Still waiting

I am still waiting for my new battery pack and cord for my laptop to get here. I checked my husband's email and they sent another email saying that the battery pack was out of stock. They will get a new shipment on Monday or sooner and our order could be sent soon. In other words, in Toshiba land, "overnight shipping" means a week and a half wait or longer. I just want my laptop back! I am so tired of having to share a computer.

Kyle's doctor's office never called back with the info regarding the speech therapy. I don't know if they forgot or they never heard back from the office. In any case, I am going to call Head Start on Monday to see if we can get Kyle enrolled in preschool and/or speech therapy through them. I am SURE we qualify for Head Start considering we have no income and Kyle is on Medicaid.

3 year checkup

Kyle had his 3 year checkup today! His appointment went okay, he was really nervous and did not like being around the doctor and nurse. He knew it wasn't a familiar place. He weighs 32 lbs and 6 ounces and is 37 1/2 inches tall.

I asked about speech therapy. They called a place to get us a referral, however, nobody answered so she left a message and she will call us back with more info. Since I mentioned my concerns about Kyle not talking, they had me fill out a "check list" for 3 year olds. Kyle couldn't do (at least) 95% of the things listed on the list! For instance: Can you child point to his nose, mouth, eyes, etc? Can your child point to a picture in a book and say what it is?

I wanted to go to McDonald's after his appointment, so that Kyle could play in the indoor play area where he can climb and jump and get his energy out! Shannon, instead wanted to go through the drive thru. I told him that wasn't my reasoning for going to McDonald's. He just didn't get it! So I told him, forget it!

Gas flap door issues

Shannon stopped by the car repair place yesterday. They had to check which part they needed to fix our gas flap door. They have to order the part directly from Mitsubishi.

It sounds like they are NOT admitting fault, rather they are trying to say that our car is old -- which we are aware of. However, we've had our car for 7 years and never during that time have we had a problem opening the gas flap door. The day after we had our car fixed, it was broken! Coincidence? Or did we just get dumb with how to use our car and broke it ourselves?

We're hoping they will fix it without charging us. If they DO charge us, we will NOT be returning to them and I may just twitter, facebook, and myspace about it. That's how customer service is right? When someone has a bad experience, they tell 10 people who tell 10 people, who tell 10 people...

A lot done!

Our cable is working again. The tech guy came out and had to reset everything. I am just glad to have a working TV, just in time for The Bachelorette tonight! Jon & Kate Plus 8 is also on tonight, but my MIL is recording it and I could also watch it tomorrow if need be. I am going to watch the new episode because there is supposed to be a "big announcement" and everyone is predicting that they are going to announce a divorce! Update: People is reporting that they DID file for divorce!

I scheduled an appointment with a pediatrician for Kyle! His appointment is this Thursday in the afternoon, which is perfect. I always aim for afternoon time appointments. Trying to wake Shannon up before 12 PM is like trying to teach a pig to fly.

My MIL and I went grocery shopping today! She bought all kinds of fruits and some veggies. It's nice to have food again.

When Shannon took our car in to get repaired, they broke our gas flap door. It looks like they tried to open it on the wrong side and ended up pushing it in and breaking it! Imagine trying to open a door where the hinges are and forcing it in...that's what they did. Anyway, since Shannon never got around to calling them about it to see if they would fix it, I went to their website and filled out the "contact us" form. They called us today and Shannon explained it further to them. They are going to fix it for us.

The issues with Shannon's unemployment are crazy! They basically reversed the original ruling, so now he is no longer on unemployment. He just filed the appeal to that ruling! Hopefully they take a closer look at Shannon's side of the situtation. Shannon had me read through it and check it for errors, which was fun. I found a few of them too! He said he was "drunk" when he was writing it! LOL

Happy Father's Day

The cable is still out. They are sending a technician out tomorrow! I am still waiting for my laptop battery and cord to arrive. Shannon used "overnight shipping" and somehow we think that's a scam.

Last night I took the time to read to Kyle. I was able to read the entire book to him without him trying to turn the page before I was done reading. Then, right before bedtime, he handed me the same book and I read it to him again. After that, I told him it was bedtime. I hope we can get him more books soon.

I also want to make flashcards of the alphabet. One side will be the letter and the other side will have a simple word. Shannon said we should just buy a set of flashcards! LOL I don't mind either way. I want to get Kyle some DVDs by Leapfrog that teach the alphabet and simple words. I'll see how the flashcards work.

I plan on calling a pediatrician on Monday to make an appointment for Kyle! Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to get him in to see a doctor. Shannon is finally on board to apply for WIC (which we automatically qualify for). Now it's just a matter of getting him to take us to the office to sign up!

I applied for a few jobs through craigslist for Shannon. I am always cautious when using that site.

Kinda back to basics

This weekend is turning into slowest weekend, at least that is what I am guessing. My laptop decided to stop working a few days ago. We're not sure if it's the battery or the plug/cord.

Then this morning, the cable isn't working. My in-laws have D*rectTV and for some reason it's still searching for a signal. When Shannon and I had D*sh Network, our cable would go out when there was snow on the satellite dish. Anyway, the TVs have been out for the majority of the day.

Since I've been using my husband's computer, I somehow downloaded a dang virus. I have tried the anti-malware several times but it won't remove the viruses. It is so frustrating because I keep getting pop-ups about scanning my computer and asking me if I want to purchase the anti-virus program!

Shannon had his interview this past Wednesday, I asked him to send them a "thank you" email. Since he still hadn't sent it, I decided to! I found a few examples of thank you letters and used some of those to create my own. I had to send two emails because he interviewed with the owner of the company and the General Manager of the property. Let's hope they haven't hired for the position yet! I figure in this economy, he has to find a way to "stand out" from all the rest of the candidates! I did create two different thank you letters, just in case they compared notes! LOL

Fiberglass

Kyle found out that he can get into the crawl spaces on the second floor, they are basically half the size of a closet. My in-laws use theirs to store their things. Anyway, Kyle got into a few of the crawl spaces and he came out all dusty! About 20 minutes later, I noticed that he's scratching and has little red bumps. I thought that he had a rash or the dog licked him and that was causing the itching.

Then Shannon asked if he's allergic to fiberglass. I have no idea and my MIL said that it has little bits of glass shards and it gets on the skin to cause itching. I started itching too and started seeing some bumps.

I had to give Kyle a bath and then I quickly took a shower. I am just glad it wasn't a rash!

Limited Access

My laptop decided to stop working properly. We are unable to figure out if it's the battery or the plug in/cord thing to charge the battery. So, I am forced to use my husband's computer. In the meantime, Shannon ordered me a new battery and cord. I really wanted to go to Best Buy or some other electronics store, but this town is so small, they don't have a lot of the big stores. Shannon ordered the parts online for me.

It looks to be over

I started watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 in November 2007, I stumbled upon the show on accident while surfing the channels. We never got TLC before, so I never watched it.

I have decided that I am no longer going to watch the show. The kids are adorable and it was nice seeing them grow up, however, Jon and Kate barely interact on the show. They are no longer a family anymore, if they are, they don't even act like it. They are two separate people, who are still married. It's just no fun watching their show anymore.

In addition to everything stated above, they no longer do the interviews on the couch together. They've been doing this show for at least 4 to 5 years now (maybe more) and all of a sudden they no longer have the time to sit together? I believe it was Jon who said that their schedules are so different, that they don't have the time to sit down together. That's a bunch of crock, I don't believe it for one second.

It also seems like every episode, one of them is out of town, so that leaves one parent to watch the kids. This season has a different feel to it, and I am just not enjoying it anymore. I am not getting the same feeling as in previous seasons. They are no longer a family in my eyes. They are staying together for the show, the money, and the perks/freebies.

Just in time

Kyle woke up around 8:01 AM, which also happened to wake me up. I had to quickly wake Shannon up for his 8:30 AM appointment for the car. It took about 5 or 6 hours for the car to get fixed, thankfully Shannon got a ride home from his dad. I am anxious to hear how much more efficient our car will be, since it got a well needed tune up. We've had our car for 7 years, they said they are taking care of the 30,000 and 60,000 mile tune up!

He also has to pick up his dry cleaning and get a hair cut. Then he's stopping off at Walmart for a few things.

I woke up feeling a little sick. Shannon said he's also not feeling well. Kyle still isn't 100% himself, but it hasn't slowed him down one bit. I am not sure what we have, I just hope we get better soon!

Shannon's interview is tomorrow afternoon at 5 PM. The hotel is about 2 1/2 hours away, so he's leaving early just in case. While he is gone, I plan on cleaning the bathroom and making sure we have our paperwork ready for the bankruptcy attorney appointment on Friday.

Busy Tuesday

Shannon went to get the car fixed and they were BUSY! So he made an appointment for tomorrow at 8:30 AM. I am not sure how he's going to get up that early... He's going to see if he can borrow his mom's car (while our car is getting fixed). He needs to get his hair cut and then pick up his dry cleaning.

I did four loads of laundry today! LOL Shannon finished one of his assignments, an essay paper that had to be 700-1000 words. Of course he waited until the last minute to write it. He wrote most of it last night and the rest of it today.

He received another call back for a job. I don't think he's going to call them back because it's a temp agency that's hiring for the position.

Not just a regular cold

My FIL ended up going to the Urgent Care yesterday because he was feeling worse. A few days ago, he was feeling better for about 24 hours, so that is weird to go back to feeling sick!

Kyle vomited yesterday after dinner, I figured it was because he ate a little too much. He fell asleep pretty early last night around 8 PM. He then woke up around 10:45 PM and started coughing and vomited again. I gave him a dose of children's pain reliever. This morning, he's been coughing here and there and from what I can tell, his throat is sore.

My FIL ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia! Here is the information that I found. Of course, I am worried that Kyle may have it, so we're both paying attention to his symptoms.

Food Lion Commercials

I have to share two funny commercials from Food Lion, a grocery store! I think they are really cute!

Although, I should mention, I don't think their prices are LOW as they claim.

You can see the commercials here.

Quiet Days

This past weekend has been pretty quiet. My FIL is still feeling sick and my MIL started feeling sick as well. Kyle shows signs of being sick here and there. Just this morning, I had to give him some homeopathic cough medicine. Other than that, he seems to be his normal self. Shannon and I haven't gotten sick...yet.

Shannon is (finally) getting the car fixed, the car really needs it too, he's put this off way too long! He has his interview on Wednesday, I can't wait for Wednesday to get here. I am amazed that this job called back really fast, hopefully that's a good sign and they really need to hire fast.

I found some children's vitamins that have DHA in them, hopefully Kyle will like these. I tried another brand and he didn't like it.

2 Free books

I just received an email from Harlequin saying that they are sending me two special edition books! I have to read them and fill out a survey about my opinions of both books! A few months ago, I joined Tell Harlequin panel, they send you free books based on your profile. I am excited and can't wait to read these books. I really haven't had a chance to sit down to read in so long.

Another Call

Shannon had his phone interview yesterday for the position in St. Louis. It was only a 20 minute call. They sound desperate to fill the position, since they are down 2 managers. They said they would get back to him, they just have to do some checking, as he has interviewed with the company before.

Shannon received another call back (today) from a position I applied for just yesterday! It's for an Assistant General Manager position in North Carolina. The hotel is only 2 1/2 hours away. Anyway, Shannon called the guy back and he has an interview for next Wednesday! I am excited about this interview too!

Fever, Thunderstorm, and more!

Yesterday was an eventful day! Kyle played outside and when he came in, he felt hot to the touch and we thought it was because of the weather. I tried feeding him dinner, which he did not eat. Little did we know, he was coming down with a fever. Shannon took him back outside later in the afternoon and had Kyle run through the sprinkler! Kyle had so much fun. He loves being in water or being sprinkled with the hose.

After playing in the water, we brought him back inside. He was sitting in the living room coughing, and it sounded like he was doing his normal "fake coughing." He tends to "fake cough" just to be silly or just get our attention. Kyle ended up falling asleep around 6:15 PM.

Then it starts raining and loud thunder starts roaring above. The thunder was so loud, it made the house shake a bit. We power went out a few times and even our cable. Kyle woke up around 7:45 PM and he felt hot to the touch. We gave him some children's tylenol and tried the cold compress. He ends up throwing up a bit. Shannon sat in a luke warm bath with him to help cool him off. I had to wash the sheets, so while that was going on, we hung out downstairs.

My FIL has been sick for the last 5 days. He's feeling better today.

I am hoping Kyle's fever is only a "12 hour" fever. He was feeling hot to the touch this morning at 4 AM. Shannon gave him another dose of children's tylenol, as I was more than half asleep. I even remember myself saying, "Wait the medicine to work," which translates to "wait for the medicine to work." LOL

Surprise call back

Shannon received a call back for a management position in St. Louis, MO. I couldn't find the job ad on either of the websites that I use to search for jobs. However, there was a manager who did email Shannon about a week and a half ago from a position I had applied for through careerbuilder. I replied back [as Shannon] answering his questions that he had, such as pay, relocation, etc. Finally, a few days passed and I emailed him again letting him know that if he hadn't filled the position to call for an interview. So I believe this is the position they are looking to hire for, the lady did say that there are two positions open! Shannon has an interview tomorrow afternoon!! I am excited, Shannon is taking this in stride, he says he's been through plenty of interviews. He's learned not to get his hopes up. I am happy that he did get a call back, which doesn't happen as often, especially in this economy. The company that called today is a really good company, they offer bonuses and other job ads want experience from this company. Shannon has interviewed for this company before (for another location). The lady even told him to "prepare to move" but ended up not hiring him... she was an odd one anyway.

I am surprised that Shannon decided to call this lady back to set up the interview. Last time he received a call back, he ended up not calling them back. His parents said it wasn't a good area to move to, which seemed to convince him not to go for an interview. This time around, they aren't saying anything. I know they are struggling to pay their bills. It would be good for us to move out and get our own place anyway. Plus, we don't know if we're going to keep his unemployment or not, so he needs to start looking forward.

My in-laws are currently talking with someone who is offering to refinance them in 72 hours! My FIL is giving us all the details as to what they guy is saying and Shannon and I are both saying SCAM! There are a few other clues that point to this guy being a fraud, so we're just letting them know what we think. Shannon is going to look this guy up and the "company" he works for to see if he can find anything on the subject for his parents.

Samples taking over

I received a few samples and freebies this week! So far, I have received 2 different brands of shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, eye cream, and a reusable bag from Earthbound Farms. I am using one of the samples of shampoo and conditioner and plan on using the sample of toothpaste soon. I really like the shampoo and conditioner, it's a nice change from my regular stuff.

I also received a free picture that I had printed out for free! It turned out really good! I want to get a frame for it. The picture is of my handsome son!

Relaxing Weekend

We had a nice weekend. Kyle played outside for a few hours this morning, he was splashed with the hose and then he played in a little pool for a bit. I brought him inside and changed his clothes. After that, he stayed inside for the rest of the day.

For some reason, I was feeling really tired and took a 2 hour nap! I was surprised I was so tired. Thankfully Shannon didn't mind watching Kyle while I took a nap.

My MIL and I went to the grocery store, we needed a few things. Tonight, we had pizza and beer (I had soda). I do have to say that this was the first soda I have had in several weeks! I don't plan on having anymore soda for awhile.

I also bought some juice that has DHA in it (good for brain development) for Kyle. For the last few days, I've been trying to give Kyle some cod liver oil (lemon flavor), I try to "hide" it in his food and for some reason, he senses it everytime, and he doesn't eat it. This juice seems to do the trick! I even bought some vitamins with DHA in it and he doesn't like it.

Looking for work

I applied for 3 different retail jobs yesterday and also applied for 2 jobs with McDonald's! I don't mind working in either retail or fast food. We're going to get the Sunday paper as well and look for jobs that way. I also search everyday on a few different job sites.

Shannon's unemployment issues are still up in the air. His hearing was yesterday (over the phone) and we still don't know the ruling. If it doesn't go in his favor, he will have to appeal. Of course, we are both worried about what will happen and hope he can keep his unemployment. In the meantime, I am still job searching for Shannon and applying for many!

In other news, Shannon is doing very well in school. I asked him if he knew his grade so far, he said he has a 4.0!!! He's already halfway through this class. He's aiming to get a 4.0 throughout college, so hopefully he can get a full ride scholarship to law school!

Kyle is doing good. His sleep schedule seems to be getting into a routine. He's falling asleep between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM, which is a HUGE improvement from before. He used to fall asleep around 9:30 PM or later!

Kyle is on Medicaid and I am waiting for the list of doctors to arrive in the mail. Once I get that information, I will be calling around to set up an appointment and inquire about speech therapy. I want to be able to hear my son's voice, from what I have heard, it's really cute!

More Rain

It rained last night and some counties even had "flash flood" warnings. It's been raining on and off today as well. The rain is a nice break from the heat and humidity.

I received my Tupperware shake mixer from the ebay seller and even left feedback soon after I opened my package. The seller didn't leave feedback for me in return, so I sent her a message and she responded within 10 minutes! But apparently this is common, sellers don't even bother to leave feedback! Weird. Then again, I am not privvy to ebay.

I finally watched Kung Fu Panda on cable! LOL It is such a cute movie. It stars the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Dustin Hoffman. I really liked this movie, Kyle didn't seem that interested in it. Hopefully when he's older, he can sit and watch it. For now, he has a short attention span and loves to do a lot of things and be all over the place!

Goodies all around

I received my soy protein mix and night night balm today! I am waiting until I receive my Tupperware shake mixer from the ebay seller before I try the soy protein shake. In the meantime, I am still working out and did so today! I felt like I "fell off the wagon" so I am trying to stay on track and keep myself motivated. I am really trying to eat better and not have as much chocolate and junk food, but I do spoil myself a bit. I am trying to be more aware of what I am eating.

I am looking at getting another Turbo Jam workout DVD from amazon.com. I plan on using gift cards to purchase another workout DVD! I have some gift cards that I earned from a site that I use.

Shannon set up the basketball hoop and Kyle is loving it! He's been playing with it whenever he's outside. He's been watching the boy next door play basketball, so it was fitting that my MIL get him his own basketball hoop! She said this was his birthday and Christmas gifts from the last 3 years, which sounds pretty fair to us!

Blast from the past

Last night I used my lavender & chamomile body spray and it calmed Kyle down pretty fast! He was asleep by 7:45 PM or so! It was great! He woke up this morning around 6:40 AM, 11 hours of sleep. He hasn't done that for at least a year and a half or more!

It must be magic!

Soy What!

My MIL wanted to go "downtown" to pick up some picture frames and I ended up going with her. She saw a candle at the store and said we should pick up some soy candles on the way home! She knew just the place. She gets all of her soy candles there.

After getting the frames, we went to an antique/other knick knacks store. They happen to sell soy candles and they had a candle display with a 50% off sign! I ended up getting 4 candles, 3 - 4.5 oz candles and 1 - 16 oz candle. They are heavily scented, which I love! I currently have one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom!

I plan on getting a soy candle making starter kit! I can't wait to try to make candles myself! It doesn't sound too difficult. It will end up saving me money in the end, since I love soy candles so much.

Body Spray Miracle?

I have some lavender and chamomile body spray that I bought a few months ago from Avon. I originally bought it for Shannon because he was having trouble falling asleep. I was going to have him use it, to spray around the room to help him relax and wind down. He never got around to using it! LOL

I started using this two nights ago for Kyle. I spray it all around the room and on the bedding. It really seems to calm him down and he falls asleep soon after! So far it's been working, so I have no complaints and so glad that I bought it!

New toys

My MIL and I went shopping today. First, we went to Kmart and she bought him an adjustable basketball hoop and two puzzles made of wood. The puzzles are the wooden ones (like the one below). The ones we bought have animals, planes, helicopters, etc.


Here is what his basketball hoop looks like ~



I also bought Kyle some sunscreen because he spends so much time outside. It's made for babies and great for sensitive skin. I bought a few other things that I needed as well.

Then we went to Walmart and I picked up some food that we needed! My MIL went to go look at bedding, she wanted to check out the new line of bedding called Canopy that they are now carrying. I have seen the commercials and it sounds like their products are made of high quality materials! While I was putting the groceries in the trunk, this lady pulls up right next to me and rolls down her window. At first it scared me, I am always aware of my surroundings. I took a step back because I wasn't sure what she was going to do. Then she says, "Hi, how are you?" She pulls out an Avon catalog and hands it to me. LOL I asked her for another one for my MIL and she gave me one. I don't have any plans to buy anything from Avon at the moment.

When we got home, I checked the mail and I received the samples from Monet Minerals! Instead of receiving 5, she sent me 6! I can't wait to play with the colors more. I did play with a few of the colors this evening, but I am looking forward to experimenting more!