Aug. 4- summer

Well, life is always changing, huh? I quit my job today. It just wasn't the right position for me unfortunately. I think I could work with the developmentally disabled population fine, but there were issues with the people working there and just stuff that didn't feel right. I prayed about it and really felt it was best to quit, that the stress of it just wasn't worth it. It was a little hard to accept, I was really hoping it would look good later on a resume, and also give me some money while I'm attending college. But took the leap of faith.

Went to wal-mart tonight and the girls went together to pay for about 1/2 of a slip and slide and I pitched in the rest (Okay, the whole thing was like $7.54). They seemed to have fun on it tonight. Can you believe that Whitney had never been on a slip and slide - that surprised me. Jayna was at a birthday party this weekend and they had one there, so when she saw one she was interested. She is still enjoying swim lessons.

Whitney had a friend over today and Jayna went down the street to a friends house where she did more swimming. Although I put some sun lotion on her before she went, her back looks burnt. Andrew has mostly been hanging around the house watching tv and playing video games, he also spends his time playing his bass guitar. Have been working on getting him a new bass teacher, as his had to quit. Looks like we might not start again until mid- Sept. They've also made marshmallow guns that he and Whitney like to play with.

Richard's parents were suppose to be coming soon, but his Dad ended up in the hospital again. He's home now, but has MRSA, and isnt' feeling very well, so they're not coming. Richard was disappointed. He has been very busy lately.

Hit 40 pounds at my last official weigh in - YAY! Summer has been hard for me- I think with the kids being home and making food for them and they're always asking for a snack, plus maybe the stress of that too. So I haven't lost as much as I'd hope to this summer, but still working at it. Richard has lost around 65 pounds or so, and his mom and brother have also started the program. I've also stopped taking medication for high blood pressure and seem to be doing okay with that. Unfortunately the weight loss hasn't helped my high cholesterol much.

And so it goes...

Andrew's thoughts on laundry /July 28

I was in Andrew's room the other day (generally a very messy place to be)and saw that he had shirts sticking out of what was his underwear/jammy drawer and I mentioned that they didn't belong there. He said he doesn't do "drawers" anymore (ie. one for shirts, one for pants), and that if he is lucky that he will find all the items he needs for the day in 1 drawer.

Poems

We're sharing poems tonight for family home evening. Here are some new ones I've discovered and an old favorite. Once you get to the link you may have to scroll down a bit to get to the actual poem.

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16947

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/maya_angelou/poems/492

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_butler_yeats/poems/10438

And so it goes...

Have been making a tomato/basil/mozzarella salad with basil that we're growing. Yum and yay! We have some tomatoes that are starting to grow so maybe I'll be able to use our own tomatoes too. (That's all our garden consists of this year)

I love watching Jayna in swim lessons. She has such a happy face! She says they are so much fun! She started in level 2 this summer, but after the first lesson they told her she should try level 3, so she was pretty happy about that too I think.

The jury ( me and my multiple personalities) is still out on the new job. I've been in the house a few days, but have mostly been shadowing and directed as to what to do. Soon I'll be responsible for more things and we'll see how it goes.

I'm excited to start school in the fall. I hope it is a good choice.

I've still been losing weight, although it has slowed down some. I'm at around 35 pounds or so. It has been kind of fun trying out some new recipes and I've found some products that I like using. It's nice too that people are starting to notice my weight loss. Richard is doing great too and has lost over 50 pounds. He is a bit more diligent than I am.

Reading now (still): "Yes your teen is crazy, Loving your kid without losing your mind"

Just Finished: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" ( or something like that)- a pretty good read.

And so it goes...

June 25, 2008

What a busy month this has been, and full of changes too. The kids are out of school now and I attended Whitney's moving up day (middle school for her next year) and Jayna's kindergarten celebration- both ends of the elementary school. They both did really well this year. Waiting to see how Andrew's grades pulled through- we had gotten a progress report showing various zero's on some things and had really been on him to do better. He's smart, but doesn't always apply himself the way he should.

Since school is out that means my job as a teacher's aide is over too. WooHOO! It was an okay job this past year, but I'm also glad it's over. The last week or so was crazy with exams and stuff. The past year was a good time to evaluate things and see where I wanted to go next.

I started training yesterday for my new job. I guess my official title is a relief life skills trainer. I'll be working in a group home for adult men with developmental disabilities. I have learned a little bit about it, but think I will get a much better idea about it once I actually start. I have about 10 more days of training first. Training itself was kind of long and not great yesterday, however that part didn't seem so bad once I left and saw that my car had been broken into with a smashed window and stolen gps system. Oh well, it got fixed today, but I don't think we'll be replacing the gps any time soon.

Richard has given notice to Motel 6 that he won't be working past this Saturday. He really hated the job and I missed having him around so I'm not so upset.

Reading now: Yes, Your Teen is crazy! Loving your child without Losing your Mind ( or something like that) really helpful so far.

Just Finished: Last Night at the Lobster - kind of a boring read

And so it goes...

"Frank Shirt"-- June 2,2008

Well, the "Frank" shirt reappeared today. It hasn't been worn for some time, then here it is again.

Whitney has musical theater dress rehearsal today, then a track meet. Busy,busy, busy.

Was offered a relief position today working with developmentally handicapped adults. I said yes. I think it will be something I can do over the summer and through college. I am only required to work 12 hours a month. We'll see how it goes though. I'll have 2 weeks of training that I'll probably start after I'm done working at the school.

Just Finished:-Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Really liked it.

And so it goes...