle for an early afternoon walk everyday. We walk around the complex and pick up the mail on the way. He loves it. He’s always eager to get ready and get outside. I don’t like to stay outside too long because it’s hot and humid and just being outside for 20 minutes is enough for me. I prefer to go outside before noon since it’s not as hot during this time. Since we’ve been going on our walks, we have both gotten a little tan! Although, I do use sunscreen on the both of us before we go outside.

Shannon is doing really well at work. He’s in charge of the security contract at work and having to deal with them. The AGM (Assistant General Manager of Rooms) and the GM (General Manager) are recognizing his abilities and strengths and trust his judgment. I am really glad that he isn’t working at a place that isn’t so closed minded like a lot of the employers in Northern Nevada.

Awesome Day & Back to Normal

Today was an awesome day for me. I feel like I accomplished so much! First, I did all of my weekly cleaning today -- I usually clean on Sundays. For some reason, I was in the mood to clean. I also did some laundry and vacuuming, which tend to be everyday chores.

I also took the time to write a letter! I was done with all of my chores and decided I had some free time to sit down and write.

Also, I am really proud of myself because I made our bed. I had to wash our sheets for the second time within the last few days. There was a little accident so the sheets needed to be washed. Anyway, since Shannon was at work, I decided to make the bed. I don’t normally make the bed, I do help though. But I made the entire bed. I usually have Shannon make the bed because he does it the same way housekeepers make it at a hotel. He learned how to make beds from his work experience. So we do our bed the same way.

Lastly, I successfully gave Kyle a bath after 2 months of not having a real bath. Shortly after Shannon started his job, Kyle decided he didn’t like taking baths, nor did he like going outside. There were a few times where we had to hold him down just to wash his hair. In the past, I had given him little sponge/wipe downs instead of a bath. But today, I just tried to give him a bath. He cried a little at first, but then he was back to his normal happy self. He didn’t want to get out of the tub.

I have also been taking Kyle out for walks around the complex! He now likes going outside. I wanted to start walking because I knew that we both needed that extra exercise and Kyle needed to start getting outside again.

I was always wondering

My MIL had given me a couple of cuttings from one of her houseplants that was given to her. I never knew what this plant was called and it was bothering me all this time. Well, I finally decided to look it up to see if I could find the name of it. It wasn’t too hard to find out that the plant is called a “Wandering Jew” or an “Inch Plant.” From the cuttings, we started them in water and I haven’t had a chance to transplant them into pots yet.

I am also rooting some of my Jade leaves and steam cuttings and they seem to be doing good. I only have two types of plants for now, and I hope to acquire more!

Juggling Bills

I pride myself on juggling our bills and making sure they are paid on time. If Shannon was in charge of paying our bills, we’d be in trouble! LOL I even use online bill pay through my bank since it’s free to use and it save me the postage, that I could instead, use towards sending a letter to a pen pal. If you can’t tell by the many news stories, the economy SUCKS! Jobs are scarce, while other companies are laying off their staff. So we are very thankful for our good fortune and everything that led us to our current situation.

Our rent is due on the first of each month. So I decided to drop off our rent check a few days early because I didn’t want to go in when “everyone and their mother” was going in. The check was post dated for June 1st. I know that checks are considered “live” and can be cashed anytime, no matter the date on the check. But I assumed the apartment managers would have the common courtesy to WAIT until June 1st to cash my check, since the rent isn’t DUE until June 1st. But unfortunately, they do NOT have the common courtesy and are Money Hungry Whores, and decided to cash my check EARLY! I am just thankful Shannon’s direct deposit was deposited the next day. I am just a little pissed that they couldn’t WAIT until June 1st to cash my check! I have also decided that I do NOT like this place and how it’s run. I know that I want to move out of here as soon as our lease is up, because I am tired of their so-called “professionalism.”

Peaceful and Rain

Shannon had 2 consecutive days off this week. It literally felt like a very long weekend, it was nice to have him home. We didn’t do much, except hang out at home. Shannon went to Walmart on Tuesday to pick up my steam vacuum. It actually rained for most of the day on Tuesday as well. Even though it was raining throughout the day, it was HOT. It’s been raining at least once a week here. Just perplexing, considering we used to live in the desert!

Shannon also had a chance to spend time with Kyle, which Kyle always enjoys. Shannon had stayed up all night on Monday due to over thinking work issues. He had a chance to see Kyle first thing in the morning, which he NEVER gets to see. I am so used to seeing Kyle first thing that I am used to his smile and cuteness. Anyway, he said he said hi and waved to Kyle and Kyle waved back! I wish I had seen it.

Our friends in Las Vegas had their second child last week as well. They had a baby boy. Since their first one was born via C-Section, their second child was born the same way. Shannon and I are in awe with the idea of having a second child. I think it’s more of a “no way in hell do we want to think about doing that” or “ no way in hell can we see ourselves doing that.” We are ecstatic for them, don’t get me wrong. But for us, we aren’t planning for another child. Perhaps if some of our circumstances change, we can reconsider, just not at this time. But then again, I love my body and I don’t know if I want to have to work again to get it back afterwards. It wasn’t hard to lose the weight, it literally just melted off itself, but other parts of me were being stubborn.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend, there are many families out there taking a nice long weekend to either go on vacation or just spend time with family at home. Well, for us, we never get to celebrate the holidays or special occasions, especially with working in the hospitality industry. Lucky for us, our industry doesn’t close and we are not a Monday through Friday workplace. If we do celebrate, it’s usually a little bit before or after the actual holiday.

Our weekend falls on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. We don’t really have any plans. Shannon said he’s going to pick up my steam vacuum that I bought for myself for Mother’s Day. It was delivered to the store about 2 weeks ago and Shannon keeps forgetting to bring home the print out (receipt) that you need to pick up your item at the store. So if he does actually does pick up my vacuum, I will be cleaning our carpets!

Shannon is doing really well at his job. He gets along with a majority of the managers there. There are a few managers that I am not fond of. One of them (literally) starts drama and craziness and tries to put the blame on other managers. From what I hear, he yells at the people in his department. Shannon is also close with the Assistant GM of the Hotel Division and the General Manager of the property. They know that they can rely on him to complete any project they ask him to do. He hopes to get back into Training and Safety and Security. Right now, he overseas the Security personnel, but he hasn’t had the time to really watch whether or not they are doing their job, so Engineering is also monitoring them.

Apparently the company he works for will be building a property in a nearby city and the other next door. So, of course, everyone is looking at the opportunities that lay ahead! There will be new doors opening and new opportunities in the future for everyone.

I have also been thinking about enrolling Kyle into a preschool. Awhile back I found a few Church Preschools but there is one in particular that I like. I did email the director to find out more information. There is also a preschool on the way to Shannon’s workplace. Either way, I think it would be beneficial to put Kyle into a preschool so he can meet other kids his age and also stimulate his (always) working mind.

Two days off together

Our Saturday

We had a rainy, windy, thunder, lightning, and hail of a day. We had storms throughout the day. Then around 5:30pm, while we were watching Lost on our DVR, the power went out! We listened to the weather report on our police scanner which was entertaining for a bit. I decided to take a quick power nap too. I was tired and I didn’t get to sleep in until about 1pm, like SOMEONE (my husband) did. The power outage lasted a little over an hour, but it was the longest hour ever. LOL

Our Sunday

Shannon had two consecutive days off this week. We went grocery shopping today at a store we have never been to and unfortunately, we are very disappointed. First, we were over charged for some of the products we bought and she also charged me twice on a few items. I didn’t notice this until we were all in the car ready to go. So, you are probably thinking, it’s my fault for not watching my items being rung up. But, imagine being in a brand new store - I prefer to check out my surroundings, watch my son, and make sure my husband doesn’t need help. We decided not to go back into the store and dispute the bill because there was only one cashier and there was a line forming, and most of all, Kyle was getting antsy.

I was going to email the company but unfortunately they don’t list an email address or even a “contact us” page. Then I thought I would call the store and I can’t even find their phone number. Even when I looked on the yellow pages website, there are no phone numbers listed for ANY of their stores, just the addresses. The ONLY way to contact them is to write them a letter! I am so pissed that I couldn't find a phone number or an email address that I just may write them. LOL Shannon says not to worry about it, but this will bother me.

All in all, we have decided not to return to this particular store. They don’t deserve our business. They advertise LOW prices, but they must get away with doing that by actually overcharging their customers at checkout. When a product is marked at a certain price, I expect to be charged that, not overcharged. Plus, they don't carry some of the poducts that I use, so we only ended up buying a portion of what we normally buy. So, we are sticking with Walmart.

We also shaved Kyle’s head! He didn’t like the whole process but after it was over, he was fine.

Like an episode of Cheaters!

Our bed is here. They delivered it much earlier than we thought. We choose “before noon” for delivery and they showed up at 11am! LOL I was glad that I was all dressed and ready for them but Shannon wasn’t. We had planned to get him up at 11am. Shannon heard the truck door open and it sort of woke him up. Then we both heard the knock on the front door. Like an episode of Cheaters, I saw Shannon run to the back room (our office) with his clothes bunched up in his arms to get dressed! Meanwhile, I let them in and stripped the bed for them to move it. Again, Shannon was going to move our bed before they got here.

They definitely caught us off guard so we were a little embarrassed. Kyle was in a good mood while they were here. He just wanted to play and run around. Once Shannon was dressed, we took turns watching Kyle to make sure he didn’t run out the front door or get in their way.

They were very polite too. They started out calling me “Miss” and then they kept saying “Yes, ma’am” or “No problem, ma’am.” I don’t know if it’s the Southern in them or just being polite.

So our bed is in our room all set up. It smells a little chemical-ly (which is normal) so we have the windows open to air out the bed.

Work Schedule

Ever since we moved, Shannon has had split days off which hasn't given us much time to spend together. When he does have a day off, he just wants to veg, which is understandable. So I was really looking forward to his weekend this week. However, this morning, he said he only had one day off this week. I guess they are really busy tomorrow, so he has to work. His boss said she would give him 2 1/2 to 3 days off next week.

When I checked my email this morning, there was an email from Walmart saying that my steam vacuum was ready for pick up! Shannon will be picking that up sometime this week! I can't wait to clean our carpets!

Our Dream Bed

We’ve been talking about getting a TempurPedic bed for awhile now and we finally bought one today! This is the bed we‘ve always wanted but never could buy. When we first married, we didn’t think to buy a TempurPedic, we just bought a bed at a store that was going out of business and was selling off their inventory.

When we arrived, we tried out a few of the models in the store. We ended up choosing the one we both loved when we tried it out. We chose the Deluxe Bed and it will be delivered tomorrow morning! We decided to treat ourselves to luxury! We also received two free TempurPedic pillows with our purchase.

Kyle started to get antsy as soon as we got there. Luckily the guy that owned the place had grandchildren and had toys to play with. So Kyle kept himself occupied with the different toys.

We had intended on going to the store today just to LOOK. For some reason, we got caught up in trying the beds and forgot we still had to go grocery shopping. By the time we finished up, we had spent about an hour in the store.

More Calls

We received MORE called today asking for my husband but referring to him as “her or she.” Or just asking or Ms. F----.

Anyway, I decided to register our home number with the Do Not Call list! Hopefully these calls will stop!

My husband’s name

Since we've been together, my husband and I have had several funny incidents with his name. My husband’s name is Shannon and everyone has assumed that it was MY name. For instance, at hotels and casinos, at a hair salon, on the phone, etc. At a restaurant, when they ask for a name, I usually give them my name because we just want to avoid confusion with the hostess. My husband and I take this all in stride and usually laugh about it afterwards.

Today, I just got a phone call asking for Ms. Shannon F----. Well first, this person called our home number, and NOBODY knows this number except my parents, and our friends in Las Vegas. I was a little rude with her because the bitch was like "Heyyyyy" when I answered, like I should know her voice. It was the type of "heyyyyy" you would say to a friend. Then she paused for a few seconds and then I asked her, "Can I help you?" Anyway, I ended up telling her there is no such person as Ms. Shannon. Which is true in this household. She didn’t give me a chance to tell her why, she just said “ok, thanks” and hung up. LOL

Crazy Weather and Chores

Today is Mother’s Day! I started my afternoon with writing two pen pal letters! I hope to work on more this week. I am a little behind and don’t like to keep my pen pals waiting too long.

It’s been a crazy weather day! I felt like I was back in Northern Nevada! It started out overcast and then a little rain. Then it was sunny, when a huge grey cloud moved over our complex. That’s when it started hailing for a few minutes. Once the hail stopped, it was overcast again. The sun decided to come out and then it started hailing like mad! When I opened our side door, some of the hail came inside! The hail was a little smaller than golf balls. Shannon had called me from work beforehand to say there was a tornado warning in effect. He said it was hailing the size of golf balls. The hail was so loud, we could hear it hit the rooftops and cars. We even heard a few car alarms go off.

After the weather calmed down, I took the time to clean! I cleaned the kitchen, both bathrooms, and vacuumed. I find myself vacuuming a few times a day. I can’t wait to get our steam vacuum! It’s my Mother’s Day gift. I ordered it online about a week ago and it should be delivered to the store soon. Our carpets need to be deep cleaned and I can’t wait to do that. It will be interesting with Kyle running around. He likes to follow me when I am vacuuming.

New toy for Kyle

Shannon went to the store today looking for a specific item. He ended up buying us all a little something. He bought Kyle a new toy! He bought him wooden blocks with the alphabet on them. They were the last set there and we’ve been wanting to get something like this for Kyle for the longest time! Since Shannon opened them up, Kyle has been playing with them non-stop! He loves them. Kyle knew right away that they were for him when his daddy took them out of the shopping bag.

I took out his Elmo Aquadoodle earlier today and he played with that for awhile. I like to keep that toy put away since it has a couple of pieces to go with it. So when I take it out the aquadoodle, it’s more exciting because he doesn’t get to play with it all the time.

We also realized that we haven’t bought a new toy for Kyle since he was about 6 months old. We have received several toys from his grandparents instead. He’s happy with those as well.

I checked out bank account online and saw that our stimulus check is pending! It wasn’t as much as we thought it would be. So I am wondering if married couples get two separate checks? Anyway, we already have plans for the check! We still need a few things around the house.

Commercialization Annoyance

Is it just me, or does it seem like the media is trying to force Mother’s Day down everyone’s throat? Every other television and radio commercial is for a floral delivery company and how you should buy such and such bouquet or buy one get one free for your mom!

Shannon knows that I love flowers but it’s not my gift of choice. Don’t get me wrong, they are beautiful and they smell good. But they last a good week or two. He actually prefers if I pick something out for myself. He knows me so well.

Of course while we were dating, we bought each other nice gifts. Now that we have Kyle, we think more about him, rather than our wants. If Shannon wants something, he’ll usually buy it and the same goes for myself.

I do believe that all mother’s should be appreciated, just don’t feel like you have to do it in way the media says so. If you appreciate and love your mother, TELL HER!

But, I must close with the following:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!!!

Good things to come?

There could be some good things to come from his job in the near future! There are some problems with one part of the hotel and they have found out that this department really isn’t doing their job as well as not even showing up for work. Shannon’s been talking to his department manager and division manager about all of this and it sounds like things are being taken care of. Also, Shannon may help update and take over MOD training for the property!

He’s already met two co-workers who had died and were brought back to life! He had a chance to talk with them on two separate occasions and listen to their stories. One of them is writing a book about her experience and what she saw. She said that she was brought back for a reason, and she’s here to help people. The other guy was actually hit by a train and is one of four people in the world to survive being hit by a train. He said after he was hit by the train and as his body was up in the air, he heard his brother’s voice say “don’t lean back,” to which he listened to. They said if he had fallen backwards, he would have been decapitated. They both say that they can’t really describe what they saw “up there” but it was beautiful and peaceful.

Anyway, what are the odds of meeting two people who have died?! At your job, no less! Shannon and I are very open-minded about ghosts, psychics, etc. So to listen to their stories, is amazing.