Tomorrow is the first day of school. Wow. I think I am in a state of denial that at this time tomorrow this house will be silent except for the click-clack of the keyboard as I stare at the lcd monitor while I job search for hours on end.
For eight years, I have had someone home to take care of when the first day of school rolled around. It seems surreal and impossible that tomorrow my littlest bird will fly away. I am unbelievably sad that this stage of my life as a mom is over.
Time marches forward.....and changes everything.
A third grader and a kindergartner. Wow.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Last Summer Night
Tonight marks the last summer night of the year. Tomorrow night will be open house at the school and then home to bed to get up for the first day of school.
Tomorrow is the last morning that Kaylen and I can lounge in my bed while we drink coffee(me) and hot chocolate (her). The last morning the three of us can just snuggle together and talk about everything and anything. Wednesday morning I will wake to the alarm, wake the children (who, ironically, now sleep in until 7:30 or so) and hit the ground running to get us all fed, dressed and ready for the first day. I will need to get the traditional first day of school pictures and then, oh and then, I will put my two babies on the school bus. I will then get into my car and meet the bus at the school to walk the kids to their rooms. Dakota will be joining us as well.
How on earth have we gotten to the point where they are both old enough to be in school? All day? Wasn't it just last year I sent Kelton off to kindergarten?
They are both very excited so I am excited for them...on the outside. On the inside I want to hold them back forever - keep them little, just as they are. As fast as every other year has gone, this one is sure to go even faster. I won't get every weekend with them...or every night. My time with them will be limited and I fear losing touch with them.
But - ready or not....here we go.
Good-bye summer.
Tomorrow is the last morning that Kaylen and I can lounge in my bed while we drink coffee(me) and hot chocolate (her). The last morning the three of us can just snuggle together and talk about everything and anything. Wednesday morning I will wake to the alarm, wake the children (who, ironically, now sleep in until 7:30 or so) and hit the ground running to get us all fed, dressed and ready for the first day. I will need to get the traditional first day of school pictures and then, oh and then, I will put my two babies on the school bus. I will then get into my car and meet the bus at the school to walk the kids to their rooms. Dakota will be joining us as well.
How on earth have we gotten to the point where they are both old enough to be in school? All day? Wasn't it just last year I sent Kelton off to kindergarten?
They are both very excited so I am excited for them...on the outside. On the inside I want to hold them back forever - keep them little, just as they are. As fast as every other year has gone, this one is sure to go even faster. I won't get every weekend with them...or every night. My time with them will be limited and I fear losing touch with them.
But - ready or not....here we go.
Good-bye summer.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday Morning at the Beach
We are in our last few hours at the beach before heading home. Some of you may be wondering "How did she pay for that?" Not that I really owe you an explanation but I'll go ahead and tell you anyway. It was 100% free. Yes. You heard that right. We stayed in a beautiful 3 bedroom, fully furnished beach house for free. As in no money exchanged hands. How? You ask. Connections.
Marlene has a client who, in exchange for Marlene cleaning the house (remember: that is the business she owns. Home and business cleaning.) allowed us to stay here all weekend for free. It's been amazing. It's a three block walk to the beach, a porch swing and well...all the comforts of home.
We explored Cannon Beach without kids for the first time ever in my life. That means I was able to walk into all the shops filled with breakables that I would never dare take my two children into. We drove up the coast to Nahelem and browsed around those shops as well. We walked along the beach and I made myself comfy on a piece of driftwood and just soaked in the warmth of the sun and the fresh sea air.
We talked and joked around. Some of the talks were on the serious side of still getting to know each other and, for me, dealing with being in a place filled with family memories. I have been coming to Cannon Beach and Seaside all of Kelton's life and, as you can imagine, there were ghosts of times gone by around every corner. Part of the weekend, I guess, I spent saying good-bye to a family unit that I no longer have and learning that it's ok to make new memories with someone else.
Unless you have been in my exact shoes, you really won't understand so I won't try to explain it. Let's just say there were amazingly great times and times that were difficult. All in all though, it's been a really great weekend spent with someone I love very much.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Times A'wastin
Lovely. The best laid plans and all. I have an application that I printed off, filled out and now need to scan and submit electronically (Don't ask. Application processes are varied....and often worthy of a good head banging) only...there appears to be something wrong with my scanner software. Instead of scanning the whole page like it should, it breaks it into sections that, while artistic and all, just doesn't make the cut.
*sigh* Looks like I will need to run over to the school tomorrow to use the scanner there.
I'm just thinking, wouldn't an online application be a much easier way to have gone about this?
*sigh* Looks like I will need to run over to the school tomorrow to use the scanner there.
I'm just thinking, wouldn't an online application be a much easier way to have gone about this?
Evening Activity
Want to know what I'm doing tonight? Nope...not watching TV and eating Bon Bons. Not going out to dinner (or eating dinner, for that matter). Not planning a vacation (because I sure the hell couldn't afford that). Not even burying my head under the covers and escaping into sleep (which, frankly, after being made to feel like crap today - something I absolutely don't need help with, thankyouverymuch I'm very good at making myself feel like crap and a world class loser), is exactly what I want to be doing.).
Nope...instead I am searching through every site I can think of to look for an administrative healthcare job. Working in health care is what I know. Not so much the nitty gritty of patient care but more the administrative side of things. A job where my skills would match the requirements and a job where I hope my resume just might make the top of the pile. I've worked in orthodontic offices, medical and chiropractic offices, Group Health Cooperative (on the admin side of things) so I am more than qualified. I would make a damn good employee.
Yeah - the top of the pile would be a good place to be.
Nope...instead I am searching through every site I can think of to look for an administrative healthcare job. Working in health care is what I know. Not so much the nitty gritty of patient care but more the administrative side of things. A job where my skills would match the requirements and a job where I hope my resume just might make the top of the pile. I've worked in orthodontic offices, medical and chiropractic offices, Group Health Cooperative (on the admin side of things) so I am more than qualified. I would make a damn good employee.
Yeah - the top of the pile would be a good place to be.
The New Specs
Kaylen in the frames she picked out (for those who are concerned, you, the tax payer, are not paying for these thanks to a generous discount our eye doctor gave me for her so she could get her glasses in 2 weeks instead of the state wait of 4-6 months). However, I do thank you, the tax payer (and that does include me for the 20+ years I worked full time and for all the taxes I currently pay) for allowing me the opportunity to have her eyes examined and vision corrected so that she will not lose sight in her eye. In the long run, this $170 office visit just might save you, the tax payer, a lot more in resources to support her and her vision loss in her adult life.
All that crap aside....isn't she adorable? She has good taste! :)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Better To See You With My Dear
So.....today the children had eye exams. Their first ever because we have never had coverage for them and have never been able to afford to get them exams but now, thanks for the state children's medical I have them on, I was able to take them in.
And guess what? Kaylen needs glasses. In a big way. Go ahead...just pass that bad mommy award over here. I deserve it. My gut has always told me to take them in prior to now it just wasn't feasible.
As it turns out, the vision issues she has can be traced back to oxygen deprivation at birth, the oxygen "tent" thing she was in for a while and her pallid breath holding spells.
On the plus side of all this, it's good that we caught it before she started reading as it would be difficult for her eyes to work together to read/track properly. One of her eyes crosses a bit though it isn't noticeable to look at her. Eventually though, her brain might have decided to stop working with it and she could very well have lost vision in her one eye. He asked that we discourage "eye crossing" games as it will encourage her eye to do what he is hoping to correct.
Kelton is far-sighted as well but not enough to "need" correcting at this point. We'll keep an eye on him though and see how he progresses. Kaylen needs to be seen in 6 months because the eye doctor knows he isn't doing the full correction she needs now because her eyes fought him too much on the right Rx due to straining to work as well as they do for so long. Right now she needs a +3 and he expects it may go to a +4 in time. She will be moving up in increments of +1.25 as her eye muscles learn to relax.
Oy. Certainly not what I was expecting but I'm glad I was able to take them in and that we can help Kaylen now rather than later when it's a bigger problem.
The free (waaaaaaay ugly!) DHSH glasses are taking 5-6 months to come in so I ordered her a pair of those to use as back up and then went ahead and ordered her a regular pair because they will be here in 14 days or less.
So in two weeks, my Little Miss will be sporting her new pair of spectacles,
And guess what? Kaylen needs glasses. In a big way. Go ahead...just pass that bad mommy award over here. I deserve it. My gut has always told me to take them in prior to now it just wasn't feasible.
As it turns out, the vision issues she has can be traced back to oxygen deprivation at birth, the oxygen "tent" thing she was in for a while and her pallid breath holding spells.
On the plus side of all this, it's good that we caught it before she started reading as it would be difficult for her eyes to work together to read/track properly. One of her eyes crosses a bit though it isn't noticeable to look at her. Eventually though, her brain might have decided to stop working with it and she could very well have lost vision in her one eye. He asked that we discourage "eye crossing" games as it will encourage her eye to do what he is hoping to correct.
Kelton is far-sighted as well but not enough to "need" correcting at this point. We'll keep an eye on him though and see how he progresses. Kaylen needs to be seen in 6 months because the eye doctor knows he isn't doing the full correction she needs now because her eyes fought him too much on the right Rx due to straining to work as well as they do for so long. Right now she needs a +3 and he expects it may go to a +4 in time. She will be moving up in increments of +1.25 as her eye muscles learn to relax.
Oy. Certainly not what I was expecting but I'm glad I was able to take them in and that we can help Kaylen now rather than later when it's a bigger problem.
The free (waaaaaaay ugly!) DHSH glasses are taking 5-6 months to come in so I ordered her a pair of those to use as back up and then went ahead and ordered her a regular pair because they will be here in 14 days or less.
So in two weeks, my Little Miss will be sporting her new pair of spectacles,
Lost My Grip
Literally.
I was making my coffee a bit ago and I picked up the Chocolate Raspberry creamer container to put it back in the fridge and it slipped from my grip, hit the floor and splattered sticky-ness all over me, the floor, the cabinets and the fridge.
Seriously?
Thanks to Maddie the dog and a rag, the kitchen, while still sticky, no longer has creamer all over everything. I foresee the day holding wiping everything down with a cleaner.
I changed my pajamas but I'm still a sticky mess. Once the kids wake, I'll pop in the shower.
Oh the joy of Syringomylia.
I was making my coffee a bit ago and I picked up the Chocolate Raspberry creamer container to put it back in the fridge and it slipped from my grip, hit the floor and splattered sticky-ness all over me, the floor, the cabinets and the fridge.
Seriously?
Thanks to Maddie the dog and a rag, the kitchen, while still sticky, no longer has creamer all over everything. I foresee the day holding wiping everything down with a cleaner.
I changed my pajamas but I'm still a sticky mess. Once the kids wake, I'll pop in the shower.
Oh the joy of Syringomylia.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Dreaming
I've taken up a strange comfort hobby....going to IKEA and daydreaming of a different lifestyle. Dreaming of new decor, new storage options. It's all just dreaming but at least it is a step towards the future and I find a sense of calm in going there. These are the two rooms I fell in love with last night:
Even Kaylen loved this room! She made herself at home and started drawing. The room set up just exudes calmness for me.
Even Kaylen loved this room! She made herself at home and started drawing. The room set up just exudes calmness for me.
Beach Time
Saturday morning Marlene, the kids and I headed off to the beach for the day. We arrived in Seaside in time for an early lunch and then while Marlene took the kids to the arcade for a bit, she sent me off for some alone shopping (well- browsing) time. I wandered in and out of shops and ended up buying a mug and two beach shovels (Kaylen's broke last time and I figured Andrew would like to have one of his own).
I wasn't feeling all that great Saturday. My pain level was high and my hands lacked the ability to grasp very well so all in all I was frustrated with myself and exhausted from the two days of garage sale. After I wandered around for a bit, I went over to the arcade and met up with everyone. The kids had done very well and were happily collecting their prizes.
From there we headed over for a ride on the merry-go-round. Kaylen had a HUGE meltdown when the seahorse was already taken so she opted to skip the ride so she and I had some cuddle time and then looked around a shop in the mall while we waited for the boys.
From there we went back to the car and drive down the road a bit and went to Sunset Beach - which was AMAZING! We drive out onto the sand and there were hardly any people there at all. The kids couldn't wait! I will tell you again that I was completely exhausted and in a good deal of pain, so while Marlene took them out to play, I quickly fell asleep in the car.
They let me snooze for a good 90 minutes before waking me up to experience the fun the kids were having. Thankfully, I was feeling a bit better so I grabbed my camera and off I went to capture photos.
At the end of the day, we packed up and headed out with plans to stop at Camp 18 for dinner. The kids had so much fun exploring things and them finally we went inside and had dinner before driving the rest of the way home.
My kids fell asleep on the drive home. Kelton woke up when we pulled into the driveway (it was 9pm) but I carried a sleeping Kaylen in and put her to bed.
It was a fun day and the kids had a great time!
I wasn't feeling all that great Saturday. My pain level was high and my hands lacked the ability to grasp very well so all in all I was frustrated with myself and exhausted from the two days of garage sale. After I wandered around for a bit, I went over to the arcade and met up with everyone. The kids had done very well and were happily collecting their prizes.
From there we headed over for a ride on the merry-go-round. Kaylen had a HUGE meltdown when the seahorse was already taken so she opted to skip the ride so she and I had some cuddle time and then looked around a shop in the mall while we waited for the boys.
From there we went back to the car and drive down the road a bit and went to Sunset Beach - which was AMAZING! We drive out onto the sand and there were hardly any people there at all. The kids couldn't wait! I will tell you again that I was completely exhausted and in a good deal of pain, so while Marlene took them out to play, I quickly fell asleep in the car.
They let me snooze for a good 90 minutes before waking me up to experience the fun the kids were having. Thankfully, I was feeling a bit better so I grabbed my camera and off I went to capture photos.
At the end of the day, we packed up and headed out with plans to stop at Camp 18 for dinner. The kids had so much fun exploring things and them finally we went inside and had dinner before driving the rest of the way home.
My kids fell asleep on the drive home. Kelton woke up when we pulled into the driveway (it was 9pm) but I carried a sleeping Kaylen in and put her to bed.
It was a fun day and the kids had a great time!
Garage Sale Time
Thursday and Friday were consumed with all things garage sale. My friend, Ingrid, lives in a great location for a garage sale and once a year she pulls all her friends together and holds a gigantic garage sale. Kaylen has been planning for the entire summer and every day she would gather up more of her toys and books and mark them with prices. The pile of boxes in the garage started to grow. We added outgrown toys from the yard, a little table and chair set, a little desk, a headboard and a toddler bed. All told, we made about $200 which meant Kaylen met her goal. What was her goal, you ask? With all her heart she wanted a pink DS.
After the sale ended on Friday, the three of us headed over to Game Stop and Kelton helped her pick out her DS and a game that they thought she would like. It was sweet to watch Kelton help her pick things out and explain it all to her.
I personally think she is a little young for a DS but it was her goal and she worked hard to reach it. She gave up many, many toys and kept her eye on the goal. I know she will figure it out soon enough but until then, she is very, very happy with herself.
And me? I'm very proud of her, too.
After the sale ended on Friday, the three of us headed over to Game Stop and Kelton helped her pick out her DS and a game that they thought she would like. It was sweet to watch Kelton help her pick things out and explain it all to her.
I personally think she is a little young for a DS but it was her goal and she worked hard to reach it. She gave up many, many toys and kept her eye on the goal. I know she will figure it out soon enough but until then, she is very, very happy with herself.
And me? I'm very proud of her, too.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Come On Get Higher
A new favorite. And I've listened to it so much that Kelton and Kaylen can belt out the chorus like no one else. It is both adorable and distrubing but this song speaks to me so I listen to it a lot these days.
PS..Don't miss the post below about Wildlife Safari. :)
PS..Don't miss the post below about Wildlife Safari. :)
Life Long Memories
As a parent I find sometimes that I hope and pray that special things I do with the kids will become part of who they are; memories they will carry with them their entire lives. I know that I have things from my childhood that I can recall as vividly as the day they happened. That certain scents will transport me back in time. The rush of a river will bring back a flood of memories of camping as a child.
Monday was one of those days that I sincerely hope will be everlasting memories for my kids. Marlene and I took the three kids to Wildlife Safari which is about 4 hours south of here. My two and I had never before been and I don't know exactly what I was thinking it would be like but WOW! Truly amazing and fun.
The animals roam free in their specific "tracks" while the humans are "caged" in their vehicles. We had an ostrich pecking at out window, we were held up by buffalo taking their own sweet time crossing the road, we saw bears up close and personal - it was truly an amazing way to experience a zoo-like experience that was nothing like the zoo.
Monday was one of those days that I sincerely hope will be everlasting memories for my kids. Marlene and I took the three kids to Wildlife Safari which is about 4 hours south of here. My two and I had never before been and I don't know exactly what I was thinking it would be like but WOW! Truly amazing and fun.
The animals roam free in their specific "tracks" while the humans are "caged" in their vehicles. We had an ostrich pecking at out window, we were held up by buffalo taking their own sweet time crossing the road, we saw bears up close and personal - it was truly an amazing way to experience a zoo-like experience that was nothing like the zoo.
It was unbelievably hot and this poor guy thought so too. If you can, click on the photo to see how tongue hanging out as he panted as hard as I've ever seen an animal pant. Poor baby!
And the moment I hope they will never forget? It's this one: riding a camel! Oh the giggles and laughter that could be heard. It was a moment that I know *I* will never forget and I really, really hope they never do either.
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