Two Days Off

Shannon has the next two days off from work!  Kyle is also off for the rest of the week from school.  He is also getting sick.  He apparent threw up at school and he didn't eat at all today.  When he got home, he did eat Ramen noodles.  He threw up soon after Shannon got home. 

I am glad Kyle isn't feeling well while he's off from school, that way he isn't missing any school.  

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. 

Highlights and Haircut!

I worked yesterday from 1pm to 5pm.  After work, I went to the salon within the mall to get my haircut and highlighted.  Since I work in the mall, I got a 20% discount on my haircut and highlights!  I really needed a haircut since it's been almost 8 months since my last haircut.  I was going to wait a few weeks to get my haircut but decided to do it now since my work schedule is so crazy!  I am not looking forward to next week's schedule.  I am only working one night and the rest I am working the morning shift and off by 4pm or 4:30pm.  I hope I have less hours in the coming weeks. 
 
Work is going okay.  I am understanding how to do a lot of the different transactions but will still need help here and there.  Working in a department store is completely different from working at Walmart.  We are able to do returns and exchanges at the register, unlike at Walmart, you have to go to a separate area.  I don't "like or enjoy" the job, but it's a job for now.  In a way, I miss working in Walmart since we always shop there and I already know the store. 

I am off of work today, taking it easy and just relaxing.  My next day off isn't until Friday!  UGH!  I hate split days off and working in retail.  I miss working in hotels, they actually give you two days off in a row!

Lazy Weekend

This has been a lazy weekend for us! Besides going grocery shopping yesterday, we haven't done much! It's been a nice relaxing weekend! I did write two letters today, so hopefully I will have two new pen pals! One of them is in San Francisco, CA which is exciting to me, as I am from California!

Earlier this month, I ordered a workout DVD on amazon and have yet to receive it. Per the vendor/seller, it was shipped on February 3rd. According to their email, they said it should arrive within 4 to 14 days. Well, it's been 18 days! I am tired of waiting so I emailed the vendor asking for a refund. It was shipped via USPS and I know things don't take that long to arrive.

I am anxious to receive my pilates workout DVDs! Yesterday I did a few different pilates workouts from videos I found on youtube! I forgot how much I enjoy pilates.

Kyle still enjoys school! He loves riding the school bus too! He's always so happy when he gets off the bus, I can see it in the way he acts while we are walking home (from the bus stop). The school already has snow make-up days set, which is great! I didn't like that Kyle had to miss a whole week of school.

Power Outage = No School

We took Kyle to school this morning and pulled in to an empty parking lot. Usually there are other parents waiting in their cars for the door to be opened. It was also dark inside. Our first reaction was to check the time...again. Are we early? Are we late? Did we miss something? Was there no school today? Shortly after we pulled in and parked, another preschool teacher ran up to our car to explain that the power was out, which meant no heat! They were basically sending kids home. She told us that they had no idea how long it would take to get the power back on. We ended up taking Kyle home with us. As we drove by the front of the school, we noticed it was the entire school that had no power! Shannon and I couldn't understand why they don't have a backup generator!?

I had the last 3 days off and it was glorious! It was so relaxing and I feel re-charged! I did all of our laundry on my first day off. I also had a chance to catch up on my workouts! Since I have been working so much, I barely had the energy or time to devote to working out.

Shannon had a second job interview on Saturday, it was a phone interview with the Director of Operations. His first interview was with one of the owners of the company. Today, he received an email asking for "at least 3 references," which is a really good sign! The job location is close to the law school he was looking at going to! He is going for a property manager position with a hotel.

My FIL had to have his truck towed, the clutch wouldn't work right. It's probably because of our cold temperatures!

Shannon helped his mom rearrange the furniture in the living room. His mom wanted to move the couch, chair, and area rug around. It looks nice. It's in a similar layout as when we first move here.

Christmas in a Nutshell

We have all been feeling sick for the last week or so. Kyle and Shannon seem to have it the worst. Thankfully we don't feel sick the entire day, it will come in waves. I have started feeling a little sick when I first wake up, but as the day progresses, I feel better.

Shannon has been smoke-free for about 3 or 4 weeks now! He stopped smoking a few days after Thanksgiving. He used the e-cigarettes to help him quit. After awhile, he didn't feel the need for the e-cigarette either. He's had withdrawl symptoms from not smoking, plus he's been sick.

I had to be at work on Christmas Eve for 9 1/2 hours! It was a long day but it went by pretty quickly. I was scheduled to be off at 8 PM, however, all cashiers had to keep working until the last customer was checked out. We all did very well and worked together. I am glad I didn't have to work until 8:30 PM because those workers had to stay until the store was clean!

Our store was closed on Christmas Day, so that meant everyone was off that day. I was also off the day after Christmas! We opened presents just after noon on Christmas Day. Kyle wasn't feeling all that well, so he was not in the mood for all the excitement. My MIL gave me a zip-up hoodie with faux fur lining the hood. My husband received a long sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms, he really needed both! We took some pictures and I hope to have some of them printed out, I plan on putting them in a frame (that holds several pictures) and hanging it up on our wall. Kyle also had a present for Shannon and myself. His teacher wrapped it for him, but he made it at preschool for us. It's a 2010 calendar, the pictures are made of Kyle's handprints! His handprints are in shapes to form a picture, for instance, for October, his handprints are in the shape of a ghost. It's really cute! I remember the day he came home with paint all over his clothes. As long as he had fun, I didn't mind the mess.

We gave my MIL a Dyson vacuum for Christmas. We bought her the Dyson ball so it will be easier for her to clean her house. She loves it! She used it all day yesterday. I think she was looking for things to vacuum! She realized how much dirt and dust is in her house and how fast it accumulates with her old vacuum.

Speaking of Dyson vacuums, my vacuum really needed to be emptied and Shannon finally did that for me yesterday. My vacuum now works much better! Since I was off the day after Christmas, I used that time to catch up on cleaning and laundry! I literally have not had time to do any cleaning in the last month. Shannon has had to do the laundry for me since I was barely home. I was able to clean our entire bathroom! I also did 3 loads of laundry!

Day of Recharge

Today was my day off from work! Kyle had school today, so we had to get up early. When we got home, I treated myself to a "spa day." I gave myself a homemade green tea mask and then I made some homemade bath salts and soaked my feet in the tub with bath salts for about 10-15 minutes. My feet felt so much better afterward. They weren't as tense and sore.

I am still looking to perfect my homemade bath salt recipes, I hope to use other ingredients in future batches. I am looking at using dead sea salt, instead of epsom salt. I am sticking with peppermint oil since I still have a bottle of it.

I pretty much had a lazy day today. I just wanted to relax and recharge my body. Shannon took a nap today while I caught up on surfing the internet.

After we picked up Kyle from school, he took his usual nap about an hour after we got home. He napped for about 2 hours. During that time, I took a bath using my bath salts. My body feels so much better and so relaxed!

Today was a great day off. I feel recharged and really enjoyed my at-home spa day!

3rd Long Day

Today is the third day in a row of 8-9 hour days! Today is a 9 hour day for me. Then, I am off tomorrow! I will be catching up on laundry tomorrow.

Yesterday, we went grocery shopping after I got off. This was a well needed trip since the last two times we went, were only mini-trips. Our mini-trips usually last us a few days to a week of food. I bought more snacks for work and also a few Tuna Helpers, not that I seem to have time to make them.

I am looking forward to the last week of December because I only have 26 1/2 hours, instead of the usual 33 hours. It will be a nice break from these long hours. These days I don't have time to do laundry or anything else on the days that I do work. My entire body is sore all over. I barely have time with Kyle and Shannon too.

Preschool News and Work Clothes

Shannon shaved Kyle's head today! He looks adorable! Immediately after, I gave Kyle a bath since there was hair everywhere! Kyle went nuts because he's scared of the noise of the razor. By the time he got in the bath, he was fine.

We had a meeting at the main offices for the local school district for Kyle today. The whole meeting lasted 1 hour. This was the final meeting to discuss whether or not Kyle would qualify for special education and discuss what they (the school psychologist, speech therapist, audiologist, and preschool teachers) came up with. In this meeting, it was just the preschool teachers. They discussed the entire report written by everyone above and it was determined that Kyle qualifies for special education with the school district! They already have a school and class picked out for him. He would attend from 7 AM til 2 PM for 3 days a week and have speech therapy for 2 (of the 3) days a week! They also asked if we wanted Kyle to be picked up by a school bus. My 3 (almost 4) year old...on a school bus!? Shannon and I opted to take Kyle to school for now. I am also going to put in to have my availability at work changed. I don't even know if it would be approved or not, but it doesn't hurt to put in for it. Kyle's preschool teacher will call us, otherwise we can call her to set up the days for Kyle to come in. This particular class has about 6 kids, but they all don't attend everyday. So the days we choose, there may be less kids there. This class has a teacher and a teacher's aide.

The two pairs of jeans that I bought from Walmart on Black Friday fit much better after I washed them! I am so glad that they fit me! Before they were washed, they were really big on me. I decided to keep them because they were only $9 and plus they hadn't been washed yet.

I received my order from JC Penney's!! I ordered black Reebok shoes, dark brown corduroy pants, and a zip hoodie for work. They all fit really well! The shoes seem comfortable, I haven't tried them on with my WalkFit insoles yet. Surprisingly, the pants fit around the waist. I never know what my sizes are anymore. I bought corduroy because I have always wanted a pair to wear for work. I haven't had a pair of corduroy pants in several years. Hopefully after a wash, they will fit better! My hoodie fits just perfect too, really soft. It's starting to get cold at work so it will be nice to have something to keep me warm. I am trying to pull away from buying my clothes at Walmart as much as I can since clothes from there don't seem to last me that long. All of my work pants are from Walmart and they are labeled a size 4 and they literally feel like a size 10 because they are so big on me!

Two Treats for Myself

I got my haircut after work yesterday! I had about 8 or 9 inches cut off! My hair is now shoulder length. I love how short it is, my long hair was getting on nerves and in my way. Shannon said he likes the length too.

I also had enough gift cards saved up to buy myself something through Amazon! I heard a news story from one of our local news stations about a product called Pro X by Oil of Olay. Our local news station wanted to know if this product worked or not, so they did a story about it. It's nice to know that this product does work. So I found the product on Amazon and "bought" it for $0!

This weekend was busy at work. I am so glad to have the next two days off! I am ready for a break! Last night, I went to bed early. I was off by 4 PM and went to bed around 8:30 PM.

New Laptop!

I am back online with a new laptop! Today was my day off from work. My laptop screen was destroyed by Kyle yesterday. Unfortunately, Shannon didn't want to go shopping until today for a new laptop! We went to Best Buy and the closest one is in another city about 40 minutes away. I found a laptop that I really liked and it's the same brand as the one I had before. The keyboard is shaped differently so now my hands need to get used to the feel of it. My laptop also has a webcam and mic!

I am currently working on getting all my settings set to my liking. I probably won't have my computer fully set up until later this week. I have to work full days for the next two days!

For Christmas, Shannon ended up getting the e-cigarettes for himself. He's been reading the reviews of users of e-cigarettes so he's wanted to try them. A few days ago, I bought Kyle two pairs of slippers. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to like them. He put them on and took them off. I think he was unsure about them being so soft inside. They are both really cute, one is of Lightning McQueen from Disney's Cars and the other is camouflage. Yesterday, I bought myself new shoes, pants, and zippered hoodie all for work. I can't wait to get my order!

Feeling Better

I was off yesterday and spent it relaxing! I treated myself to a homemade facial using green tea leaves, honey, and rice bran powder! I can't wait to do that again for myself.

Kyle spent most of the day outside playing. I also spent a little bit of time outside with him.

I decided to stop taking the over the counter cold medicine and I felt better, still sick without the foggy feeling. I am feeling much better today! I am just glad I didn't have to call in this time.

I have a full work day today of 8 1/2 hours! This week is the most hours I have ever had since I started, I have 33 hours! I do have to work Thanksgiving and the day after, which I don't mind. I do have to work a full day on Thanksgiving and I don't have to work til the afternoon the day after. By the time I get to work on Friday, the morning sales and craziness will be over!

I have a few loads of laundry to do, but I am going to have Shannon do that for me. Since he's home, he has the time.

I was also chosen as the Cashier of the Month by my managers!! It was quite a surprise! They took my picture and it is now hanging in the employee area across from the break room, plus they gave me a $10 gift card from Walmart!

Around Christmas, Walmart offers a little special for employees. This year, they are giving us a discount on regular food products too. Normally, we get a discount on general merchandise and fresh vegetables and fruits. But during the holidays, we get a discount on the entire store!

Day off with family

Today was my day off! We had a nice day as a family. We went to BJs, which is about 40 to 45 minutes away in another city. We ended up getting my MIL's vacuum! We found what we planned on getting for my FIL but it doesn't come with an iPod! So Shannon didn't get it. Shannon said he'll think of other things to get for him and keep looking. Since we were there, we walked around the rest of the store. I bought a few more things for my breaks at work. I also bought soap - 16 bars to be exact! That should last us at least a year or two! LOL I also bought liquid hand soap that comes in a foam dispenser for the bathroom! It came with 4 soap dispensers.

Since I had to work so many days in a row, I ended up doing laundry. I had to wash my work shirts and pants. I didn't do any cleaning today except a quick vacuuming. I cleaned the bathroom yesterday before work.

I have to work the next 3 days and then I am off again.

The 6th day

Today is my 6th day of working without a day off. I only have a 4 hour shift tonight. I definitely enjoy working in the evenings, it's so much more laid back!

I am off tomorrow. Shannon and I may get my in-law's Christmas gifts. Instead of getting his Dad a camera, his Mom suggested we get him a stereo system that he wants. She was worried about us spending so much on a camera, which ranges from $500 - $1100, depending on what accessories you want to get with it. We can get both of their gifts at BJs. Thankfully I still have my membership card. I asked Shannon if we're going to wrap their gifts and he said we could, which actually means I would be the one to wrap them! I am not sure how I am going to wrap a vacuum box! That should be a challenge! I am not sure how big the stereo is.

I have seen a few little gifts I could get for Kyle and wrap them for Christmas! They have a lot of little gifts out for people to buy!

Quiet day off

I was off of work today. The weather was nice enough for Kyle to play outside. He stayed outside for most of the day. I did two more loads of laundry today as well.

I made the homemade toothpaste. It didn't take long to mix the ingredients. The time consuming part was pouring the mixture in my squeeze bottles! Luckily I had a funnel to use. It definitely has a different texture. It looks the same as regular "gel" toothpastes, but it doesn't foam and bubble up when you brush your teeth. I am not sure what to think of this toothpaste yet. I want to give it a try and see how it goes. I do like that it's all natural ingredients without the harsh chemicals.

Shannon ended up emailing both managers back about the management jobs they contacted him about. Since they are the same company, he said that he was interested in either position. Hopefully something will pan out from either property!

I received my order of roll on perfume/premium body oil from one of my home businesses. I used my discount and another coupon code that I had from commissions that I earned earlier this year. I only ended up paying for the shipping costs. I ended up getting a perfume that smells just like Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink. At first sniff, it smelled a little manly! After wearing it for a bit, I got used to the smell and now I like it! It does have a sweet side to it's smell. I also like that it comes in a roll on container, so I could carry it in my purse if I wanted to.

Two Days to Relax

I had yesterday and today off from work and it is great! Yesterday, I did laundry and today I vacuumed and cleaned the bathroom. This time I cleaned the bathroom with tea tree oil. I used tea tree oil to clean the shower liner. I just scrubbed the liner with a sponge and a few drops of tea tree oil. It really seemed to work better and easier than baking soda. I also scrubbed the sink and tub with baking soda.

I am not looking forward to my upcoming 6 days straight without a day off. These days off have been a great way for me to re-charge!

A bit of relief!

During my shift, I asked another cashier (who has worked there for awhile) if it's normal for cashiers to work 6 days straight without a day off. She said, "yes it is, and sometimes even 8 days straight." I then told her that I have two sets of 6 days straight with no days off. I told her that I would love to pass them on to anyone who wants my hours. She then said she knew of someone who wants hours, this person is full time, yet they are only giving her about 15 hours a week! She said she would ask this person if she's interested in my hours and she came back with what days/hours she can work. During my break, I went over to talk to the gal and gave her my hours for the next two days. She basically said she would take them. The next step, was to ask a manager.

The end result... the manager approved the switch. He just said that we shouldn't do that in the future... give my hours to a person who is off. Doesn't make sense, but I understand. She's full time, has more seniority than me, etc. I don't mind, she can have more of my hours if it was okay. I just don't understand why they are giving me so many days of work! I would prefer more days off and/or less hours a week!

So, I have the next 2 days off! I am excited!

It was busy today! The good thing about it was that the time went by pretty fast! I have no idea why today of all days was busy, but it was good!

Shannon and I went shopping for groceries after my shift! I worked until 7 PM tonight so it wasn't too late for us to shop. Kyle was good in the store, he was busy looking at everything and observing. I bought snacks and lunch friendly drinks to bring to work. I bought some drink mix and vitamin enhanced mix to add to my water. I also bought V8 and V8 Fusion Juice for work. Shannon picked some Kyle-friendly food. I also bought some waffles for Kyle since he seems to like those now.

Day 2 of 7 Days Straight

Well, it's now Day 2 of working 7 days straight at work. I only have to work 4 hours tonight, so it's not that bad. I woke up pretty early this morning. I turned on the morning news and they were all talking about "balloon boy" and the family. It's too bad that the media focuses on how the parents decide to raise their kids and how they live their life. I wish I could email the family and let them know that we believe them and support them! I don't think they did this as a publicity stunt or attention.

We're getting ready for Kyle's evaluation this afternoon. Of course, we have no idea what to expect. I am not sure if he's going to be evaluated (yet again) or if we're meeting with everyone who has evaluated him so far. We just hope he can get enrolled into this preschool!

The Start of 7 Days Straight

Yesterday was my day off from work. I ended up doing laundry since I needed clean clothes for work. I didn't do any cleaning since I did that earlier in the week. We also went grocery shopping and bought a whole bunch of food. I also bought some "vitamin enhanced" drink mix for my water. I bought two flavors and they are both really good. It's a great addition to my water, and the vitamins are a great bonus too.

Tomorrow is Kyle's evaluation. I just hope I won't forget. I have so much on my mind.

I am not looking forward to having so many days of work in a row without a day off. I wish they would give us consecutive days off. These split days off are tiring, and more days off would be nice too.

Long Day Followed by a Day Off

Kyle and I had a late start this morning. We both woke up around 10 AM. I didn't have to work until 2 PM, so I am glad I slept in a bit. I had breakfast and lunch with him as always, just later than we normally do. My work day went by really fast. I started out at the express lane where we sell tobacco products and then I was moved to a register with a conveyor belt (which I prefer).

I came home to find out that Kyle was approved for Medicaid...finally!!!! I think we had to wait almost 2 months for this! Now we can get him back on speech therapy! I will be calling his speech therapist tomorrow to set something up. Kyle also has his full evaluation for the preschool this Friday.

I am off tomorrow. I plan on doing laundry since I am scheduled to work 7 days straight without a day off. We also have to go grocery shopping, we are out of food and I am also needing food to bring to work. I am also planning on making different things for breakfast for Kyle. He's so picky with what he eats but when we find something he likes, we like to make it for him.