So I spent the weekend running around a lot in the new van. Part of it was planned, a lot of it wasn't. Friday, when the van was purchased, I needed to be to a certain part of town by 5 pm. We were going to try to pick up Hubby from work, then head out there. The problem was, the area of town we had to travel through, on a Friday afternoon? There was no way we'd get there in time. So I wound up driving our sedan out to my Grandparents, leaving it there, and picking up the van. Saturday, we were supposed to go pick up the sedan, get an issue with the title fixed so we could get the van registered, and take my Grandma grocery shopping. Of course, I forgot the keys to the sedan at home, the "fix" for the title wasn't correct and couldn't be fixed, again, until Monday, and my Grandma had no clue why she told me she wanted me to take her to the store.
Sunday rolled around and it was time for the kids birthday party (their birthdays are 5 days apart). We headed out to my Grandparents (again, 3 days in a row if you're keeping track) for the party. The kids had a great time, got some awesome toys, and were exhausted by the end of it. I packed everything up in the van and headed home (yay for all that space).
Monday, we had to wait for the guy at the dealership to call us when the title issue had been fixed, then we had to head out there, get the van registered (finally!!!), swing by my Grandparents for the 4th day, and pick up the sedan. Hubby drove that home while I drove the minivan. I woke up this morning and was actually kinda sad that I didn't have any errands to run today, so I could drive my minivan.
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On the 26th, I start a new job. It's going to be physically demanding, and a graveyard shift. I don't mind the physical, but I know the graveyard will be difficult. Basically, I work until 5 am. Due to Hubby's work schedule, I will be responsible for getting Boy on the bus for school, and back in the house at 7:40. At this point, I'll lay down to sleep. I have to get up and pick up Boy from the bus at 11 am. He'll spend about 30-40 minutes eating lunch then getting ready for his nap. He'll lay down for his nap right around 12 pm. I'll lay down for another 2-3 hours of sleep (if I'm lucky), then get up to make sure I can get ready for work, and get dinner started. Hubby is home by about 4:45 pm. I know I have to leave no later than 5:30, I may even have to leave as soon as Hubby gets home, depending on how long it actually takes me to get down there. I will be living on coffee, energy drinks, and pure protein for a while, until I get used to it. Luckily, I will have 3 days off a week. One of those days is a weekday, so that's a bit difficult sleep wise, but I have the weekends off, so I'll be doing a lot of sleeping then. It won't be fun, it'll be exhausting, but hopefully it'll help us out. If we're really lucky, we might be able to get Boy in to a daycare for a couple of hours, so I can sleep uninterrupted. I'm not holding my breath on that idea. We'll take it a day at a time.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Van pics
So, as promised, here's some pictures of my "new" minivan.
The backseat
Front seat
Cargo area (bins are mine)
Front
Middle seat (kids seats)
Friday, November 9, 2012
New Van
So I recently got a job in a not so decent part of town. I don't start until after Thanksgiving, but I'll be working the graveyard shift, 6:30 pm until 5 am. When talking with my Grandma, Hubby and I were talking about the possibility of me taking a bus down there as our car is not in the greatest shape and those extra miles would kill it. Next thing I know, my Grandma is telling us she'll buy us a car, as long as it's under $X.
We started shopping for used cars on Wednesday, originally just looking for any decent car with good space in the backseat and trunk, because of Boy and Girl. We decided that any car we got would probably be better than what we already had, so Boy and Girl would switch to my car and Hubby would drive our older car.
The first place we stopped to look at cars, we were looking at sedans. The salesman (it was a small used car lot, probably family owned) showed us one more car, a minivan. It was a couple hundred above our budget, but it was a nice car. I, of course, fell in love with it because I've been wanting a minivan for 5 years. We said no thank you, and went on our way. We found a private seller looking to get rid of their minivan and, while it was older and a little bit more beat up than the 1st minivan, it was about $1,000 less. I was definitely thrilled, though I still really wanted the first one. We took 2 to a mechanic and found out it needed a LOT of work, the cost of which would equal, if not exceed what we were planning on paying for the van.
We said no thank you and resumed our search.
Friday I was supposed to make some more calls and possibly go check out a few possibilities, but Boy was home sick and NOT in a good mood, I wasn't going anywhere until he was no longer in meltdown mode. At about 11:00 am my Grandma called and asked how the search had gone. I was honest, I had sent some inquires out, but no one had gotten back to me. She then asked if I could be out to her house by 5 pm. I told her it would be difficult, but we might be able to. She said, "I bought you a minivan, if you want it you have to be out here by 5."
So, squee! We have ourselves a 2003 Dodge Caravan. It's shiny, pretty, and is perfect for our family. The kids love it, Hubby loves it, and I love it! I'll have to take some pictures tomorrow, when the sun is up, so I can show it off.
We started shopping for used cars on Wednesday, originally just looking for any decent car with good space in the backseat and trunk, because of Boy and Girl. We decided that any car we got would probably be better than what we already had, so Boy and Girl would switch to my car and Hubby would drive our older car.
The first place we stopped to look at cars, we were looking at sedans. The salesman (it was a small used car lot, probably family owned) showed us one more car, a minivan. It was a couple hundred above our budget, but it was a nice car. I, of course, fell in love with it because I've been wanting a minivan for 5 years. We said no thank you, and went on our way. We found a private seller looking to get rid of their minivan and, while it was older and a little bit more beat up than the 1st minivan, it was about $1,000 less. I was definitely thrilled, though I still really wanted the first one. We took 2 to a mechanic and found out it needed a LOT of work, the cost of which would equal, if not exceed what we were planning on paying for the van.
We said no thank you and resumed our search.
Friday I was supposed to make some more calls and possibly go check out a few possibilities, but Boy was home sick and NOT in a good mood, I wasn't going anywhere until he was no longer in meltdown mode. At about 11:00 am my Grandma called and asked how the search had gone. I was honest, I had sent some inquires out, but no one had gotten back to me. She then asked if I could be out to her house by 5 pm. I told her it would be difficult, but we might be able to. She said, "I bought you a minivan, if you want it you have to be out here by 5."
So, squee! We have ourselves a 2003 Dodge Caravan. It's shiny, pretty, and is perfect for our family. The kids love it, Hubby loves it, and I love it! I'll have to take some pictures tomorrow, when the sun is up, so I can show it off.
I'm back and Birthday Stuff
I've been gone for a while, took a break from blogging because I felt I HAD to do it since I had one, even though I didn't have a ton to blog about every day. I've gotten some things settled, so hopefully I'll post a bit more frequently.
Our son turned 4 today, it's amazing how the time has flown by. I can remember the day he was born like it was last week, quite different from when I had my daughter, who will turn 6 next week. I remember her birth, but everything is a little fuzzy thanks to a pain medicine I received.
Anyway, 4 years old. It's amazing how things have changed in 4 years. He's been identified as being developmentally disabled, he's walking along the edge of the Autism Spectrum, and he's been transferred to a preschool for kids who have behavioral delays, as well as developmental.
We've moved to a new complex, where we're finally downstairs. We have 2 new cats, Khaleesi (Leesi for short) and Drogo. My daughter started kindergarten, and I've got a new (albeit seasonal) job. I'm crossing my fingers that, at the end of the season, I'll be asked to stay on. It's in a warehouse (too bad it's not Warehouse 13), and those apparently have a high turnover rate, which increases my chances.
I'm still struggling with my weight. I tried Weight Watchers for 6 months, but it didn't help. I'd have a week where I'd lose 5-8 pounds, then the next week I would literally do the exact same thing the week before, eat all the same meals, do all the same activities, and I would gain all that weight back. I've been introduced to a new diet/lifestyle called the Dukan Diet. I'll be starting it completely soon, there's certain things I need to stock up on first, like oat bran and Splenda. We'll see how it works.
We're having a birthday party for both kids this weekend, but hubby has to work that day, so either tonight or tomorrow we'll have a little celebration, just the 4 of us. Hopefully, we'll be celebrating us getting a second car, too!
Alright, I'll leave you with that for now and try not to disappear again.
Our son turned 4 today, it's amazing how the time has flown by. I can remember the day he was born like it was last week, quite different from when I had my daughter, who will turn 6 next week. I remember her birth, but everything is a little fuzzy thanks to a pain medicine I received.
Anyway, 4 years old. It's amazing how things have changed in 4 years. He's been identified as being developmentally disabled, he's walking along the edge of the Autism Spectrum, and he's been transferred to a preschool for kids who have behavioral delays, as well as developmental.
We've moved to a new complex, where we're finally downstairs. We have 2 new cats, Khaleesi (Leesi for short) and Drogo. My daughter started kindergarten, and I've got a new (albeit seasonal) job. I'm crossing my fingers that, at the end of the season, I'll be asked to stay on. It's in a warehouse (too bad it's not Warehouse 13), and those apparently have a high turnover rate, which increases my chances.
I'm still struggling with my weight. I tried Weight Watchers for 6 months, but it didn't help. I'd have a week where I'd lose 5-8 pounds, then the next week I would literally do the exact same thing the week before, eat all the same meals, do all the same activities, and I would gain all that weight back. I've been introduced to a new diet/lifestyle called the Dukan Diet. I'll be starting it completely soon, there's certain things I need to stock up on first, like oat bran and Splenda. We'll see how it works.
We're having a birthday party for both kids this weekend, but hubby has to work that day, so either tonight or tomorrow we'll have a little celebration, just the 4 of us. Hopefully, we'll be celebrating us getting a second car, too!
Alright, I'll leave you with that for now and try not to disappear again.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monk-ism
Do you remember that show, Monk? It was about a detective who had some major OCD issues? Well, it seems my son, The Boy, has developed some Monk-like behavior. We have to take stairs to get to our place and every time we come up the stairs, if he doesn't get to touch every single rail on the banister, he has a serious melt down. He's developmentally disabled with some major speech development. The way he talks now is about 6-9 months behind where he should be for his age (3 is 2 weeks). He's also got some other issues, including being at risk for being diagnosed as autistic later on.
This rail thing is new. Yeah, he's always liked to touch each of the rails, but it was never a huge issue if he didn't get to touch them all. This week it's gotten worse. I don't normally have an issue with him touching the rails as we climb, except for when we get to the landing before completing the stairs. That railing is where trouble likes to hide. It's got as many rails as either of the actual stair parts, and he seems to slow down, like he wants to savor the landing. Today, I was holding his hand and had some groceries in my other hand. When I wouldn't let him touch all the rails, he grabbed on to the first one on the second part of the stairs and held on with all his strength (which is quite substantial for his age) while we kept climbing. About 3 stairs up, his arm completely straight, and down he went, butt on the stairs, almost pulling me down with him.
He's got a few other things, routines he has to do. I'm not sure if this is all a part of some bigger diagnosis (like the possibility of autism) or if he's got a bunch of smaller things going on (ADHD, OCD, who knows what else). It's frustrating. I've got a daughter who turns 5 in 3 weeks. Out of the 2 of them, I honestly expected developmental problems from her. She was 5 weeks early and under 4 lbs at birth. I EXPECTED things like this with her, was warned over and over that it was a possibility by doctors. The Boy was born full term, no complications during pregnancy or birth.
I'm not going to lie, it's very trying, frustrating, and a bit lonely. The Boy doesn't respond to discipline, nothing that we've tried. So I've got 2 kids that I have to discipline in separate ways. I try not to make a big deal out of the differences, but there are some. The Boy may be almost 3, but a lot of his behavior is that of a 2 year old. So while I know how I handled The Girl when she was 3, I have to do it differently with The Boy. What works for one doesn't work for the other.
On top of all this, right now I'm a stay at home mom, so I get no breaks, except for maybe once every 2 months, or so. In 3 days, I'll register for classes for Spring semester. I'm looking forward to this is so many different ways. Not only does it keep me on the path to one day being a nurse on the labor and delivery unity (fingers crossed), but it will give me about 12 hours to myself each week. Maybe then I'll be able to start reclaiming some of my sanity.
By now, I've talked your ear off, I'm sure, so I'll save the rest for another post.
This rail thing is new. Yeah, he's always liked to touch each of the rails, but it was never a huge issue if he didn't get to touch them all. This week it's gotten worse. I don't normally have an issue with him touching the rails as we climb, except for when we get to the landing before completing the stairs. That railing is where trouble likes to hide. It's got as many rails as either of the actual stair parts, and he seems to slow down, like he wants to savor the landing. Today, I was holding his hand and had some groceries in my other hand. When I wouldn't let him touch all the rails, he grabbed on to the first one on the second part of the stairs and held on with all his strength (which is quite substantial for his age) while we kept climbing. About 3 stairs up, his arm completely straight, and down he went, butt on the stairs, almost pulling me down with him.
He's got a few other things, routines he has to do. I'm not sure if this is all a part of some bigger diagnosis (like the possibility of autism) or if he's got a bunch of smaller things going on (ADHD, OCD, who knows what else). It's frustrating. I've got a daughter who turns 5 in 3 weeks. Out of the 2 of them, I honestly expected developmental problems from her. She was 5 weeks early and under 4 lbs at birth. I EXPECTED things like this with her, was warned over and over that it was a possibility by doctors. The Boy was born full term, no complications during pregnancy or birth.
I'm not going to lie, it's very trying, frustrating, and a bit lonely. The Boy doesn't respond to discipline, nothing that we've tried. So I've got 2 kids that I have to discipline in separate ways. I try not to make a big deal out of the differences, but there are some. The Boy may be almost 3, but a lot of his behavior is that of a 2 year old. So while I know how I handled The Girl when she was 3, I have to do it differently with The Boy. What works for one doesn't work for the other.
On top of all this, right now I'm a stay at home mom, so I get no breaks, except for maybe once every 2 months, or so. In 3 days, I'll register for classes for Spring semester. I'm looking forward to this is so many different ways. Not only does it keep me on the path to one day being a nurse on the labor and delivery unity (fingers crossed), but it will give me about 12 hours to myself each week. Maybe then I'll be able to start reclaiming some of my sanity.
By now, I've talked your ear off, I'm sure, so I'll save the rest for another post.
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