My Little Corner of the Web

My "A-ha!" Moment

2011-02-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year, Lance bought me my very own Nook. I have to admit, although very shamefully, that I have never been much of a reader. It has really been years since I have picked up a book to read. Sure, I read newspapers and magazines, but hardly ever a book. I absolutely love my new gift. I think I have read more in the last two weeks than I have in the last 5 years. Again...I am not proud of this fact.

I have found over the years that I am definitely more interested in non-fiction than anything else. I love reading people's stories...accomplishments, falls, failures and triumphs. The first book I purchased with my new e-reader was Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons For Making It Work by Tim Gunn. I am blowing through it faster than I could have ever imagined. I love it. I have been a fan of his for some time and I really love him on Project Runway.

There was a very particular paragraph in his book that made me stop dead in my tracks. I have mentioned before that I feel as though some of my personal relationships have gotten weaker in the last 6 months. I have tried talking to Lance about it but I never felt satisfied with my conclusions. Tim Gunn offered a new perspective that I think goes pretty perfectly with my situation:

"I find with complaints in general, you need to know the whole context, including what the expectation was. So frequently, I've found that the expectation has been totally false, a creation of the person's own imagination. They're disappointed not to get something they were never promised."

I have learned that I have put expectations on people that have no idea they are being held liable for anything. I created the expectation and found myself disappointed when there was no follow-through. I brought this on myself. The lightbulb finally came on...and I was actually relieved to have realized this.

Thank you, Tim Gunn! You may have saved me some very precious future time in therapy.

It's kind of like that episode of Sex and the City when Carrie's boyfriend tells Miranda that the guy she thinks is going to call her really ISN'T going to call because "he's just not that into you." Apparently, I find myself trying too hard to keep things alive that maybe should be put to rest.

So, then the question remains...how long do you try to save a relationship before it is too much? When you're friends with someone, shouldn't there automatically be some unspoken expectations? I'm not sure what the answers are, but I do know now that I have to learn to reset my expectations of people...including myself.

In The Last 4 Months...

2010-12-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Day one

2 weeks old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

The last 4 months have brought a whirlwind of change and emotions for me. I am ecstatic to finally be in the mommy club. It has been such a long and emotional road for me and Lance that I sometimes thought it wasn't going to happen. I enjoy every minute with my little man...playing with him, watching him discover new things, watching him sleep, seeing his personality develop. It is such an amazing thing to watch this little person that you created discover and grow and learn.

I was lucky enough to have been able to stay home with him during his first 10 1/2 weeks of life. It was such a great time to bond with him and get to know him. I was never the kind of person who wanted to be a full time stay-at-home Mom, but I enjoyed (and still do!) every second I spend with him. I went back to work on November 1 and had mixed emotions about that. As much as I miss seeing Logan all day everyday, I was really craving adult interaction. I wasn't confident enough to leave the house for very long with him on my own, so I didn't get out much. I think about him all day when I'm at work, though. I'm so very grateful for the jobs that Lance and I have. I am home by 3:30pm everyday, I never have to work a weekend or a holiday and we have a lot of time off during the year during the summer and other breaks. They are the perfect jobs for us to have!

Along with the joy of having Logan around, I faced a lot of other emotions that I wasn't ready for. I felt guilty for having to stop breastfeeding so early on in his life. My hormones, which were very much under control during my pregnancy, were completely out of whack after I gave birth. Then I dealt with a pretty heavy case of the baby blues. It didn't develop into postpartum depression, but it was definitely something that I wasn't prepared for or knew exactly how to get through. It would always strike me in the evening. Lance would ask me a simple question like, "does chicken sound good for dinner?" and I would find myself hiding in the bathroom to cry for the next 20 minutes...and wonder why in the heck was I crying?

I also struggled with a lot of personal relationships. There were a few people that I had felt really close to and then after Logan was born, it was as if they had disappeared. It was months before I got so much as a text from them to find out how I was doing. On the flip side, there were people who I didn't feel quite as close to or hadn't seen or talked to in YEARS that were contacting me to find out how I was doing. One of them even went out of her way to make and bring us dinner! It was so sweet of these people to think of me and I will forever be grateful to them.

The last 4 months have left me with a lot to think about. Of course, my main priorities have changed for us and my focus is now on Logan. However, I have learned that I can't lose myself in my new role or rely on other people to make me happy. I need to figure out how to do that myself. This next year, I will be devoting myself to change and a year of firsts...my first year as a Mom, different activities, hobbies and new adventures. I want to be a better person for myself, my husband and my son.

Here goes nothing!

Logan

2010-12-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Our first family picture!

It has taken me a really long time to update my blog and I'm so happy that I finally have a chance to do it! Here is a little bit of what happened when Logan entered the world:

At 11:28pm on August 18, Logan was born. I went into the hospital on Tuesday, August 17 at 6pm and they started inducing about an hour later. I was feeling really great until about 2am...when the contractions were starting to get intense and seemed like they wouldn't let up. The nurses kept telling me that I needed to try and rest as much as possible but I knew that I wouldn't be able to with those contractions, so I asked for an epidural. It was the best possible thing I could have asked for. The little prick in my back brought me instant relief...and the anesthesiologist instantly became my best friend. Lance and I were able to get some sleep after that. All was well.

At about 8:45am the family started to arrive. My parents, sister and Lance's dad all arrived at the same time. I was talking to my Mom and sister when, at promptly 9:05am, my water broke. It was sudden and unexpected but very much welcome! We thought FOR SURE it wouldn't be long after that. Boy were we wrong!

The time passed and we waited...and waited...and waited. The doctor came in to check on me every once in a while but I was progressing so slowly that there wasn't much more to do than just wait. Luckily, I was feeling FANTASTIC from the epidural and wasn't in any pain whatsoever. My family kept staring at the monitor in amazement that I wasn't feeling the huge contractions that I was having. Lance kept me entertained by reading me all of the comments that people were leaving on Facebook.

Things started changing around 9pm. I was starting to feel A LOT of pressure *down there*. My epidural was also wearing off so I was starting to feel everything. It is quite a shock going from feeling absolutely nothing to feeling EVERYTHING at 8-9cm dilated. The anesthesiologist came in to see if he could adjust my epidural. It worked for a very short amount of time and then stopped working. He tried a different medication but that didn't work at all. After 18 hours of having the epidural, my body became tolerant of it and it stopped taking effect. I didn't have any other choice at that time but to just breathe and get through it.

After a while of squeezing the crap out of my sister's hand while breathing through contractions, I thought for sure that I was ready to push. My doctor came in and said that I had not progressed and that I was still only 8-9cm. I was absolutely miserable by this point. The contractions were seriously strong, I could feel him drop into the birth canal and I was shaking almost uncontrollably in my bed. I was also unbelievably hot. My family said the room was an ice box but it wasn't cool enough for me. My sister put wet washcloths all over me...on my head, arms, legs, feet...and it still wasn't enough. By this point I had also developed a fever. I saw the nurse consulting with the doctor and I knew what it was about. The came over to me with what they thought was going to be bad news to me...I was going to need a c-section. I was elated! I was ready to meet my new little man.

Everything went super smooth in delivery. It took about a half hour and then they rolled me into recovery. The nurse was really nice and let me talk her ear off...which is what I needed at that moment to get through the pain. After about an hour, my pain was under control and I was rolled into my postpartum room down the hall.

I will never forgot the moment I first saw my baby boy. In my eyes, he was perfect. I think my first words were, "he's so cute!" I was so happy to hear that he was here...safe...healthy. After years and years of trying to start a family with Lance, we had finally done it. I couldn't have been happier!

Except for one lactation consultant at the hospital, the care I received was absolutely top notch. All of my nurses in labor and delivery, surgery, recovery and postpartum were so unbelievably nice and supportive. My doctor and anesthesiologists were fantastic. The perinatologists and medical assistants were so friendly and nice. I couldn't have asked for a better team of doctors and professionals to have helped me in my journey. Maybe we will all meet again in a few more years.

Maybe...

Progress!

2010-08-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

I was at my parent's house yesterday when my sister decided that she wanted to do a little photo shoot. I didn't really have any pictures of me and my growing belly so I was grateful that she wanted to do that. So, here I am at 37 weeks, 2 days along!

I have continued to have lots of doctor appointments. My non-stress tests have been great and have showed that my fluid levels are perfect and baby is doing fantastic. I saw my OBGYN on Thursday and I found out that I am now 50% effaced and 1cm dilated. I wasn't dilated at all at my last appointment, so we were really pleased about the progress! Hopefully everything will continue to develop naturally. At my appointment, my doctor went through my chart and pulled up the report with Logan's growth assessment. It's always reassuring when the doctor exclaims, "Wow! Your baby's head is off the charts!" We all had a little laugh about it, yet I have a feeling I'm not going to be the one laughing when I need to push that big noggin out when the time comes. Oh well!

Other than that, there really isn't much more to report on right now. I'm still having braxton hicks contractions, but none that would signal active labor. I'm having a little bit of back labor, as my lower back has been sore off and on for a few days now and I have a little bit of ligament pain when I stand to walk. I'm also feeling more pressure *down there*, but all of this is perfectly normal for where I am in the pregnancy right now. I've actually tried to take some video of him moving in my belly, but of course, whenever I hit the record button, he stops moving. He's either going to be shy or stubborn just like his daddy. Oops...did I just say that???

Speaking of Lance...I just want to take this opportunity to say how lucky I feel to have him as my partner. He has been absolutely wonderful taking care of me, the pets and the house. I don't think I tell him enough how grateful I am for him and all he does. I LOVE YOU, SWEETIE!!!!

A typical day? Not so much...

2010-07-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday, I dealt with a headache that was much bigger than I'm used to. It didn't turn into any kind of migraine, but it was big enough to be quite annoying. It lasted for a few hours and then went away. The next day, Lance and I met one of his former students for lunch and afterward, I came home and took a nap. I woke up from my nap feeling absolutely awful....nausea, lightheaded, hot flashes and another headache. I took my blood pressure and it was higher than what my "normal" is, so I decided to call the on-call doctor. I had some pretty major symptoms of preeclampsia, so I didn't want to risk it. Even after I told her my history of having hypertension, she told me that she just thought I had food poisoning and told me that my blood pressure would have to stay elevated for them to be concerned. I got off the phone with her and rested on the couch for a while. I took my blood pressure again and it had gone down significantly and my nausea, hot flashes and feelings of being lightheaded went away. No more Mexican food for me for a while!

Monday was a much better day. I didn't have any headaches or other symptoms for the entire day. Lance and I went to the perinatologist for another non-stress test and ultrasound. I had been looking forward to this ultrasound because they were going to do a growth assessment on Logan. As it turns out, we have an extremely active child on our hands. So much, in fact, that I had to sit in the chair and be monitored for much longer than usual because he wouldn't stop moving. They look for a baseline on the monitor and compare his heart rate when he's at rest and when he moves, but if he continues to move, they can't get a good reading on him. It's all good news, though, because he's active. It would be scary to have a baby that didn't move much. The ultrasound showed that all of his fluids are fantastic. After doing the growth assessment, they determined that he is in the 71st percentile for growth and is currently weighing in at around 6 pounds, 14 ounces. They also told me that his head....his big, "perfectly round" (as they called it), noggin is in the 98th percentile for size. Holy moly!!!! I told the doctor that I didn't want to push out a 10 pound baby with a head that big. Nope. Not me! I'll keep my legs closed until they cut him out thankyouverymuch. Not happening. I think she felt my pain because she placed her hand on my arm and said, "We don't want that for you, either." I told her that my OBGYN wants to induce at 39 weeks and my perinatologist told me that she actually hopes that he comes on his own in the next two weeks. I couldn't hope for a better scenario! Fingers crossed!

I woke up this morning feeling as good as I did yesterday, which was quite the relief. I had a dentist appointment that went really well in the morning. They told me that I've taken fantastic care of my teeth and they were especially impressed with how well my gums looked for being so far along in my pregnancy. I had very little pregnancy related gingivitis and very little plaque. Lance and I headed to a scheduled appointment at my OBGYN's office in the early afternoon. The medical assistant took my blood pressure and told me it was slightly elevated, but didn't seem too concerned. Then she asked me if I would be okay with a nurse practitioner student doing my exam today instead of the NP that was supposed to see me. I figured that it wouldn't hurt, and besides, students need to practice on someone, right? The student came in and she instantly seemed like a nervous, hot mess. I could tell that she was trying really hard to ask every question imaginable and do everything by the book but she seemed really nervous and was kind of fumbling around. I think this made me nervous, because when she took my blood pressure (both standing and sitting), it was very, very high. She did my exam and then took my blood pressure for a 3rd time. It was still high, but lower than it was the previous two times. After asking another billion questions, she headed out to consult with the NP I was originally supposed to see. They both came back into the room a few minutes later and told me that they contacted the on-call doctor at the hospital and it was her recommendation that I come to the hospital to be monitored for a while to check my blood pressure and how the baby was doing. With absolutely no hesitation, Lance and I left and headed the 1/2 mile or so up to the hospital.

I have to say...I feel really lucky to be in such good hands. I love my doctors and I really love the hospital where I'm going to be delivering. I was a patient there for a week back in 2001 and the care I received was stellar. It was no different this time. Lance and I arrived and they already had a room ready and waiting for me. I laid in the bed for about two hours while they had me hooked up to a fetal monitor, another monitor that measures and records your contractions and a blood pressure machine that would take my blood pressure every 15 minutes. They also had a lady come in from the lab to draw some blood. After two hours, the nurse told me that I was free to go. My blood pressure had gone down and stabilized and the baby looked great. I have to go back to the OBGYN office on Friday for a follow-up appointment and call to get my urine culture results on Thursday. I signed some paperwork and I was discharged. Everything is good!

I also found out today a bit more information about being induced. Unless Logan decides to come earlier, they are going to admit me to the hospital the evening of August 17 and I will be induced the following morning. I don't have any times yet, but I will be sure to let people know once I find out. I'm still hoping that he comes a bit earlier than this, but I'm really happy about the fact that they're not letting me get to 40 weeks.

Stay tuned!

My Full-Time Summer Job

2010-07-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have made no secret of the fact that this summer my full-time job has included doctor appointments, baby classes, organizing the baby room, appointments at the diabetes center and managing my diabetes and blood pressure. I am so incredibly glad that I decided not to work at the school district this summer. I really don't know how I would have managed to do everything I not only wanted to do, but NEEDED to do.

Today happened to be a pretty busy day for us. I had two doctor appointments. My first one was with my OB-GYN. She informed me that because of my gestational diabetes, she will not let me get to 40 weeks gestation, so unless he decides to come earlier, she will induce labor at 39 weeks. This means that I will be induced on either August 17th or 18th. Of course, if he decides to come before 39 weeks, that would be okay, too. I will be 35 weeks on Wednesday and I'm far enough along now that there isn't a whole lot that we would need to worry about as far as his development is concerned. With gestational diabetes, the biggest risk is that the baby will become too large for delivery, which is why they won't let me get that far along. Lance and I were absolutely thrilled to hear that we'll get to meet our little guy at least a week before his actual due date! For many reasons, this will definitely work out to everyone's advantage.

We also talked to my doctor about getting vaccinated for Whooping Cough (Pertussis). This has started to become a real problem and cases of it have really increased in California. She said that I will be vaccinated before I am discharged from the hospital and the baby will be vaccinated when he is a few months old. Lance is going to get vaccinated this week and I have already sent information to my parents and sister about clinics in our area that are offering free vaccinations. I would really encourage everyone to please get vaccinated. There are many clinics that offer it free of charge and it is good for 10 years. Getting poked in the arm is so worth not spreading this horrible disease to a little one. Okay...enough of my lecturing...

My second appointment was at the perinatology office. I've been going there twice a week for the last few weeks to do non-stress tests. Once a week they also do an ultrasound, which is always fun. Today, for the first time, the ultrasound tech actually got a pretty good shot of his face and we were able to see him sticking his tongue out and moving his mouth. We even got to watch him stick his fingers in his mouth and start sucking on them. I almost died! It was such a cool moment to see him do that. The non-stress test took longer than usual today because he was being a little bit hyperactive. They waited until his heart rate came down a bit before letting me out of the chair. At one of my appointments next week, they will measure his growth again. At my first appointment today, I learned that I am now right at my prepregnancy weight and after measuring my belly, he seemed to be right on track for growth. It was also confirmed today that he was still head down and in the exact position he's supposed to be in. He has been in that position for a while now. I am anxious to find out what his growth measures to be next week!

Anyway, we are really, really happy with the way everything is going right now. My glucose numbers have been excellent, my blood pressure has been pretty stable and he seems to be growing and developing exactly the way he is supposed to. Lets just hope that this continues for the next 4 weeks!

Baby Shower

2010-07-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 26, my sister threw me a beautiful baby shower at my parent's house. I was so overwhelmed by how many of my family and friends came to celebrate this special day. We received some of the most adorable clothes I've ever seen along with some really beautiful handmade blankets, quilts and booties. I have some seriously talented friends and family!

I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who made this day so special. My sister put in countless hours making decorations, baking, shopping and everything else in between. My parents used their entire week of vacation leading up to the shower making sure that the house and property was set for a big party and making some delicious food for the shower. Thank you to the 30+ people who showed up to help celebrate from very near and VERY far! Two people drove for over 3 hours to get there and one person drove 5 hours each way to be there! All 3 of them also turned around and went home after the shower. I don't know how they did that! I also had 3 family members take a 12 hour train ride to be there. Thank you, also, to the friends and family who couldn't be there but sent your well wishes and gifts. We truly appreciate each and every one of you and are grateful to have you all in our lives!

I've created this slide show of the shower for those who wish to view it. It was a very special day and one that I will remember for a long time. Thank you everyone!!!

Logan's Mural

2010-06-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have such an incredibly talented sister! Bre came over today and painted this super cute mural in Logan's room. It was so sad to see the old one go, as it has been up in the baby room for over 3 1/2 years now. We had lavender walls with cute little bugs on this wall and the surrounding ones, but it was a bit girly to keep for our little boy. I wanted a blue/brown/beige color scheme and Lance wanted a sailboat, so Bre was able to combine the two ideas and come up with this! It also matches a cute bedding set that I have on my registry. We really couldn't be happier with the results of the mural!

Thank you, Bre!!! You're going to make such a great Auntie. I'm so lucky to have a sister like you. I love you!!!!!!!!!!

Let Summer Begin!

2010-06-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

There's our little guy! We had an ultrasound about a week and a half ago and Logan checked out great! At the appointment, they said he weighed about 2.14 pounds and was in the 66th percentile for size. We scheduled a bunch of non stress tests to be performed this summer starting on June 28th. As of now, everything looks to be right on track with him, so there's no need to worry about the tests. Again, it's just a precaution. It involves me going into the perinatology office twice a week for 4-5 weeks so they can monitor him.

I think this picture of him is so funny. He looks like a little monkey who is holding a stuffed ducky. It also kind of looks like he's smiling. I hope he's a happy little guy!

A couple of weeks ago, I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes. My numbers weren't drastically high but they were elevated enough to get the diagnosis. I've since been to two diabetes classes with other pregnant women. I found the classes to be very thorough and informative. We had to track everything we ate for a week and we were given a blood sugar monitor and told to measure our levels 4 times a day. During the second class, a nutritionist and dietitian looked over what we ate and where are blood sugar levels were for the week. My numbers were all fantastic except for a couple of fasting numbers in the morning. In the middle of the night, your body gives you a boost of sugar that can sometimes give you a high reading first thing in the morning when you check your blood sugar. That is what was happening to me. So, Monday morning I have to go back to the diabetes center where they will show me how to give myself an injection of insulin before I go to bed at night. This will allow my blood sugar to stay lower when I check it first thing in the morning. This will be the only shot I will have to give myself because all of my other numbers are great. They assured me that giving myself this shot at night is not a bad thing and that lots of women have a problem with that particular reading. They also told me that out of the 5 women that were in my class, 3 of us are being treated for the same thing. I definitely don't feel alone in this.

I have been doing really well at managing my sugar levels and my eating habits. I'm really happy about the fact that when I have control over what I eat during the day, my numbers are great. I have been walking with Lance and Freyja every night, except for a few nights, and on those nights I hop on my stationary bike to continue to get some exercise. The exercise and change in eating habits has actually caused me to lose some weight. In fact, I am 7 months along and I am at my prepregnancy weight. I had gained a total of 5 pounds when I checked in at my 24 week appointment but at week 29, I had lost all 5 of those pounds. The doctor, again, was not concerned about this and in fact, it was me who brought up the fact that I had lost weight. I'm eating healthy, I'm exercising and Logan is growing the way he is supposed to.

He's also kicking me like crazy as I write this. *smile*

Yesterday was my last day of the school year. I can't believe that I just finished my 10th year with the district. Boy, how time flies! Since I'm so far along in my pregnancy, I'm not working summer school. My wonderful, loving, sweet husband is doing it instead to bring us in a little extra cash. (I hope he reads this!) I know that working over the summer isn't his favorite thing to do, but I do appreciate that he offered to do it. If I wasn't so close to the end of my pregnancy, I would probably work it. The timing of me not working seems to be perfect, though, seeing that I'm going to have a ton of appointments from now until the end. He's due in only 10 1/2 more weeks....yikes!!! He's going to be here before we know it!

The hot weather has finally hit us and Lance is super happy about it...me, not so much. I don't tolerate heat well as it is, but when you're carrying around a person all day long, it's really not so much fun. I'm looking forward to us finding a pool that I can dunk myself in this summer. Summer has definitely started!

Second Time's A Charm?

2010-05-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to take last Friday off of work to do my glucose test, which is what is done to check for gestational diabetes. My students were going on an outing to San Francisco, so there was no way I was going to be able to coordinate my test with being able to meet my students before they hopped on BART, so I took the day off. I got the call from my doctor's office yesterday afternoon informing me that I had failed my test.

Major bummer.

So, tomorrow morning, I get to go do it again. Only this time, instead of drinking the solution and waiting one hour for them to draw my blood, I get to have my blood drawn right away, drink the solution and then get my blood drawn every hour (on the hour) after that for 3 hours. That's 4 blood draws in 3 hours. Good thing I don't have a problem with needles! (Or blood, for that matter).

I really hope that I'm not diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was told on the phone yesterday that they definitely weren't sure if I had it, which is why we're doing the 3 hour test. They look for your reading to be 140 or less. I read at 175. Apparently, if you reach a certain number, they stop testing you and you're automatically put on a special diet. I've already given up tuna and deli sandwiches...please don't take away milkshakes, too!

I'm not really complaining. I know this is important and I'm taking it seriously, but I'm not worried about it. If it turns out that I have it, I'll deal with it. I've been really lucky so far with my pregnancy and I have really enjoyed being pregnant. Up to this point, I have dodged so many things that other people have to deal with and for that I feel really lucky.

I have also started having some Braxton Hicks contractions. Boy, is that a reminder of what is coming soon! It just gets more and more real everyday. Love it!

Wish me luck tomorrow!

25 weeks!

2010-05-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

I've had some people ask me lately to post a picture of my baby bump. Here is the first one! I'm almost 26 weeks along and I'm feeling really good. I'm a bit tired when I come home from work these days so I've been taking more naps in the afternoons. I only have 4 more weeks of work until summer break. I'm really looking forward to the time off!

Everything has been going really well with us. Last Monday, Lance was able to feel Logan move for the first time. It was so great for him to finally feel him move. He has been moving quite a bit. I think we're going to have a very active baby! My doctor even commented on how active he is. I've really enjoyed my pregnancy so far. I've been very lucky when it comes to so many things. My doctor is monitoring my blood pressure but after increasing one of my meds two weeks ago, she seems to be happier with my readings. I'm going to do my glucose test this Friday. Wish me luck!

Lance and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary last Tuesday. We decided to keep it low key and go to dinner at BJ's Brewhouse. Lance bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a Wolverine birthday card. Yes...a Wolverine BIRTHDAY card. It was awesome! He said it was because the store was out of anniversary cards. He didn't even need to give me an explanation. I thought it was pretty funny.

Freyja

2010-04-16T19:52:00.001-07:00

Puppy Love

A quick update

2010-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had a follow up appointment at my OB-GYN office to check my blood pressure. It was quite high at my last appointment so they wanted me to come in to see how it was doing two weeks later. My initial reading today was high at 160/90. We talked for a few minutes and then she told me to lay down so I could listen to the baby's heartbeat. I sat back up and after a couple more minutes, she took my blood pressure again. It went down to 140/82. Still a little high but much better! She consulted with another doctor in the office and they decided not to bump up my meds at this time. I gave her the rundown of how my readings have been over the last 2 weeks and since it hasn't been consistently high, they don't want to mess with my meds just yet. We wouldn't want my blood pressure to get too low, especially since my bottom number has been overwhelmingly good lately. I have another appointment with them in 2 weeks. This appointment will be for my 22 week check up and they will see how my blood pressure is doing then.

Tomorrow is the big day! As long as baby cooperates, we should know tomorrow afternoon whether we're having a boy or a girl! I couldn't be more excited.

Spring Break!

2010-04-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

I really thought that this week was never going to come. Life has been crazy over the last couple of weeks for me. I have been super stressed about some things that have transpired in my life, although they have nothing to do with my home or family. Hopefully, some things will be resolved in the next couple of months. Until then, I keep looking forward to these wonderful breaks!

Lance and I had our 18 week appointment on March 24th. Everything checked out great! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat and all seems well. Bre was able to go with us to that appointment, so it was really neat for her to get to experience that as well. I had only gained 2 1/2 pounds since my 10 week appointment. I just don't have the appetite I did before getting pregnant. My blood pressure was quite high, though. It read at 160/96, which happens to be a new record for me. Instead of waiting to see my OB-GYN at 22 weeks, she is having me come back next week for a blood pressure check to see how it's doing. I have been taking my blood pressure everyday since my last appointment and it has been quite up and down. It is definitely on the higher side when I'm at work or have just come home from work and much lower when I'm at home. Hmmm.....

Spring Break is going to be a very busy week for us, but in a very good way. I have been waiting for this week to come for so long now and I'm more than thrilled that it is finally here! On Easter, I will head over to my sister's boyfriend's parent's house for dinner with my family. Lance goofed and bought a ticket to go to the comic book convention that day, thinking that Easter was the following weekend. So, we won't get to spend the holiday together. On Monday, we are FINALLY getting our new dishwasher! I never thought I'd be this excited about getting a new dishwasher, but I really am. Oh, to have clean dishes again! I have a doctor appointment on Tuesday to check my blood pressure. I'm also going to a concert with my parents that night. I have two doctor appointments on Wednesday. The first one is my 20 week ultrasound where we will (hopefully!) find out if we're having a boy or a girl. Lets hope that baby cooperates! The afternoon appointment is for a Fetal Echo. They are doing this as a precaution. Lance and I are leaving town on Thursday and going up to Eureka for a couple of days. We have never been up that way before and we're really looking forward to just getting out of town for a relaxing and fun little getaway. Boy, can we both use it right now!

So....what's your guess?

As One Life Is Beginning...

2010-03-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I went and saw an Orthopedist because I had been having problems with my back. After doing some xrays, he came to the conclusion that I had a bulged disk in my lower back. That definitely explained why I was having a hard time going on walks with Lance and our dog, Argos. Even though I stopped going on those walks, I still daydreamed about the day when we would have a child and I could push the child in a stroller while walking with Lance and the dog. At work, I've never had a problem pushing a wheelchair for long distances, so I definitely thought that it wouldn't be a problem to push a stroller when we had a child. I knew that Argos would be so great with a baby and it seemed like such a perfect thing to look forward to.

Unfortunately, the day that I had looked forward to for so long will never happen. We had to put our sweet dog to sleep on March 6. After battling malignant cancer since last summer, we knew that we had limited time left with him. He had been such a trooper for the last 7 months after having a toe on his back foot removed. He showed no serious signs of slowing down until about a week or two before we had to say goodbye. He had a seriously gnarly looking wound on the back of his leg that wouldn't heal. We took him to the vet and we tried a honey treatment for a week before we saw the vet again for a follow up appointment. The news was not good. The wound was actually a tumor in his lymph node that, unfortunately, would not get any better and would ultimately just keep getting worse. We decided that we would take him home for one more night so he could get one last good walk in with Lance and so we could spoil him rotten. In what seems to be almost unbelievable timing, he was very happy and energetic until the next day around noon.

Lance took him on a walk in the morning and all seemed well. Then about noon, Lance and I noticed that he kept pacing around the living room and kitchen and would not lay down. All of a sudden, he started dry heaving, which is something that he never did. We let him outside and he started foaming at the mouth. I knew that this was not good. It was really shocking because he had been fine up until this point. I called the vet and told them that I wanted an earlier appointment that day (our original appointment was for 2:45pm) and they told us to come in right away. We left the house immediately and found ourselves saying goodbye to him about a half hour later.

It has been a week and a half and Lance and I are still trying to cope. He wasn't just our pet, he was part of the family. He had such a goofy personality and was such a great dog. He just loved hanging out in his yard and protecting us from all the people who walked along the hill on the side of the house. He had several friends, including kids, who he would see on his walks to the park with Lance. He had a permanent look on his face as if to say that every day was the best day of his life. Lance and I were so happy to be his family for the almost 8 years that he was alive. He is very dearly missed.

I meant to write a couple of weeks ago about my last doctor appointment, but Argos' situation was the biggest and most consuming thing that we have had to deal with. My last appointment with my OB-GYN was on February 23rd. It went well but was pretty uneventful. My blood pressure was higher at this appointment but it wasn't alarmingly high, so no worries. We got to listen to the heartbeat which sounded fantastic! That was about it. The only real pain that I'm dealing with is sciatica. I seem to be okay until about 3am and then my legs start bothering me big time! I feel so lucky that that is the only real thing I have to deal with. No nausea, no vomiting and no more fatigue! My next appointment with my OB-GYN is on March 24th for my 18 week appointment.

Argos - February 2006

Oh, Baby!

2010-02-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

It has taken me a really long time to finally update my blog. Part of that is because I have been in a great deal of denial about what is actually happening in my life at the moment and the other reason is that I didn't feel that the timing was right to talk about it until recently. My world has turned upside down over the last few months but in a very good way. It feels absolutely surreal to talk about how my life is going to change in the next six months when Lance and I bring a baby into this world. After everything we have been through with the adoption, I still can't believe that it took only 8 months for us to get pregnant. I feel really, really lucky and grateful. I still can't believe this is happening!

The last 3 1/2 years have felt like a roller coaster for me. As most of you know, Lance and I have been neck deep in the adoption process since August 2006. Most of the time, I was on a high. I knew that we would start a family eventually and every day I woke up thinking that maybe that was the day, but it never came. The phone never rang with the news that we had waited so patiently for. After doing all of the interviews, paperwork, background checks, a photo book of our family, a profile, required classes and non-required classes, the call for us to be placed with a child never came. I know that it would have come eventually, but Lance and I finally came to the conclusion that even though we're still young, we're not getting any younger. It was time to try something else.

There have been some misconceptions about the way Lance and I went about starting a family. Just the other day, I told a coworker of mine that I was expecting and her response was, "Oh, Kirsti! That's so great! Now you guys don't have to adopt!" A lot of people, if not most people, think that we wanted to adopt because we couldn't get pregnant ourselves. This idea couldn't be farther from the truth. Lance and I talked about adopting a child way before we were even married. It was something that appealed to both of us equally. It was something we really wanted to do. I went to see my doctor in the summer of 2005 and I asked to be put on "baby safe" blood pressure medication. The medication I was on at the time was not deemed safe for pregnancy. We tried a few different medications and different combinations of medications for about a year. In July 2006, I had a doctor appointment to check my blood pressure. At this point, I had tried about every combination possible, so Lance and I knew that this would be a deciding point for us. We decided on the way to my appointment that if my blood pressure was still not responding to the meds, we would adopt. Simple as that. Needless to say, the news was not good. Lance and I looked at each other in the car on the way home. I asked him, "adopt?" He said, "adopt!" It was decided. The next month, our journey started.

In May 2008, I started to wonder why everything was taking so long. I thought we would have been placed by then. I started to wonder if there were any other options for us so I scheduled another appointment with my family doctor to talk about blood pressure medications again. He sent me to a Perinatologist to discuss any newer medications that may have come out since we tried switching it up in 2006. They told me about two medications that were safe for pregnancy. I was really excited about this, since I had not previously tried either of them. To my surprise, they worked. I went from being on three meds to two meds and they were baby safe. I was happy to have another option.

Lance and I started trying for a baby in March 2009 and I was pregnant by November. It all seems so surreal!

I went for my first appointment on January 25, 2010 when I was 10 weeks along. I was pretty nervous going into my appointment because I just wanted and needed to hear good news. Up until then, I kept thinking that maybe there was a chance I was NOT pregnant and that I had lied to our family. Silly, I know, but that was the denial I was experiencing at the time. To my total surprise, my blood pressure was fantastic!!! I read at 114/82. I don't remember the last time my blood pressure was that good. Lance and I were pretty emotional seeing the baby for the first time. My parents and sister were anxiously waiting in the lobby to see us and celebrate the good news. It was such an amazing day! It was one that I'll never forget.

My second appointment was with a Perinatologist for my first trimester screening on February 12, 2010. They took measurements of the baby, we heard the heartbeat and they took a blood sample from me. Everything checked out perfectly! Two hands, two feet and a very strong heartbeat. The baby measured 2 1/2 inches in length and seemed to be right on track with everything. At this appointment, I was 12 weeks along.

Today starts my 13th week and I am due on August 25. We made our second appointment with the Perinatologist for April 7, which is when we will find out if we're having a girl or a boy! That day, we also have an appointment with the Pediatric Cardiologist. He will perform a baby echo to make sure the heart is okay. This appointment is more of a precaution because of Lance's heart history. He was born with pulmonary stenosis and had to have open heart surgery when he was 3 years old. He hasn't had any problems in the 33 years since then. The doctor told us that our baby only has a 4% chance of having something wrong with it's heart because of Lance's condition, so that put our minds at ease instantly. We really aren't worried about anything.

So, that is where we are in life! I had been feeling pretty fatigued lately, but I think I may be moving out of that and into the "just tired" category. I had only 2 weeks of very mild nausea between my 7th and 9th weeks and a little problem with sciatica, but that is pretty much it. Lance has been so wonderful and loving. I really could not have asked for a better husband, partner and friend in him. I am a really lucky gal. Life really is good!

I promise to try and blog more as we progress in this new journey. Wish us luck!

Our first ultrasound! 1/25/10

Baby at 10 weeks

Baby at 12 weeks, 3 days

Happy

2009-10-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

While going into the special education office today to check my box, I struck up a conversation with our secretary. She asked me how I was doing and how everything was going in our class this year. It's no secret that the last few years have been a bit difficult. There is one particular person that I work with in my classroom who finds ways of making things very difficult for the rest of us. I won't go into specifics, but she has caused a lot of stress and tension in the classroom. There were many times over the last few years that I found myself just sitting in the special ed office so I could just breathe. I'm the kind of person who tends to take everything in and not let a whole lot back out, so I'm a constant ball of stress on the inside. It's something I'm working on.

Our secretary told me today that she has noticed a change in me this year. She said I look happy. She also told me that she was starting to worry about me last year. My students have never, ever been the source of my stress. In fact, I find them to be a bit of a stress reliever. They allow me to put things in perspective and for the time I am with them, they are the most important thing in my world. I care about all of them very much. As long as I am keeping them safe, happy and healthy, I feel that I am doing my job. Not to mention that they are just tons of fun to be around.

There is a definite reason for me being happier this year. I made a decision to not work a second job this school year. For the last few years, I have either found myself working at the preschool (which I LOVE, by the way!) or job coaching my students in the afternoons. As much as I like both jobs, I was beginning to feel worn out. I told Lance this summer that I needed a break and I crunched the numbers to see if I could pull it off financially. Money is definitely going to be much tighter without me working the extra hours, but I think we can pull it off.

I decided that it was time for me to do some things that I have been wanting to do for a long time but wasn't able to do while working the other jobs in the afternoons. I'm taking a college class on Monday nights. I'm not taking it because I have to. I'm taking it because I want to. I'm also taking a dance class with my sister on Wednesday nights that has made me so incredibly happy. Not only do I get to return to dance (I used to dance competitively) but I get to spend some time with my sister, who I don't get to see very often anymore. Lance and I are taking a bunch of classes on Thursday nights for foster and adoptive parents. Having the extra time also allows me to spend some much needed time with my hubby.

There are other things I would love to get involved in as well. If I can figure out a way to do it, I would love to also get myself back into singing. I've also wanted to volunteer for a long time, too, so I'm going to look into doing that. It definitely means that I have to sacrifice some things, but this is definitely more important. These are the things that are going to make me happy. I'm not going to be able to take care of a little one if I don't learn how to take care of myself as well. It's just an all around good decision on my part, I think.

Three Years and Counting

2009-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

This August marked the official 3 year mark since Lance and I started our adoption journey. I don't really write about it because there hasn't been any new news to share with people. I now have just a couple of new things to share.

For everyone who doesn't know, in August of 2006, Lance and I attended an orientation for prospective foster and adoptive parents though the county we live in. We wanted to move the process along as quickly as possible, so we quickly signed up for the required Pride classes that took place over three consecutive weekends that September. We also signed up for countless other classes that were offered that were not required. We met several times (both together and seperately) with our social worker, Susan, and finally finished the homestudy in April of 2007. At that time, Susan told us that the only thing we had to do then was to wait for her to call and let us know that we are being placed and that the longest that anyone had to wait to be placed with a child was one year.

That was two and a half years ago.

Over the last couple of years, Lance and I have checked in with her occasionally to see if anything had changed. She had told us that there was no news if we didn't hear from her, but we called her occasionally anyway. We continued to go to classes and keep our CPR up to date. We never wanted there to be anything that would stand in our way if a little one came along that would be a good match for our family. Susan always assured us that we were a fantastic family and she always seemed eager to want to place a child with us.

Last month, I finally reached my breaking point, or so I thought. I knew that I needed to get some answers because I still could not figure out why we were not placed yet. I called Susan one early morning a few weeks ago and left her a voice message. She called me back just a short while later that morning and left me a message. I wasn't able to call her back during my work hours so I called her back as soon as I got home that afternoon. She told me that there have been a lot of changes within the homefinding department. They are really pushing reunification with birth families and relatives whenever possible, which meant that there were less children in the system and more families waiting to be placed. She told me that she didn't have the chance to put our file out on the table at matching meetings very often because of the nature of the situation (meaning the child would only be in foster care and probably wouldn't need a permanent home) or because there simply wasn't any children to place.

Lance and I started going to some fall classes a few weeks ago. At these classes, there is a lady named Cathy who has definitely claimed a place in my heart. That may sound really cheesy, but she has been an incredible support and advocate for us. She is the Interim Social Services Director for the county. We've known her for quite a while now, as she is the contact for most of the classes that we take, so we see her almost every time we go to one. When we reminded her of how long we have been waiting to be placed, it was as if she made it her mission to get some answers for us. She emailed me twice in a week and told me that she had spoken to Susan for us and even went into our file to try to find out what was going on. As it turns out, Lance and I weren't even officially licensed by the county until October 2008. I'm pretty sure that when Cathy told me that, my jaw hit the floor. I asked her why in the world it took a year and a half AFTER we finished the homestudy to get licensed. She told us that it most likely was a hold up with one of our references. (The county requires that you provide them with 4 references. We did this along with all of our other paperwork before the homestudy was complete). I still don't understand how things could have been held up for that long and I especially don't understand why we never knew about it, but it happened. I thought that we had been waiting for two and a half years to be placed. It looks like we've only been eligible for a year. I still just don't get it.

I guess part of the reason is because of the budget cuts and a very overworked social services and homefinding department in the county. They went from having 8 homefinding social workers down to 3. Luckily our social worker made the cuts, but it means that she has a larger caseload now. I found out last week that Susan has a caseload of 200, which seems like an insanely daunting number to me.

I just really hope that we stay on her radar and that she doesn't forget about us. It has been a rollercoaster of a ride that hasn't even really started yet. Lance and I have had some pretty emotional days, some very relaxed days and everythig in between. I'm really, really hoping that this happens soon.

No Sweat!

2009-10-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today marked my first official day of eating absolutely no meat. I was supposed to start yesterday, but because I didn't want to throw out any leftovers in the fridge, I ate the last of the meat yesterday and decided to start this journey today. I had a very small breakfast, a lunch that consisted of an apple and some crackers and a dinner of pasta with a meatless bolognese/marinara sauce over it. It was mighty tasty! So, I'm off to a good start. I have 29 days to go. I'm trying to stay optimistic about the rest of the month. I have a friend at work who told me that she's going to feel bad eating meat in front of me at lunch time. I had to remind her that I wasn't under any kind of doctor's orders and that I was doing this voluntarily, so she shouldn't feel bad about what she brings to eat. You know what I felt like eating for lunch today? A hot dog. I never crave hot dogs. I like them, but never seek them out. Luckily,my craving quickly passed and I was okay with my apple and crackers. Lance bought the meatless hot dogs a while back and we thought they were disgusting.

Looks like I'll be eating a hot dog once this month is over!

Blog-A-Day Month!

2009-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

I really cannot believe how much time has passed since I last posted something to my blog. I'm really happy that October is Blog-A-Day month, since it will hopefully give me a chance to write about what has been going on with me over the last year. On one hand, it feels as if not much has changed. On the other hand, I can't believe how fast this last year has gone by.

This school year marks my 10th year working in special education with my school district. I am incredibly grateful to have had my job for this long and I'm even more grateful for being able to get up each day and look forward to going to work. I really, truly love my job and the students I work with. It's not always a cake walk, although my problems at work never have to do with the students. They are so inspiring to me. They make me laugh every single day. I love being able to watch them grow into such independent adults and develop new skills. I really don't see myself ever having another kind of job.

I have a lot more to say, but I think I'll try and spread my thoughts out over the month. October is both the month that I post to my blog every day and I cut out all meat and go vegetarian. I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about that as the days go by.

Surprise!

2008-11-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving went really well this year. Lance cooked dinner for the second year in a row and did an amazing job! I think he really likes doing it. My parents, sister and Jon were here. We also played a little Rock Band and I think my sister is now officially hooked on the game. So much fun!

Friday was the day I was sort of dreading, but it ended up being a great day. Lance ended up taking me to Monterey for the day and we had an amazing time. The weather was sort of cool but not freezing. We had a fantastic lunch and then we walked around near the aquarium. We ended up not going to the aquarium because we didn't have much time to spend there, so we'll go next time. We stopped in a jewelry store and Lance bought me a beautiful ring and necklace! I'll be sure to post a picture of it when I upload it onto my computer. We shared a Ghiradelli ice cream sundae before heading to my parent's house. My parents had made dinner reservations at a newer steakhouse in downtown Clayton for that evening. It was delicious!!!!! Sooooo good. It turned out to be a very nice day!

Yesterday, my sister called me in the morning and told me that she was going to take me out for my birthday since she wasn't able to see me on my actual birthday. She picked me up around 1pm and we took off driving. She wouldn't tell me where we were going and I tried to not ask very many questions. It was all sort of suspicious, though, as she was driving in what felt like circles. She went a very weird direction out of my street and then we got on the freeway. When she got off the freeway, she started backtracking on the side streets. I really didn't know where we were going. Finally, she pulled into the bowling alley parking lot and told me we were going bowling. Sweet! I love bowling so I was super happy. What I didn't know was that a bunch of my friends and my parents were inside to surprise me. I had absolutely NO clue that this had been planned! Bre and Lance set up the entire thing for me. I was absolutely speechless for what seemed like an endless amount of time. We started walking toward the far lanes and they all jumped out screaming "Happy Birthday!" It was amazing. I was shocked...and super happy.

We played a couple of games and then everyone headed to my house for pizza, cake and Rock Band. The last of my friends left at 11pm, so it was a very full day of fun. I had the most amazing time. I actually couldn't have asked for a better day. I LOVE games...any games...so to be able to play all day with my friends was a blast.

Lance, Bre, Mom, Dad, Leah, Justin, Dan, Noell, Madison, Laura, Bridget, Scott, Mike, Shellie and Izzie....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for celebrating my birthday with me! It truly was one that I will never forget.

Birthday Celebration!

2008-11-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

An amazing day
Bowling and Rock Band with friends
A special birthday

Oops!

2008-11-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post
last night about my birthday
I guess I missed one!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Turkey and stuffing
Mashed potatoes with gravy
I was in heaven!

Let The Holidays Begin!

2008-11-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

A Thanksgiving feast
The fam is coming over
Lots of stuff to eat!

I haven't written an actual entry in a while, so I figured that it must be time for an update.

I finished up my classes last week at the Adult Ed. I'm really happy that I took them! I'm really happy that they're over, too. I was going to sign up for a class this next term but I decided against it. I realized that I was WAY overbooking myself with stuff and I was becoming increasingly more exhausted. I was at the point where I felt like I was sleepwalking at work during the day. Life is too short to feel like every moment is just passing you by. So, I had to learn to say when enough was enough.

I started job coaching again last week. I was supposed to start the first week of November but the schedule wasn't set up in time. I decided to do 5 days a week this year. It seems like a lot, but when I factor in that I get off at 5pm compared to 5:45pm when I worked at the preschool, it isn't that bad. Most of my placements are pretty cool and the students are pretty awesome so far. I think it will probably be a good year for Workability.

Last Saturday, I invited 19 of Lance's friends to dinner at E.J. Phair to celebrate his birthday. It was nice to see everyone and we all had a really great time. I surprised Lance and invited his friend Kristine, who he hadn't seen in about 5 years. They were really close friends in junior high and high school. It was really great for them to be able to catch up. We're going to try and get out to San Francisco to see her sometime in the near future.

Monday was Lance's birthday. I took him out to Moylan's brewery for lunch. He was really surprised and had NO idea where we were going. It was great because I really wanted to find somewhere to go where he would be genuinely surprised. The food was EXCELLENT and from what Lance said, the beer was pretty good, too. He even ordered a couple of bottles to bring home. We didn't do anything else that day because he wasn't feeling well. (He still isn't feeling great, but he's doing okay).

Lance is, once again, cooking Thanksgiving dinner at our house. He really enjoyed doing it last year so he wanted to do it again this year. It is SOOOO nice having a hubby that does all the cooking! =) My parents, sister and her boyfriend will come over early to play some Rock Band before dinner and pie. My mom has to work at midnight tomorrow night, so we're going to make it an early dinner.

My birthday is this Friday. I know that I'm probably being a total baby about the whole thing, but I'm really not looking forward to my birthday this year. I'm actually having major anxiety about it. For some reason, turning 30 seems really significant. I think one of the reasons why I'm having a problem with it is because I don't really have the life I thought I would have had 4 or 5 years ago (i.e. a little one). I don't want to sound ungrateful for the things I do have, though. I have a wonderful family, a loving husband, a roof over my head and food in the cabinets. I have a stable job and a reliable car. I have a couple of true friends that I can really count on. It's hard when people ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas because the one thing that I want can't be bought in a store or wrapped in a box. I never really "want" anything...except for a family of my own. (You can ask Lance...buying for me can be one of the hardest things in the entire world!) Anyway, I know there are people who will tell me that I'm still young and they will probably think that I'm being silly, but I can't help the way I feel. I told Lance that I don't want to plan anything for my birthday and that if anyone wants to plan something for me, just tell me when and where to show up. I plan everyone else's birthdays, anniversarys, etc. I'm not going to plan my birthday this year. So, I have no idea what I'm doing or if I'm doing anything at all. I'm ready for someone to surprise me with something.

We had Ursula and the boys over for dinner last night. The boys are getting so big!!! It was so fun getting to see them and spend time with them. I really want to try and get out to see them more often, especially since they live so much closer now.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

A Great Evening

2008-11-25T19:55:00.001-08:00

A great time tonight
With Ursula and the boys
Can't wait 'til next time!

Pain

2008-11-24T23:46:00.000-08:00

I messed up my back
No more vacuuming for me!
A new chore for Lance

(Just kidding, sweetie...just wanted to see if you actually read my blog)

Relaxing

2008-11-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

Time to fold laundry
and watch some shows that I missed
I love lazy days!

This Morning

2008-11-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

Two times to the dump
Dad took out the two damn trees!
I'm a happy gal

At Last!

2008-11-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Finally a break!
A week off for Thanksgiving
Lots of stuff to do

Food

2008-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ate too much today
Now I am paying for it
My belly is full!!!

Blah

2008-11-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

Skipped out on Excel
Needed to go home tonight
I am a rebel!

Term Ending

2008-11-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

My last day of school
Comes tomorrow with Excel
Until December

Sleep

2008-11-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thirteen hour day
Makes me want to hit the hay
Time to rest my head

Almost There...

2008-11-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

I have one more week
Then it is Thanksgiving break!
I am almost there

National Protest Against Prop 8

2008-11-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Another protest
People should have the same rights
I will keep fighting

Ronnie's Race

2008-11-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

It was a close race
Behind by only three points
Couldn't pull it off

Another Crazy Weekend

2008-11-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

A busy weekend
Next week even busier
My head will explode!

Jennifer

2008-11-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

It has been four years
Your voice is always with me
You are truly missed

Time to Transfer?

2008-11-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

Sixteen more units
To get to Cal State East Bay
Lots of school for me!

The Counselor

2008-11-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

I will make a choice
To go back to school or not?
We will have to see.

Christmas is Coming!

2008-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

It is almost time
The season fast approaches
Time to celebrate!

Just Made It!

2008-11-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

I made it by twelve
A Haiku for Saturday
Now I go to bed

Long Weekend

2008-11-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

A four day weekend!
What shall I do tomorrow?
Hang with Mom and Dad

Dinner

2008-11-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

My belly is full
Pasta Pomodoro rocks!
A good time with friends

Heartbroken

2008-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today I was sad
People's rights taken away
We will fight again

Change

2008-11-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

It is time for change
Barack defeated McCain
Now defeat Prop 8!

No on 8!!!!!!!!

2008-11-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

Four hours outside
Holding my sign in the rain
Time to end the hate

All Backed Up

2008-11-02T08:37:00.001-08:00

Had to make a call
Roto Rooter coming soon
Stupid tree must go!

Old Friends

2008-11-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Lance and I got together with some friends that we haven't seen in a few years. I'm not quite sure why we haven't been in touch the last couple of years. I guess life just takes over sometimes and before you know it, a whole bunch of time goes by. It was nice getting to catch up with them. We went out to dinner, had some ice cream for dessert and then went back to their house so we could see their new house. Their daughter is adorable and has gotten so big! Lance and I had a really great time. I've really missed them and I'm so glad that we're back in touch.

It's nice to reconnect with old friends.

Fall

2008-11-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

The rain is falling
Leaves are beginning to change
How I love the fall!

Slacker!

2008-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't exactly live up to the expectations I had for myself to actually blog every day this month. I was on the right track for a while...then I goofed. Then, over the last week or so, I haven't been able to pick myself back up. Ah well...life happens.

November is Haiku-A-Day month. I am setting the bar high again and I'm expecting to be able to accomplish this. I can say now that I think it will be easier to write a 3 line Haiku compared to a blog entry, but it may not end up that way. Expect my first one tomorrow.

So, here is what has been happening in my life over the last week or so:

Today was my last day working at the preschool. I'm bummed...super sad. I really love it there and enjoy the kids and the entire staff more than I could possibly express. I made sure they knew to call me whenever they needed a sub.

School continues to go well. My teachers are awesome. I believe I have 3 more weeks of class this term. I'm not sure what I'm going to take next term, but I may only take one class. Even though I am no longer at the preschool everyday, I'm still going to be working over 40 hours a week. I'm trying to do as much as I can without burning out. Sometimes it is a fine line, but I think I'm managing.

I absolutely love the classes that I have been attending that are for foster and adopting parents. Lance has gone to all but maybe one or two classes with me and they have all been great. We have met some absolutely wonderful people. I am signed up to take 3 more classes before the end of the year. I'm really looking forward to them.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am SOOOOO ready for the election to be over. Whoever is elected really has their work cut out for them. No on 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Weekend!

I Couldn't Help Myself

2008-10-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

As I was driving to work today, I stopped at a red light and noticed a man walking to a street corner to place a sign to urge voters to vote Yes on Prop 8. I was so outraged that when the light turned green, I had already put my passenger side window down to yell something at him when I drove by. I won't repeat here what I said to him, but I can say that I wasn't nice.

Was this a bit out of character for me? Yes...yes it was. But, I couldn't help it.

I am continuously perplexed as to why people have such a hard time with gay people getting married. Maybe it is because I grew up outside of San Francisco that I am so accepting of other people. I was always exposed to people of different cultures, ethnicities and lifestyles. Or, maybe it is because my generation has been more accepting and tolerant of gay people. Whatever it is, I don't see this as a threat to the heterosexual population. Heck, the divorce rate is somewhere around 50%...what does that say about heterosexual marriages? That's not something to brag about.

I have gay people in my family and I have gay friends. I can't even fathom what it must feel like for them to have to face such discrimination. I don't know how to respond to people who say that they believe that they should have the same rights as far as owning property together or getting to visit their loved one in the hospital, yet they shouldn't be allowed to get married. I don't know how anyone could have a problem with that. It doesn't concern me or my marriage and they certainly aren't hurting anyone.

How is it anyone's right to tell them that they cannot have a legal ceremony to seal their commitment to one another???

I am outraged and I am saddened that people are so full of intolerance. I will absolutely, without a doubt, vote NO on Prop 8.

Another Cruise

2008-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my parent's house where we booked another cruise to go on in March. My dad decided that he wanted to do an 8 day cruise to Mexico for his 60th birthday next year, and this specific cruise that he wants to go on is only offered in March and October. My sister and I would have to take a leave of absence from work next October and we would get docked an entire week of work, so we decided to do the cruise in March. It happens to fall during our spring break, so the timing is perfect! I'm super excited. This cruise will mark my 3rd cruise in a 7 month period. I better make sure that I don't run out of motion sickness patches! I'm bummed that Lance won't be able to go with us, as he doesn't have spring break until two weeks after I do. It would be way too hard for him to take off an entire week of work. Honestly, I think he'll probably be cruised out by the time we get back from our cruise in December. I don't think he's too torn up about missing the one in March.

I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my parent's new puppy. His name is Bear and he's sooooo adorable! I don't think these pictures do him justice. My mom took him to the vet last week and he's a healthy 4.2 pound baby boy. I took a picture of their other dog, Sissy, so she wouldn't feel left out.

Enjoy!

Sissy

Bear

How cute is he???

Soooo behind!

2008-10-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm seriously behind on posting to my blog. Writing everyday has been really hard. I haven't been home much over the last two days, so my main priority has been trying to get laundry done and possibly get some sleep. I guess I have failed in my attempt to post everyday in October. November is Haiku-A-Day month. Hopefully that will be easier!

I finally got a chance to see my friend, Elizabeth, and her husband, Mathew, yesterday. They live in Utah and came to celebrate their daughter Evalina's 1st birthday with their family and friends here in California. I haven't seen them in a couple of years (at least!) so it was really great to catch up and finally meet Evalina. Another one of my old friends from high school was also there. It was nice to see everyone!

Today I am trying to catch up on what needs to be done at home. I have laundry piled sky high, the table needs to be cleaned off, I need to vacuum...the list goes on and on! I also can't forget about my homework. To top it off, I woke up yesterday feeling like my cold is coming back. I thought I was just getting over one and now I'm feeling crappy again. There has been a lot of sickness going around at the preschool, so I was probably bound to end up with something again. Good thing I have a lot of sick time at work!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Old Friends

2008-10-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, I totally forgot to post something yesterday. I checked my blog yesterday but I didn't post anything. I must be tired!

I don't have much to report tonight. I do have a pretty exciting weekend ahead, as some old friends are coming from out of town. I haven't seen them in quite a few years, so I'm super happy! I also get to finally meet my friend's little girl. She turned 1 last weekend and is such a cutie! I can't wait.

Okay...that really is all I can scrape up tonight. Hopefully I'll have more tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Always Singing

2008-10-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love to sing in the car. I don't do it much with other people in my car and I don't do it when Lance is with me, but I do it all the time when I'm by myself. I love belting out a good tune and I never care who's watching me.

I remember this one day about a year ago when I was headed to the movie theater to pick up some movie tickets. Like ususal, I was singing away. I had a guy pull up beside me at a light and smile. I quickly turned away and kept on singing. The light turned green and we both went our separate ways...or so I thought. I pulled up to the theater and got out of my car. While standing in line, I heard a voice right behind me say, "So...what song were you singing?" I blushed, bought my ticket and left quickly. It was the first time I had been embarrassed. For some reason, I can get up and sing in front of hundreds, even thousands, of people and not be scared or embarrassed, yet for some reason I wanted to crawl inside myself when the guy approached me.

On my way to work this morning, I pulled up to a red light. I was belting out a song that I hadn't heard in a while (and I won't discuss which song it was for fear of being teased...I'll just say it was a newer pop song) when I looked over and saw the girl in the car next to me singing also. Then I realized that we were singing the same song! She must have realized what was happening because she broke out in laughter.

Good times, good times!

Directv

2008-10-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into our current house, we have experienced problems with our Directv service. I don't know how many times Lance has had to call them for certain things. Recently, our recorder has been acting up. We'll start to watch a show that we have recorded and it will freeze. It started out happening every once in a while. Then, about two days ago, I'd be able to watch a show for about 2 minutes and then it would freeze. It would start playing again and then freeze in another 2 minutes. It started driving us nuts!

Today I came home and Lance informed me that our box won't even turn on now. Perfect. I have a few shows that are on right now that I've been looking forward to. As disappointed as I am, it's a good reminder of how lucky I am to even have a luxury like that. I don't get to watch much TV as it is, but it has always been nice to turn something on and zone out for a bit after a long day. I guess I HAVE to talk to my husband every night now!

Just kidding, sweetie. =)

Pergo

2008-10-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight was one of those nights when I really started to miss having laminate flooring. In our old house, we tore out the carpet and put down Pergo. It made a world of difference, both with the way the house looked inside and how easy it was to clean and keep clean.

It is SOOO hard to keep carpet clean and presentable when you have animals. Willy was put in our bedroom while Lance went outside to feed Argos tonight. A car backfired outside and I knew instantly that Willy would pee all over our room. Sure enough, he peed on Lance's side of the bed and at the foot of the bed. To top it off, he also peed on our comforter. Good thing I had an extra one!

With laminate flooring, all we would have to do it wipe it up. No fuss...no mess...simple. With carpet, we had to get as much as we could with a paper towel, then spray some Nature's Miracle on it, then cover it with towels so we could still walk in the room. Such a pain. Then you just hope that it doesn't smell too much. I don't have much of a sense of smell anyway, but I'm always nervous that it is going to be really stinky.

Oh, how I miss my Pergo!!! One day, I'll get it again.

CPR

2008-10-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Lance and I did an all day CPR/First Aid class today. It was offered through the county as part of their continuing education program for foster and adoptive parents. This was by far the best CPR class that we have taken. The teachers were excellent! Another plus was that you didn't have to take the lame test at the end. I hate tests! We also got out of class a bit early. No complaining here!

It is always nice to talk to other people who are foster and adoptive parents. There was a lady in our class today that has been in another one of our classes and we remembered each other right away. She has 4 children right now (at least one of them is adopted and one is a foster child) and they have started the process of adopting another child. While talking to her, we realized that we both have the same social worker. She told me exactly what I had heard from other people...that our social worker, Susan, is completely swamped with caseloads. She told us that the best advice she could give us was to give her another call soon just to check in. I'm going to follow that advice and hopefully call her this week. Susan apparently told her that she has a couple who have been waiting to adopt for over a year and a half now...we both wondered if she was talking about me and Lance. I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be too much longer!

I Didn't Forget

2008-10-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

I didn't forget to post last night. The truth is, I really just had nothing to say. I'm getting tired of writing about how I'm "super busy" and "I can't think of anything", so last night, I said nothing.

Lance and I have CPR all day today. Hopefully I'll come home and be able to actually post something with some substance.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

10 Minutes and Counting...

2008-10-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

There were at least 5 different times today when I thought about topics that would make really great blog entries. They all included either something I've thought about during the day or something that happened to me. Yet as I sit here in front of the computer, I can't remember even one of my ideas. I've been staring at my computer screen for over 10 minutes now. I'm really going to have to start writing down my ideas as they come to me. Maybe a pen and a small piece of paper wouldn't be such a bad thing to carry around in my pocket.

Lance and I went to a class tonight on New Baby Care. It was great and super informative, although I'm sure that I'm going to forget everything I learned tonight when we're placed with a child. I often think this is what is going to happen if I should ever need to apply my CPR training. After every CPR class I've ever had, I've always had this feeling that my skills will fly out the window when I need them the most. The lady who taught our class tonight was great. She's an R.N. and a Foster Parent Liasion. I made sure to grab her contact information before I left in case I ever need to get a hold of her for anything. She is definitely a contact that I want to keep.

We're renewing our CPR/First Aid certification on Saturday. I sooooo wish that I could have my Saturday free this weekend, but I'm also anxious to get the training out of the way.

I'm really enjoying my classes at the adult ed. My teachers are really great. I actually created an Excel sheet for work today and was able to apply some things that I learned in my class. Woo hoo! I retained something. Hooray for me!

Alrighty...time for bed.

Confirmed!

2008-10-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Remember the free cruise that I won in August? I got a letter in the mail today from Carnival Cruise Lines confirming my request to sail to Mexico in December. Cabo, here I come! I'm so excited, so excited, so excited......

I'm ready to start packing!

I need a vacation.

Oops!

2008-10-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Blog-A-Day month just started and I've already missed a day. I completely forgot to post yesterday! So much for my head being screwed on straight...

I've been fighting this cold/whatever for almost 3 weeks now. I'm not sure what it is but it includes congestion, a seriously raspy voice and exhaustion. I'm probably just tired. I took the day off today and slept. I'm feeling a bit better but my voice is still shot. The owner of the preschool told me last week that it was my "sexy voice". It might be, but I don't feel very sexy right now.

I watched the debate tonight. I'm pretty certain that I know who I'm voting for. I enjoy listening to what they have to say, but after about 45 minutes, my brain turns to mush and I start getting antsy. The only thing I know is that the economy needs to turn around immediately. It is pretty scary.

Okay...I'm off to do Excel homework before I head to bed.

Religulous

2008-10-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Lance and I went and saw Religulous today. It is Bill Maher's documentary that has him interviewing people of all religions to try and get some answers. He interviews everyone from creationists to Mormons to priests from the Vatican. It was a movie that I had been interested in seeing for a long time. It didn't disappoint.

What I like about Bill Maher is the fact that he asks questions instead of telling people that he KNOWS the truth about religion. He asks a lot of questions that people are uncomfortable answering and in one instance, the person actually walks out on him. He definitely leans more towards being an atheist, although he never claims to be one. To me, he is someone who is seeking answers and trying to understand why people believe the things that they do.

I think I'm probably a lot like him in this way. Even after I was "saved" during my high school years, I was never comfortable calling myself a Christian. Something about that label always bothered me a little bit. I dated a couple of guys who went to church regularly and I would go with them. I remember that I would come home from church and ask my parents all kinds of questions like, "how do I know that THIS one is the right religion?" My parents never had an answer for me. I don't think anyone does.

I have never felt comfortable calling myself an atheist either. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I just can't get there. I definitely lean more that way, but for some reason, I associate being an atheist with closing the door on a possibility that God exists. Do I really think that he does? No, but I just can't get there. Do I find a lot of the stories in the bible to be completely outrageous and, at times, even horrific? Yes. I guess I'm just more comfortable saying "I don't know". I want to continue to ask questions. Maybe it's just having to label myself something that I don't like. I don't know...

Question everything.

Why So Insulting?

2008-10-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

The upcoming presidential election has really sparked a lot of interest with people on all sides of the issues. I've never been one to hide that my views fall way more on the liberal side of things. I am a huge supporter of gay marriage and I believe in a woman's right to choose. As far as some of the foreign policy and economy issues that we face, I'm the first to admit that I am not as well informed. I know that our economy and housing market is in the crapper right now. I really can't be much more detailed than that.

We all have our differences of opinion. I agree with my parents on almost all of the issues but we tend to feel differently on others. The thing is, when we talk about them, we're respectful. We don't criticize the other side for thinking the way they do nor do we throw insults. We will never get 100% of the people to agree on an issue 100% of the time.

I happen to know someone who I feel I cannot have a reasonable conversation with, and now that politics are a daily topic, it has become worse. I used to feel that our conversations were a bit awkward, but now it has turned into a big, heaping ball of insults thrown our way because we don't share the same opinions that they do. For goodness sake...I don't even really like politics! I know that Lance and my sister feel the same way. I won't name who they are out of respect. It has gotten so bad at times that I don't even know how I'm going to talk to this person the next time I see them. He/She is an extreme conservative who feels that all liberals are "friggin' idiots" and that the only good thing about liberals is that they all die eventually. This is just a very small sample of the things that we have heard over the last few months. It has gotten worse, but I won't go into it.

The point is, I'm furious. As much as I don't agree with most of the conservatives, I would NEVER EVER call them names or try to push their buttons to insult them. This person also considers themself to be a Christian. I was taught to be tolerant of others. I was taught to be respectful to others. I'm starting to learn now, though, that respect is to be earned. My respect for this person is dwindling, and so is my patience.

I just don't understand it. We wonder why there is so much hate in the world.

Blank

2008-10-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am so tired tonight that I honestly, seriously have nothing of any value to blog about tonight. I am writing this just for the sole purpose of trying to accomplish one blog every single day this month. I even voluntarily signed up to take a class tomorrow, on my SATURDAY, so I need to get to bed so I can wake up early tomorrow morning.

Am I punishing myself with everything I'm doing? I don't know...I'm too tired to think about it.

Day 2

2008-10-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's only the second day of the "blog-a-day" month and I'm already at a slight loss of words. I'm not supposed to only give a personal account of what is happening in my life, as Scott says that one of the rules is that you can't just give a run down of your days. But, right now, my little bubble is all I know. I'm a bit out of touch as to what is happening in the world. That's not a good thing necessarily, but it's my life at the moment.

I had a doctor appointment today. It went well overall. My main reason for going was to have my blood pressure checked, as I switched medications this summer and we needed to give it a little time to see if it was working. Luckily for me, it is working. My doctor said my blood pressure was perfect. She asked me how I was feeling overall and I said that I was feeling really great...with one exception...my feet have been hurting for a while now. They get really stiff when I've been off of them for a while. When I get up in the morning, I'm really stiff and sore. When I've been sitting on the couch for a while and I get up, they're really stiff and sore. I have to get some routine blood work done in the next few days anyway to make sure my thyroid and triglycerides are still on track, so they're also going to test me for Rheumatoid Arthritis. If I don't test positive for that, she said it is probably that I'm overdoing it. With the schedule I'm keeping right now, I wouldn't be surprised.

Some random thoughts that I had today:

It rained. I love the rain and the dark clouds and the feeling that winter is not too far off.

I love my husband. He's the bestest. He takes care of me and supports me and has my dinner ready for me when I come home every night. I can't wait to see him as a daddy.

My parents got a new puppy today. He's an 8 week old apricot-colored toy poodle. Pretty stinkin' cute. I can't wait to meet him!

I'm grateful to have friends that care enough about all of my ramblings to read my blog, even if they don't comment...I'm looking at you, Anita! ***waves***

I'm seeing "Religulous" this weekend with Lance. I CANNOT WAIT!!!

If Sarah Palin said the word "maverick" ONE more time during the debate tonight.....

Why do people choose to use the bathroom stall RIGHT next to mine when every single other stall in the bathroom is free? I don't get it.

I rose above today. Yes I did. I don't like balloons. Not at all. Not under any circumstances. They make loud noises when they pop and the sound of someone rubbing their fingers on them makes all the hair stand up on my body. I can literally feel my heart racing in my chest. Yet today, I found myself about a foot away from a balloon for about a 2 minute walk back to my classroom. I made it and I didn't freak out. I will conquer my irrational fear of balloons!

Okay...that's enough thinking for tonight.

Blog A Day Month

2008-10-01T21:52:00.001-07:00

Our friend, Scott, has officially declared October "Blog A Day Month". We did it last year as well and I did okay, but I'm determined to actually do one every single day for the entire month this time. With the schedule that I'm keeping, I'm positive that I'll be able to contribute something, but some days, it probably won't be much.

My life lately has been really hectic. Work is going okay (with the exception of one person that I work with who will remain nameless) and the preschool is really great. My last day at the preschool will be on Halloween, which will allow me to start job coaching some students in the district the first week of November. I'm sad that I'm leaving but I'm super grateful for the opportunity to have worked there again...and to have worked with such amazing people!

My classes are going well. I really love both of my teachers, although I'm not crazy about the way my Spanish teacher is running her class. Because she has a lot of repeat students, she starts every new term on the page of the book that her last class left off. Her last class finished the term on page 33, meaning that my class started the current term on page 34. I'm so glad right now that I have even a little bit of a background in the language! Good thing I remember much of what I learned 15 years ago. My Excel class is great. They are teaching us Excel 2007, which means that it is the latest version of Excel. It also means that I won't get to use it outside of class because I don't know anyone (and this includes my work) that has this version of Excel. Apparently, it is much different from the 2000 and 2003 versions, so I'm not even looking at those. I'll probably confuse myself! Oh well....at least I'm learning something new!

I'm also taking a bunch of classes through the Foster Care Network, which is connected with our local community college. I've already taken a Welcome Book class with Lance and last Thursday, I went to a class entitled "The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Teen Brain". Fascinating stuff! Coming up, I have CPR/First Aid, New Baby Care, An Adoption Story, Bipolar Disorder, The Developing Brain: From Infancy Through the Teen Years and a few more that I can't remember off the top of my head. I even signed up for a class through another local Adult Ed for this Saturday! I must be crazy...

There are a lot of other things that I've been up to over the last month or so (a minor league baseball game with the family, my Dad's birthday, my best friend's wedding dress shopping experience, etc.) but I'm a bit tired now to get into it all. Maybe I'll save it for my upcoming posts...Hmmm.....

That's all folks! Goodnight!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2008-08-31T10:43:00.001-07:00

Today would have been my grandma's 99th birthday. Happy Birthday Mimi!

I miss her terribly.

A Little Crazy

2008-08-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I talked about how busy my life is going to be for the next few months. Since then, I have made it even more crazy. I accepted an offer to work at the preschool again in the afternoons starting on Tuesday. (For those of you who don't know, I worked at this same preschool for about 9 months before resigning last summer). I absolutely LOVE the people there and the kids are amazing. One of the teachers there is out on leave, so I will technically be a substitute until she comes back. I'm not sure how long that will be, but I told them that I would help them out for as long as they need me...and as long as I can handle everything on my plate! I'm excited to work with them again and I'm really flattered that they would want me back. I just hope I can keep my energy up to be able to do all of these things.

I just may be certifiably crazy.

Work was off to a rocky start this week, but the first couple of weeks are always a bit sketchy. We had all the usual problems...communication issues, bus issues (my sister-in-law will know what I'm talking about), other issues that I can't talk about here, etc. It will all come together eventually. I just have to remind myself to breathe sometimes.

I think that if I become more disciplined with exercise and getting myself to bed at a reasonable time each night, I will hopefully have an easier time with this busy schedule.

When is my next vacation????

A New School Year Begins

2008-08-25T16:26:00.001-07:00

Today officially marked the beginning of my 9th school year working in Special Education. I can still remember the first year like it was yesterday. I was nervous, anxious, excited...all the things you're supposed to feel on your first day. Today was what we called Institute Day. It means that the entire staff gets together for meetings and workshops that last the entire day. I didn't sleep well last night. This happens to me the night before each school year. It is basically the same feeling that I had on my very first day.

While everyone else got to pick what workshops they wanted to attend today, I had to go to an all day training session with everyone else in my job classification. Our training consisted of learning techniques that they want you to use as an alternative to restraining. None of my current students have behaviors that would need restraining, but it is good for us to go through it. Some people were complaining about how "boring" the training was. I'm just happy that we actually got training.

With the start of the new school year comes a few VERY hectic, crazy, busy months. As if work doesn't keep me busy enough, I decided to sign up for 2 full term classes at the adult ed (Spanish and Excel), 1 short term class at the adult ed (Egyptology) and 8 (yes, I said 8!) classes through the county as a part of their Continuing Education Program. Luckily, the classes that I'm taking through the county are only one day classes, so they shouldn't be too bad. My calendar looks absolutely ridiculous between now and December 11. Wish me luck!

Now, I'm going to go get myself some dinner and zone out. My brain is mush!

Too Perfect

2008-08-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

There's something about Barbara's face in this picture that just makes me laugh.

I think I know how she feels.

30...Going on 12???

2008-08-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

At the end of this year, I'll be celebrating the big 3-0. I'm not sure that I'm quite ready to be in my 30's, but it doesn't really matter because it's inevitable. There are so many things that I have done in my 20's that I'm happy about and in other ways, I thought I would have done more. I've heard people say that the 30's are fantastic. I hope that I can say the same.

I have noticed over the last 6 months that I have had a real problem with breakouts on my forehead. What the heck is that all about? Nobody ever told me to expect that at my age! Sure, I occasionally get a pimple here or there, but a full on breakout??? I brought it up to my mom today when I was at her house and she casually responded with, "Oh yeah. It happens." WHAT??? I've been told by a few people that I have really nice skin and yet recently I feel like my skin is exactly the way it was back in junior high. I also have very fair and sensitive skin so finding products to use on my face is not always an easy (or affordable!) task. I guess I'm going to have to get a bit more diligent in my search for successful products.

So, my readers...I ask you...is there anything else I should know about?

Fun, Fun, Fun!

2008-08-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

We got back yesterday from our cruise and it was so much fun! We're pretty exhausted today but we had a great time. Oh...and the patch that my doctor gave me for sea sickness helped! I didn't get sick at all. Thank goodness...

Catalina Island was a blast. We can't wait to go back! It was a bit cloudy in the morning but it burned off pretty early on, so we were able to enjoy a beautiful day. We decided to tour some of the island on Segways. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the week! Our tour guide, Joe, was fantastic. He was super patient and encouraging with us as we each took turns getting a lesson from him on how to ride them. It took a few minutes to get the hang of it but once you did, it was pretty easy. We got a lot of stares from people as we drove them around town. Too much fun!

Ensenada was also nice. There wasn't a lot to do there, so we tried to make the most of it. We signed up for a tour that took us to the Convention Center and to La Bufadora (the blowhole) which was about an hour away from the ship. There were A TON of vendors there trying to sell us stuff, yet they all pretty much had the same goods. We didn't have very much time there and there wasn't really any time to shop. We did walk through downtown Ensenada for a while when the tour was over. Lance found himself a bottle of hot sauce and we headed back to the ship.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love playing games. I played quite a few of them on the ship. I played Win, Lose or Draw, Bean Bag Toss, TV Theme Show Trivia and a few games of Bingo. Lance ended up winning the TV Theme Show Trivia game. It came down to a tie-breaker and Lance ended up winning. I, on the other hand, ran into some good luck while playing my first game of Bingo. I ended up being the only winner (out of a few hundred that were playing against me) and took home the ultimate prize....a free cruise!!!!!! So, now I have to decide where I want to go and when. I told Lance that he better be nice to me if he wants to go with me. Ha ha! Lance and I also did Karaoke on the last night of the cruise. We did "Love Shack", which is what we usually do at Karaoke. I think we were a hit!

I picked out the best pictures of our cruise to put on my blog. I took so many pictures that there was no way I could have posted every single one of them. So, here are the highlights. Enjoy!

Furry Friends

2008-08-09T23:29:00.001-07:00

Lance reminded me that I needed to post a couple of new pictures of the pets...especially the one with Willy and Oliver in what appears to be a cuddle fest. It is really hard to get them to take pictures. Willy is the hardest because his reaction is to run as soon as he sees me with a camera. With Oliver, it is hard to get a picture of him with his eyes open. I'm sure it has something to do with my camera and the fact that it doesn't zoom far, so I always have to get pretty close to him to get a good one. Here they are!

Oliver and Willy

Oliver

Willy

Argos

The Half-Assed Hug

2008-08-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my MySpace site a while ago and for some reason I never got around to posting it here. I always intended to, though. Enjoy!

Everyone in my family will agree with the fact that I'm a hugger. Hugs make me happy. If you ask my mom (and probably my husband), I can actually be somewhat of a cling-on at times. Actually, if you ask my sister, she will probably roll her eyes and smile in agreement, too. This is how I've always been. I have always liked touch and I've always been very affectionate. I'm not exactly sure why I'm like that. My sister was, and still is to a certain degree, the opposite. We were both loved and held just the same by our parents when we were little. Affection was always present in our household.

Because I'm like this, I have always felt awkward when someone goes to give me a hug and it ends up being half-assed. Every single time I ask myself why the person even bothers. It feels so empty and yet so forced. Do people feel obligated? Believe me, I feel no obligation to hug people, but if you're going to go for it, do it right. Act like you mean it. Nobody will ever receive a hug from me that isn't firm. When I give a hug, I mean business.

I was at a party recently where there were a lot of people that I didn't know. Most of them I had never met before. Yet most of these people were kind enough to give me a hug when saying hello. I got all different types of hugs...strong hugs, the "I'll lightly tap your shoulder blades" hug and the "I'll put my arm around you but try not to let it touch you" hugs. It was interesting. These people felt confident enough to get that close to me, yet some of them acted like they didn't want to touch me.

My point is, if you're going to give a hug to someone, give a real hug. They won't bite and they don't have cooties.

You may just make someone's day.

A Little Road Trip

2008-08-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, Lance and I headed up to spend a couple of days with Lance's dad and his wife. It was the first time I had seen their new house since they completed it a couple of years ago. We had a lot of fun! We had some really yummy meals, went swimming and they took us up to Mt. Lassen. Aside from me getting extremely car sick on the way up, and even more so on the way down, it was really lovely. It was a really beautiful day and the temperature was perfect! It was really nice getting to spend a couple of days with them since we don't get to see them very often.

We're leaving for our cruise very early on Monday morning. I'm so excited! I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and he gave me a patch to wear while I'm on the boat so I don't get sea sick. I'm crossing my fingers that they work! I'm also going to be bringing some ginger related items with me, as it worked for me the last time I got sick on a boat. We're bringing ginger snaps, ginger pills and dried ginger. I also plan on drinking quite a bit of ginger ale while on ship. Hopefully it will work.

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip up to Lassen. Enjoy!

Manzanita Lake

Kings Creek Falls

Lance enjoying the scenery and falls

There was snow on the mountain...in August!

Emerald Lake. I hiked around this in slip-on flat shoes...not a good idea!

There were butterflies everywhere!

A geyser...it was pretty stinky!

Need I Say More???

2008-07-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

A Lucky Night

2008-07-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last night my bowling team (which is supposed to have 4 people but instead has only 2) beat the number one team in our league. How did we do it? We're not sure. We're completely shocked that we pulled that one off. Not only did we beat them, but we beat them at all three games and we won the series. When we saw that we were playing against them last night, we basically just told ourselves that we were just going to have fun and not let their skills intimidate us (even though they're very nice people).

Man, am I going to miss bowling when the summer league is over.

Don't ever doubt yourself! You just may be surprised.

Many The Miles

2008-07-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to Sarah Bareilles for quite a while now...even before they started playing her songs a million times a day on the radio. She's definitely one of my favorite artists right now. She has a song called "Many The Miles" that I think pretty much sums up how I've been feeling about life in general for some time. Here it is:

There's too many things that I haven't done yet
Too many sunsets I haven't seen
You can't waste the day wishing it'd slow down
You would've thought by now I'd have learned something

I made up my mind when I was a young girl
I've been given this one world
I won't worry it away
But now and again I lose sight of the good life
I get stuck in a low light
But then love comes in

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
But send me the miles and I'll be happy to follow you love

I do what I can wherever I end up
To keep giving my good love
And spreading it around
Cause I've had my fair share of take care and goodbyes
I've learned how to cry
And I'm better for that

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Send me the miles and I'll be happy to follow you love

Red letter day and I'm in a blue mood
Wishing that blue would just carry me away
I've been talking to God
Don't know if it's helping or not
But surely something has got to got to got to give
Cause I can't keep waiting to live

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
But send me the miles and i'll be happy to

There's too many things I haven't done yet
Too many sunsets I haven't seen

Time To Relax

2008-07-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

So, last Thursday was my last day of summer school. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that I am finally on break! Not that I'm complaining...working only 4 hours a day for 20 days isn't that bad. I'm just ready to not work for a while.

Lance and I have a couple of things planned for our time off. Next Thursday, we're heading up to see Lance's dad for two nights. I haven't seen his home since they finished building it a few years ago. Lance went up there and stayed for a night last year. We don't get to see them very often, so it will be nice to visit and catch up.

We also decided against taking a road trip. I'm still a bit bummed that we're not going, but it's okay. I'll spare you all the details as to why we're not going, but we just coudn't work it out. Instead of a road trip, we decided to take a 5 day cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico with my parents in August. We opted for a 5 day because this is Lance's first cruise. Maybe we'll take a longer cruise next time if he really likes it. I think he was probably sold on it the minute I told him that there was a sushi bar on board. He told me that he plans to eat nothing but sushi on the cruise to really get our money's worth. I'm just so happy to actually be going somewhere. I love going out of town on vacation. I plan to do nothing but relax and eat the entire time. I just love cruises...

Lance talked to our social worker, Susan, a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to make sure that we hadn't slipped through the cracks or had been forgotten. She told him that we definitely have not been forgotten and that even though we looked excellent from the start of this process, we look even better now because we have been waiting so long. I guess it really shows them that we're serious about wanting to adopt. When we were going through this process, they didn't have any kind of timeline to give us as to when we could expect to be placed. Now, apparently, they are telling people that it will be at least a year before they are placed. She also hinted to him that we are close to the top of the list and told him that there were a lot of people who were in front of us and had been waiting even longer to adopt. So, even though we're not placed yet, it was nice to touch base with her and know that we're still in this. It gave Lance and I a renewed confidence that we're doing the right thing.

Have a nice weekend!

Back To Work

2008-06-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about my job is all the time off you get. I have done so much over the last two weeks...it's crazy! I wrote about my first week off in my last blog. Over this last week, I have celebrated Father's Day, my sister's birthday, visited with my sister-in-law and my two adorable nephews, went to a movie, went to the outlet stores, went to a doctor appointment, went bowling and tomorrow I will be heading up to Calistoga with my best friend, Laura. Whew! I'm not sure that I've ever booked myself like this before. I'm enjoying every minute of it, though.

I know I'm probably a total nerd by talking about this, but I absolutely love bowling. Every Tuesday when I get home, I'm just happy. I'm having a blast! The people there are so nice and everyone is so supportive and encouraging. Some people there are pretty hardcore and then there are people like me who are there just to have a good time. I'm so happy to have chosen this "new experience" this year.

Summer school starts on Monday. As much as I could moan and groan about how I have to go back to work, I'm actually looking forward to it. I miss the students. I'm sure I'll be ready for that month long break when it's over, though. I really can't complain, though. How many other people only have to work 10 months out of the year?

Lance has been busy this week. He is taking a professional development course to bump him up on the pay scale. He's taking an art class that allows him to be creative and learn some art history, which is right up his alley. He seems to really be enjoying the class.

We are considering taking a road trip this summer. We don't get to go out of town very often, so we thought it would be fun. I keep going back and forth about it because of the gas prices. Airline prices are so high right now, so flying somewhere doesn't seem to be an option, either. I probably need to just stop thinking about it and just do it. More on our little adventure when we've figured out the details...

My bowling shoes have arrived!!!!

2008-06-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

I am happy, happy, happy, happy.......

Summer Break!

2008-06-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

I realized today that it has been a while since my last blog. I've actually been quite busy, but that's no excuse. It really doesn't take long to post an update!

Last Tuesday (June 3) was my last day of the school year. I am very happy to be on break, but after a week of not seeing my students, I'm beginning to miss them . I'm working summer school this year which starts on June 23. I actually like working summer school, although this summer is going to be a bit more challenging than others have been. As of right now, we only have one teacher for 24 students. Yes...I said 24 students. CRAZY!!!! Anyone who works in special education can sympathize with our situation. I won't go into the details on here about what is going on with the administration behind the scenes and how they handle things, but I'm hoping that they find another teacher. The one that is offically teaching is pretty stressed out about the situation...and I don't blame her!

I've seen quite a few movies in the last few weeks. Actually, all of the recent movies that I have seen have been fantastic! I'm always so happy when I walk out of the theater feeling like I've seen something great. I've seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Sex and the City (twice!), Young At Heart and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This Friday, Lance and I will head out to see The Incredible Hulk. I'm crossing my fingers BIG TIME that it is better than the last Hulk movie. There are a few other movies that are coming out this summer that I'm looking forward to seeing. Man...what a great time for movies!!!

So, other than seeing some incredible movies lately, I also went to a wedding last weekend and on Monday, I got the most amazing massage by my boyfriend...er....I mean Massage Therapist, Marco. That man does amazing things with his hands....in the most appropriate, totally professional way, of course! =) Seriously, though...if any of you are looking for a really great massage at an unbelievable price, let me know. I can hook you up big time!

Two years ago, I decided that I needed to challenge myself to try new things. I felt that I needed to experience or do something each year that I have never done before. I told myself that it didn't matter what it was...whether it was taking a class, going to a new destination, trying a new hobby, etc. Last year that challenge was working a second job at a preschool. I definitely had never done that before and it was such an amazing experience! Not only did I get to experience a new work environment, I also met some amazing people and I feel that I have new friends for life! This year, I decided to join a bowling league. Yes, that's right people...once a week, I am bowling! I had my second session last night and I have to tell you...I am having a blast! It is so much fun. The people are so nice and everyone is having so much fun. It is really nice being a part of something like that.

Well, that's about it for now. I have some other fun things on my calendar that I will write about once they happen. I'll be heading up to see my sister-in-law and nephews tomorrow. I'm so excited! I don't get to see them that much, so when I do get to, it's always really special.

Happy Wednesday!

Losing My Mind

2008-05-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was little, I always had good manners. My parents instilled in us at an early age that it is important to be polite to people, no matter who it is or where you are. I've always been shocked at the lack of manners that some people have at the movie theater. People are always putting their shoes on the chairs in front of them, kicking the chairs, talking to each other, talking on the cell phone, etc. It gets super annoying. However, I think my experience at the movie theater tonight takes the cake.

Scott, Lance and I went and saw Indiana Jones tonight. I kid you not...throughout the ENTIRE movie, I had to listen to the lady in the row behind me smack her flippin' gum!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was about to go completely insane! She came into the movie with a guy who sat next to her the entire time who said nothing to her. There is no way that I could stand it if Lance was doing that. I turned around to look at her a few times and realized that not only was the sound of it annoying, she looked ridiculous, too! Every once in a while, she would stop for a second...POP her gum...then continue smacking it. Oh my gosh...I'm not sure that I've EVER been so frustrated in the movie theater. It took everything I had in me to not throw my slushee at her. (And I'm not a violent person).

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me the importance of being polite. Hopefully I will never find myself as the topic of a stranger's blog for something totally annoying that I have done!

Heat Wave

2008-05-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been SOOOO hot here. I'm ready to look for somewhere to live in the Arctic Circle! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a fan of hot weather. I'm okay until it reaches above 80 degrees. Then I become a sweaty, irritable mess. Today it "cooled off" into the mid-90s. It was still way too hot for my taste. Yesterday, my class went on an outing and we were all miserable. I think everyone was relieved when the day was over and we could go home. We don't have air conditioning in my classroom, so we've been working with the lights off and the fans on since Thursday. My poor students!

The last couple of weeks have been really good. Busy, but good. Two weeks ago, we got complimentary tickets to go see Duran Duran in concert. They put on an awesome show! Lance, Bre, a coworker of mine and I went and had a blast. I didn't think it was going to be as good as it was. Last weekend, I went to see Alicia Keys in concert with a couple of my old coworkers from the Preschool I worked at last year. I LOVED getting together with these ladies and catching up. I feel so lucky to still be in contact with them even though I'm not working with them anymore. So fun!

Mother's Day turned out to be a nice day. We weren't able to do much since my mom had worked the night before and she was supposed to work again that night, but we did find time to spend together. We took her out to breakfast early in the morning. Then she went home to sleep for a few hours before we took her out to P.F. Changs for dinner. After dinner, we went back to my parent's house for cake and ice cream. I must have gained 10 pounds from all the eating we did that day!

This year our 6th wedding anniversary fell on Mother's Day. Since I went to the concert the night before, we decided to celebrate our anniversary last night and today. Last night, we went out to a yummy dinner at Zio Fraedos, courtesy of my parents. It was delicious! We go there maybe once a year and it has always been really good. Then today we went to the Indian buffet for lunch and went to see a movie afterward (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). It was nice to spend the day with Lance and just hang out. Lance bought me some beautiful roses last weekend that have now, unfortunately, fallen victim to the heat. I should have taken a picture of them when he brought them home. I love my hubby!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day. Of course, I tried to get a picture of me and Lance also, but it didn't quite work. So much for trying!

I love my Mom!

Bre and Mom

I don't even remember why we were laughing!

But we couldn't stop!

I thought my Mom was going to start crying from laughing so hard!

She's still laughing...

Finally!

It takes me "scolding" him to get him to smile...

...and yet, this is what I get. Gotta love him!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2008-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Lance finally decided that it was time to do something about his hair. I never had a problem with it but it was becoming apparent that he was starting to. He started getting pretty self conscious about it years ago when it started thinning out. He has been wanting to cut it off for a while now, but it's always hard to take that step and actually do it since you never know how it's going to turn out. Today, I took the electric shaver and we did it. We cut it off. I love it! It's nice and soft. I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off of it. I think he's pretty happy with it, too.

I'm starting to finally feel a bit better. I've been sick now for a couple of weeks but it got really bad last weekend. I ended up taking last Monday and Tuesday off of work because I couldn't break my fever. They were my first sick days of the entire school year! It has been horrible...fever, aches, congestion, headache. I'm still feeling a bit weak and I still have a cough, so that's a bit annoying. My dad ended up calling my house last Monday evening and he didn't even know who he was talking to on the phone because I sounded so bad! Thanks, Dad.

Our bathroom is almost finished. I'm so excited! My Dad only has one more day to come over, which will be in a couple of weeks, and then it's done. We only have to install the shower walls and change out the faucet. It will be so nice to have our bathroom back again!

Water Weight

2008-04-15T17:48:00.001-07:00

Today, while job coaching two students in the dining room of a senior residential facility, one of my students turns to me and, out of the blue, decides to tell me, "Ummm...Kirsti, my mom said that I cannot talk to you about water weight."

Now, I wasn't sure if she meant that she cannot talk to ME specifically about water weight or if she meant ME, the person who is sitting right next to her. It did make me wonder, though, if I happened to come up in her conversations with her mom about diet. I know I'm not the skinniest person around. I definitely have my share of pudge. My student has been very obsessive about food and constantly reminds us that she is on a "diet" even though she is, in my opinion, a very healthy weight and looks fantastic. (I think it's more that her parents want her to make healthy choices, which is great). She has never told me to my face that I am overweight, but she is very intelligent and I wouldn't be surprised if the thought ran through her mind from time to time.

So, just in case any of you were wondering...I'm not pudgy...I'm just retaining a lot of water.

Yeah...that's it!

One Year

2008-04-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today marks the official one year mark since Lance and I completed the homestudy for the adoption. It was exactly one year ago today that our social worker came to our house and did the home inspection. In some ways, it feels that it wasn't really that long ago. In other ways, I feel like we've been going through this process for a decade. I think that whenever the phone rings with the news that we've been waiting so long for, it's going to feel surreal. I no longer come home and run to the answering machine to see if Susan has called. I think it truly will be a surprise when it happens. It will happen...I just have to remind myself of that sometimes.

I came back from spring break and had a bit of a stressful week at work last week. Now that is over and I can move on to better days. Only 7 1/2 more weeks of work until summer break. Yipee! I applied to work summer school this year. The schedule is really awesome, so I'm actually looking forward to working this summer quite a bit. I'm off work by noon everyday AND I don't have to work Fridays (except for the first week). Woo hoo!

I've come down with a bit of a cold/something annoying this week. I'm not totally sure what it is, but I feel like I've been in slow motion all week. One of my students came in to school on Monday totally sick. He has been sneezing and coughing all over the classroom all week. My teacher and I looked at each other on Monday and said to each other that we were next. We were right. He's sick, too. Two more students have fallen ill this week as well. Whatever it is, it is sitting between my ears and giving me quite the pressure in my sinuses and a slight headache. Whether it is allergies or a cold, I'm not sure. I just want it to go away.

Everything else has been going really well with us. Nothing much new to report. Lance took me out to dinner tonight to a yummy Peruvian restaurant that is fairly new in the area. The cat and dog are continuing their love affair, which includes loving each other more than they love us. Oliver actually prefers hanging out with Willy over us! Whatever. Lance and I were joking the other day that we didn't adopt the cat for US...we adopted him for Willy!

Silly pets.

Back To Reality

2008-04-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and realized that I have come to the end of my Spring Break. I have to admit that I was pretty lazy this week. Actually, I did a lot this week but I wasn't as productive at home as I would have liked to have been.

I had a doctor appointment earlier in the week. I'm so happy to report that my blood pressure continues to be fantastic! We finally found the perfect combination of meds that have been working perfectly for me, so my doctor and I are very happy with the situation.

I had a massage with Marco this week. That guy gives the best massages! If anyone in my area is looking for a very reasonably priced one hour massage, let me know. I have a couple of his cards that I will gladly hand out.

I went to IKEA with a friend of mine from work. She had never been there before and I was itching to buy a new bedspread for our master bedroom. I think it was probably overwhelming for her (who isn't overwhelmed by the size of that place?) but we got through it. We had lunch there, too. Mmm...Swedish meatballs!

On Thursday night, I went out to see The Spazmatics with my sister, Jon and his brother. Lots of fun! Lance couldn't make it out to the show because he had to work on Friday (they don't start playing until about 10:15pm). I'm sure we'll make it to a bunch of shows this summer.

On Monday, I started tracking the food that I'm eating through a website called SparkPeople.com. My cousin told me about the site last week when I was in L.A. I'm happy to report that I've lost 2 pounds this week (woo hoo!) and I'm finding it actually pretty easy to follow. I'm not really on a DIET (that has always been a scary word for me) but I'm learning to take responsibility for the things that I put in my mouth. I really like the site because it tells you how many calories, fat, protein, etc. I should be eating each day. I plug in what I've eaten that day into the site and it calculates all of my intake. They also gave me a goal weight that should be accomplished in the next year. It was a very reasonable goal weight and one that I feel I can accomplish. Other sites told me that I should be 115 pounds...I don't think so. For me, that's not exactly realistic. We'll see if this website works for me.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with the director of the preschool that I worked at last year. She's super cool and really fun to hang out with! I'm sure we're going to have a great time. I miss working with her.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

L.A. Pictures

2008-04-01T20:56:00.001-07:00

You can't go to L.A. without going to In-N-Out Burger!

Yummy!

Justin and Jeri...how cute are they?

We love our slushies!

Me and Bre

My dad's siblings

Uncle Travis, Aunt Kathleen, Dad and Auntie Kirsti

Me, Bre and Justin

My little cousin isn't so little anymore!

Mom, Dad, Auntie Kirsti, Uncle Ernie, Aunt Aleta and Uncle Travis

Bre, Me, Erica and Matthew

Me and Linnea (with Shirrell sneaking in)

Justin, Erica, Me, Shirrell, Bre, Linnea, Jeri and Matthew

I love my cousins!

2 Years

2008-04-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of Mimi's passing. At times, I can't believe that she has been gone for that long! My mom, sister and I are going to Mimi's Cafe tomorrow for lunch to remember and celebrate her. She loved that restaurant (and the name is fitting, as well). Boy, do I miss her terribly.

My trip to L.A. last weekend went really well. I had a blast going to Disneyland and hanging out with my relatives that I don't get to see very often. We ate a lot, played some games and spent a lot of time taking pictures and laughing. I so wish that all lived closer so that we could get together more often. We all get along so well and really enjoy each other's company. I hope that I'll get to see them again soon.

My grandpa's funeral was sad, but that's usually the case. I volunteered to read Psalm 23 during the service. I was originally asked to sing, but I had a hard time finding a song and since it has been so long since I've sang anything, it was hard finding something that I'd be comfortable with. So when I heard that they were looking for someone to read that passage, I told them that I'd do it. We had a lunch reception after the service was over. I got to meet some family on my grandpa's side that I had never met before, so that was a real treat. It turned out to be a nice farewell to my grandpa.

I'm really enjoying my week off of work. I think I really needed this break (but who doesn't, right?). I'll only have 8 1/2 more weeks of work when Spring Break is over. This school year sure seems like it has flown by. I know there are going to be a lot of changes next year and I'm hoping for the best!

As soon as I upload my pictures to the computer, I'll post them from my trip last weekend. Happy Spring!

A Busy Weekend

2008-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Weeks ago, my sister and I decided to head down to L.A. at the end of this week to spend time with relatives and to go to Disneyland. Now the plans include attending my grandpa's funeral on Saturday and we will see many, many more relatives than we originally planned on seeing. It will be nice to see everyone. It is always too bad that it takes circumstances like this to bring all of us together.

My grandpa would have been 90 years old at the end of this year. That's a pretty good, solid life if you ask me. He was cremated and as of now, I'm not quite sure what the family is going to do with his ashes. We will be having a service at a church near my aunt and uncle's house and my cousin's father-in-law will be doing the service.

I'm a bit sad that I didn't know my grandpa better. I saw him occasionally when I was growing up but since we didn't live close, he didn't make many efforts to get to know me and my sister. He would get occasional updates about us from my southern California relatives, I guess, but that was about all. I remember getting Christmas cards from him with the usual $5 bill tucked inside but that was about it. My grandpa on my mom's side passed away before I was born, so I never had a chance to know him (although many people tell me it was better that way...he was a pretty abusive alcoholic). My grandpa did, however, come to my wedding almost 6 years ago. I do feel grateful that 3 of my grandparents were able to attend my big day.

Anyway, it will be nice to spend time with all of my family. Car trips with Bre are always a laugh, too. I'll be sure to bring my camera along.

My Grandpa

2008-03-14T22:20:00.001-07:00

My mom called just a little while ago to let me know that my Grandpa passed away last night. He is now my third relative to pass away in 5 months. I don't really have any details right now as to how he passed or what kinds of services are going to happen. I was planning a trip to L.A. during the last weekend in March, but that will probably be moved up a week now and it will be for a completely different reason.

I don't really have much else to say at the moment. I'm a little numb.

Friends

2008-03-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Back in high school I had a lot of friends. I have so many memories of the group I used to hang out with. We would all load up in my van and go to baseball games on the weekends or get together for volleyball games in my backyard. We were all part of the different clubs on campus and sports teams. I even had one friend in high school who declared herself the mascot of the girl's tennis team just so she could come see us play (and get out of 6th period once a week). It was a really fun time.

Then we all graduated and everyone went their separate ways. I am one of the few who stayed in the area where I grew up. It has been really hard keeping in contact with everyone since we're all so busy with our daily lives. Most people who I want to keep in contact with are in other states (and one in another country) so it has been hard to stay current.

I have to admit that it has been really hard for me to make new friends since high school. I have become much more introverted and less social. I have also made some friends since high school that have fizzled out for one reason or another, making it hard for me to want to put in the effort. It's not that I don't want relationships. I just don't want them if they're going to be one sided. I always get excited when I reconnect with someone which is, most of the time, through MySpace or Facebook. Unfortunately, it never really pans out to more than a quick "catch-up" email or an occasional "hello".

This weekend, I spent some time with someone that I consider to be one of my closest friends. She's also one of my newest friends. Looking back on it, I realize that she is the one who made the most effort to get to know me and be my friend. I feel really lucky to know that I have another person in my life that is a genuine friend. I now realize that it's not important to have lots of friends but more important to have quality friends. I'm happy to say that I have that.

To all my friends who I don't get to talk to or see often, know that I think of you all the time and hope that you're doing well. I miss all of you terribly. You all know who you are.

Budget Cuts

2008-03-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure all of you have heard, the governor has proposed a budget that, if passes, will have a devastating effect on our public schools. Many people were handed pink slips this week. Too many, in fact. In my small school district, two severely handicapped teachers were given pink slips and at least 4 instructional assistants in SH....that I know of.

My job is not in jeopardy as I have been with my district long enough to have quite a bit of senority (especially with the turnover of instructional assistants...people aren't lining up for my job!). However, I'm fairly certain that my hours are going to be cut again this year. Last year, my hours were cut from 7 hours per day to 6.5 hours per day. It looks like I may be down to 6 hours per day in August. This doesn't sound like much, but one half hour per day turns into quite a lot at the end of the month. On top of this, it means that what I will pay in medical insurance will go up again, being that I pay more in medical when my hours go down. As a result, my paychecks are roughly $300 less per month just because of this and will go down another $300 a month come August.

I feel that I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I really love my job and don't want to quit. This year has been a pretty good one overall. However, I don't feel that I'm living up to my financial obligation at home if I don't bring in more money (that is my issue...Lance has never said a word about me finding another job or bringing in more money. He's very supportive and wants me to have a job where I am happy.) So, my options are to stay with my current job and possibly find a second job again or find another job altogether. Again, this is something that I'm struggling with myself and not something that I'm being pressured about by anyone else. I don't want to give anyone the impression that we're hurting for money or that we're not making ends meet. I just want to be more comfortable...especially with a little one coming.

Decisions, decisions...

2008-03-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

My dad came over this weekend to do more work on our bathroom. Unfortunately, he didn't get as much done as he wanted after he ran into a bit of trouble once he lifted the toilet. Whoever remodeled our bathroom before we moved in did some things wrong and my dad had to fix them. Since the floor boards were damp, he couldn't put the mud down in preparation for the tile that we are using for the floor. We ended up having to run to Home Depot to buy a couple of things for the bathroom. When we got there, my dad brought me down the isle to look at the different toilets I could choose from to replace the one we had.

Now, I have NEVER given even the slightest thought to toilets before. I couldn't believe that I was standing in the middle of the isle pondering about toilets. Which one would be best for us? Do I want an almond color toilet or a white one? Do I want an elongated toilet or a round one? Do I want one that is 20 inches high or 27 inches high? Do I want a Kohler, American Standard or another brand? Do I want a 1.6 gpf or a 1.1gpf? OH MY GOD!!!!! I thought my head was going to explode....

...and we're talking about toilets here people!

I finally settled on one. I'll pick it up in a couple of weeks. Out of this whole project, this is the first thing that has stumped me. The shower? Easy. The floor? Easy. The fan and light? Easy. The wall color? Easy. The toilet? Oh man. At least my dad thought it was humerous.

Don't even get me started on toilet seats.

Uncle George

2008-02-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

I got the news this morning that yet another one of my relatives has passed away. My Uncle George is the second of my relatives to pass away in the last 4 1/2 months. It wasn't completely unexpected as he has been on oxygen for some time now and had a hard time getting around his house lately. We will say a final goodbye to him later this week.

My mom had been going up to visit him almost every other weekend for the last 6-9 months to help him out. Uncle George was the oldest of my mom's siblings and was in his mid-80s. Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him much over the years. I only saw him a few times growing up. I'm not sure exactly why...there wasn't any animosity between him and my mom. I think the fact that he was grown and out of the house when my mom was born and the age difference played a huge part in that.

Over the last couple of months, I had the opportunity to go up to his house with my mom to visit him. He lived in a small, rundown house on a huge lot in Garden Valley, which is about 3 hours north of my house. He and his wife, Jenny, made their home there many, many years ago and were very well known in their town. The park across the street from their house is even dedicated to them and there is a plaque there with their names on it. They were very involved in their community. Jenny passed away several years ago from cancer.

I'm so glad that I was able to see him a few more times before he passed. He was unlike anyone else I had ever met. He was bossy, stubborn and LOVED to give my mom and my aunt a hard time, even though he meant well and loved them a lot. The hankerchiefs had to be folded just right, you had to sit in just the right spot on his couch and you had to follow his directions exactly when dealing with the fireplace. He was pretty hard on the outside and a bit softer on the inside. He loved his milkshakes and sandwiches from the deli down the street from his house. He was a really interesting fellow. I know he'll be missed a lot by his community and his family.

My Weekend

2008-02-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have to start off by saying how proud I am of my hubby. Lance came home on Friday and told me that he is going to be getting an award at his school on the evening of March 4. He is being honored at the 2008 PTSA Founders Day Celebration in recognition of his "outstanding contributions to children and youth." Of course, in typical Lance style, he told me in the "it's no big deal" kind of way. In my opinion, anytime someone recognizes you and the work you are doing is fantastic and in his case, highly deserved. I'm really happy for him and I'm definitely proud of him.

Yesterday, Lance and I made our way out to San Francisco for WonderCon 2008. I was a little disappointed that a few more actors weren't there, but I did get to see a few people that I was looking forward to seeing. Jon Favreau was there promoting Iron Man. I LOVE his movies and from the looks of Iron Man, I don't think this one will disappoint. John Cho was there to help promote his new Harold and Kumar movie. He is one of the stars of that movie, although I know him best from American Pie. Also, Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell were there to promote Get Smart. I LOVE Steve Carell. I was telling Lance that I laugh every single time that guy screams. He was probably the person that I was most excited about seeing. I'm a big fan of his.

I'm not sure that I'll go to WonderCon next year. I'll consider it if someone is going to be there that I absolutely cannot miss. It has become insanely crowded over the years. It was to the point yesterday where I probably only spent a total of 20-25 minutes walking around on the floor. It was wall-to-wall people everywhere and in some spots I absolutely couldn't move. What makes it a bit more overwhelming for me is the fact that I don't read comic books, so usually I don't even know what I'm looking at. I have a lot of respect for the writers and artists who make them and I think they have a lot of talent, but it's just not my thing. I've always gone for Lance so I can show support and be a part of when he loves so much. Out of the 10 years that we've been together, I've been to 8 conventions with him. I know I'll still go with him. I'm just not sure that I'm going to go EVERY year from here on out.

So, I've come down with another cold...or allergies...I'm not quite sure what this one is. It's definitely not as bad as what I was dealing with last month. I'm pretty stuffed up and I have a slight headache that seems to constantly linger. Lance said that I was snoring so badly on Friday night that he slept on the couch for half the night. I felt horrible! I guess when I fell asleep, I was sleeping pretty hard! As long as I have one nostril to breathe out of, I'm good. Hopefully it will be gone in the next couple of days.

My dad is coming back over next weekend to continue on the bathroom. As long as the weather cooperates, he will begin cutting tile for our bathroom floor. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see the finished product. It's going to look awesome.

Enjoy the pics from WonderCon!

Jon Favreau

John Cho (MILF!)

Steve Carell

Anne Hathaway