I forgot I had this blog!

It has been so long since I remembered having this blog. So what has happened in our lives.

Greg has switched positions at the radio station.  He went from being the full time afternoons on WDEZ to being the Brand Manager for WOZZ Rock 94.7, www.rock947.com (yes that is a cheap plug for the station).  This was a rough transition time for our family due to the fact that the station did not hire someone to fill Greg's shift for months and he had to do both positions.  He was working around 16 hours a day and it was killing our marriage.  Luckily, when I was at my breaking point things changed.  He still works a heinous amount of hours and typically goes in on the weekends but it has become more manageable.   

Evan finished 3rd grade this early summer and will be starting 4th grade in two weeks.  He is excited to get back and see his friends.  All summer we have been working on multiplication facts and division.  He hates it but I can see a change in his ability to solve problems.  

Lucas graduated pre-school at the YMCA this past May.  He is very excited to be starting Kindergarten and joining Evan at his school.  As far as his hair goes, so far this year we have not seen any huge shedding periods like we have in years prior.  I have been trying to keep stress for him at a minimum. 

Ory will be attending pre-school at the YMCA in a few weeks.  He is pumped to get started and no longer be left out from going to school.

This summer has gone by so quickly! I am sad to see it go.  Trees in our neighborhood are already changing and falling!
 This summer we went to Minneapolis and visited the Mall of America as well as watching our Detroit Tigers at Target field.  We arrived early enough for batting practice and a Tiger gave Ory a ball.  He loves the silly thing and has it in a case on his dresser! While in Minneapolis we visited an IKEA and I think I am in love.  I can't wait to get back. 
 We went camping at Saxon Harbor on Lake Superior.  Saxon Harbor is so beautiful, but I must say I will never camp there again! We had a wonderful time playing in the lake but because it is a park people were all over our campsite, which was lake side.  Also with it being a large harbor we were woken up at sunrise with boats heading out for fishing.  
In June we visited the Wisconsin Dells with my parents as well as my Aunt and Uncle.  We camped at Jelly Stone Park and had a great time! There was so much to do and see.  We went on the Original Wisconsin Ducks for a tour of the dells.  It was beautiful.  Greg and I had a date night where we went mini golfing and walked around the down town area. It was a great vacation! 
Also in June the boys and I went back to East Jordan for the freedom festival.  It was a short trip but enjoyable.  
During July my parents came to Wausau for a visit during chalk festival and the balloon rally. They took all three boys home with them for 3 weeks.  During that time Greg and I didn't know what to do with ourselves.  Greg and I went to Rock Fest in Cadott Wisconsin.  We were there from Thursday until Sunday night. I ended up helping Greg and the station by being the photographer.  It was a great time we ended up seeing a ton of bands. I'm not sure who was my favorite Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, or Five Finger Death Punch.  Oh Shinedown was great too. The Wisconsin Valley Fair started the last week in July/first week in August.  My parents came to bring the boys back August 4th.  
The fair was bringing in Pop Evil and Greg was able to get VIP tickets for he and E in the front row.  Evan loves Pop Evil.  Greg was also able to get meet and greets with Pop Evil for Evan.  He was pumped and it made part of the best birthday present ever! 

Now summer is winding down and I have all of our back to school shopping done so we are going to the UP this weekend and meeting my parents. It will be a short trip but one of my favorites.  I love Bessemer/Ironwood/Hurley. I have to make the most out of the short time we have left before school starts because soccer and fall baseball will also be starting and I will no longer have this cherished spare time with my guys. 

School has started

Evan's first day of second grade was yesterday.  Things went well for him.  He is already to the age where I have to pry every little piece of information I get out of him.  It makes me crazy!  I can't imagine what it will be like when he is a teenager.  I am sure I will be completely in the dark if he gets his way!  Today was his first time riding the school bus to school.  He was nervous. But tonight at dinner he said he will ride it for the rest of the school year.  A boy from the apartment complex is in his classroom and rides the bus as well.  I am not sure about this boy though,  his parents seem to let him run around all over the apartment complex.  One day when he and Evan were playing together he just came inside our apartment.  The thing that bothers me the most is that there are 14 apartment buildings here, they look like large two story houses, and I know that his parents have no clue where he is. I am worried that something is going to happen to him. I just don't want to have the responsibility of another persons child when they should be worried about him.  I guess only time will tell what type of friend he will be to Evan.


Lucas and Ory have been doing great, growing like weeds.  Tonight I put on some pajamas on Lucas and they were way to short.  He was too busy wanting to get in every last moment of playing before bed to let me change him into some pajama's that fit him.  So tonight he looks like he is waiting for a flood.   The daycare here acts more like a school, every day they are doing new projects.  Last week was luau week and they made all sorts of cute projects in Ory's room.  He painted a sand pail, and colored a surf board.  Today they made lemonade in his classroom.  He told me all about it on the ride home.  In Lucas's room he has been working on counting, colors, and his ABC's.  He amazes me lately in the knowledge that he has gained.  It makes me so happy that they are beginning to enjoy daycare.  


Work has been good.  The only thing that has been extremely difficult for me to get use to is standing for 8 hours.  My feet and ankles hurt so badly when I get home. Otherwise things are great.  I work with a real fun group of women  I spend a lot of my time at work laughing.  


Greg has been working like crazy, but that is normal for him.  Since I have started working it has been a little more difficult because our time together is only at night when he gets home.  I go to work between 7:30 and 8 and he doesn't get home until 8, 9, or 10 pm.  Weekends are great though!  


I spoke to our realtor tonight and he said that in our price range that there are 21 houses on the market just in East Jordan.  We are looking to lower the price and at our new price there are 16 houses in East Jordan for sale.  I am really to the point that we are doing what we can, but there isn't much we can do about it.  WellsFargo isn't willing to work with us at all.   It is extremely aggravating!  I am sure that its that way with all banks right now, but it seems like they would have some shred of dignity and help out people who need it.  We are lucky though because we are not going to be homeless if we do lose the house.  I just choose not worry about it.  


Labor day weekend and my parents and aunt are coming to visit.  The boys are super excited!   

Momma, I'm on fire, most of the time.

Its been a while because life has been hectic.  I knew that we would all need time to adjust to the new schedule but I didn't plan on all of the sickness that has occurred the past two weeks.  Ory started it all, last weekend he had a fever and was lethargic.  It lasted around 48 hours.  No one else was showing any symptoms.  Wednesday of this past week we went to a Wisconsin Woodchucks game.  (We LOVE the Woodchucks!) Everyone was doing fine until late in the game Lucas started getting tired, so we left.   After we got home and everyone was in bed Lucas woke up crying.  Both Greg and I went to check him out and he came over to me saying that his belly hurt.  I proceeded to sit on the floor in front of him and he threw up all over me.  My husband whom I love dearly stood by and watched as our son emptied the contents of his upset stomach all over me.  After two days of illness Lucas was back to himself.  Friday afternoon I picked Evan up from daycare and I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't feeling well.  That night he started with the fever and throwing up.  This morning, Sunday, he is back to himself.  I have spent the majority of my weekend trying to disinfect my house.  Luckily neither Greg or I have shown any signs of becoming sick.  


The boys are adjusting to daycare rather well.  I have gotten over worrying about them, I think I feel safe knowing that they are all together and if one of them was having an extremely difficult day they would bring in his brothers to help.  This past week has been a little more difficult for Lucas though.  When Lucas started daycare he was in the 3 year old class room, but after the first week of evaluating him they have decided that he is 'advanced'.  Now he is in the 4 year old class room where they do more of a pre-school type of curriculum.  I do not consider Lucas 'advanced' because he is going to be 4 in November, which, as much as I don't want to admit it, not that far away.  For some reason the change for Lucas though has been difficult.  I think that he was just getting use to his old class room when they pulled him.  Friday when I picked him up he was playing with a little girl and told me all about his day.  So I think he is adjusting.  


Greg has been working like crazy, but that is nothing new.  He seems to really enjoy his job and the people that he works with.  He is repeatedly invited out golfing, which he has been able to do a couple of times.  Overall, all of the people at the station are super nice.  


I am enjoying my job.  I have been there two weeks and have had a lot of fun.  The people that I work with are a lot of fun!  Every day we laugh about something.  Its a little difficult though because I don't know much about plants and it can be difficult for customers to tell you what they want.  It has surprised me how many of the callers have no clue what they want when they call the shop.  I understand not understanding prices or things like that but generally I would have thought that when people call the shop they would have some idea of how much money they would like to spend.  Flowers are not cheap!  Saturday, yesterday,  I spent the day taking numerous orders for funerals.  I really, really, hope that I did not mess anyones order up.  We were busy and I had to do a couple of orders completely on my own.  I will see how I did tomorrow!


Summer is winding down, Evan starts school next week.  It amazes me how fast this summer has gone by!  


Until next time.

I feel like its the first day of school again

Tomorrow my sweet boys will be attending day care for the first time ever for Lucas and Ory, and Evan hasn't gone since he was a toddler.  I admit I am nervous for them.  All of the what if's keep popping in my head.  What if Ory doesn't like it and cries all day? What if Lucas hates it and is snotty?  What if Evan gets in a fight?  All of the worse case scenarios are running ramped through my head. Daddy doesn't have any of the same issues going on.  It isn't fair. 


I am excited to start work though, but that is making me nervous as well.  I have worked summers for years but that really wasn't work, it was like going and hanging out at your favorite spot laughing, talking, and helping a few customers along the way.  I am nervous because this is a busy florist.  The manager had told me that they have a weekend coming up where they have five weddings in one day.  The store does do other things like sell some furniture and home decor, which I can handle.  I just have lots of scenarios running through my head about how I could fail.  


Gregory always says that I over analyze everything.  I get it, I spend too much time going over scenarios in my head.  I just hate making bad choices or feeling unprepared.  For some reason making myself crazy with possible scenarios makes me feel more secure that I can handle whatever the day is going to throw my way.  The problem is, the scenarios I imagine never happen.  I just waste all of my time nerving myself up for nothing. Oh, life is good!

Why are things always so difficult?

The fact remains that I want this job.  I want to work outside the home where I am able to be around other adults and do something that I enjoy.  I am ready to go to work Tuesday and I have daycare set up for them, but now that I am really  looking at it...its not going to work.  Well maybe it will.  I found the Wisconsin Government website where you apply for day care assistance and everything else. The cut off for income for day care assistance is gross 3,998 a month.  That is the max that a family of 5 can bring home every month.  With what Greg is bringing home in income gross monthly it only allows me to bring home around 1400.  Which I figured to around 350 a week gross and about 8.50 an hour.  The florist has not been able to tell me what my rate of pay will be due to the fact that the HR manager is out for the week, but I will find out on Monday.  So if I make over 8.50 we have to pay ALL day care expenses out of pocket.  For the day care that I have found that meets our needs it is 165 a week for Lucas, 165 a week for Ory, and 137 a week for Evan until school starts then he will only need care after school which will be 6 bucks an hour.  So we are looking at 467 a week for the month of August and then 450 after Evan is in school.  Oh I forgot that we will get a 10% discount for having more than one child enrolled.  So that brings it down to 420 for all three all day and 405 for when Evan is in school.  I won't even make that much every week! This is so extremely frustrating!  I love my boys, but I have been a SAHM for over 4 years and I miss working. I guess we will find out Monday.  

Daycare bound!

The highlight of my morning was knowing that I was going to have to go to a clinic and have a pre-employment drug test done.  So as soon as I woke up I hurriedly dressed and jumped in my car. (Greg was home with the boys).  Luckily the testing facility was only 5 mins. away! At the facility, which was located in a western style building complex and I mean old west, was extremely strict, which I understand.  I had to allow the nurse to lock my purse in a locker inside the bathroom and once I left my sample I was not allowed to flush the toilet. You wouldn't think not flushing the toilet would be as difficult as it was.  It only took 10 mins, before I received a call from Krueger Floral telling me that I was ready to be hired.  I start work on Tuesday.  

Yesterday the boys and I went and took a tour of a day care center called Wonderfully Made.  It is a Christian based center that is 5 blocks away from our apartment.  They will pick Evan up after school and take him to the facility.  Lucas and Ory will be in the same classroom until Lucas turns 4, which I think will help them adjust.  I was slightly worried about Greg's aversion to religion and how he would react to my wanting to put the boys into this center.  I made sure to explain to him throughly that they are the only center that is open past 6 pm. Since I won't be getting out of work until between 6 and 6:30 I knew that this was one of our only choices.  I debated on looking for a home based child care provider but there aren't any in the Elementary school district that Evan will be attending.  I am nervous about leaving the boys, even though the center is wonderful, they have never been in daycare.  I am sure they will adapt much better then I will.  Another plus is that the center is exactly one block from work, if Walgreens wasn't in the way I would be able to see it.  This eases the worry.  Lucas is completely ready to go, he keeps asking all types of questions about his "School".  

So the boys:

  Ory has been walking around all day pretending to be a robot.  He says "I am Robot...I am Robot...I am Robot..."(repeat).  I think it might be from something he saw on Sid the science kid, but it kills Greg every time and he cracks up laughing.  

Lucas has had a good day today.  I am really fortunate that he has been such a wonderful kid.  Very rarely does he have a melt down. He is ready for school, I think he will really enjoy the experience. 

Evan is so dramatic.  He can be perfectly happy and I can tell him that he needs to put away his game boy and he will have a complete melt down.  He had another melt down because Lucas pulled the sheet off of his bed.  I don't know where he could possibly get the drama from :).  Sometime he really tests me.  I know that part of the issue is that I expect a lot from him, and the majority of the time he meets those expectations.  Another issue is the fact that he is so stubborn, another trait he inherited from his mother.  I am worried about what he is going to be like when he is a teenager.  I think I might need to be medicated :)

When it rains it pours...

I have been in Wausau since June 12th.  I spent the month of June unpacking, reorganizing and becoming familiar with my new town.  Not to mention that we had a wedding at the end of the month so there was no reason to be looking for a job when I would need a week off.  So I waited. July came around and I started applying hard core, but nothing.  No calls, just rejection letters by the ton.  I was fortunate enough to have landed an interview with Aspirus, one of the big hospitals here, and then a couple of days later, Yankee Candle.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love Yankee candle.  I received a rejection letter from Aspirus because the position was in a pain management clinic and they just didn't feel it was the best place for someone new in the field to start.  I totally agree after interviewing with them.  They made it very clear that they have an issue with drug addicts who come just searching for meds, not something that I find my self qualified for.  I telephone interviewed with Yankee Candle and was technically hired over the phone but it was for a part time position at $7.50 an hour.  With the cost of child care here I knew that there was no way.  


So I kept applying, to anything at all that was full time.  Medical, dental, clerical, retail... Finally I started thinking about what it is that I want to do and what will be rewarding for me.  Of course, medical was top on the list but then I started thinking about the things that I like to do.  I love plants and I want to work for a company that cares about the community.  These choices lead me to apply to Goodwill, which has an opening for assistant manager, Target, which has an opening for a cashier, and Krueger floral, for a florist.  And I got calls from all three!  I interviewed at Goodwill this week and received a call today for a second interview with the district manager.  I also interviewed with Krueger Floral and received a call today asking me to go take a pre-employment drug test.  I have an interview set up for tomorrow at Target. Now I am left to decide which of these will bring me the most satisfaction, and to find a child care center that will be the best for the boys!