|
|
It’s November 5th, right? SEVEN weeks and 1 day until Christmas, right? Then why is there Christmas music coming out of the speakers of my surround sound system in my living room? Oh yeah, that’s it! My husband LOVES Christmas. Sometimes, to a fault. He was asking if it was too early for a Christmas movie about a week before my birthday, in mid-October. He was really considering it!
Now, I’m no Scrooge, but I’m just coming down from my birthday high, the craziness of Noah’s birthday, and Halloween. Can I catch my breath for a few days? And then, can I focus on Thanksgiving for a bit, before getting into the Christmas thing? Is that too much to ask?
 Â …now what?
Yes, it’s Saturday and I’m talking about work. That’s because I just got home from work. I work at the hospital on weekends, usually 2-3 weekend days a month. It’s easy money. Well, relatively easy. There is some manual labor involved, but nothing I can’t handle.
Today, I sat talking with a patient who asked how I could deal with working with “icky people,” herself included in that comment. First of all, she is not icky. Not even close to icky. Not compared to some of the people I see. Secondly, I don’t regularly work with icky people. I’m not a nurse, so I don’t have to deal with most of the icky stuff.  But mostly, I don’t mind because I really enjoy my job (most of the time). I like who I work with (most of the time). I feel like I’m helpful (most of the time). So it’s easy to overlook the icky stuff.
And now that I just opened my paycheck, I remember even more why I can deal with it!
Thanks to my dear SIL, I’ve decided to embark on a crazy adventure. I’m joining NaBloPoMo to get me going on this blogging thing. I’ve vowed to post ever day for the month of November. Yep, a little nuts, but I’ll try to make it worth everyone’s time. Today I’ve posted twice, so I’m making up for missing yesterday. See you all tomorrow!
I am a terrible Mom. I got all excited about my own birthday, wrote on my blog all about “my day,” then neglected to take the time to let the world know about my son’s 4th birthday. Maybe it was because I was asleep on the sofa by 9:30, just a few minutes after I got the boys to bed that night, falling into a deep sleep after the crazy weekend we had just finished.
Friday we were out of town for a wedding, then Saturday was spent baking numerous items of deliciousness for Noah’s birthday and a bake sale at church. Sunday morning found me helping to set up the bake sale at church, then hurrying home to get ready for the onslaught of 3/4 year olds for Noah’s birthday party. Thank God for my wonderful husband who cleaned areas in the house I was hoping would just look a little more tidy.
The kids started arriving at 11, and the craziness was on, with the kids running around, bopping each other on the head with balloons. No problem, they were our playgroup buddies anyway, and the party was just a fancy playgroup, with pizza, cake, and presents. The pizza arrived and we had a little quiet while the kids noshed on Toppers pizza and breadsticks. Then it was time for presents, with all of the kids wanting to help Noah open his goodies. Time for more silliness while the kids tried out some of Noah’s new stuff, then onto cupcakes. Banana cake with chocolate frosting, just as my son requested. Not the ideal cake flavor for some of the kids, but it’s the only kind of cake Noah has ever finished an entire piece. The kids headed to the basement for a little while before the parents started arriving around 1:00 to take their sugar-loaded kids home.
 Â Â 
I then got the boys into bed for short naps, laid on the sofa to get a bit of a rest myself, before I had to get the kids up for trick or treating. I woke them both from a pretty sound sleep, got them dressed in their costumes, then headed out. Caden was not too sure about accepting candy from complete strangers (good boy!), but warmed up to it a bit when he saw the goodies in his bucket. Noah loved every second.
 By the time we got back home, Grandma, Grandpa, Chuck and Sara had arrived, quickly followed by Nana and Boppa, and Lizzy, who were all arriving for Noah’s birthday dinner. Yep, it keeps going!
Chuck and Grandpa sent everyone out of the front yard (no problem, since I still had to frost Noah’s second cake!), then called us back out a few minutes later. There was a large item covered with a drop cloth in the driveway, with a sign that said “Happy Birthday Noah! Love, Chuck and Sara.” Okay… As Noah uncovered it, Andy and I quickly realized we had been caught on a technicality. Chuck had asked for suggestions for Noah’s birthday present, and we simply said, “As long as it’s age-appropriate.” We now have to make room in our garage for a convertible Pontiac Solstice Power Wheels car!
  We never thought we’d have one of these, but the boys love it, and I didn’t have to buy it! 🙂
We had a nummy dinner of brats, Noah’s request, then opened presents. Noah got some great things, and we spent time assembling things-Hungry Hungry Hippo (awesome!), a cool race track with a loop, and a camera. Never too early to start!
 Â 
The next day, his actual birthday included school, with a birthday treat, lunch at McDonald’s with a playland with Mama and Daddy, picking up Caden from school and playing on the playground and in the sandbox for a while, then off to Toys R Us to spend a gift card and get his present from Matte and Cathy-girl. Per request, Noah received a Sit N Spin and Hippity Hop from his uncle and aunt. Definite winners!
 Â Â 
We capped off the evening with gingerbread pancakes, a phone conversation with is buddy Bella in Massachusetts, and watching a couple of Backyardigans episodes from his new DVD he bought with his gift card. Not a bad day, huh? It’s good to be 4!
 Â 
Today is my day, all mine! I firmly believe that one’s birthday is their chance to be completely, utterly selfish. That day is today for me!
But I have to work. I haven’t worked on my birthday for several years, if ever! I’m sure there are many of you out there rolling your eyes, playing your mini violins for poor, sad Saj. But like I said, it’s my day to be all about me. But since I just started this job, and I took a half day off next week for Noah’s birthday, I agreed to work today. At least I mostly like my job.
Anyway, happy birthday to me today!!!
So, I took Caden to get his haircut today at Whimsikidz, a boutique-y shop with a kids haircut place in the back. It was the only place I could think of that would be able to distract him with Elmo and Dora, like I do at home when I cut his hair! He was doing great while we waited, watching the other kids get their hair cut. Then it was our turn. Long story short, I ended up with the hot pink cape on, holding Caden in my lap, while Tim did his magic.
I think it was worth the $18 plus tip, sort of. At least it doesn’t look so much like a lame bowl cut! Caden ended up covered in hair, so we made a quick stop at the mall, picked up a shirt off the clearance rack, and we have a little boy with a decent haircut! Tim said he couldn’t do much about the bangs right now. Yeah, I went a little overboard with those! But I think he looks pretty good!
 Â Â 
My boys have never had their hair cut professionally. I used to cut Noah’s hair in a little bowl cut (no, I didn’t use an actual bowl!), until we realized how sweaty he gets and Andy convinced me to buzz his hair. So now Andy does the buzzing for Noah.
 Â Â Â 
I am still cutting Caden’s hair. (Not really a bowl cut, but similar, but his hair is different than Noah’s.) I am still cutting Caden’s…that is until tonight, maybe.
   It’s a little shorter in the front than I usually like, and definitely not how Andy likes it! He kept telling me he could go get the clippers and help. NO!!! I’m just not ready for that yet. We’re having family pictures taken in a couple of weeks, and I don’t know if I’m ready for a drastic change. But a visit to a professional hair studio/salon/barber may be in order.
   See Andy’s love of a clipper/razor? I figure, if all of them get home hair cuts, I can justify my salon visits! Right???
So, this past Tuesday was my last official day working for the pool. (Aside: A big plus to not working for the pool? Not having to explain that it’s a pool of therapists, not a swimming pool! Though I used to go in the pool a lot at my first job in Appleton. But I digress…) I can’t really say it was sad, since I have never worked with anyone consistently for the past 2 years or so. But it was a little bittersweet, since I won’t be getting to see some really great people I have worked with anymore, except maybe at continuing education courses. And I will miss those paychecks (I got a 20% differential over my base rate in the pool)! But the prospect of what I’m going to is pretty great.
I’ve accepted a permanent position with Elmbrook Hospital, splitting time between the hospital and an outpatient clinic down the road from the hospital. It’s a 0.5 FTE position, so it’s 20 hours a week. That’s an extra half day over what I’ve been doing, but my manager was great about the flexibility of my schedule. I’ll be working Monday 10-6:30, Tuesday 8-4:30, and Thursday 2-6. Kind of crazy hours, but they work for me. Monday, I will be able to take the boys to their respective schools, and still get to work with plenty of time. I will work from 10-2 at the hospital, then 2:30-6:30 at the clinic. Tuesday I will be at the hospital from 8-12, then the clinic from 12:30-4:30. And on Thursday, I will just be at the clinic.
My wonderful mom has very generously offered to watch the boys all three days, a recent development based on Caden’s issues with separation and school. Let’s just say he’s having a little bit of trouble adjusting to not being with Mommy/Daddy/Nana/Grandma. Anyway, my mom will pick the boys up from school on Monday, have them all day Tuesday, then just for the afternoon on Thursday, when they’re napping/resting. I’m soooooo lucky to have her available to me, and I know my mother-in-law will be ready to jump in once school lets out in June, and probably during vacations! It doesn’t get much better than that!
I’m really excited to be so close to home with my job. It’s about a 10 minute commute time, door-to-door, to the hospital, and an extra 5 minutes or so to the clinic. And the clinic is awesome! There are tons of windows, and the equipment was made in this decade! The facility is just over a year old, so it’s pretty shmancy. I am a bit nervous, though. It’s been a while since I’ve done outpatient orthopedic therapy consistently, and I’m a little rusty. With the pool, I’d generally do an evaluation, then the patient would go to a regular therapist, and they could tie up any loose ends for me. But now, I’ll have my own patient caseload! I keep telling myself it’s like riding a bike-I just have to get back on!
Nonetheless, I’m really excited, and I’m fairly sure this is the right decision for me at this time. It’s a foot in the door, with plenty of potential for the future. I’ll keep you all posted!
A few months ago, Noah let me know he wants a train party for his birthday this year (in October!). Okay, sounds good. He hasn’t changed his mind once. It’s always been trains, and it will end up being trains in a few weeks.
A few weeks ago, Noah told me that for his 6th birthday (in 2 years-what happened to 5?), he wants a Halloween birthday party. Okay, sounds good. He then let me know that for that Halloween, he will be a 3-eyed chicken. This is no lie, I couldn’t make something like this up! Okay… That could probably be done.
Just today, he said he changed his mind. For his Halloween birthday party, instead of a 3-eyed chicken, he wants to be a mummy mouse. Okay…
|
|