Flu or cold

Kyle is still sick.  He's been sick since Monday.  Ever since we got back from vacation, he's been sleeping throughout the day which is good because he needs it.  He doesn't really eat, and he'll drink water every other day.  He feels warm and his temperature has gotten as high as 101.6 degrees. I just hope he feels better before next week when he has to go back to school. 

Kyle turns 5 in 4 days!  Our anniversary is this Saturday as well! 

Plant Stand!

I just opened my Christmas present from my MIL and she gave me a 3 tier plant stand!  It is so cute and perfect for my plants!  It fits about 6 of my plants (I am sure I can fit more) and they look great on the stand.  Before, I had my plants sitting on top of boxes in front of the window. 

The stand was really easy to "assemble."  It came in 4 pieces: the stand and each shelf.  I just had to "hook" each shelf into its place.  

Hopefully Kyle won't be too curious and knock the stand over.  He's used to my plants, but he'll notice the stand. 

Home from vacation

We are back from our vacation!  We arrived home around 8:30pm last night.  Kyle fell asleep about an hour after we got home.  I have already finished unpacking today so I feel accomplished!  Most of our things are put away as well. 

We're going to go grocery shopping today since we don't have any food!  Kyle wasn't feeling well yesterday and he still seems sick today.  He barely ate anything yesterday and doesn't seem hungry today. 

We had a great time on vacation.  We bought tickets for 4 days and also got an extra day free.  We ended up going all 5 days!  The first day we went to Epcot where we walked around for about 4 hours, went back to the hotel in the afternoon to rest.  Then we went back to Epcot later that night!  The second day and third day we went to Magic Kingdom!  We had so much fun!  We even took Kyle on several rides!  The fourth day we went to Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood.  At Disney Hollywood they had replicas of the streets of San Francisco and New York.  They also had a replica of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA.  The first day we went back to Magic Kingdom.  It was so cold and windy that day.  Kyle may have gotten sick from that cold weather. 

On vacation

We left for our vacation yesterday and got as far as Brunswick, GA where we stayed the night.  We all got up early this morning and left the motel around 8:30am.  We made it to Florida soon after and arrived at our hotel a few hours later.  We were able to check in early and put our luggage in our room.  Shannon and I took showers and then we went for a drive.  The hotel is located in Shannon's old neighborhood.  We drove down Shannon's old street to see where he used to live, saw where he took karate classes, where he had his first kiss, where he went to daycare, etc!  We then went to Walmart to buy some food, swim suits (for Kyle and myself), and a few other things.  Walmart was so busy!!!

The hotel has a little water park in the middle of it so hopefully I can take Kyle down to the pool.  They have some slides and a couple of little pools. 

The weather is nice, it's in the 70's here.  It's about 30 degrees warmer here than in North Carolina.

6 days til Christmas

My MIL had to go to JC Penney's to return a few things and she asked me to go since she hadn't bought me anything for Christmas yet.  I ended up getting two pairs of pants in grey and brown.  They are petite sizes.  If I had chosen the women size instead, they would be 3 to 5 inches too long on me.  I bought a few pairs of cordoroy pants last year and I didn't get "petite" sizes and they are still too long on me.  I also chose pink chenille gloves and a nice scarf!

The mall was the busiest I have ever seen it, which was funny.  The mall we have here has 3 department stores (JC Penney's, Belk, and Sears) and about 10 small stores within the mall. 

Too close to home

Earlier this week, there was a breaking news story on the evening news about a cop and wife found dead in front of their house.  The first report was they were "found dead."  The next day, it was reported that it was a "murder-suicide."  The husband (the cop) shot his wife and then himself.  The couple had two kids but they were told to go inside the house, so it's unclear whether the children witnessed the shooting.  The official news story can be found here.  What makes this so "close to home" beside it happened in the city we reside in, is that the wife Heather, was my MIL's hairdresser!  Heather did my hair once in 2007.  I remember her being really nice and so helpful. 

4 hours later

My MIL had some things to donate to the local senior center and to another thrift store and she asked me if I wanted to go to.  We left around 11am and we didn't get home until 3pm or so!  First, we stopped by the senior center to drop off the things she wanted to donate then we headed over to the thrift store to drop off the rest of the things.  Within the same building is a food pantry/food bank type of place to pick up food.  As we were walking up to the building, we saw a huge truck unloading some food.  My MIL informed me that this was one of the places she had to stop by to pick up some food and get some help paying some bills a few years ago.  We asked what documents/identification we needed in order to sign up for food and were told that they hand out food to anyone and to come back around 12:30pm (they opened at 1pm).  He said to get there early because people start waiting around that time.  He pretty much said that they don't require a social security card because the food is USDA and they are required to give food to anyone. 

Since it was only 11:45am (we wanted to be back by 12:30pm), we decided to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  She had a little list of things to get and I ended up getting some dried fruit.  We got back to the food pantry/food bank around 12:35pm, signed in and filled out a one page application.  While we were waiting, we saw how much food people were given and what types of food they got.  We didn't get out of there until around 2pm or 2:15pm.  We ended up bringing home 3 small boxes of food and other foods that didn't fit in the boxes.  We also have 2 dozen eggs and two loaves of french bread!  They gave us so much canned foods and two big blocks of cheese too!  It was a long wait but it was worth getting some extra food. 

My MIL had to use the ladies room, so we ended up stopping at McDonald's to use the restroom.  On the way out, we ended up getting some food, so I ordered a meal for Shannon, myself and some french fries for Kyle. 

Now that we're home and all settled in I realize how late it already is!  I can't believe we were gone for about 4 hours! 

Therapy interrupted & JC Penneys

We got off to a late start this morning.  Shannon woke up late and then we had to start the car to let it warm up as it was covered with ice (it was 16 degrees this morning).  Not only that, I heard on this morning's news that there was an overturned tractor trailor on the freeway.  We weren't sure if it was on the freeway we had to take.  As it turns out, the accident was on our way, but the truck was overturned in the ditch and everything was off on the shoulder so it didn't affect traffic.

Kyle had therapy today.  While he was doing that, we went to Walmart where I had to return a few things and pick up a few things.  I plan on making homemade energy bars and needed the ingredients for that.  I also bought some snack foods for Kyle.   We usually return to the therapy place a little early.  As I was coming out of the ladies room, I heard Kyle whining and looked at the clock to make sure we weren't late coming back.  His therapist said he wanted to leave (he was whining and went towards the door).  So we all went back in there to "play" and he was okay with it for a bit, but then he wanted to leave.  So we ended up leaving early. 

On the way home, we stopped at JC Penney's to pick up the toys my mom bought for Kyle for Christmas.  I also ended up buying a bath rug set in Olive color for our bathroom.  It looks good in the bathroom but Kyle doesn't like change, so he keeps removing one of the rugs from the bathroom!  LOL 

New Blog

I started a new blog about 3 weeks ago and it's going good!  I found a whole new world of blogging and it's been fun so far.  I found blogs that offer giveaways and host "blog hops."  I've been entering giveaways that look appealing to me and I have joined blog hops and will start hosting blog hops too.  Blog hops are a way to make new friends, network, gain new followers, and gain more traffic to your blog. 

Since I want to host more giveaways on my blog, I was contacted by a fellow blogger and she gave me a short list of companies that are looking for bloggers to host giveaways or do reviews of their products.  I contacted a few companies and one of them gave me a $35 discount code for their site.  I used it to purchase a food processor.  I will be doing a review on the product on my blog.  I chose a food processor because I want to start making homemade energy bars! 

Epic Burritos!

We made bean burritos at home yesterday!  We bought our ingredients at Walmart and they turned out really good!  They tasted so fresh and tasted so good.  We used canned refried beans, tomatoes, an onion, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese!  I had Shannon cut up the tomatoes and onion since I don't like onions, nor do I like the smell.  While he was doing that, I heated up the beans and made sure all the ingredients were on the counter and ready to go.

We had leftovers so I had a couple of burritos today!  I can't wait to make them again!  Our burritos were so fresh tasting!  Love it!  I tried making a burrito for Kyle but he wasn't interested!

My $8 Coat!

The other day, I bought Kyle a new coat.  It was time for him to have a new coat since he's going to outgrow his current one.  He's only put it on once, but I leave it around so that he can "warm" up to it on his own time.  It's difficult to introduce new clothes to Kyle because he usually refuses to wear them.  But if I have the clothes out where he can grab them and try them on, he can get used to them.  Every once in a while, he likes to put on and take off different clothes. 

Last night, I was browsing around Walmart's website and found a cute coat!  The price was nice and the majority of the reviews were positive.  Almost everyone seemed to praise the price and the quality of the coat!  I wanted to see what sizes they had online and they only had XXL available, so today we went to Walmart to try to find it in the store.  Thankfully I found them, but they didn't have my first choice in color.  I wanted brown but they didn't have any, so I bought black!  Anyway, when I went to checkout, it rang up for only $8!!  I feel like I got it for a steal of a deal!

Kyle had therapy today. He loved it, of course. Both therapists said he was so happy and having so much fun. His speech therapist said he was much more verbal today, which I told her he's been trying to talk more lately!

All I wanted was ONE chick'n patty!

I went to make myself dinner today.  We had two leftover meatless chick'n patties, baby carrots, and couscous.  I went to put one chick'n patty on my plate, along with a handful of baby carrots and my MIL walked up and said, "Oh, that's my husband's plate."  Of course, I was pissed but didn't say anything and just put everything back.  Why am I pissed?  Last night, my FIL came home with burritos from Taco Bell and had four, if not five burritos in the fridge.  And no, I have no intention of eating any because they are all made with meat.  My MIL also brought home some Turkey soup that her friend made.  After I put the plate of food away, my MIL noticed that there were extra baby carrots and couscous leftover and I said, "No, it's okay, I'll just make a pizza."  Then she said, "Oh, I was going to say, you could have the Turkey soup, but you don't eat turkey."  DUH, Bitch!!!!  All I fucking wanted was ONE chick'n patty, some leftover baby carrots and couscous.  I am also pissed because it was our food stamps that paid for the chick'n patties and the couscous, both of which we bought at BJ's!  It was actually about 95% of our food stamps that paid for all of the food we bought that day. 

I have decided that if we ever have food stamps leftover, I am going to do my best to spend it all at the end of each month or just tell Shannon we don't have any money left on the card.  I don't think our food stamps should go to pay for my in-law's food!  If they need help with paying for food, they can apply for it.

Also, Shannon has been talking about going to Disney World if he gets some money.  He wants to rent two cars (one for us and one for the in-laws), rent a big house (so they can stay there too), and give them each $1000 spending money.  I have decided that if he does go to Disney World, Kyle and I are not going.  It's bad enough I am stuck living here, but to go on vacation with them?!   Instead of going to Disney World, I want to take Kyle to California to visit my family, many of whom he has never met! 

Of course, Shannon says I am overreacting.  He can't even be a supportive husband and blames this on me.  I told him that I have been thinking about the Disney World thing for awhile and this crap pushed me towards my decision! I am already pissed from this morning when my MIL told us not to flush the toilet. 

All I wanted was one chick'n patty!  Her husband has plenty of food to choose from to eat: 4 or 5 burritos from Taco Bell, Turkey soup, and a plate of food minus one chick'n patty!

If I am overreacting, why can't my husband just be understanding and take my side...for ONCE?

New Coat

I bought a new coat for Kyle when we were at Walmart yesterday.  It looks big on him so it should fit him for the next 2 years.  It's dark blue and black and has a hood.  It looks really warm too.  The weather is already really cold and rains here and there. 

My in-laws are finally getting their septic tank fixed!  They are coming out tomorrow to hopefully fix it!  My in-laws still owe us $1500 for the "almost top of the line washer and dryer they had to get" and then they just bought themselves TWO new recliners for Christmas.  It just makes me wonder where their priorities are?  You would think they would get the septic tank fixed before buying new furniture?  Also, my MIL told us not to flush the toilet today!  They haven't been able to flush their toilet since yesterday, so I guess she wants us to suffer too.  Hopefully after the septic is fixed, we can do more than one load of laundry a day... 

We have groceries!

We went to Walmart for groceries today while Kyle was in school.  We went a little crazy and bought a lot of food.  We bought two frozen pizzas, ingredients to make burritos, and our other usual foods!  I also bought some foods specifically for Kyle when he gets home from school. 

Kyle has an early release day tomorrow, so he'll get out of school at 11am.

Loving

Kyle came home from preschool with the following message from his teacher:

Each day he's at school, the teacher writes a short message about how his day went. This one is by far the cutest!!!! 

Kyle just loves school and loves riding the bus!   He's become more verbal these last few days.  He's making more noises and trying to imitate a few words that we ask him to say.  He'll say the words that he already knows and loves making sound effects. 

Bag of food!

Kyle came home from school with a heavy backpack.  When we got home, I opened it up to find a plastic bag full of food along with the following note:

The food ranged from snacks and a drink, all for Kyle!  I gave him a chocolate pudding cup and the drink for a snack when we got home. 

Happy Birthday!

Today is Shannon's Birthday!  We had a busy day.  First, we had an IEP (individual education plan) Meeting at noon at Kyle's school.  The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.  Afterward, Shannon and I went to Walmart for groceries!  I am so glad we have food again.  We haven't been to Walmart in at least 3 or 4 weeks, but we did go to BJ's Warehouse a few weeks ago.  I bought some protein bars to eat after my workouts.  I am still trying to find a suitable whey protein shake for after my workouts!  Right now, I am using one I bought from Walmart and I am not sure if I like it or not.  I also bought avocados!  I was intending on keeping the seeds to plant in some soil.  However, I couldn't find any pots at Walmart, instead they have Christmas stuff in the Garden Center.  They had the soil I wanted, but decided to wait to get that.  Hopefully we can go to Lowe's or The Home Depot to get my garden supplies.

After Kyle arrived home from school, my MIL and I went to Dairy Queen and bought an ice cream cake for Shannon's birthday!  We bought an 8 inch cake and it was really good.  It was made with chocolate ice cream and chocolate cookie crumbles.  There was vanilla ice cream where the icing would be and it was so good.  Icing is usually so sweet and not very good but there was ice cream there instead.   Last year we bought an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins and it wasn't as good as this one!  Dairy Queen sure knows how to make ice cream cake!  Kyle saw the cake right away and of course, he wanted to eat it right then.  He loved it, he loves ice cream! 

Thanksgiving is next week and my in-laws decided to buy their dinner from Whole Foods instead of cooking that day!  Even though the closest Whole Foods is in Winston-Salem (which is about 35-45 minutes away), they are going to drive out there to pick it up on Thanksgiving!  They brought home a copy of the menu for us to choose what to get.  My MIL chose a turkey breast and 3 side dishes.  I am getting the "vegan meal for one."  We are also getting sushi since Shannon loves it!  My MIL is getting the pie from Cracker Barrel.  Hopefully Kyle will eat some of the food, he's so picky, we never know what he'll eat.

Rainy morning

Kyle had therapy this morning.  While he was in therapy, Shannon dropped me off at Walmart and he went by the post office to mail something out.  I bought another pair of Levi's jeans, I love my last pair that I had to have it in another color.  I bought some art supplies for Kyle.  He now has washable markers, a little paint set, and a huge pad of white paper to use. 

I needed some whey protein and decided to try a different brand based on the customer reviews.  Plus, if I like it, I won't have to order whey protein online.  I found a few other things we needed and stopped by the Garden Center before checking out.  They had a display of plants on 50% clearance but I didn't see any that I wanted. 

I dyed my hair for the first time!

This afternoon I decided to dye my hair.  A few days ago, I saw a commercial for hair dye that was perfect for those who have never dyed their hair, the hair dye is in the form of foam!  It can only be purchased at Walmart and it was only $9!  The product is called Fat Foam.  I chose "Dark Brown" because I wasn't ready to go BOLD just yet.  Using this product was really easy!  I can't wait to try a lighter color!  It gave me the confidence to dye my hair again at home. 

I do have to admit, I was worried I would turn my hair purple or somehow do it all wrong.  This kit makes it easy! 

I can describe my hair as "less black" and you can see the brown in sunlight or bright light.  There are also highlights mixed in and not just a solid color.  Overall, I like the color!  It was a nice stepping stone to see how it would all go.  Next time I plan on going lighter. 

Second day in a row

I love my new workout so much that I did it again today!  I woke up this morning a little sore from the day before of doing the new workout.  I felt a little more sore after doing the workout today.  I start to get short of breath during the warm up [of the workout] but then I remember how much fun I am having and just keep going.  I do stop a few times throughout to drink water.  I forgot how much I enjoy Turbo Jam and can't wait to get more videos to add to my collection! 

Shannon received his Eminem CD today!  He's already listened to a few songs on the CD.  I am really glad I was finally able to use my Amazon gift cards to get something for him for a change!  I am still waiting for the Twilight Saga hardcover book set and satin pillowcases. 

Shannon went to get his haircut today, it's been a few months and his hair was getting long!  I also had him stop by the grocery store for a few things.  We needed eggs, orange juice, chocolate milk, and toilet paper.

The first 40 minutes

I had an exciting, sweaty, awesome, and fun workout doing Turbo Jam Punch, Kick & Jam today!  The entire workout is over 48 minutes long.  The last 8 minutes is an "after after" workout.  I ended up doing the first 40 minutes of the workout and skipped the last 8 minute workout.  I missed some of the steps, but it gives me something to work on!

Happy Halloween

Today is Halloween and we're staying in tonight.  We don't do the trick or treating or dressing up since Kyle probably won't be into it.  I don't think he would like the "scary" stuff, nor could we ever go to a Haunted House with all the screaming and scary sounds.  Which reminds me, I love the show Parenthood on NBC, one of the families has a son who has autism.  Here is a scene that I could relate to, where the mother is explaining Halloween to Max.  She is preparing him to what can happen at Halloween and how it all works.  In their case, Max is afraid of fire (whereas Kyle is afraid of scary noises/screaming).  I can relate to what the family goes through with their son Max.  There was a particular scene where she was asking her husband to pick up a certain type of cereal for Max, otherwise he won't eat his cereal, it had to be a certain kind. 

Also, Kyle doesn't like putting on just any clothes, he would literally struggle if I had to put something different on him and if I did manage to get it on him, he would take it right off. 

We were going to do the same as we did last year, pick up some Chinese food and eat it at home, but we had a big lunch and there's even food left over.  I also "made" Double Chocolate Chip Cookies that I bought from Kyle's school fundraiser.  I made a small batch yesterday as well and Shannon loved them!  They are really good and gooey!

First Glance - a new workout

I received my new workout DVD called Turbo Jam Punch, Kick & Jam!!!  I watched it all the way through, just to get a feel of it.  It's faster paced than the original Turbo Jam 5 Rockin' Workouts.  They have the same moves, but they added extra steps to the moves.  It will take me some time to get the moves down but the entire workout looks fun!  It's a long workout too, a little under 50 minutes!  This will be a nice change from the original set as I need something new in my routine.

Thursday was a long day

Yesterday was a long day for us.  Kyle had occupational and speech therapy in the morning, which he loved!  He didn't want to leave.  Then at 2:45pm, we had a doctor appointment scheduled.  Kyle has been blinking his eyes more than usual.  He's not rubbing them as if they are itchy, so we think they may be dry.  Even his teacher called us and consulted the school nurse who said it could be a "neurological" problem and that we should take him to the doctor.  Kyle weighs 37 pounds.  The doctor prescribed Zyrtec (for allergies) in liquid form, so I can hide it in his drink. He thinks it's allergies/changing of the seasons, etc.  He didn't seem to concerned about it. 

On our way home from the doctor's office, we stopped by his school to pick up the food we ordered from his school fundraiser.  I ordered 2 pizzas, 2 types of cookies, and an apple pie!  We had one pizza for dinner last night and Shannon really liked it. 

Between 7pm and midnight, Kyle threw up at least 4 times!  The last time he threw up, I was unable to go back to sleep.  We're just hoping it isn't another round from March/April of this year.  Shannon and I have been trying to figure out why he's throwing up as well. 

Another Amazon order!

I just placed another order on Amazon!  This time, I ended up getting something for Shannon and another thing for both of us.  On the way home from Kyle's therapy, Shannon said he would love to buy Eminem's CD with his favorite song: Not Afraid.  The album just happens to have one of my favorite songs: Love the way you lie.  So I found the album on Amazon and bought it with my gift cards!  I also bought another set of satin pillowcases.  I previously bought a set of satin pillowcases in green and it's a very dark green, this time I bought blue (Shannon's favorite color).  This order came out to almost $21 and it didn't cost us a penny, since I used my gift cards!

More FREE stuff from Amazon!

Thanks to a survey site I belong to, I was able to make another purchase from Amazon.  I have been a member of a particular survey site for a few years now!  As a member, I earn points for every survey I complete and after a few years, I had over 4000 points saved up.  The site finally added better prizes and I redeemed my points for Amazon gift cards!  I was able to gain $35 worth of Amazon gift cards!  My Amazon order came out to over $32 (including shipping) and my order didn't cost me a penny!  I ordered the hardcover book set of Twilight Collector's Edition (The Twilight Saga) and another Turbo Jam workout DVD to add to my collection. I am looking forward to receiving my goodies!  I have yet to read the books, but have seen the movie Twilight.  Based on the book reviews, everyone loves them and they read the entire set within a few days. I am excited about adding another Turbo Jam DVD to my workouts, I love Turbo Jam so much.

Busy weekend

My MIL and I went to look at apartments yesterday.  They are looking at possible places to move into when they sell their house.  We were able to tour one place and drove through two others that weren't open on the weekend.  They seem really cute and cozy and makes me miss having our own place. 

Today, my MIL and I ended up going to Mooresville, NC, a nearby city.  First we stopped at ULTA, she needed more Bare Minerals makeup.  She ended up buying foundation and I found concealer that matched my skin perfectly.  I've been wanting some concealer since my current makeup doesn't seem to cover my imperfections that well.  Then we stopped at for a bite of tex-mex food.  We ended up sharing a meal.  The food was really good and fresh tasting!  We just wanted a quick bite before we went grocery shopping at BJ's (a warehouse store). 

I bought shampoo/conditioner combo, toothpaste, and socks for Shannon.  We also bought food for the whole household that should last us a month!  This was my third or fourth time shopping there and now realize I do not like shopping there.  The employees are somewhat rude at checkout!  They act like we are bothering them!  They aren't friendly, laugh, make jokes, etc.  The cashier didn't even bother to move to help us load our stuff on to the conveyor belt, just stood there like a lazy ass! 

Back at Home

I've been back at home for about a week and a half, almost two weeks.  I still feel like I am getting used to our usual routine.  It's hard for me to get up early to get Kyle ready for school, I find myself snoozing longer. 

We had to pick Kyle up early from school on Wednesday!  His teacher called and said he's been acting up, he's kicking and hitting other kids.  I asked her if she wanted us to come pick him up and she said it's not her decision to make, in other words, it would be our call (as his parents).  So I told her we wouldn't.  After I got off the phone, Shannon and I talked and decided we should go pick him up and I called her back to let her know that we'd come get him. 

Kyle hasn't been to therapy in the last two weeks.  We skipped two weeks ago because I had just returned home the day before and we skipped last week because the heater in our car is not working.  His appointments are in the early morning! 

Digital Camera

My mom came by the hotel early enough for us to have continental breakfast at the hotel.  We stopped by my parents house to figure out how to pack Kyle's toys and everything else in my suitcase.  I am also doing a load of laundry here.  My parents are sending me home with one of their pieces of luggage to help carry my clothes! 

My mom and I went to Burlington Coat Factory and I found a silver color Nine West wallet!  I could have chosen black, but this time I wanted something other than black.  Then I saw wristlets by Nine West, but ended up choosing a wallet in the end.  I also bought two goodies for my husband!  I bought him a new wallet and a watch!  He is in need of both!  The wallet and watch are both designer name brands too. 

We headed over to Costco to return some items and do a little shopping.  I found a digital camera that I liked, and it had all the features that I wanted.  Then we went to the other side of the display and saw more cameras!  I saw another camera for the same price as the one I chose, but the memory card had 4 MG's instead of 2 MG's and 14 megapixels instead of 12 megapixels.  I ended up choosing the second digital camera.  When we got to the register, it rang up with an automatic $20 off coupon, so it was much less than listed and less than the other digital camera.

Day with parents

I spent yesterday with my parents.  They came over to the hotel early in the morning and we all had continental breakfast!  We went across the street to Home Depot and I helped my mom find jade plants for my dad.  My dad has been looking for a jade plant because it reminds him of his grandparent's house, so my mom and I ended up finding two different jades.

Then we headed over to my grandparent's house for a family meeting to discuss my grandpa's funeral and last minute details.

On the way home, we stopped at Costco where I got a zippered sweathirt and matching pants by DKNY.  They are a faded green/avocado like color.  I also bought a layered set of tank tops. 

We went back to the hotel and just relaxed for a bit before we had dinner at Sizzler's!  It was pretty good and I haven't eaten there in so long. 

In California for a bit

I am in California for my grandpa's funeral.  He passed away on October 1st.  I am staying at a hotel while I am here.  I was supposed to stay two nights at my Uncle's house but I could barely make it one night.  They have 4 cats and I am allergic.  I can handle living with one cat with the help of homeopathic medicine but 4 was too much for me.  About 30-40 minutes after I entered the house, my allergies started flaring up.  My eyes got puffy, my nose got stuffy, and to top it off, my asthma flared up!  I got about 2 or 3 hours of sleep that night.  I am now staying at the hotel and feeling much better.  I slept like a baby at the hotel.  I can tell I am still on East Coast time because I woke up at around 4:30am PST, which is 7:30am EST.  The hotel has continental breakfast from 6am til 10am so I filled up on food from there.  I will have a nice healthy breakfast every morning I am there!

The hotel is located near shopping so I just walked next door to Old Navy!  I spent about 45 minutes there, but didn't buy anything.  My mom and I went shopping at Walmart and Kohl's.  We ended up getting a zip-up cardigan/sweater with a hood for myself and 5 toys for Kyle!  Two of them are remote control cars and the other three are Toy Story 3 toys.  The Toy Story 3 toys were on clearance.  They are so cute, they are a flashlight and they talk!  Then we headed over to Kohl's.  My mom bought a black tie for my Dad, shoes for herself, and shoes for me.  I found a pair of toning shoes that were on sale by Avia.  I've been wanting a pair of toning shoes for awhile now and so glad I have a pair. 

Update from his new teacher

We received a call from Kyle's new teacher this morning.  Last week, he switched to the other preschool class with more students.  She wanted to give us an update on Kyle and also a schedule change.  She said he walks in a line without needing assistance or being reminded to do so.  When he gets off the bus, he walks next to the teacher and this morning he tried to reach for her hand and she told him he had to walk on his own, which he did!  He tried to feed the fish this morning and she said "apparently that didn't work out too well."  LOL  I happen to call the teacher back during nap time, she said they have music playing and it had whistling in it and Kyle started whistling too!  He will also stay on his cot but he won't take a nap.  It sounds like all the kids love playing with him and talking to him.  I am glad he is able to hear all the kids his age talking!!!!

Also, every Wednesday is early release day for his class.  He will now be getting out of school early on Wednesday at 11am and we have to pick him up, but the bus will still take him to school that morning. 

The temperatures suddenly dropped this morning because it was 47 degrees.  I tried putting Kyle's jacket on him and he refused it, so I put it in his backpack.  I wore a jacket outside and he still didn't want to put his on even though I tried 3 times while we were outside.  He was shivering and his teeth were chattering and he still didn't want his jacket on.  I don't even know if his jacket still fits him since I bought it last year. 

One day of school

Kyle was well enough to go to school today.  I think he could have gone yesterday but it was better to make sure he was feeling better.  He ended up missing Monday and Tuesday of this week, and only attended one day this week. 

We decided not to go to Kyle's therapy tomorrow due to the weather.  It's been raining and our tires are so old, Shannon doesn't feel comfortable driving in the rain with our tires.  The last time we had the tires changed was in 2004...yes, it's been 6 years since we bought new tires.  During those 6 years, the tires went through driving across the United States in 2007! 

I have been thinking about getting a soy candle starter kit!  I think I would really enjoy making soy candles!  Yesterday, I ended up buying two tart burners on facebook.  I went a little crazy and plus they were really cute!  Now I am considering making tarts for myself to see how that goes.  I have never burned tarts before, so I am really looking forward to trying it out.  It may be safer to use (no fire required to melt tarts), especially around Kyle! 

 

I have also been thinking about getting a small food processor.  I can use it when I make our homemade laundry detergent.  It would only take a few minutes to grate the soap if I use a food processor, rather than grate it by hand!  Also, there are a few recipes that I want to try, that require a food processor.  I found one I liked on amazon and Walmart!  I may buy it from amazon and save my gift cards to get it for free! 

The weather is changing

With season changes, comes changes with the weather.  It's been raining for the last few days.  Unfortunately that means it's back to hand washing our clothes.  I washed Kyle's clothes since his are easier and less back-breaking.

I am not sure if we'll have to go to the laundry mat later this week, but it looks like the weather will let up in a few days. 

My in-laws recently bought a new washer and dryer set earlier this month.  Their washer wasn't working right and it was an old set anyway.  We had to front them the money to buy the set and they will pay us back when they get the money.  Even though the set was over $1400, I am not impressed with it.  It's energy efficient and has a "wrinkle shield" option and that doesn't seem to do anything special.  I have more wrinkles in my clothes even when I don't use the wrinkle shield.  I take my clothes out as soon as the dryer is done and my clothes come out wrinkled!  There are other things I am not impressed with either.  If it were me, I would be happy with a set that's half that price.

Second time this school year

Kyle has been sick with a cold for the last 4 days or so.  It started out with a runny/stuffy nose for the first 2 days.  The third day it turned into a cough.  I can hear him wheezing a little too!  He had to stay home from school yesterday and we're going to keep him home again today.  I don't know if he caught this cold from school or his therapy!  He may have to miss this whole week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) of school and therapy on Thursday! 

In the meantime, we are still giving him his vitamins (he loves to take them).  He didn't eat much yesterday either.

This time around, Shannon and I haven't showed signs of catching this cold even though Kyle is coughing all over us!  LOL 

Trying something different

Kyle's preschool teacher called me on Friday afternoon and wanted to let me know that they are going to move him in the other preschool class.  There are more kids in that class and he'll be able to be around more boys and there will more opportunity for him to observe/hear other kids his age talking!  Plus he already knows the teachers and the kids in that class, they are also on the same schedule as far as "recess" time.  I asked his teacher if he will still receive speech therapy and she said that he would as he receives it twice a week.  The teacher said the speech therapist is really good, she gets down on the floor with the kids.  Plus he receives speech therapy at a separate location that is paid for by Medicaid.

His teacher also said he's a very happy boy this year.  I asked her if he's eating and drinking his milk and juice and she said yes!  She said he'll eat everything, which is surprising to me!  LOL  She said the kids are learning to open their own cartons of milk and juice.

I am really excited for him to be put in this classroom.  Since he doesn't have siblings, this will be a great way for him to see other kids talking.  He is already imitating other kids and us.  He's been learning how to do different exercises in occupational therapy and speech therapy.  His therapist says she only has to show him once or twice and after that he knows how to do it on his own.  For example, if she wants him to sit on the swing a certain way, all she has to do it show him once or twice and he will do it all by himself after that.

A time for Therapy and Shopping

Kyle had therapy today.  I set the alarm extra early so I had time to get ready and eat breakfast.  Kyle ended up waking up/sitting up right after I got out of bed.  He and I had breakfast together, he had cold cereal and I had oatmeal.  I was surprised he actually wanted cereal because normally he's so picky about what he has to eat.  As we were getting dressed and ready to go, Kyle wanted his school backpack because he thought he was going to school.  He seemed to know that things were out of routine, which he makes him nervous and uneasy.  When that happens, he starts whining.

A few days ago, my MIL mentioned to both Shannon and I that Kyle's hair doesn't look as shiny anymore and wasn't as soft to the touch.  I told her that it will shine in the sun.  Then she asked if he's still taking vitamins and I told her no.  Her comment made me realize that he does need to be taking vitamins as he does not eat that well!  He's a picky eater times 10!  In the end, I am glad she said something about Kyle's hair as she does not always feel his hair or see it everyday. 

While Kyle was in therapy, Shannon and I went to Walmart.  Shannon stayed in the car, mainly because he hasn't showered in days.  LOL  I ended up getting some colorful tops that were only $7, capri-type pants that can be worn for working out or lounging around, 2 pairs of jeans, shoes for Kyle, two different types of vitamins for Kyle, almond milk, and liquid plumr.  When I find jeans that actually fit in the waist, I tend to get 2 pairs!  These jeans fit like a glove, plus they are Levi's brand and so comfortable!  Kyle's feet seem to be growing like crazy because he needs new shoes.  His other pair of shoes that I bought from JC Penney's need to be returned because they will be snug on him.  This time, I bought him a size 11 in toddler.  I tried looking for BOY size shoes but they are still way too big for him.  I ended up getting Kyle two types of vitamins, one is a multivitamin and the other is for "immune support."  Hopefully that will help him stay healthy at school and not bring home as many colds!  I bought him "gummy type of vitamins" since he seems to like those.

My MIL and I ended up going to the "mall" here.  I wanted to return Kyle's shoes.  We went to another department store and I found a workout top on clearance for only $2.98!  I couldn't pass it up and bought it! 

Coconut Oil and SSI Saga

My coconut oil arrived today!  I didn't realize a 32 oz jar is so big!  This should last me at least 6 months.  This brand of coconut oil is to use in our foods mostly.  We eat a lot of soups and pastas so I plan on substituting butter with the coconut oil.   I am finishing up another brand of coconut oil, so once that one is gone, I can use this new brand for beauty too!

Today, we were informed that Kyle was approved for SSI!  I am just glad that the wait is over! 

Review another product

I am excited because I was chosen to review another product.  I heard through a "freebie" group that I am in that a company is looking for bloggers to review their product.  Rather than blogging, I told the company that I would review their product via my youtube account.  I told them that I already use coconut oil for beauty uses, such as leave-in hair conditioner, hair conditioner, makeup remover, skin moisturizer, etc.  I haven't really used coconut oil for cooking yet.  They are sending me a 32 fl oz jar of their brand of coconut oil to review.

I still have several more products to review from another company.  I plan on making my videos while Kyle is in school. 

Okay, so I'm raising a boy!

Ever since Kyle started school this year, he's been coming home with sand, dirt, and other debris in his shoes and stuck on his socks.  His socks are usually brown!  It's funny!  It made me realize I am definitely raising a BOY!  I think I need to start using bleach in our white laundry loads since his socks are no longer white! 

Kyle is loving school.  He doesn't whine while walking to the bus stop or even while waiting for the bus.  When we can see the bus coming towards us, I point it out to him and he stands there staring so intently at it.  I guess he's too excited to smile!  I keep my hand on him until the bus comes to a complete stop, I don't want to risk him running towards the bus or in front of it, especially after hearing about this local story.

So it turns out...

This past weekend, I had Kyle try on his new pants that are size 5T and they are too big on him.  The legs are really long on him too!  So, he's back in his 4T pants for now.  I plan on getting a few more pairs of the 4T's just so I have more on hand for him.  Right now he only has 3 pairs of 4T pants and one of them is kept at school, which means I only have 2 pairs of pants to work with. 

On the other hand, his new shirts look adorable on him!  His Daddy wears collared shirts so he looks like a mini version of his daddy!  He looks like a big boy in his shirts! 

We haveth food!

We went grocery shopping this afternoon.  We ended up going a little later than usual.  My in-laws had a salesperson over to test their water and try to sell them something to filter their water.  He was here for over 2 hours!  Of course, I was starving!  Kyle was starving and we shared a granola bar and a boca/garden burger. Anyway, we finally left around the time he left.  I found out as we were leaving that Shannon was also starving!  I wish he didn't wait so long for us to go grocery shopping! 

I had a ton of things to return at Walmart!  I had to return the clothes that I bought for Kyle, they were all the wrong sizes!  I also had to return some other things.  I ended up returning over $97 worth of things!  LOL  I didn't even realize it was that much! 

I ended up finding school uniform shirts for Kyle!  They are "extra small" collared shirts which should fit him.  The "smalls" were too big for him!  I bought him 3 navy blues and 3 burgundy shirts.  He'll be looking snazzy at school!  In addition, we needed toilet paper and paper towels.  Along with our usual groceries, I bought chocolate soy milk so that I can mix it with my whey protein!  I also bought cucumbers, salad, and a bag of green apples!  I love being able to eat healthy.  I plan on eating tuna sandwiches, I mix chopped cucumbers (instead of relish) in my tuna to add crunch to my sandwich.  I also add cucumber slices in my sandwich for even more crunch.  I plan on making fruit smoothies too!

The brand of whey protein that I bought had a customer review sharing a recipe that tastes like Wendy's Original Frosty.  I ended up making it tonight and it tastes really good!  All it takes is chocolate milk, vanilla ice cream and a scoop of the whey protein.  Mix in blender and enjoy!  I add a little bit of ice!

I ended up using about $10 worth of coupons!  Thankfully we have food stamps which pays for our food items!

Sick, Allergies, Asthma

Kyle was sick for a few days last week.  He started showing symptoms of being sick on Thursday of last week.  He was sneezing throughout the day on Thursday and then his nose was running and stuffed up.  He also started coughing!  He was sick for at least 2-4 days.  On his second day, I started showing the same symptoms he had.  Ever since then, I have had my allergies and asthma flare up!  I have no idea why my allergies are going crazy, I know it's not because of my MIL's cat (I am taking homeopathic medicine).  It's been hard for me to breathe for the last few days.  I have to struggle to breathe, it feels like only one of my lungs is working or someone is squeezing both of my lungs and both are working at half capacity.  I was using my store bought inhaler but I know it doesn't work as well as the prescription.  Since my nose isn't as stuffed, I am able to use peppermint oil, I use it as aromatherapy and it can help, but it takes time.  My asthma does come back if I do any kind of activity, such as walking up and down the stairs or even down the street (to Kyle's bus stop).  I ordered my homeopathic medicine for my asthma.  I hope that will start to regulate my asthma again. 

Kyle was supposed to have therapy tomorrow but Shannon isn't feeling well.  Hopefully we can make it for next week.  In the meantime, Kyle is enjoying school.  All I can say is that I enjoy the quiet time when he's at school!

I recently started watching All My Children, the soap opera!  I used to watch AMC when I was in junior high and then stopped until just recently!  There are only a few actors that I remember from back then!  In the past, I watched Passions (NBC) but was canceled.  I am still learning who is related to who, relationships, etc. 

My in-laws recently downsized on their cable package and now we have much less channels to watch.  It's a huge difference and will have to watch some of my shows online.  They had to downsize because they are having a hard time making ends meet.  I am having a hard time believing that considering my MIL has gone to the grocery store/food shopping 4 times in 8 days and 3 times in 7 days.  She also goes out shopping a few times a week with a nearby neighbor.  I guess that's their way of cutting down on their bills.  

We are still making our own laundry detergent!  It saves us money and it's so easy to do.  It only takes 3 ingredients and it works pretty well.  Plus I have noticed that our clothes haven't faded in color.  We are out of one of the ingredients and just ordered more online since they don't sell it in any of our stores. 

New Clothes and Shoes for School

Kyle's clothes and shoes arrived today!  The pants are so cute, they are a little long in the legs so hopefully they will shrink or we'll have to roll up the pants.  He is still growing though!  He has grown taller since last year!  His shoes are adorable too!  I bought him a brand name shoe by Vans!

I still need to buy some school shirts for Kyle.  I plan on buying him boy sizes (instead of toddler clothes).  

Here is a picture of Kyle's new shoes!  They are toddler size 10 shoes. 

Here is a picture of both shoe boxes.

Here's a picture of Shannon's shoe and Kyle's shoe side by side! 

A little bit different

Today was a little bit different for me!  Last night, I had trouble falling asleep (I had taken a nap earlier in the evening), so I ended up taking a melatonin.  After I took Kyle to the bus stop and made sure he got on the school bus, I came home, had breakfast, and ended up falling asleep a few hours later.  I took a two hour nap and it was so nice!  Normally I would have worked out shortly after breakfast!  I am enjoying the peace and quiet while Kyle is at school! 

A few hours after Kyle got home from school, I made time to workout!  I am still working on my new workout program and trying to stick to the workout schedule.  However, I have modified the schedule.  There are a couple of videos that require equipment that I don't have, but I still do the workouts.  I am already feeling a difference in my body and strength! 

School and Therapy

This was Kyle's second week of school for this school year.  He seems to be accustomed to our new morning routine of getting up early, getting ready for school, and walking to the bus stop.  When it's time to get on the bus, he knows to use both hands to hold on the to the rails and pull himself up on the steps! 

We took two weeks off from taking Kyle to therapy.  Last week was the first week of school and we weren't sure what his school schedule would be.  Also, his medicaid wasn't renewed yet so we didn't schedule for this week.  Now that his medicaid is officially renewed, we are now back on the schedule to take Kyle to therapy.  We are now going on Thursday mornings!

Kyle seems to love school!  He isn't whining when he sees the bus.  He seems fine on the walk back home from the bus stop as well.  His teacher says he's having good days too!  

He's a little pro!

Kyle is at school today!  He woke up much easier than last week!  He woke up soon after I turned on the light.  He was such a good boy on the walk towards the bus stop and while waiting for the bus.  He got on the bus all by himself and even used the handrails!  He is such a pro!  I am so glad he seems to love going to school.  The bus was actually on time this morning, so we didn't have to wait too long!

This afternoon, I ended up getting another little tan!   I waited over 20 minutes for the bus again.  This time, I asked the bus driver what time I should be at the bus stop.  She explained that they've had some new students (which is good), so I am now going to be at the bus stop around 2:55pm - 3pm. 

Loving on my plants

My plants received their weekly watering.  I ended up cleaning and removing debris, removing plants, and moving plants to other pots.

I am working on rooting some of my plants to put in other pots.  My arrowhead plant was getting so big, so I split a baby from the mother plant and planted that up in another pot.  I also took another arrowhead baby and trying to root it to put in another pot.  Ever since I potted my arrowhead plant in potting soil back in April, it's been doing really well!  I am also trying to root a few cuttings from my swiss cheese plant.  I removed the mother plant, I hope to replace it with one of my cuttings as soon as they grow roots. 

I would love to add to my plant collection but I am trying to keep my jungle to what I already have! 

Finding his size isn't easy

We went to Walmart the other day for groceries.  I also bought some school uniform friendly clothes for Kyle.  Unfortunately they are way too big.  They didn't have "toddler" clothes that were school uniform friendly but they had boy sizes, so I bought pants and shirts that I thought could fit him.  I bought size 5 pants in boys and size small shirts.  The shirts and pants are way too big!  So I have to return them.  Instead, I tried looking online for toddler clothes that are school uniform friendly!  I ended up finding Kyle's toddler size 5T at JC Penney's online.  I bought 5 pairs of pants which were on sale and shoes for him.  I still need to find shirts for him!

Got a little tan in the process

As I mentioned in my previous post, Kyle's bus was late picking him up for school yesterday morning.  His bus was 15 minutes late picking him up and when it came time for him to be dropped off, they were really late!  I was told that he would be dropped off around 2:45pm, so I left around 2:30pm just to be sure I was out there on time.  Well, 2:45pm rolled around, then it was 2:55pm.  It was hot with a slight wind, I was already sweaty and plus I really had to go to the bathroom.  At 3:05pm, I called Shannon to let him know that the bus still wasn't here and I had to use the bathroom.  He said to wait another 5 minutes and call him back.  The bus finally showed up at 3:07pm!!!  His bus was over 20 minutes late!  I am just glad that he wasn't dropped off somewhere else or he fell asleep and they forgot about him.  He was so calm and quiet on the walk back home.  His teacher said he had a good day and didn't even cry!  She sent him home with a few forms to fill out, including the application for free meals at school, so we're applying for that!  In the meantime, I am sending Kyle to school with $20 to cover the cost of meals until the application is approved. 

Shannon came to bed around 4:15am yesterday morning.  He didn't get to sleep until 7:15am or so.  He woke up to help me get Kyle up for school.  We ended up not going to Walmart since Shannon decided to stay up all night and into the next morning.  I told him that I really wanted us to go and it was important to me!  We are out of food!  My MIL has gone grocery shopping 4 times in the last 7 days, and we have gone zero times in the last 2 weeks!  I have some afternoon snack ideas for Kyle to enjoy after he gets home from school.  Let's hope he'll actually eat!

I really need to go to Walmart because I need more school clothes for Kyle.  His teacher needs an extra set of clothes to keep at school.   I plan on getting at least 6 sets of clothes, just because we aren't always able to do laundry. 

Yesterday was also a "historic day" for us!  Kyle ate salad!  I could NOT believe it.  I couldn't stop watching him eat it.  Getting him to eat salad is like teaching a pig to fly!  I was eating salad the last few days and he would try a bite and then spit it out.  Well, yesterday he actually chewed it and ate it!  Plus when the salad was gone, he wanted more!

Back to School Time!

Today was Kyle's first day of school for the new year!  I had a difficult time getting him up this morning, so I think I need to start earlier and then let him snooze for a bit and then try again.  We left the house around 6:30am and when 6:42am rolled around, the bus still wasn't there.  By the time 6:52am rolled around I was already worried the bus wouldn't come at all.  The bus showed up around 6:57am just as we started walking back home.  When Kyle saw the bus, I could "see" that he recognized it.  I didn't get too overly excited to see the bus because I didn't want to scare him.  He and I slowly walked towards the bus and he seemed like he knew what to expect.  I didn't even have to help him step on the steps of the bus, he did that all by himself!  He's definitely grown since last year since it seems easier for him to step on the bus!

This past Monday, I officially started a new workout program called Brazil Butt Lift.  This program is exorbitantly different and I am trying to warm up to it.  The creator has an accent that is hard for me to understand so I use the subtitles/closed captioning, although he is upbeat and  has a bubbly personality!  He really pushes us past the limits and very intense which I am not used to, so I didn't like that at first.  I am having an onerous time with this program, but I am trying to stay positive and stick with it!  I am trying to embrace this program and it really pushes my body!  I am really proud of myself, today, I did a 50 minute workout called Sculpt!  I didn't expect myself to make it to the end of the video, but I did.  I wasn't able to every rep of each exercise, but I stuck with it!  One of the workout schedules I am following requires 6 days straight of workouts and one day of rest!  My body was sore after the first day and still is.

Open House

Yesterday, Kyle's school was having an Open House from 12pm-6pm.  Kyle and I went straight to his classroom to talk to his teacher.  Meanwhile, Shannon went to get us some takeout for dinner.  Kyle started whining as we got closer to his classroom.  He whined the entire time I was trying to talk to his teacher.  Kyle will be going to school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday until the end of September.  By then, we will have a new IEP meeting and then we can discuss his school schedule. 

Kyle's Medicaid is still not approved, our "new" caseworker sent it to her supervisor for final approval.  Once that is done, we will resume his Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. 

Kyle starts school tomorrow!!!!  I am so exciting!  I set the alarm for 5am so I can snooze for at least a half hour.  We have to leave the house by 6:30am or so because his bus will pick him up around 6:42am.  Shannon and I plan on going to Walmart tomorrow while he is in school.  I feel like we're "living on the edge" -- going to the store without Kyle!  It's like our marriage before Kyle was born!  This should be exciting!  It reminds us of what our life was like before him!  LOL 

More Good News!

First, Kyle is not sick!  He started feeling better shortly after he threw up yesterday!  So he is better, but isn't eating much these days.  I guess he doesn't have much of an appetite.

Today we found out that we were approved for Food Stamps!  I am so surprised that we were approved so quickly.  It's only been a few weeks since I sent in our application!  But I am not complaining.  The Food Stamps will definitely help with groceries!  We are still waiting to hear whether or not Kyle is approved to receive SSI.

Earlier this week, Shannon bought Kyle his first remote control car!  It's a police car and he's been playing with it indoors for now.  At first, Kyle was not interested, he would run away from it.  But then he saw his Daddy playing with it and making the car move.  When he's not playing with it or when he's done playing with it, we put it away.  It's more exciting for him to play with it when he has to look for it.

The other day, I used my Amazon gift cards to buy two motivational posters!  My entire order came to $0!  I can't wait to receive them and put them in frames!  It was really difficult to select these posters, since there are so many to choose from!  The first poster reminds me of Shannon, he is always coming up with new ideas and ways of doing things.  It reads,  "It takes only a single thought to move the world"

This one reads, "It is not the position you stand, but the direction in which you look" 

Sick Again?!

Kyle has his speech therapy and occupational therapy yesterday.  When he woke up, we could tell he wasn't feeling well.  He was also being whiney and having fits.  Although, he did really good in therapy.  He already knew that he gets to play during therapy so he looks forward to it.  While Kyle was in therapy, Shannon and I went to Kohl's which is just down the street.  Shannon needed new shoes and found a nice pair by Nike.  Shannon no longer wants to get his shoes from Walmart because those sneakers aren't as comfortable and sturdy as a name brand, which I understand.  I want him to be comfortable.  We have never been to Kohl's so it was pretty fun for me to see what they have!  It seems they don't have toddler clothes because I tried looking for school clothes for Kyle. 

Kyle woke up this morning and just wanted to lay in bed, he's still not feeling well!  Kyle didn't seem interested in eating breakfast either.  Kyle did end up throwing up twice this morning!  I am just hoping it's not another 3 weeks straight of throwing up!  I don't want to go through that again, especially without being able to use the washer and dryer freely!  Plus, Kyle starts school next Wednesday!  I really need to talk to his teacher, I still don't know what his school schedule will be.  I am going to ask to have him go 4 days a week so that we have one day off to take him to therapy.

One Less Worry

We found out today that Shannon's unemployment was renewed!  They even paid him back pay from the last few weeks while the unemployment had lapsed!  I then suggested to Shannon that we get that phone reading from psychic, Nancy Bradley!  My in-laws had a few readings from her as well as took some of her classes.  So far, all of her predictions have come true for them.  Shannon called to make the appointment and our appointment isn't until October 28th!  That will give us plenty of time to come up with questions for her. 

Since I made a few videos about the beauty products I use, the company has asked me to make how to/demo videos and video blog posts for them!  They would send me products to use and then I would make videos and video blogs about them.  They asked me what I am charging to do something like that and I am not sure what to charge!?  They are also looking for other people to make videos for them, so I am on the lookout for other people to ask! 

Kyle has occupational therapy and speech therapy tomorrow!  We're going to have to change the day of the week we go to therapy due to Shannon's school assignments.  He would prefer another day of the week that we go. 

Kyle starts school next week!  I did get him two pairs of shorts that he can wear to school.  I think he'll need two more pairs of shorts and then I'll work getting more pants and shirts for him! 

New Video, Therapy, and Groceries

I posted a new video the other day.  It can be viewed here.  I can't wait to make more videos, I love sharing the products I use!

Kyle seems to enjoy therapy!  He has Speech and Occupational Therapy every Tuesday.  The therapists are really nice and he seems to get along with every therapist that has worked with him.  While Kyle was in therapy yesterday, Shannon and I went to Walmart.  We did a quick trip and bought all the non-perishable foods on our grocery list. I also bought a little box of baking soda for cleaning, I use it to clean/scrub the tub and bathroom sink.  While we were waiting in line to checkout, I picked up two workout tanks.  I hope to start a new workout program soon.  I've been wanting to change up my workouts since rotating my workouts is getting old. Plus new workout clothes adds to my motivation!

We recently applied for food stamps, so we probably won't be approved (or denied) until mid-September.  We are still waiting to hear whether or not Kyle will be approved for SSI.  We turned in all the necessary paperwork, so now we wait.  Shannon had to reactivate his unemployment, just like everyone else who was on unemployment.  He was not approved for unemployment so he is in the process of trying to get that reversed.  We had a little issue with our Medicaid, to where Kyle was denied.  When I called to ask why (knowing that I had sent in the necessary paperwork), I was told that our caseworker is no longer there.  It sounds like she made a lot of mistakes and she forgot to renew Kyle!  LOL  It sounds like there are many other cases like ours because the lady told me that she had a lot of other files to go through. 

Kyle goes back to school on August 25th!  I can't wait!  We haven't had a chance to get more school clothes, but I do know he will need additional pants and shirts since he will be going 4 days a week. We are limited to doing one load of laundry a day and my MIL and I take turns every other day.  But when it rains, we are unable to do laundry because it floods their septic tank to where they are unable to flush their toilet.  Their septic tank isn't working properly, to get it fixed would cost $20,000 or so they've been told.  When we use too much water, such as doing too many loads of laundry, the septic tank overflows and it starts to smell like raw sewage!

Busy Day!

I feel like today was a busy day!  First, I received a call from the Social Security office.  They wanted to do the application for Kyle over the phone.  That call took a little over a half hour!  Now we just have to drop off some paperwork and sign a form or two and then he can submit his application for SSI. 

A few days ago, I received a job lead on facebook about a "front desk" position at a hotel in our city.  A friend on facebook updated her status about hotel front desk openings at a hotel near Charlotte, NC.  I responded to the comment asking where the hotel was located.  Then, I received a message in my inbox (from a complete stranger) saying that a hotel in our city is hiring for front desk agents.  I wrote him back thanking him and he then responded telling me that he's the General Manager of the hotel!  So we stopped by the hotel today so I could fill out an application.  When we got home, my in-laws said I received a call from the hotel wanting to schedule an interview!  I was surprised they called so fast, considering we just came directly from there!  I called the lady who called me for an interview and scheduled an interview with the General Manager for tomorrow morning!  When I came in to fill out the application, I was told that it's a "part time position" and I would have a rotating schedule ranging from 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, or 11pm-7am!  I am not thrilled about the graveyard shift!  I guess it depends on the pay to see if this type of schedule is worth it! 

In today's mail, we received a letter from Social Services saying that Kyle's Medicaid will be terminated on July 31st because we failed to return the necessary paperwork!  After I had a few minutes to process the letter, I promptly called Social Services to find out why.  I was told that our caseworker is no longer working there.  The person that I spoke with looked at our file and realized that we did return the necessary paperwork and she will reopen our file to process it.  In other words, she has several other cases that need to be reopened since the old caseworker is no longer there.  Thankfully, Kyle's Medicaid will be renewed! 

Speech Therapy and Groceries

Kyle had his Speech Therapy Evaluation today!  The Speech Therapist wanted to talk to us for about 15 minutes, just to ask us a few questions about Kyle.  Then she took him for about an hour to play/work with him to get a feel for where she needs to start and build some goals.  Since we had an hour to kill, we decided to leave property to go to Walmart.  I ended up buying the non-groceries things we needed.  I bought Kyle a new pair of shoes in size 10.  He seems to be outgrowing the size 9's (but he can still fit them), and they are worn down.  I also bought 3 tubes of toothpaste since the were on "rollback" for only $1.50 each!  I picked out some new slippers that are really cute and a bath puff for some body wash that I have.

The therapist said he did really good and she's excited to set some goals to work with him!   We set up his Occupational and Speech Therapy for next Tuesday at 10am and 11am. 

We ended up going straight home after his therapy.  Shannon wanted to take a nap.  During that time, I had a chance to work on my computer since it had a virus.  I kept running the only anti-virus program I was able to download and finally the virus is completely gone!  I have no idea where the virus came from or how I got it, I am just glad it's gone and we didn't have to take it in to the shop!

We ended up going to the Walmart that is here in the city we live in.  We bought our groceries as well as some other things.  I bought some hand weights, that I plan on adding to my workouts.  I am excited to use them since I am trying to work on my arm muscles more!

Cookbook

I "bought" a vegetarian cookbook from Amazon today.  I also "bought" a bar of soap to use on my face to help with the occasional pimples that I get!  BOO to pimples!  My order was free since I've been saving my gift cards that I have earned from Swagbucks.  Anyway, I am excited to receive my cookbook, it has overwhelmingly positive reviews and it seems like a great way to cook on a budget!  Plus, the book was just over $5!  Most vegetarian books feature recipes that require rare or hard to find ingredients.  This book seems perfect for us and our lifestyle! 

Kyle has his Speech Therapy evaluation on Tuesday at 10am.  After this appointment, he will be receiving Occupational and Speech Therapy once a week!

2nd Youtube Video!

I made my second youtube video the other day, you can view it here or watch it below!



I am having so much fun making these videos and posting them on youtube.  When I want to make a video, I have to make sure Kyle is distracted, so I usually make them in the early afternoon while he is playing on the computer!

Spa recipes at home

I was browsing around the Sephora website and saw "brown sugar body polish" for $65 and thought that it was a ridiculous price to pay for something that you could make at home.  Today, I also saw a local news story about "making your own spa products at home."  You can also view the video below.



I decided to look up recipes on how to make "brown sugar body polish" at home.  After finding several different recipes, it's pretty much the same ingredients as the sugar scrub recipe that I have.  Since I don't have brown sugar on hand, I used white sugar and mixed it with olive oil, honey, and coconut oil.  These type of homemade spa recipes are customizable and you can add whatever you prefer, which is what I like about them.  I can't afford to go to a spa, but I can find these ingredients at the grocery store!   The recipe was easy to put together and I used it after I showered and rinsed it off when I was done.

This evening, I made spaghetti!  I haven't made spaghetti since 2005, right before the time we found out we were pregnant with Kyle.  Anyway, I used one package of whole wheat store brand noodles, Prego spaghetti sauce, and added a can of corn!  It was so easy and everyone loved it.  Shannon ate at least half of it.  Kyle loved it because he loves noodles.  He looked like a vampire while he was eating, the sauce was all over his lips, cheeks, and chin.  I wish I had bought more spaghetti noodles now.  I did buy other types of noodles and have a little spaghetti sauce left, but I also bought alfredo sauce.  I am not sure if Kyle will like the other noodles or just spaghetti noodles.  I was going to offer some to my in-laws but wasn't sure if it would be up to their standards of "organic, all natural, Oprah-approved, Dr. Oz approved, upper class, etc."  But I don't have to worry about that because there's only a tiny bit left that Kyle can eat tomorrow.

I got lost at Walmart!

Today was Kyle's Occupational Therapy evaluation!  It lasted about 2 hours!  The first hour or so was for the therapist to ask Shannon and I about Kyle and going through the survey we filled out.  Meanwhile, Kyle had a chance to play in the room!  It was a nice size room with a padded floor (like you would see at a gymnastics studio).  It also had big plastic balls, cardboard bricks and all kinds of things to build with.  It also had a soft swing that Kyle was playing with.  He was pushing it so it would swing back and forth.  He would push it to make it swing and then duck so that he would swing over his body and head!  He loved running around the room and play with the swing. He had so much energy too!

The last 45 minutes was for the therapist to do some "standardized" tests to see where he was at with motor skills so that she could set some goals to work on with him for future therapy.  Shannon and I decided to leave property and ended up going to Walmart.  We had Subway and then I went shopping and bought Hanes underwear, slippers, and liquid plumbr. I ended up getting lost in Walmart because it had a different layout!  It was a beautiful store, but I had to ask where something was! 

Next week is Kyle's Speech Therapy evaluation at the same location!  Once that is done, we'll set up weekly therapy sessions one day a week.  They are going to schedule his Occupational and Speech Therapy back-to-back so that we don't have to go there twice a week.  I am really excited for him to have Occupational and Speech Therapy.  I look forward to seeing him improve and hopefully start talking more with us!  I would love to be able to communicate with him.  I am so glad that this therapy is covered by Medicaid too.  We're still waiting to hear whether or not Shannon and I will be covered with Medicaid too.  

I also mailed in our application for food stamps yesterday.  That whole application process will take about a month to be approved or not! 

Yesterday, I received a surprise in the mail.  Somehow I am on Marlboro's mailing list and I don't even smoke.  They sent me a metal water bottle thing.  It's really nice and a nice color of red!  It was funny that I got this because I thought about buying one from GNC because they had some on display on their "clearance" table. It looks like the one below without the keychain clip. 

My first Youtube Video!

I just made my first video and uploaded it on youtube, now it took me at least 10 tries on the video to make the perfect one!  LOL  But it was fun in making them.  I plan on making more videos about the things I find and want to share! 

You can view my video by clicking here, or below. 

A nice break!

Today was my day off from the job I hate!  It was a nice, quiet, stress-free, and relaxing day off!  Earlier in the week, I made a list of everything I wanted to do today (my day off).  I accomplished everything on the list, except I still need to fax over our application for food stamps, but the application is completed! 

First, I called the our Medicaid person back, since she called yesterday.  She needed some additional information from us and I wanted to get her that information so we can get that going!  It sounds like Kyle will remain on Medicaid, which we are glad to hear.  She is trying to make sure Shannon and I can get on Medicaid as well! 

Then I called the place that offers Speech & Occupational Therapy and set up two different appointments for Kyle.  Both appointments are expected to take approximately 2 hours each because they are the initial evaluations!  One appointment is for the Speech evaluation and the other appointment is for the Occupational evaluation.  Since I am working, I may not make either appointment.

Third, I returned the phone call I received from Walmart.  The lady in personnel had a question about my availability.  I am hoping I hear back from them because I would really like to be re-hired there. 

Fourth, I put together our food stamps application.  I still had our application from earlier this year and just printed out the pages that needed to be updated with our information.  It's all filled out and ready to be faxed over on Monday! 

We went to Walmart today for some groceries and other things.  We didn't buy our usual amount of food since my in-laws only have one refrigerator, we don't have as much room to put our stuff in there.  My MIL just went to the warehouse store a few days before and bought a bunch of food for the freezer and refrigerator.  I did buy additional snacks for work to eat on my lunch or break (if I can get one). 

I really want to get a DVR for the TV in our room so that I can record my favorite shows.  I am always working and may not be home to watch my shows, and not all shows can be seen online either.  There are also movies I would love to record.  I found a DVR online that looks really good, plus there are no monthly fees associated with it. 

Yesterday was a bad day

Yesterday was a bad day at work for me.  I am still in training and learning everything.  The person training me always has something to say when I am doing something "wrong" or if it's "not allowed" and points it out to me.  One thing she pointed out to me is that we're not allowed to wear sneakers, which I was NOT told this information.  I had been wearing my black Reebok sneakers since I started working there and yesterday I decided to wear my white Skechers.  She likes to point out that "other cashiers will tell on you and you will get in trouble."  I am tired of that crap!  I don't like working at a place where I have to watch my back around my co-workers because they are going to stab me in the back.  There is also a lot of drama between some of the cashiers and I want to stay out of that.  There is a lot of gossip that I am not fond of.  I am always telling Shannon about everything that I hated about my job and thankfully he understood what I was saying. 

I was so ready to quit yesterday and even thought about calling my old job to see if they were still hiring.  I have been told by a few my co-workers there that they are still hiring.  A few of them even told me to call and ask for the department manager!  When I got home from work yesterday I called, and talked to one of the customer service managers and she said she wasn't sure if they are still hiring but to talk to personnel.  I called again and talked to personnel and told her my name and that I used to work there as a cashier.  I don't think it "clicked" with her who I was, and she gave me the usual "your application is good for 60 days."  I was a little disappointed that I didn't get anywhere with my calls to my former job.  I decided to just wait and see if they would call me, eventually!

Since working at Sears, I have realized how "spoiled" I was.  I was guaranteed my breaks at Walmart.  At Sears, I may not get my 15 minute break because there is no coverage.  At Walmart, there are other cashiers around that I can ask questions/help from.  At Sears, I have to call a cashier on the other side of the store to help. 

This morning, I wanted to "try" to have a better day so I worked out before I got ready for work.  It felt good to let out my aggression and sweat it out!  My workout seemed to give me some positive energy and I was in a better mood. 

Today, I splurged and bought myself two new pairs of shoes, that I could wear at work or not.  They are really cute and they remind me of ballerina shoes. I bought them in black and brown, that way I can wear them with black or khaki pants!  They were on sale, plus I got my employee discount. 

Slow Day

Today I worked 9:30am until 2pm.  It was a slow day and time seemed to go by so slow.  I hate the job!  I miss Walmart because it was usually busy and that made the time go by fast. 

We ended up not going to Walmart after I got off of work.  We are going to wait until my next day off, which is Friday to go. 

Shannon's unemployment hasn't been renewed yet.  Meanwhile, we are going to be "surviving" on my pitiful minimum wage paycheck.  I really think unemployment needs to be changed to encourage the unemployed to go out and get jobs!  I don't know if more incentives need to be offered to employers to hire those who are current unemployed or incentives need to be offered to colleges to encourage people to go back to school.  Something needs to change!  I already know that the people on unemployment are turning down job offers if it pays too low.  Why get a job when you can make more on unemployment? 

On Friday, I plan on doing some catch up.  I need to call the company that offers Speech & Occupational Therapy and set up an evaluation for Kyle.  I really want him to get into this therapy that can help him learn and thrive.  He is really trying to "talk" and communicate.  He knows how to say "no" and even uses it occasionally.  Other times, he likes saying "no no no" in a sing song voice.  I also plan on filling out the application to apply for food stamps!  We miss being on food stamps and that really helps us financially.  We are now waiting to see if Kyle will remain on Medicaid.  This time, I also applied to add Shannon and myself on it. 

So much to do, and so little time, especially with having to work so much.  I can't rely on Shannon to make the phone call or fill out paperwork because he will always make up an excuse or take 8 weeks to finally get to it.