It Was a Dark and Storm Day

I still can't find my camera. It is really bothering me too. Yes Amber, when I find that black hole, I will check for your stuff too.

Yesterday Mom had us over for dinner. She made split pea soup, watergate salad, and green water. Mmmm. It was good. Nora is becoming quite a collector of other peoples' things. She picked up Dad's flashlight last night and it didn't phase her a bit when I made her go take it to him and tell him that she was sorry for taking it. She crammed some thin mints in her mouth later on because she knew she wasn't supposed to have anymore and ended up choking on them. I wasn't feeling too sorry for her at that point. She had to sit in time out until she was ready to apologize to Grammy. She wouldn't do it until she thought that we had all left her when we went to put stuff (and Tori) out in the van. I just don't know what to do with her.

There is a reason why I don't like toddler potties. Olivia has one out right now so that she can be encouraged to use it (which isn't being very encouraging, seeing as how she hasn't used it or anything). Tonight I went upstairs to put kids to bed and smelled something bad. I found that someone had used the potty. Not today either. I asked Caleb and Nora and Caleb admitted that he had done it, but he quickly added "but that was when I was four!" It didn't help him any. He still got a spank and sent to his room. Oh, should I admit that? I am a terrible mother. I spanked my son today.

I love my job. I never thought that I would say something like that. I never imagined myself working outside the home. And the idea of working would make me cringe. But here I am. Working and loving it. Does it have something to do with the fact that I have 5 kids under 8? Could be. Do I like getting away for a few hours? Perhaps. Is the extra income nice? Maybe. Is it all of the above? Absolutely. But I do have to say that the past two days have been soooo long! Mary C. and I went recruiting to Mt. Zion yesterday and today. If you don't know Mt. Zion, it's a very nice town just outside of Decatur, to the southeast. There are a lot of upscale homes and middle class homes there, and not many rougher places. If you know what I am getting at. Head Start is for the less privileged families. Like ours :) So we went and sat there at the pre-k screening from 8:45 - 2pm yesterday and 8:45 - 12 pm today doing nothing! No one was interested in putting their darlings into pre-school with the less fortunate. It's a little amusing to me to see this. Especially since I have two in the program. I have to say that I appreciate all that Nora and Caleb learn from school, including diversity and to see people for who they are on the inside. They don't see the color of skin or the clothes, but the personalities. Anyway, it was so boring! And even when we got back to the site, there wasn't anything to do. Here's hoping for crazy chaos tomorrow...but only at work, not at home.

Okay, I am off to bed. Sean is working again tonight, so I am going to go snuggle in bed and watch a little tv before going to sleep. Sorry again for my lack of pictures. My blog feels so naked!

Oh! So Good!

Tonight was ladies night! My friend Julie had a spa night and I dragged Sara over with me (not that she was kicking and screaming or anything). Mom and Sean 2 watched all the kids (including Sami Cami) for about 4 hours! They are very brave and so great to take that much time for us. Those kids were tired when we got home. Be I am really glad we had the opportunity to go. It was sooo wonderful. Julie had a massage therapist there and we each had a 20 minute back massage. I have never had a professional one before and it was heaven. I just wanted to lay there for ever and ever. I also had a foot bath and foot massage (I did those myself, since I would be too embarrassed to have anyone else touch my crusty feet), a facial, crepes, herbal tea and quiet, adult conversation. I was wonderful!

Tori got her bangs cut today. They have been driving me crazy. I finally pinned her down and snipped them. It wasn't easy. She fought me almost the whole time! I did miss some, but maybe I will wait till she is sleeping in my arms or something. How does an 8 month old have so much hair?


I love my job. Can I just say that again? Cozette, my manager, left at lunchtime for the day. When we all came back, there wasn't much to do. A lot of people were just sitting around. Me included. Daciena came in and told us that the director said we could go home if we wanted to, and still get paid for 8 hours! Since Nora and Caleb don't have school on Fridays and Sean works tonight, I wasn't sure I wanted to go home just yet, but went ahead and took the opportunity. I did get a little nap at home even. Cozette asked Tammie and I if we would put together a monthly newsletter. Boy! She asked the right person here! I was so excited to have something like that to do. I have done several newsletters and they even have publisher, so this will be easy for me. I am anxious to get started. I already got a letter out to all 12 teachers, the 2 site managers and the appropriate staff at the main office. Now I just need to get info to put into the newsletter.

Oh! Today was payday and I got my first real paycheck in 8 years! It's official! And I found out that we got paid for the snow day. And I guess it's not normal to have an hour paid lunch, so I actually only work 7 hours. Man, this is the job for me!

Ahh, Sundays...

I love the weekends when Sean doesn't work. I talk like this is old hat, and I realize that he has only been working for a month, but already I am thinking a week in advance. Last Sunday I was so excited that the next Sunday he wouldn't be working. Today, on my way to do music with the Nursery, it came to me that next weekend I would be all alone. :( I have to learn how to enjoy the here and now and look forward only on the harder weekends. Today I got to have a nap. I woke up and the sun was still shining and I thought I was late for work! I really panicked for a minute. Sean laughed and said "You're late for work!"

Spencer, Saucy and Sami Cami came over last evening while Sean2 (that's my sister Sara's husband for anyone who doesn't know. My Sean is Sean1, since he joined the family first.) and Sara went on a date. I haven't had many chances to hold little Sami Cami (Okay, it's Samantha Camilla and goes by Cami, but we can't help ourselves). She is a month old and it's my favorite age, but darn that little Tori who is a little possessive of her mommy. But last night I did get to hold her a little between naps. Spencer and Saucy spent the night and it was interesting and not too bad getting them all bathed last night and ready for church by 8:45 this morning. And that includes 5 girls hair and Spencer's hair. I am amazing :) Okay, I had some help.

Cami was blessed today. It was wonderful to hear the blessing that her daddy gave her. And Dad came too! My Sean said that we need to have a baby next year so that we can get Dad to church next year. He should get to church at least once a year ;) I said "Riigghht, let's do that..."

Have I mentioned how much hair Tori has? She had a headband in her hair today, not just because it went with the outfit. Good grief! It makes her look older than her 8 1/2 months.

Well, our boo boo quilt challenges are due on the 8th. Mom got her quilt top all finished and it's all pinned together, she just has to bind it and quilt it! I haven't started... WHAT A SURPRISE! It might be a little more difficult to finish, I mean start, now that I am working. If you don't know what Project Linus is, I added a link to my favorites. I have three blankets that I would like to get finished by blanket day, but I will be lucky just to finish the boo boo quilt.

Speaking of work...I love it! I didn't get to go on Friday, seeing as how there was about 8 inches of snow on our road. (I don't get this weather...it's ice, it's a rain storm, it' s a snow storm, it's thundering and lightening - yes, today it thundered and lightninged (as I shake my head in disgust) all in the same week!) But it is great. The people I work with are wonderful. The teacher, whose classes I am responsible for as a family service worker is just a ball of sunshine, but I haven't seen her too much yet. The three ladies that I share an office space with are all very sweet. Peggy has been there about 3 years (?) and is very quick to answer any questions that we have. Tammie and Michelle started with me, so Peggy gets lots of questions from us. So far, we all work well together. Peggy is a blogging queen! She has the Jankowski Family Blog and is great at posting! I am amazed!

I enjoy going over to Site 2. I love all the children and I love seeing my own. On Wednesday, Tammie and Mary (who has been training us) were going through a recipe book over at site 2 and found a Red Velvet Cake. They said, "I bet Amy could make that! Hey, Amy, can you make this?" I told them that I could with a recipe, so they were going to make a copy for me. On Thursday, they asked if I had made it, and remembered that the copy machine still wasn't working, so they had me copy it down by hand. Tonight I made the cake. I don't know how it tastes, but hopefully it will pass the test.

I hear lots of noise upstairs. I probably should go check it out. I also have to make sure they haven't decided to eat the cake. I have been worrying about that. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and please encourage Sean to add some more! He said he did his one.

The Official Working Mom

I did it! I made it through my first day of work! Actually, I made it through my first two days, but who is counting (except me to payday). I really like it. I am looking forward to going again tomorrow! I think that says something. As a family service worker, I am responsible for Ms. Woodland's AM and PM students and their families. I make sure that we have all their information and that the families needs are met. We do a lot of paper work and print lots of reports. We work with excel, which I know very well, so I feel like a genius when Mary is showing us (myself and the other two ladies that started with me) how to do something and I am already four steps ahead.

We also get to go help out at the school when they need us. I really like that. We help get the AM kids on the bus, while the PM kids are getting off and going to their classrooms. Afterwards we go to lunch, so I get to stick my head into Caleb and Nora's classes and give them kisses and see their happy little faces. I love it!

Mom came over yesterday to help out. Sean worked all weekend and was dead, so he slept and Mom took care of everything. The kids loved it. I had left her a note with instructions so that all the kids could get to where they needed to go. Caleb's teacher, Mrs. Merris, told me that the first thing that Caleb told her when he got to school was that Mommy and written a note to Grammy saying that they could watch cartoons after school. I guess he was waiting at the door for Nora to get home so that they could watch the cartoons as soon as she was home.

Of course my children couldn't be forgotten. They wouldn't have that. I got a call yesterday, my first day, and when I picked up the phone, it was John's Hill Magnet School calling to say that Isabelle came to the nurses office complaining of a sore throat and had a slight fever and I needed to come pick her up. I called Mom and had her wake up Sean to go get her. Minutes later, Ms. Stephanie calls from Head Start Site 2 to inform me that Caleb had a rash and needed to be picked up. Sean had already left the house and didn't have his cell phone, so I called John's Hill and left a message with them to have him go pick up Caleb. As it all turns out, they were just fine.

People at work keep acting surprised that we like it. They make it seem like it's going to be just horrible - just wait, but I do really like it. I have my own desk with a computer. I have my John Deere mug and cup on my desk with chocolate in them, and I have a big picture frame with a lot of pictures of the kids in it up on the wall. I am getting settled already. I also get to go home for lunch, which is great.

One of the best things for me is that when I get home, I am excited to see my kids! I am happier and more playful. That is what I love the most. Although, I do miss Sean. He comes home at 6:30 when he is working and I leave at 7:30. I come home at 4:30 and he leaves at 5:30. It's not a lot of time together. He didn't work last night or tonight, but last night I went with Mom to Springfield to see my dear friend Melody. She had her Jack Jack yesterday (9 lb 7 oz and 22 1/2 in) and we went to visit. Tonight, despite the bad weather, we had our pack meeting, which was the pinewood derby, and I couldn't miss that. And then he works the next two nights. Sigh...

We will get this. But here's to working and surviving how ever you can :)