Special Individuals, A Class That Gets You Thinking

I just printed off a bunch of materials for my classes (forms and such that need to be signed) and I swear I have a few dead trees sitting in front of me... I feel like a bad person :(

My class, Intro to Special Individuals, was interesting today. We watched a movie with a teacher trying to explain to adults what it feels like to have a learning disability. Most of these people in the video were not LD but after he went through the elements of F.A.T. (frustration, anxiety, and tension) it made me see how even someone that's not learning disabled could be discouraged in a classroom. The man took the lesson quickly, gave no praises for "students" that got answers right, dished out rude remarks and sarcasm when someone had a wrong answer, and had most of the people not wanting to answer. I could see this as something that occured throughout high school in classes I attended. When the guy started explaining why these methods of teaching were wrong and gave the point of view of the LD child, I started thinking, have I been like this in a classroom or with kids? I sure hope not, I would feel like a complete and total jerk if I did... He gave options on how to avoid that teacher behavior and encourage LD kids to come out of their shells and feel successful. He also explained the differences in perception between the kids and the teacher. The teacher has had more experience so just because a child doesn't know the answer to a question, it doesn't mean the teacher is more superior and the child is stupid. Everybody needs help some time.

Anyway, enough about class! I'm excited about a number of things at this moment

• I'm blogging! No slobbing around today!
• I got the Apex space for the wedding
• This is a double edged sword though... Not only does it cost a lot already, no one has been around to take my check for the past week... How am I supposed to pay if there's no one to hand teh check to??
• My Business Math class is the easiest class in the world. It's easy to the point of insulting to my intelligence. Thank God I can get an A in something.

Cael is starting to get some sickness :( It involves him waking up coughing and coughing throughout the day. It's a wet cough but it's not "productive." Hopefully it goes away soon... Brad and I have been having sore throat problems and I have a weird cough that comes and goes but neither of us are too ill.

Well, I have to cut off here so i can drive home and pick up my baby boy! Oops sorry, big boy ;)

Back To School, Back To School

Well here I am, sitting in the SFCC computer lab, not doing homework again! ;) Just kidding, I have no homework to do yet and all of my necessary forms to turn in are located on my laptop.

It feels extremely weird being back in an actual school setting. I've gotten so used to the online thing that I almost totally forgot how to act in a classroom lol most of it's easy to remember though. I think I've made a few friends in my MW class. They're pretty nice to talk to. One is the same major as me, the other is majoring in Nursing and hoping to get off the waiting list for UCM. I hope she does! It sounds like she's overly qualified to be in the program.

Yesterday was super entertaining. I got to play Bunco with the ladies I work with. This is my second time going and it has been fun each time! Plus it's a game where everyone wins something. I seem to have the knack for getting picked last for prizes lol but that's cool with me. I love spending time with my coworkers outside of work. They are so funny!

Cael's class has been having a bug going around and I think it finally caught him. He had two super runny diapers within a short time period so he went home with Judy. I don't think he minded being with Dede at all :) I just got a text from her saying that Cael took a long nap and hasn't had a fever or anymore loose diapers. Good, I don't like it when my baby is sick! We've also been through pink eye recently. Poo on eyedrops.

Wedding plans are in full swing now. Brad and I have decided on FBC in Warrensburg, but only if we can use the Apex as our reception space. I'm currently waiting for the call abut their meeting to decide this. The fee for non-members is $900, half paid ASAP and the other half paid after the engaged couples' class ends. If we can't get the Apex though, our budget will be reduced to very little if we stay with FBC. a second option in the Presbyterian church that Judy is a member of. They have a really pretty sanctuary (from the outside at least; it has a beautiful stained glass window) and a small  reception space. We also have to pick out a pastor but since all the pastors from FBC that Brad knew have moved away, we're unsure who to pick. Brad's doing a lot of "I don't care" but I think that's because I always catch him at a bad time.

It's also been hard to pick out bridesmaids/groomsmen. Neither of us is sure who we're going to pick (other than the obvious siblings and such). I'm basing the number of bridesmaids I have on how many groomsmen he picks but Brad doesn't know who to choose for the roles. He's got a lot of options! I'm not sure who my bridesmaids will be even when he does decide on his groomsmen. It's a tough decision :S

Cael has been really talkative. Well, he always has been, just more so lately. He is making whole sentences without being fed lines by someone. The other day I was trying to lay down on the couch with him to watch Brad play Borderlands with a friend of ours. We used to do this all the time before Cael would go to bed. I would lay down on my pillow and he would lay next to me on my arm. This night he pushed away from me and said, "No Mommy. No cuddle." Not gonna lie, it crushed me a little. My baby boy doesn't want to cuddle? I have to keep reminding myself that he's not my baby anymore. As he tells me, "Cael big boy." He has also acquired an affinity for Mario. Monday night, Cael saw Brad playing a game on the XBox and Cael said to him, "Please play my Mario" (He says Mario "mon-nee-no" and it's the cutest thing ever. He also likes "wee-gee," or Luigi lol). He also may be the only kid his age the knows the 1960s Batman theme song. Cael sings, "Na na na na Batman!" when we're in the car. He has Batman sunglasses, Batman pjs, and a Batman cape (the cape's at Dede's house; it's Brad's old cape) :) Birthday planning for Cael has been hard for us, mostly because Cael has to choose between Batman, Mario, Yo Gabba Gabba, Bubbleguppies, and Elmo for themes.

Oh, another odd thing that Cael likes: Rocko's Modern Life. You know, that cartoon from the old Nickelodeon. It's pretty funny to see him giggling along with whatever is happening.

And Cael is pottying! We're not fuly potty-training him yet but he goes pee and poop on the big boy potty (he has an Elmo one from Santa)! He likes getting stickers on his daily sheet at school. He has Spiderman stickers :)

Hopefully since I've started classes up again, I can blog more often (yeah, right, like that will happen). I like having a little downtime and not having to work on my schoolwork at home as much!

Oh Winter... Why Have You Come?

You can tell winter is here. Not just from the freaking COLD weather. Brad and I have both been feeling yucky... Brad is super exhausted and aching. I feel like I was hit by a train... I hope that we aren't sick. We were supposed to have date night tonight... But I don't think we will since Brad is feeling bad. I don't want to force him to do something when he's not feeling good. We always have other days. I just hope he feels better soon!
I've done nothing fun this morning... Homework and watching "The Office." Ugh, it feels so slow...

Oh wait, I fixed the wedding invitations. They're pretty cute now. I tried to upload them to Google Docs to share them here but it didn't work :( The guest list is huge... Ridiculously huge. Like 231 people are invited but only about 215 people will actually be able to come. Wow. Crazy.

I didn't really realize how much stuff went into planning. Especially with the little stuff like favors, music, venues, accessories, etc. Holy cow.

Well, I probably ought to get ready for work...

Wedding Things Are Clouding My Brain

Holy crap, has this week been nuts! Between working sporadic hours, homework, wedding planning, house cleaning, and spending time with Brad and Cael, I'm exhausted! I had two midterm exams this week and I'll have two next week as well, not to mention observations and other larger assignments. Poo!
Today was nice though. I made breakfast for Martha (a long-time friend of Brad's and a coworker of mine) and her family when they came over to move her into the apartment across the hall from us. It will be so nice to have a familiar face in the building. She will be living with her friend Caitlin, who's pretty funny. I've only met her once but she was pretty cool lol She also went to school with Martha and Brad. She had to work so she wasn't there this morning.

I was so stinking productive today! I cleaned the kitchen, the living room, and Cael's room. Cael stayed at Judy's house until about 3 when we went to lunch. Cael and Brad napped and I did a crapload of homework and tests. When we got home from lunch, Cael and I vacuumed and got his race track rug to stop sliding around. I put some rug gripping sheets on the bottom and Cael helped me tape them on. He did a really good job! He even taped on the edges of the gripper all by himself! After we finished cleaning in his room (which was trashed two minutes after the rug was put back) we went to Dollar General and Parkers. Currently Parkers is having a promotion where you get dollar amounts punched out of a game card and when all the values have been punched out, you take the card to the customer service counter to claim your prize. Every card has a dollar amount on it from $1 to $1000. I was $32 short of being able to scratch it off today! I have a feeling mine is the $1000 card ;) but I'll be happy with anything.

When we came back from the store, Cael and I played outside with his big red ball for a good 15 minutes. It was great to bounce the ball back and forth with him and see how excited he got every time he caught the ball or kicked it. Once in a while he looked and pointed up at the sky and said, "Stars! Stars!" so we would lay back on the grass and talk about them for 10 seconds. Then it was back to the ball :)

I've been working on wedding stuff ever since Cael went to bed. Well, excluding the time where I made a run to McDonald's for Brad. McRIB IS BACK :D I worked on the guest list some more and I realized that we have roughly 200 guests, assuming everyone comes. That's a lot of people! I think we may have to find a different reception venue... But maybe not. I'm also trying to work out what accessories we need for the wedding (guest book, flower girl basket, bubbles, ring bearer pillow, etc.) so I can tell if I need to buy them or if I can make them. Luckily, I had a little experience with making boutonnieres for my aunt Carol's wedding and my mom knows how to make bouquets and stuff (she did it for her wedding). I think we can make a lot of things to cut down on cost. And most of the non-creatable things will be bought through Oriental Trading so they'll be pretty cheap. It's crazy to think we have less than a year before Brad and I get married!

I'm ready for October to come closer to an end. This is for two reasons. 1) Brad finds out from KCP&L if he got the meter reading job or not. He's really excited about it too. I hope he gets it because I think he would love the job! And 2) because I can't wait to see Cael in his Halloween costume! He's going to be a UPS man like Papa Shane :) He's really excited about it too! I don't know if I can handle having more candy in the house though... It's tempting enough for me but Cael is ridiculous about his candy. He throws fits if I say no, just like any kid. I just hate the tantrums. Best to avoid them all together...

I can't wait to see what unfolds tomorrow. I'm hoping to get laundry and home work done, plus clean the bathroom. Then all that will be left for this week is our bedroom. Hopefully Aunt Flo doesn't put me out of commission like she tried to do this evening... I felt like I was punched in the gut... Thank goodness for Tylenol, master of OTC pain medication!

Well I'm heading to bed! Good night!

Though technically it's morning... Oh well...

Wedding Progress. About Time!

I called Dan Pfaff today. He's one of the leaders of the engaged couples class at First Baptist Church in Warrensburg and I asked a few questions about when we should look into taking the class and what happens in the class. He was a really nice guy and he answered everything I asked. He even gave me extra information about it! The next session is in February and goes through March. Each class covers two lessons and there are 5 weeks of classes. We go over to the leader's house to eat dinner and dessert, then we talk about the lesson. It sounds like we could really benefit from the information in the lessons. We also have a one-on-one meeting with the pastor who will be witnessing our marriage. It sounds great :) I'm really excited!
I can't wait to really get started on the wedding plans. It's in less than a year :/ Gotta get going soon!

New Project! -- Homemade Magnets

Recently I've been a magnet making fool! :) These things are super fun and super easy to make! And they can be personalized as long as the picture is smaller than an inch around.

The Pokemon

Nintendo

Random Pictures

These are just a few but I'm happy to make more! I have to get a few more button magnets for the back of the stones though.

Send me an email if you want some! And if you have pictures or requests, send them too!

Great Day Ends In Semi Disaster

This morning started out perfectly. Cael woke up and was in a good mood. We were all super happy and excited to start the day when we woke up. Brad and I treated Cael to a cherry slush, banana, and apple slices from Sonic (for ourselves we got McDonalds breakfast) and headed over to watch Ryan play flag football. Ryan was awesome! He definitely shows his father's genes on the field. The Tigers won their game, completing their undefeated streak. Cael was great at the game. He played nicely with Marc and the two of them had many cute and funny moments together.
After the game, Cael went down for a nap without a hitch so I got my homework done and played a little RuneScape before heading over to get Brad's mom to go to the train station. Our plans were to take the Amtrak to Kansas City, hang around at Union Station for a little while, then take the 316 train back to Warrensburg. The ride there was perfect! Cael loved being on the train and watched out the window as the trees, towns, and fields passed by. He waved at everyone at every stop. When we got off at Union Station, he was still excited and we got his picture taken with the train.

Union Station was absolutely bare when we arrived. The only thing happening there was a wedding reception. None of the shops, except the snooty restaurant, were open. So we sat in the waiting room until our train came at 5:55 to take us back home.

We got on the train again and met some difficulties. A freight train was comig our way so we had to take a short detour onto a sort of "off ramp" for trains so the freight could pass. We then made all of our necessary stops when, outside of Lee's Summit we stopped again. The passengers all figured that it was just another freight passing by, but it wasn't so. As we began talking about dinner plans for when we arrived back home, the conductor came over the loudspeaker and informed the passengers that a freight train was experiencing some mechanical issues closer to Warrensburg (where there was only one railway). While they figured things out, we would have to stop and wait for the problem to be fixed which  "could take 30 to 45 minutes."

But 30 to 45 minutes turned in to 3 hours. No joke. There were quite a few small children on the train and they were all getting antsy and bored with waiting. Cael had not had lunch so he was starving to death. Ryan and Chris were just full of energy and bouncing off the walls, like any normal 6 and 4 year olds. Marc was fussing because we had not moved and he was bored. Another baby up toward the front was crying as well. The adults tried to keep the kids entertained. I pulled out my stockpile of books and toys that were brought for Cael and that lasted for about 30 minutes... Then we all ate hot dogs at 8:30, since the kids were hungry. The baby up front cried even more. Cael finally fell asleep after eating his hot dog and Amy (Brad's cousin's wife) went to go put Marc to sleep in the empty car. Brad and I were exhausted but we helped Jane (Brad's aunt), Bryan (Brad's cousin), Betty (Brad's grandma), and Matt (Brad's cousin and Amy's husband) keep Ryan and Chris occupied.

More timed passed and still nothing had been heard from the freight train. The adults were getting pissed now. The conductor was hiding in the back of the last car and the stewardess running the concessions was rude and unhelpful. At 9:00 we received news about the problem: one of the knuckles, or the joints between the cars of the train that hold two cars together, had broken and was being repaired. Due to federal regulations, each car had to be inspected after this was fixed, which could take 30 to 45 minutes (again, with the false time constraints!). Then there was silence from the conductor again.

The baby up front was still crying so Judy asked the mom if she wanted to bring her daughter back with us so she wouldn't be as bored (Marc and Cael were awake by then). She came back with us and Judy asked how far the woman had to go. She said St. Louis... Poor girl! And she had no food for the baby. She said she had told there was everything packed but someone must have emptied the bag before they left because the baby had nothing at all. She also didn't have enough money for anything in the dining car. So being the good Samaritan/mom/grandma that Judy is, Judy went to the dining car and bought the baby some crackers, noodles, and cheese. Amy even pitched in Marc's neglected Cheerios. The little girl, Marc, and Cael were all having a blast waving at each other and sharing snacks. The baby was very happy after that and the woman thanked us profusely. I'm just glad that she was helped!

At 10:30 we finally got a message that the freight was up and ready to go, but that after it was two more trains... So we would have to wait for all three of them to go by before we could move. GAH! We were all so upset over more delays but happy because we were finally going to be moving again! The trains passed and in 5 minutes we were back in Warrensburg. We could have walked and been there and in our respective homes in the time we were stuck there. >:( We ended up arriving home at 11:05pm.

Obviously it was not our conductor's fault but he still could have been more friendly. He was ridiculously standoffish and unwilling to talk to any of the passengers. Thank God we got off that train!

Funny Story From The 4's Room Today

At work, I went into the four year olds' room to help pat backs and get them to sleep. After a little while, my boss came to talk to me about doing the WalMart runs for the daycare since our cook, who normally does it, it getting far enough into her pregnancy that it's hard for her to bend and lift. Since I'm not usually working in the mornings, I was asked to do it! I couldn't say no! I love doing anything I can to help out!

Anyway, I went back into the room and worked on a few things before one of the boys had some kind of nightmare. The other teacher in the room calmed him down and he went back to sleep. After about 5 minutes and after the other teacher went on break, he woke up again and told me he had an accident. We got that all taken care of and I sat him down at the table with markers and some paper so he could color. We talked for a while and I had turned around to tell one girl to get her hair out of her mouth because she could choke on it. The boy looks at me with the straightest face and said, "I choked on a cow once." I asked him, while trying not to giggle, how that happened. He told me, "It's magic!" I thought I was going to die laughing! He and his two brothers have the best stories! His younger brother is in the room I teach in. He's an adorable little sweetheart and onery as hell lol The oldest of the three is in the five's room. He is such a firecracker and very free-spirited. He does what he wants when he wants, and seems to be living life to it's fullest. The middle boy, the one I talked to today, is mostly quiet and soft-spoken, but when you get him talking, boy does he have a lot to say! He's so charming and sweet!

I love my job so much. It's moments like this that makes me so glad I chose to work at ECOC! :)

On A More Sober Note

One of my ex-boyfriends was deployed recently with the Army... We didn't really break up on the best terms but I think we've become more civilized and better friends since then. I hope and pray that he stays safe while he's away.

Keep Jared in your prayers and thoughts if you're reading this.

Chef Cael!

This is what Cael was doing last night :) He makes me laugh!

Once Again, The Blog Prevails

Can't focus on homework tonight, the blog beckons ;)

I'm super excited about Friday this the week! I'm going up to Kirksville to see my family and to go to the high school's homecoming parade and game :) Cael will be super excited about all the tigers and candy at the parade. We probably won't end up staying for the whole game since he has an early bed time, but I would love to see the half time show this year! I miss hanging out with my band friends, though most of them have graduated now. Cael's excited about seeing his "Ni-Ni" (Natalie) and Papa Shane :) He got new Papa Shane boots on Saturday and wears them all the time now!

Cael has also been super cranky recently... Almost constantly. He has a HUGE diaper rash from when he had Hand Foot and Mouth. All of the prescription medication for the original treatment of the rash has been used up and now we're using a combination of his eczema treatment plus a diaper rash cream. I actually just ran out of the hydrocortisone today so I'll have to call in for more :/ But the layers are hydrocortisone, Cera Ve lotion, Aquaphor, then Desitin or Boudreaux's Butt Paste (depending on which one I can find at the time...Cael likes to play with and hide them). Nothing seems to be affecting it though and it's driving Brad, me, and Cael crazy. He wakes up in the night itching and scratching, then has trouble going back to sleep. It's killing us... Hopefully we can get things figured out, minus a doctor. Cael doesn't seem to like Dr. Lovell all that much.

But on to the less yucky stuff!

Cael has been "helping" me in the kitchen a lot in the past few weeks and today I caught him doing the cutest thing :) He had my oven mitt on one arm (it covers his whole arm, from fingersto shoulder) and was poking the front of the oven, saying "Hot! Hot!" It was so funny, I just about died from laughing! He turned around and said, "Hot! Cookie!" and I laughed even harder. I told him to show Dada what he had on his arm so he ran out to Brad and said hot again. Then he went back to the kitchen and I took video of him doing it again, and blowing on the pretend hot food :) It's on Facebook, if you have me as a friend on there!

I can't wait for Friday to get here already. I miss my family and my friends! So looking forward to this! :)

That was a little off topic... Oh well, I'm feeling wired right now. Not a caffeine-fueled type of wired, more like a "I have everything on my mind at one time" kind of wired. Diaper rashes, homework assignments, work, friends, family, packing, housework, Brad, Cael.... Yikes, I sound like I'm crazy....

Maybe I am though.

Homework vs. Blog

Ummm.... Blogging won.
Cael has been so grouchy and fussy for the past few days. I was attributing it to teeth but after seeing him pulling on his ear, I think it's another ear infection. BOO! *thumbs down* His constant whining and crying at the smallest little things is driving me nuts. I'm sure he's sick. It's a mom thing.

Good news on the weight loss today! The size 12 jeans that I bought on Labor Day weekend (which were fitting rather snugly when I bought them and after wearing them a few times) are now almost falling off my waist. Who's happy? This lady! I'll admit, I haven't been doing the best as far as diet goes but I think working at the daycare more (and lifting our 43 pound student up for diaper changes) has been helping me lose the weight...and possibly break my back ;)

Sometimes I feel like I've broken something in me, like my brain or my personality. That just sounds sill though...a broken personality. I sometimes think I may have lost my personality in a way. I'm not sure what happened between pregnancy and now, but I have changed a lot...not necessarily in the best way. I'm always willing to help anybody at (almost) any time. I have gained this ability to forgive almost anything. But I've lost a lot of humor. I've lost the ability to think for myself, just to fit in to the group. I let people walk all over me and take advantage of my willingness to help. And though I may forgive, I never forget the wrong that was done. I'm more boring too. My life just centers around parenting, my relationship with Brad, school, work, and Facebook. Consequently, those are really the only things I talk about, thus making me boring. I can't remember a lot of my "good" life stories. Fail memory is fail. I can't remember what movie I last watched, what I ate for breakfast today, or to do the dishes. Luckily, I can remember basic motor functions and I can remember how to talk (most of the time). And I can remember who loves me.

Baby Fever.... BLARGH!

Seeing all these pregnant ladies through my Facebook, in the March 2010 mamas group I'm in, and out and about in public makes me want another baby... But I can't think about that now! I have too many things to do, like work, take care of Cael and Brad, potty train Cael, and buy a house... Though not all of these things will be happening this year.

I do miss the pregnancy part. I loved feeling Cael moving around, hiccuping, kicking, and hearing his heartbeat. I love having him to play with as well. I love holding him, tossing him around, and playing with his cars. I love talking with him and hearing him babble :) I just wish I could have this all over again, when we're financially ready for it.

Soon enough, Brad and I will be married, Cael will be older, and we will move into a larger living area. Hopefully it's my house :) but of course, it does not do well to want more when I already have a wonderful life as it is! My time will come.

Questions That Aren't Necessarily The Best Seem To Come At Inopportune Times

It seems like I have been questioning everything in my life recently, from my relationship with Brad to whether I am fit to be a mom to if God really exists... And they're starting to consume me, as seen by me staying up while Brad sleeps. I'm just writhing on the inside and feel like I can't let it out to anyone in person... But maybe that's just little chicken-shit me. I've never been good with face-to-face, especially with the people who actually care about what's happening. Like Brad...

I hate that I bottle things up. I hate that I can't share what I'm feeling. I know Brad hates it too. But what if what I'm feeling is wrong? What if it makes other people unhappy or angry? I can't have that, it just can't happen. I don't want to make anyone mad....especially Brad. My outlets are few and far between when I think about it, just because I don't want to bother anyone with my insignificant problems. Everyone has bigger fish to fry than I do, so why bother adding my pity party? But then, when I can't hold it in any longer, it comes out in a flood of tears, anger, hopelessness...even if I am on my medication.

That's another thing to complain about. My meds. They may work some days but on the days they don't seem to affect anything, it's like I'm a freaking nutcase all over again. Just send me back to Quincy. I don't deserve what I have if I can't be happy with it. I don't want to change my meds for the bazillionth time, I just want something that works the first time and can last forever. Brad and Cael both need a strong rock, and I'm pretty much the opposite...

And you know what I think. I think that if there is a loving God, he is just a typical male... You love me? Well you sure have a messed up way of showing it. Hey, are you even there? Do you care? I'm not asking for stuff to be handed to me. I'm not a Thomas type. I just want to you know that you can do more than make butterflies, babies, and hurricanes. When I pray, you sure as hell don't seem to care, God. Is your inbox getting too full? Do you even have time for me? Why do you need my praise and worship when you already have billions that bow at your (invisible) feet? Where are you when it matters most?

I'm done with this. I'm done with this post. I'm done trying to talk to brick walls. I'm done trying, period. Why try when it ends in failure? Try to fit in with the crowd and just be a nameless face. That's all I was every really good at anyway...

OMG Pain

For quite a few days (since Saturday) I have had an awful stomach pain + nausea. It sucked royally. I tried everything to get rid of it: Tums, Pepto, Tylenol, ibuprofen, heating pad, ice. You name it, I probably did it. And it STILL wouldn't go away. My ultimate solution? Doctor. Again. And she said that, according to my urine sample, I had quite a bit of blood being peed out of me. From this she drew the conclusion that I have kidney stones. Whoa, wait, what? Pretty much what I thought lol She set me up with an antibiotic and a special pain med (which Walgreens did not fill D:< ) and sent me home with a pee-catcher and a strainer so I can go "kidney stone fishing" (my doctor's words, not mine). Sure enough, I come home to use said pee-catcher and strainer and I caught a sliver of a stone! It was super weird and I looked it up on Google just to be sure it was one. It's the tiniest little square I've ever seen and it hurt like a mofo to get out (I actually just had the same pain a second ago). Luckily, I know I'm not dying and that I don't have appendicitis or gallstones :)

Cael has been such a daddy's buddy lately! Brad has been working on a new phrase that has stuck: "Love Dada." Cael also uses this phrase for Dede, GiGi, and Papa....but not Mama :'( But I still get more hugs and kisses from Cael so I guess that counts for something!

Cael is also getting in a new tooth, a canine this time. It's taking FOREVER to come through. It's taking even longer than the molars did! He's going to look so big when he has a mouth full of teeth! It's hard to believe he is 18 months old already... And he talks so much! Today in the car, he was jabbering on and on about something but he was stringing actual words together in a nonsensical way. I can't even remember what he was saying, I was laughing so hard at how serious and important he sounded! But every words he said was an actual word, not just babble.

My classes aren't sucking too bad yet... I'm just not getting things turned in the time I want to. Like I should be working on it right now but I'm blogging instead... Shame upon me. But I enjoy blogging more than homework :)

Good Gracious, Can I Ever Post Regularly?!

This past week has been crrrrrrrraaaaaaaaazy. First off, we somehow ended up getting fleas, though we have no flea-carriers as pets. We have guppies. It just makes me mad that it happened. And our neighbor across that hall, who had a cat, has moved out so maybe they came from her.
The daycare has been experiencing an outbreak of Hand Foot and Mouth disease so my work days have been pretty slow. We have usually 8 to 10 kids out of our 16 enrolled. And Cael caught it as well so Wednesday I stayed home with my poor, miserable boy... His little bottom, elbows, legs, and feet are covered in red blisters and I had even seen some in his mouth, though they've gone away now, thank goodness. Only a few more days until they're gone. He's in a better mood than he was on Wednesday, that's for sure. Cael was also diagnosed with an ear infection on top of that >.<

My classes started up on Monday and so far, they've been going pretty well. They're all "major-centered" classes and I think they'll be really valuable for my current class :) There is a lot of observing that I have to do this semester too.

Brad has been seaching for a new job recently, since his current isn't exactly a healthy environment any more (politics and disagreements among coworkers mostly). He heard back from KCP&L, the electric company that facilitates Warrensburg and the Kansas City area, to take the test for meter reading. Hopefully we'll hear his test results soon!

We had also been saving up for a Wii system and finally, two weekends ago, a deal came up at Hastings for purchasing a new Wii and getting two used Wii games for free. We just couldn't pass it up! We ended up getting $300 worth of Wii entertainment items for less than $200. We've been playing it ever since. We also broke dwn and got a Netflix account (which I am addicted to). It has quite a few of our favorite shows and movies on it, like "Super Why" and "Dinosaur Train" for Cael and "The Tudors" and "Law and Order: SVU" for me. Brad also found "Rugrats" episodes and we have been watching them non-stop! He also found "AAH! Real Monsters!" so we will continue our retro Nickelodeon shows after "Rugrats" is done. Brad has also caught me up on some great comedians too like George Carlin.

Brad's birthday is in 4 days! It's amazing how much time has passed. He'll be 21 so we're planning a little get-together with his friends at our apartment. Brad's mom has said she will watch Cael for us on Friday night and I will be the designated driver/key holder at the party. I'm actually looking forward to it even though I can't drink. We're hooking up a bunch of game consoles to a bunch of TVs in our living room so we can have a bunch of games going on at the same time and no one has to wait for a turn to play. I can't wait! :)

A New Trip To Visit Family

I finally got Brad to come with me on a trip! We are visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousin in Ohio with my mom, sister, and grandma. It's been rather uneventful so far lol a super long car ride + Cael screaming every few hours + my sister = very irritated travelers lol

Today I believe we are going to the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. I bet Cael will love seeing all the fishies :)

A great thing happened while we were on the road though! Brad got an email from YouTube to have a partnership with them! That means, for every view he gets on his YouTube videos, he gets a set amount of money. Plus it means ads will be put in with his videos so every time someone clicks on an ad (whether intentionally or not) he will get a share of that money as well. Every so often (I think Brad said after he accumulates $100) YouTube will give the money to him :) This is a really big deal because it means he's gaining recognition in the YouTube world. I'm very happy for him and proud of him for making such an accomplishment! I love you Brad! <3

Well I'm going ot head off here so I can wake up said loved man and shower :)

If you want to visit Brad's channel, the link is here! Or you can go to YouTube and type in "TheGoveta" and search for his channel. He has lots of videos of his competitive Pokemon battles and a playthrough of Pokemon Ash's Quest (they are super cool!). There's even a couple battles with me in them! Go check it out!

Weekend Post...The Result Of Procrastination And Forgetfulness

Cael has started so many new things, I don't even know where to begin! Of course, that's my fault for not posting as regularly as I should :/ Oh well.

To Cael, anything on the TV and anything new to Cael requires the question "Spider?" and Brad and I are not sure where this came from. We know for sure that he has seen spiders on one of the video games that Brad plays and in a book of "action songs" which has the Itsy Bitsy Spider in it, but we have no idea why he insists on asking if new things are spiders. It's pretty funny though! And he says "No" all the time now. If I ask him for a bite of food, he hands it to me then snatches it back and says "No!" with that goofy smile of his. And if he doesn't want something, he says "no" instead of screaming his displeasure. I have to say, I prefer no over screaming lol

Well, Brad has finally done the impossible... He convinced me to get my own Runescape account. And I'm not doing to bad with it, surprisingly. I've got level 20 in my attack, strength, and defense skills (which is pretty good considering how quickly I got it). I just really like fishing and slaying :P

Brad has a couple of friends over tonight so I'm going to watch them play Little Big Planet :)

Goodbyes Are The Hardest

Well, one of my favorite little girls from daycare is moving away to Rhode Island. Today was her last day with us :( It was so sad, she gave me a hug goodbye and she looked up at me with her big, cute smile and says "I love you!"

I hugged her again and had to leave the room before I started bawling... I cleaned the room to distract myself and said goodbye again when she, her mom, and her older sister left.

I don't know how I'll make it through the weekend now. Cael's not coming back until Sunday and I might not ever see Abigail again :( I'll miss that sweet little girl.

On the plus side, we have a new friend in our room :) She's very adorable and amazingly well-behaved for a two year old! And she is beautiful. Like the kind of beautiful that makes you do a double-take and stare lol her mother is the same way.

Hopefully, if I don't act like a vegetable tomorrow, I can get all my cleaning done in less than 24 hours :) I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also planning on rearranging some furniture and organizing the things that need it. Luckily, we don't have to worry about packing up again. Brad and I had talked about finding a new place (duplex or house) so we don't have to deal with loud neighbors any more, but we couldn't find a good one in our price range. I don't mind staying in our four-plex for another year. It's in a nice neighborhood and the only really bad thing about it (besides one of our neighbors) is the train that passes right next to the building.

Well, I'm going to get off so I can read my Nook :)

The First Time Is The Hardest...

Well, just as planned, Cael is spending a weekend at my mom's house with my family...and without me :( I'm not gonna lie, I cried last night when we went to bed, today when I packed his bag on my lunch break, and 5 minutes after we left Columbia... I think I'll feel better tomorrow though. It's kind of like that homesickness thing when you're at summer camp. You cry the first night, but after that you're too busy to notice you miss home. I have plans for the whole weekend. I'm going to clean like crazy and go shopping. I'll go swimming, go on walks, and rearrange furniture in the house. I'm not going to give myself time to worry about it or be sad that I can't hug and kiss Cael whenever I want to.
I can do this...just give me a night to get the crying out of the way, and I'll bounce back tomorrow