A few more things to note. . .

Okay.  I just finished my last post 5 minutes ago and decided that while I’m on a roll (and also because I’m nearly bouncing off the walls thanks to half a cup of coffee, which is a huge amount for me), I’ll talk about a few other happenings around here.  (Halfway through typing that last sentence my doorbell rang which nearly put me in a panic because I’m still in my pajamas at 10:00 on Saturday morning and so are B and L and my house is totally trashed despite my many efforts at being a decent housekeeper.  It was Steve Troyer stopping in looking for Conrad who isn’t here.  He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that we’re all in pjs and I doubt he noticed the state of my house, so take a deep breath and get over it Vicki.

So what was I saying?  I wanted to note the fact that sometime in this last few weeks of absolute chaos, my baby turned 1!  BOO HOO!  Actually, I’m not all that bothered by it, although it is terribly hard to believe that an entire year has passed since her birth (which, by the way, was the longest, most awful, painful, scary and all around horrible experience of my life. . .screw childbirth and any happy associations with it.).

Despite her difficult arrival, she has been an absolute joy to me and I’m so thankful for the privilege of raising daughters.  We had a little party for her on Mother’s Day complete with a little teddy bear cake that is the tradition for all 1 year olds in my family (starting with my older brother, then me and my sister and then all of the next generation).  We let her dig into her cake which she did quite happily and she also liked all of her presents.  (By the way, when B and L turned 1 they were both sick with colds and were half falling asleep in their high chairs while the rest of us were trying to get them to dig into their cake.  They had absolutely no interest in it).

E has taken a few steps but doesn’t seem all that interested in walking.  She crawls at lightening speed and now and then “walks” on her knees which is just downright lazy.  But she figured out that when she does that she can hold toys (or graham crackers, or a pacifier, etc.) in her hands and still get around.  She jabbers and squeals and giggles a lot but doesn’t say a single word.

Okay, I’ve lost all motivation to keep blogging.  I’m starting to feel guilty about the fact that I’m not yet dressed.  Plus, i just put E down for a nap and I really should be using this time more productively.  Thanks for reading!

My first days on the job. . .

So I’ve now had 2 1/2 days on the job.  I think I’m going to like it for the most part.  It’s funny how your brain forgets the bad things and hangs on to the good things.  It’s been 6 years since I worked in the optical world and I forgot how much I hate little details (digging through a year’s worth of invoices to find the right one for a frame that is under warranty but has been discontinued, etc.  Jeesh. . .I could get stressed out just thinking about it.)  If being an optician were just a matter of dispensing, repairing, and adjusting glasses, I would love it.  But it’s not.  And so, just like with every job, you take the good with the bad and roll with the punches.  Everybody in the office is very nice and I think we’ll all get along fine.  One thing I’m trying not to stress about is the other optician.  She announced on Tuesday (my second day on the job) that she plans to take the entire month of June off which leaves me to run the entire optical department on only 4 days of training.  YIKES!  She’s very nice and has been super patient with me and my unending questions, but the word I’m getting around the office is that she’s been a difficult employee and nobody will miss her while she’s gone.  The last thing I want to do is get involved in some ugly, gossipy battle with her so I’m staying out of it and trying to appreciate how nice she’s been to me in my first week.  Thankfully, the doctor is super-duper nice and she has made it clear that she doesn’t expect me to know everything by the time the other optician leaves.  The doctor is also very helpful and will pitch in when I need it.  All in all, I think I will be fine and I feel up to the challenge of running the optical department at least for a while.

I’m back

After a very lengthy silence I am back.  I have just survived a whirlwind that lasted almost 2 weeks. . . I’m happy it’s over with and I don’t care to relive it anytime soon.  Here’s the rundown:

Last Tuesday, my sister and I headed to Goshen, Indiana to spend some time with family.  We worked hard, slept little, ate lots, and did what we could to keep the kids happy.  Overall, they did really well with the exception of one rough night with Ellie.

We got home on Sunday afternoon.  Conrad had the house spotless but that only lasted about 2.8 seconds after we arrived.  The girls had the place trashed in no time.

Monday morning, Kimmie left for Virginia about 7:00 a.m., I went to the YMCA to work off the numerous Reese’s pb cups that I’d eaten the week before, came back and showered and headed off to the new job.

I survived Monday and Tuesday at the job (more details coming in a later blog).  I woke up Wednesday morning feeling completely overwhelmed with life and all that I had to do that day.  I dusted, scrubbed bathrooms, did endless loads of laundry, got groceries, bought flowers, potting soil, mulch, etc. and planted until 10:00 p.m.  Then, in a very exhausted state of mind, I read stories to the older girls, hustled them off to bed and sat down to watch American Idol (which I had recorded earlier that evening.  I’m glad Jordin won, by the way.)

Now it’s Thursday and I still feel behind in many areas (we are completely out of toilet paper, shampoo, soap, and a number of other things that I consider essential to running a household).  So, today my goals are to restock the house, lay down a bunch of mulch, and perhaps, just perhaps, read a chapter or two out of the book I’m currently reading.  I’m not holding my breath.

The new job

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog I am starting a new job soon.  For the last few months Conrad and I have been discussing the possibility of me going back to work part time.  We’ve always ruled it out because we don’t feel like we have a good option for child care.  But, recently, Conrad’s boss (from the Marriage Resource Center where he works 1 day a week) came to him and said they didn’t receive a grant they were hoping for and therefore may not be able to keep him as an employee after June 1st.  To make a long story short, we sat down and discussed our options and finally decided that it might be time for me to update my resume and send it out to several optometry offices in the area.  Right about that time, I was browsing through the classifieds one morning and came across an ad looking for an optician.  Hmmmm.  So, I sent in my resume, went in for an interview and was hired on the spot.  The doctor was looking for someone to do full time but I told her I was only able to work 2 days a week.  She said, “Perfect.  I’ll take you.”  I’m planning to work on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Conrad will stay home those days (replacing his one day at the MRC and also replacing his normal day off).  Things might be a little nuts around here until we get into a groove, but to be honest, I’m looking forward to getting back into the workforce and I don’t feel guilty about leaving my kids since Conrad will be with them.  So that’s the scoop.  I officially begin on May 21 but I plan to go in for an orientation day on May 15.

Disney Report

We arrived home yesterday about 1:00 in the afternoon.  I am downright bitter about leaving Florida and returning to real life.  The vacation was everything we hoped for. . .here are a few highlights:

1.  The morning we flew to Fl. we woke the girls up at 4:30.  They both popped out of bed with their eyes shining and got dressed in record time.  All 3 girls did great on the flights and other than a minor argument about who got the window seat, we had no problems at all.

2.  Our first day at Disney I couldn’t stop crying!  Perhaps I was dealing with a massive case of PMS.  Whatever the problem was, I couldn’t get my emotions under control!  But watching B and L get so excited about seeing Mickey and riding the tea cups, etc. brought so much joy to me.  Oh, for the innocence of childhood. . .

3.  I was given further proof that I have been given the world’s easiest baby.  In all 3 days at Disney, Ellie did not cry even once.  Not once.  She sat in her stroller as content as could be and took it all in.  Then she fell asleep.  I darn well deserve her.  Yes, I do.

4.  Eating Moose Tracks ice cream every single day with B and L.  Much to my amusement, B kept calling it “Moose Crack.”  I better leave that alone.

5.  Despite the fact that the forecast called for thunderstorms nearly every day we were there, we had only 20 minutes of rain the entire week.  The rest of the time was sunny, sunny, sunny!

6.  Hearing the girls give the run down every night on their favorite events of the day.

7.  My personal favorite thing at Disney was “Mickey’s Philharmagic.”  It’s a 3D movie that was totally amazing.  When Donald Duck threw a bucket of water on us we actually got wet.  When they were baking we could smell the food and we felt the breeze while we were riding on the magic carpet.  B and L found it a bit intense.  They weren’t so sure about having things coming right at us.  They kept ducking and flinching.

And lest you think we lived a perfect week, let me also tell you about a few lowlights:

1.  Conrad got salmonella from some shrimp he ate the first night we were there that kept him running to the bathroom every 10 minutes for about 36 hours (that is not an exaggeration).  We were seriously considering taking him to the hospital but then he started improving.

2.  Lydia threw up 3 times and ran a fever off and on for 2 days.  We never did figure out what was going on but she seems totally fine now.

3.  Ellie also ran a fever for the last 2 days we were there.  Weird.

4.  In order to get to the airport on time for our flight home, we had to leave the house at 3:00 a.m. which meant we set the alarm for 2:20.  I’m okay with never doing that again.

5.  On the way home, sometime between the first and second flights, we managed to lose Ellie’s pacifier.  Bummer.

So, there you have it.  Our vacation in a nutshell.  Today I’m finishing unpacking and getting things organized.  We’ve got a big week coming up.  Ellie turns 1 on Sunday (Mother’s Day!) so my mom is coming along with Conrad’s parents for a little party.   Then I will be in Goshen for a few days and as soon as I get back I am starting my new job.  Yikes.  More on that in another blog.