Getting Acquainted

Now that we can finally see the floor here at the apartment, time has been freed up to do other, more entertaining things. Take Friday for example. We decided, spur of the moment, that we couldn't miss the premiere of Shrek the Third. However, going to a movie theater with two small kids spells D-I-A-S-T-E-R. Thankfully, there are a few drive-in theaters still operating in the Denver Metro area. Feeling like Speedy Gonzales, we ran around the house gathering up blankets and sweaters, piled in the car and headed to the Cinderella Drive In down the road in Engelwood. We got there with plenty of time to spare and while the girls finished their naps in the car, Ben went off in search of classic drive-in food (corn dogs, nachos, candy). I was amazed and how big this place is. It has two screens and rows upon rows of parking. By the time the movie started, the lot for Shrek was pretty darn full. There was quite a line of people hoping to get in and many who watched it through the slots in the fence. Next to us was a SWEET tan '46 Chevy Impala (kudos to me for identifying the car) and an awesome little family. We enjoyed the movie (well, Ben, Caitlin & I did, Cara slept) and the fact that we could take the whole family to the movies for under $20 without having to worrying about Cara crying or Caitlin sitting still. Shrek the Third gets about 1 1/2 thumbs up from us though, it was good but not "laughing until you throw up" funny.
Fast forward to yesterday, we spent the evening after Ben got home from work, driving around a northern suburb looking at housing. Ben is hopeful that we might be truly house hunting by the end of the summer. We found a couple of really cute townhouses in our price range. This town is not that far from Denver and has good schools. We are working with a mortgage broker to see what can be done. So, keep your fingers crossed for us. Anyway, it was fun to drive around, looking at homes, and talking about what we want or, do not want in a perspective house.
Today, we are planning a trip to Borders so that I can spend my birthday gift card and then to Payless to pick up THE PERFECT pair of shoes to go with Caitlin's flower girl dress for her Uncle Kofi's wedding in June. Then, we'll rendevous back to the "flat" to finish up some house work.
Oh, while we were out yesterday, I came across a table that was set up near the mall's play place that was promoting a new charter school in our area. While we're hoping to move out of Aurora, if we don't this could be a great option for Caitlin. They are teaching multi-culturalism and awareness and will be offering instruction in three foreign languages (Chinese and Spanish to start) with a promise to add a third next school year. Best part, it's a public charter school which = FREE! From what I've heard and read, this place sounds right up Caitlin's alley! The public schools here are not that wonderful, so this would be a great alternative.
One more thing...I may not be going back to work after all. The harsh reality regarding the price of putting two kids in day care has hit home--hard. My salary at the library will only leave me with $200/month after forking over $1500 for childcare. Did I mention that a few days a week, Cara will be in another person's care for 11 hours out of 24? Add that to the fact that we are having a hard time finding licensed people to watch Cara who are willing to be open past 6pm for those of us that do not have the luxury of working early mornings. The final decision hasn't been made yet, as Ben & I need to do some serious number crunching, but I think I know, in my heart, what's the right thing to do.

Okay, okay, I'm done rambling now, I promise!

Stop the Madness!

Oh boy, oh boy! Make it stop, please! I'm beginning to think that everything in my life has to be difficult in order for it to be worthwhile. You know that old saying, whatever doesn't break us will make us stronger? This seems to be my mantra. Just when I thought I had life, for the foreseeable future figured out, a few curve balls have to be thrown into the mix of things. Let me explain...
You all might remember that I recently took a job as a circulation clerk despite a decrease in pay, knowing that I'd be making pennies on the dollar after paying for child care X 2. Well, never in a million years did I expect to have this much trouble finding infant openings for Cara. I can't recall how many places we called, even going where no parent should ever go and checking out a few "centers" that are run out of shopping centers. Maybe I'm not current on things and this is the new trend but the few that we've seen have had very small rooms and one in particular smelled peculiar. I did the math and the "play area" in the infant room would allow for about 2 square feet of space per child. What?! Even in our small, awkwardly laid out apartment, Cara has more space than that and we're paying less a month in rent than they want for child care. Are they joking? We are not willing to dive into the realm of in-home day cares because I have lost faith in the Qualistar rating system as well as the state of Colorado's licensing program. The person who signed the license of the provider we originally had (pre-Three Bears) for Caitlin needs to be slapped! Anyway, I digress...we did finally find a early childhood center that we'd like to use for both girls ('cause I'd rather not drive all over Arapahoe county dropping off kiddos if I don't have to). We loved it because it's right across the canal from us and it's a Christian program. They also teach Spanish and ASL starting at the infant level. The atmosphere appeared to be well-rounded and loving. Couldn't get much better, you say? No, it really couldn't. There are just a couple of hurdles or curve balls--
1. They want tuition up front and you have to pay either monthly or bi-monthly. That comes out to $1400. For this financially struggling family, that is impossible to come up with in a week.
2. In addition to tuition, there's an enrollment fee (for both girls) and a materials fee.
3. They close at 5:30pm. That might not seem like an issue but for us, it will be because I do not know my hours at the new job and Ben will have a hard time making it back to Aurora from downtown by then.

So, what we have to decide is whether or not I should go back to work and if so, how on earth are we going to overcome all of these hurdles? I am debating contacting the library supervisor to see if we can't negotiate more money per hour so that it actually, somewhat, makes sense for me to pay 3/4 of my paycheck towards child care. Ben & I are actually considering the fact that it just might not be financially sound for me to return to work just yet...that I should wait until a better-paying offer comes along, preferably when Cara is a year old (no more worrying about her not taking formula or breast milk and also a rate drop if she's walking). We would also have more time to save up for the cost of enrolling the girls. My only concerns are that if I turn this job down, I will be burning bridges and not be able to work for this library system for a long time and may not find anything that pays well when the time comes. In addition, even though it's only a couple more months, I'm afraid that I will go wacko staying home any longer.

I know, I know...Ben & I seriously need to talk. But, when do you find time when your spouse works two jobs and when he is home, he's sleeping or we're jointly taking care of the girls? Late night chats via instant messenger seem to be on the agenda.

Enough venting, time for some strategetic decision making. What would YOU do?

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's to hoping that all of my mom friends have a great Mother's Day. Relax, be with your family and remember what you love about being a mom.


TopIcons.Net

The time has come, almost.

Well, the day is almost here. All the boxes are just about packed, the moving truck rented. Soon, we will be back in the Denver Metro area. I, for one, am very excited! I get to have my husband back as well as a new job in the public library setting. Officially, we will change residences on Tuesday but it may take a few days to get everyone settled in. So, if I seem to disappear for a little bit, you'll know what's up and won't have the need to send a search party. Now, if you happen to know any fit guys who want to carry couches, mattresses and such up 1 1/2 flights of steps, send them my way!

I guess it's fitting to say goodbye to the good ole Western Slope one more time. This area has been good to me and will always be home. Hopefully, we can visit often. A plan is already brewing in my head for the 4th of July.

Eastward ho!

The Good, the bad and the best!

The Good:
-I got a job with the Aurora Library. This means that, eventually, I'll be able to get these annoying, pesky creditors off of my back and I'll be getting out of the house!
-There will be "flexible income" again.
-We will be moving back to the city!
-I got hired despite a bad reference from a former boss (see below).
-Two of my dear friends gave me glowing references (thanks Jeanne & Jana).

The Bad:
-I was offered the Library Clerk position instead of the Library Assistant.
-The pay that I ended up being offered was about $4/hour less than was discussed at my interview.
-After paying day care, my take home will be a mere few hundred dollars.
-I found out that a former boss gave me a bad reference and had me panicked thinking I wouldn't get the job.
-I have to put my baby in day care and do not know of an upstanding one--time to do research. (Caitlin will return to the preschool she attended before)
-We will be 5 hours away from my parents, again.

The Best:
-The girls & I will be living with Ben again.
-We will be a family again, all under one roof.
-Ben & I have worked on our "differences" and what happened that fateful day in August & have mutually decided to save our marriage.
-I will be close to many of my wonderful friends on the Front Range.
-Did I mention that I will be getting out of the house?! Don't get me wrong, I love my girls but I think I'll be a much better mom if I'm not home with them 24/7, 365. Both will also benefit from the socialization that preschool/day care provides.

Well folks, that's the skinny. Now, even though I got the official offer...I still have to pass a background investigation, credit screen, drug test (shucks, no more poppy seed muffins) and have a physical. Other than the credit screen (for reasons mentioned in previous posts), I have no worries. What can I say except--WOO HOO! This good news came at the perfect time, the day before my 29th birthday!

Woot!

Just a short post to say that I have officially joined the ranks as a member of the gainfully employed! The final offer has not come in & I still have to pass a backgroung & credit check. But...the director said she wants me on her staff! I should have an official offer--postion & salary by the end of the week. Time to start packing...wagons east!

Let me be lucky!

Please, let the stars, or is it the planets, line up; let Yin & Yang be in balance; let there be good karma...
Momma needs a job! I am in the running (I hope) for two library jobs in Aurora. I interviewed for one last Tuesday and I believe I impressed them with my thorough responses to their questions. Heck, I think I even managed to sound articulate and educated. My "mommy brain" took a temporary vacation. I have another interview with the same library district for another position next Tuesday. This is the one that I really want, it's a Library Assistant position, which is a little more glamorous and pays a lot better than the Library Clerk job that I interviewed for last week. Truth be told though, I'm so desperate right now, that I'll take which ever one is offered to me. It sounds like they are very short-staffed too, so hopefully, that will work in my favor. When I asked when the director hoped to have the position filled, she replied, (direct quote) "the day before yesterday"! Now, I'm not bilingual in Spanish like they'd prefer but I'm more than willing to learn. I'm hoping that my customer service skills just won them over. What can I say, I like working with people (most days). This library district is right down the road from where we used to live and pretty central to any other part of Aurora that we chose to live in, so it's perfect. The schedule might be a bit funky (something like 6 days on, 2 days off and then 4 days on, 2 days off) but, we can work around that. I mean, I used to work EVERY, single weekend when I worked for DOC. All in all, I'm really psyched and have a good vibe that I'll get an offer for one of the positions by the end of next week. As much as I love being back in "small town Colorado", I have come to realize that it will take a miracle for me to find a good-paying job doing something that I'm good at here. Besides, I actually like living in the Denver Metro area.
When we were there last week, Ben, the girls & I spent an evening walking in LoDo visiting the Denver Public Library (oh my gosh, amazing), a huge Barnes & Noble were I snagged the latest in the Shopaholic series, and then had dinner at BD's Mongolian BBQ. While it was windy and sleeting at one point, we all had a wonderful time. There's something awesome about being amoung tall buildings and culture at every turn. Gives me the chills! I am already making plans to visit the many museums with Ben & the girls and have many eating establishments to try out. Mile High City, here we come, again (I hope & pray)!

Easter Morning 2007

Easter Morning 2007
Originally uploaded by Mountain Chronicles.

Hope that you had as much fun this morning and we did! The Easter bunny was very generous to both girls and thankfully, hid his eggs and baskets indoors since we were greeted with a downpour.

Easter Memories in the Making

Easter Collage
Originally uploaded by Mountain Chronicles.

Wishing all of you a very happy and joyful Easter.
Here, on the western slope of Colorado, we have set plans in motion for starting some great Easter traditions. Caitlin, my mom & I have made Easter sugar cookies and a bunny cake. Earlier today, we went to a Lions Club sponsored egg hunt & dyed eggs. The Easter bunny will hide them first thing in the morning along with baskets for both girls. We will feast on cinnamon rolls after the hunt is over and a dinner of ham, potatoes and muffins will follow. These are the things that make for great childhood memories. I remember doing these very things with my parents & siblings. I can only hope that Caitlin & Cara will be able to look back and smile too, some day.

I hope that this Easter is full of joy & wonderful memories for you & yours,

Like Mother, Like Daughter

My creation
Originally uploaded by Mountain Chronicles.

Further proof that Cara looks like me, especially with the new 'do!

The final results

Okay, before you all start freaking out...let me just say that this is NOT how my hair is going to look 90% of the time. It's just that I can't wash it right now. Here's what took place. I went to Rumours, my favorite salon here in town 'cause the stylists know there stuff, and talked with one of the girls. We must've spent 20 minutes talking about my options. Did I just want to give my hair some texture and a little bit more funkiness? How about learning techniques involving lots of styling products and time (which I don't have)? What about a body wave for some body and loose curls that I could blow straight? Doing this would allow me more styling options without too much fussiness. A body wave, I was told, would make it easier to achieve the "straight style" that I wanted 'cause I'd already have the body. On the days that I didn't feel like doing anything though, I wouldn't be stuck with a horrible cut. How could I lose? So, I sat down for my first perm in about oh, 13 years or so. Kinda scary but, I trusted Katy, my stylist. She promised that I wouldn't look like a french poodle!

So, here's the final result--not blown straight. Right now, it is a tad bit "wild" but it will calm down some once I can wash it and style it (Sunday night). Truth be told, I finally look like my girls, more like Cara than Caitlin, of course. Maybe now, I won't get the "Are they both really yours?" or "Are you the nanny?" comments. I know, I know, fake curls are supposedly are their way out but these are not curls, it's waves, honestly! This really isn't a good picture but I don't have any other way of taking a picture of myself at the moment. I promise to post more, after I can wash it! Have faith, it will look great!

This is what my hair would look like, blown straight (minus the tiara 'cause I don't have that kind of bling bling).

It's time to get bold and start caring about how I look again. I might even try a headband like Lauren suggested. Now, to get nominated for TLC's What Not to Wear...

Wanted: New Hairstyle

My hair is beginning to drive me nuts. I mean, seriously, who wants to look like the Flying Nun on a daily basis. Granted, I am not talented when it comes to styling products. The most that I can manage is a blow drier and maybe some gel-like stuff. Anyway, after spending 15 minutes attempting to "style" my hair, this is what I got...

Why do I even bother, really? So, I'm in the market for a new look. Here are some styles that I'm thinking about, let me know which one you think would look best. I am willing to get some body in my hair via curls, etc. I'm getting kind of sick of my pin straight, limp hair.

1. Not quite that short, probably done over my ears.


2. Not too much of a stretch from what I have but I imagine I'll need some body in order for it too look like this.


3. This is pretty close to my "normal" style, but again, this chick has a lot more body to her hair. I would have mine come down over my ears.


4. Totally curly. Probably not as "poofy" on the top and longer on the sides.


5. None of these

What do you guys think?

Just listen to mommy!

(I posted this on the Single Mom's Group on CafeMom, but thought I would vent here too)

*sigh* This is one of those days that I don't want to be a mom, especially a stay at home one. I guess I had a rose-colored view of what it would be like to stay home 24/7 with my girls. I pictured us doing crafts even though I'm craft-challenged, going to play groups, visiting the zoo, children's museum and the like. Instead, I am stuck home with them most days because I have limited funds and frankly, there is not much to do in this small town (I lived in a metro area prior to my separation). Anyway, I digress. Last night, my 8 month old screamed and screamed for about 20 minutes for no apparent reason then nursed for about 10 seconds and passed out. This meant a late night, rushed dinner and no patience. Then today, my oldest decides to defy me at every turn and ask "Why?" to everything that I ask her to do. You can only put a kid in time out so many times before it stops working. Kids just know how to punch the buttons sometimes. I'm tired and cranky and yet, I can't run away, even for a few hours. I'm stuck...
That said, I give MAJOR kudos to the SAHMs who do this and have been doing it successfully for years. I admire you all and wonder how you stand it! True, some can afford to find and pay for outlets for their kids (preschool, tumbling and the like), so they get some time to themselves but still, I'm sure those times are few and far between. Even those who are not SAHMs, you're still the primary caregiver and disciplinarian. Doesn't that get old? I would hate to replay what I say to my oldest every day 'cause I'm sure it's a lot of "No", "Stop that!" and "Not now"s. I feel guilty but sometimes, I just want to snap! I want to be an ostrich and bury my head in the sand. Not to have to hear "MOMMA...!" 5,000 times a day would be lovely, not to have to attempt to decode a baby's cries, not to be pulled in a million directions at the same time. Right now, I would kill for a job, for a little escape. Then, at the same time, I know I will miss being home, that I will miss precious moments and milestones.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. Life would be so much simplier if kids would just do what we tell them, huh?

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Since we all probably have a little bit o' Irish in us...


Courtesy of MsTags.com

We are going downtown to show our love for the Irish by watching the parade and eating some brats!

**Update on the parade** We had a lovely time. It was in the 70's during the parade, which lasted all of about 15 minutes. Caitlin sat on the curb watching the floats, cars and horses go by and catching candy that was thrown down. She managed to get about 6 pieces so it was a mini-Halloween to her. I saw an old high school home ec teacher who handed me a paper crane, symbol of peace. I guess I haven't changed much, because, after almost 11 years, she still recognized me! After the parade, we walked a few blocks down to the Coffee Trader for Italian Cream Sodas (Coconut for me, strawberry for Caitlin) and then walked back to the car. Caitlin spent a majority of the day outside since it was absolutely gorgeous. I cleaned out my car and then opened the house up to let the fresh air in. It was a wonderful day!

Sampling of pictures

Click on the Flickr icon to see more recent pictures!

No sick days

*scratch, scratch, cough, cough* That is me. It seems that I have come down with a little cold/ear ache of some sort. It started yesterday with a slight irritation in my throat and now, it REALLY hurts to swallow, drink, etc. I'm also really hot and dizzy. As much as I'd love to sleep all day and wallow in self-pity...moms don't get sick days. So, I must plow on. I have Weight Watchers tonight though I'm not sure if I will gather up enough energy for the 30 minute drive to the meeting site. I'm sincerely hoping that both girls will be good to me today so that I can take it easy. I will, however, have to make a trek to the market to get some cough drops or something. *sighs* I hate being sick. I'm just praying that neither of the girls gets what I have. Nothing more pitiful than sick kids.

Weight Loss Tracking

As most of you know, I have been going to Weight Watchers since February and have been (most days) following the plan rigidly. It has been hard, especially with cravings, but I know it will be worth it when I don't have to jump in the Plus section anymore. Well, I am proud to report the fruits of my labor---10.4 lbs lost! Woo hoo! And yes, I can tell a difference. My "fat" pants are getting baggy and my "regular" pants are fitting pretty well. I have a long way to go to get to my goal weight but, I now have the confidence to keep going. I may drop attending actual meetings 'cause other than weighing in (accountability factor), the meetings do nothing for me. I track my Points online anyway and am a message board a-holic, so maybe just doing it online will work. So, that's the latest!

I'm still around

I don't really have anything to post about at the present time but just wanted you folks to know that I haven't vanished off the face of the planet. I have been avidly reading and posting on CafeMom, reading and commenting on my friends' blogs, searching for a job (no luck yet) and trying to keep two little princess-divas somewhat happy. I am also researching loans/grants for grad school (Library Science) some day--figured I had better get my finances back on track first--and doing some reading. This all makes for a busy day, most of the time.

I hope to have some more interesting stuff to post about soon...

Oh, I did want to mention the cutest thing today. I put Cara in the big bathtub with Caitlin (I held & supported Cara, of course) and the two girls had a blast "floating" next to each other. At one point, Cara was riding on Caitlin's back (a total Kodak moment but I was occupied with keeping Cara from drowning, so no picture) with her chubby legs on either side of Caitlin as they swam "like Diego on the seat turtle up & down the length of the tub. Some good times had by both girls.

That's all folks. :)

She did it!

You know, I've found it so hard not to compare Cara's milestones with those of other babies born in the same month as her or even her big sister. I don't know why though 'cause I was so relaxed with Caitlin and had the whole, "She'll do it when she's ready" attitude but with Cara, I'm much more nervous, go figure. Once again, my worry was unfounded. About two months ago, Cara mastered rolling over from tummy to back and I was anxiously awaiting the day when she would roll over consistently from back to tummy and she really only did it once and then stopped, rolling halfway, twisting herself all up but, not rolling over. So, I've been giving her tons of time on the floor with her favorite toys just out of reach and she was oh, so close. Naturally, the day that I go out for a counseling appointment and to have some Mom-ME time, she rolls over not once, not twice but three or four times! So, we can officially write that down in her baby book--one more developmental milestone met, right on! You go baby!
She is also sitting up unassisted & we will try sitting up in a shopping cart soon. I can't believe how fast she is growing & changing. She is a no longer a little, motionless baby but rather a blossoming little tyke.

Valentine's Day Fun Facts

I found this on history.com, it's a fun hodgepodge of Valentine's Day facts. Hope that you all have a wonderful day & tell all the wonderful people in your lives that you love them. I have two cute little valentine's this year...Caitlin & Cara! Caitlin made out some valentines for family memebers, even signing a "C" on each one. She had a blast choosing one for each person and then handing them out this morning.

Here is what my parents got me:

It has a significance to me, as of late, because a friend quoted a verse that talked about faith the size of a mustard seed...that even if you had that little bit of faith, nothing was impossible.

Fun Valentine's Day Facts---
There are many opinons as to who was the original Valentine, with the most popular theory that it was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In any event, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. Through the centuries, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became a patron saint of lovers. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for sending the first Valentine cards. The spirit of love continues as valentines are sent with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.
Looking for Love
- 188 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark research)
- Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight. (Source: Hallmark research)
- Research reveals that more than half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine's Day by purchasing a greeting card. (Source: Hallmark research)
- 904: The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues.
Be Mine
- 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.
- 147,300 marriages are performed in Nevada during 2005. So many couples "tie the knot" in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though it's total population that year among states was 35th.
Candy is Dandy!
- 1,241: The number of locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2004. These establishments employed 43,322 people. California led the nation in the number of such establishments with 136, followed by Pennsylvania with 122. (Source:http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html)
- 515 locations produced nonchocolate confectionary products in 2004. These establishments employed 22,234 people.
- The total value of shipments in 2004 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products was $13.9 billion. Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was a $5.7 billion industry.
- 3,467 Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2004. Often referred to as candy stores, they are among the best sources of sweets for Valentine's Day.
- The per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2005 was 25.7 pounds. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year.
Flowers
- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers in 2005 for all flower-producing operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $397 million. Among states, California was the leading producer, alone accounting for nearly three-quarters of this amount ($289 million).
- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2005 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $39 million. Among all types of cut flowers, roses were third in receipts ($39 million)to lilies ($76.9 million) and tulips ($39.1 million).
- There were 21,667 florists nationwide in 2004. These businesses employed 109,915 people.
Jewelry
- There were 28,772 jewelry stores in the United States in 2004. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to lovers of all ages. In February 2006, these stores sold $2.6 billion worth of merchandise.

Boy do we spent a lot!

Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Flip Side

Must count my blessings in times like this so, here are some GOOD things that have or are happening:

1. I have a job interview for the Youth Librarian job in Pagosa Springs this coming Thursday. I am to have lunch with the director first (small library) and then meet the staff afterwards. I'm not sure if this is a full-fledged interview or just the preliminary, but in either case, I'm totally psyched!

2. In keeping with one of my New Year's Resolutios, I have joined Weight Watchers and am on the plan. I have lost 3 lbs so far and am finding it easy to watch what I'm eating. Thankfully, Weight Watchers is not a restrictive diet, I can have whatever I want, in moderation.

3. Cara has learned how to roll over in both directions. She is better about stomach to back, but has mastered both! :)

4. I have been feeling a resurgance in my faith as of late. I'm not sure what brought it on, but I am totally enveloping it.

5. It has been warm outside! We have finally been lifted out of the Artic temperatures that we've had for awhile.

6. I filed my income taxes and was absolutely floored to find out that I'm expecting a refund from both state and federal...first time in years. Don't worry, I plan to be very responsible with the money. :)

I'm sure there are more things to be thankful for, including my health, my girls and my family & friends, but these are the tops ones on my list for now.

What's been going down...

This is going to be pretty hard for me to blog about, but those of you that know me know that I am an open book and will share just about anything with anyone. So, here goes...if I ramble on, please forgive me!
So--most of you know that my husband and I are separated and were trying to decide how to proceed from there. Well, last weekend (that's another post in and of itself) solidified our decision to go full force and get divorced. This has been hard for me to swallow because I wasn't ready to totally give up and now, I am feeling a loss of the man that was my husband, even if we do end up being good friends (which is what I hope & pray for)after all is said and done. Originally, we were going to attempt to handle things ourselves, saving lots of money, by proceeding pro se. Well, I'm not exactly sure what changed this, but, I think that right now, we are both working to obtain counsel. I am hoping to be accepted as a pro bono case (shouldn't be too hard considering that I have no income)within the next month thru a legal aid program in my county. In the meantime, I am attempting to make heads or tails out of the mounds of paperwork necessary to file. I am beginning to see why lots of people go to the expense of hiring an attorney. I am finding myself asking "What do I put here?" or "What does THAT mean?" That being said, I am hoping that I can find someone to at least help me complete all of the paperwork and perhaps, too, represent my interests and those of the girls at the hearing. Like I was saying earlier, this hasn't been easy for me to accept. Never in a million years would I have looked into a crystal ball 6 years ago and saw this for my future. I thought that I would be one of those blistfully happy people living the good old American Dream. I am reading a wonderful book given to me by my counselor about how to survive the lost of a love. No, it doesn't deal with death or anything morbid like that but rather that it's okay to feel the way that I do and that I'm going to be okay, at the same time. I have learned that I don't always have to be strong, that I can show that I'm hurt, upset, anger, scared, etc.
Okay, that's the first half of what's happened lately. Here is the second part...
With the separation came the crumbling of my financial situation as I have been struggling for months (some harder than others) to find a job that will support myself and my daughters. Try as I might to make creditors understand my situation and cut me some slack, some have been better about it than others. One in particular has gone to a total extreme. **let this be a lesson to everyone to ALWAYS read the small print** One creditor, who will reman nameless, has decided that since I cannot pay them and they don't have a kind or sincere bone in their collective body, that they will take me to court to file a judgement against me regarding my past due account. It wasn't totally out of the blue because said creditor had been calling for weeks offering me payment plans and such but, honestly, I did not expect the phone call that came on Thursday. It was from the legal office that represents the creditor to inform me that a claim had been filed against me and that I had until the 23rd of this month to pay $1500 plus commit to a monthly payment or else. Basically, if I didn't pay them ASAP, they would give my case to the legal team (lawyers) to proceed with getting a court order for me to pay them. Words like "wage garnishment, severe penalties, covering their lawyer fees" were spilling out of this guy's mouth. This of course freaked me out. I don't have that kind of money, frankly, who does? I'm not proud of the thoughts that were going through my mind that led to an emergency counseling session to help me sort everything out. My counselor is a wonderful, patient woman who listened to me, allowed me to cry and then, got on the phone to get me some help. I have since learned what could happen if a judgment is issued against me (not as worse as I feared) and also that, I am going to be okay! Bad things happen to good people sometimes, but I firmly believe that this is happening for a reason and that I'm going to come out of everything better for it.
I guess that wraps up probably the longest post you've ever read. Thanks for reading!

Singing Its Praises

I just wanted to tell all of you moms out there about a wonderful new site that I just discovered last week and am already hooked on---CafeMom. This site is kind of like MySpace or Facebook just for moms. They just started some Groups (read message boards) and I've found one for inter-racial families, Moms of Babies Born in 2006, weight loss support boards, and the list goes on. I have "met" some wonderful moms that I seem to have lots in common with and it has been fun sharing joys, frustrations and strategies with them. No one knows the challenges of motherhood better than another mother and, I don't know about you, but I certainly could use all the friends that I can get. So, I encourage all of my "mommy friends" to stick there neck out there and explore the site. You do have to create a profile to join but once you do, you can find other moms that live near you, have children the same age or same some common interests. Check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Then again, maybe not...

Boy am I so glad that I stew things over, over-think or double check things sometimes. Here I was, making plans to go to Denver to interview for the technical services position when it hit me that maybe I might want to remind myself what exactly I would be interviewing for. So, I logged on to their human resources department website and scanned the job duties and such. Scrolling down towards the bottom of the posting, I saw the salary and did a double take--$13.83/hour! Excuse me! Obviously, I must've not been thinking clearly when I applied or confused the salary with that of one of the many other positions I applied for the same day 'cause that so NOT a living wage. So, I had to email my would've-been boss to tell her to withdraw my application. Thank goodness I did this before driving all the way over ther to find out this pitiful salary. See, sometimes it pays to be neurotic.

Stretched pretty thin

I thought I would let you all know about my job search as of late. The time has come for me to find gainful employment as I have started to get those threatening phone calls from creditors. Granted, I had been looking before now, just not as hard. Currently, I have applications and resumes in all over the state of Colorado, seriously. I just applied for two more library positions, one in Pagosa Springs (south and east of here, near Durango) as a Youth Services Librarian and another in Parachute (east of here along I-70) for the same position. I was amazed that neither require a MLS and that the pay is decent. I also got an interview for next week at Regis University in Denver. I applied a week or so ago for a technicial services position there. So, it looks like I will be making the trek over the mountains to see if this is something that I'd want to do. There are a lot of unknowns (housing, child care, etc), but I'm going to cross those bridges when I get to them. First step, get a sassy new interview outfit and hair cut to impress the big wigs! Wish me luck. I am hoping for more calls regarding interviews soon. Imagine this, I may actually get to CHOOSE which job I want...totally foreign concept. I have lost count as to how many applications/resumes I have it, but could list all of the cities (but I won't, too boring). So, it looks like I may actually be able to get on my feet soon, which would be wonderful.

Well, that's the latest...

Uno, dos, tres...

I didn't feel that it was fair to brag about Cara without shinning the light on Caitlin as well. She is 3 1/2 years old now, which she asks me just about every day--"What number am I Momma?" Just about every day, am I amazed at the things that she says or does, she is such of a sponge and a puppet. I have to be really careful what I say or I'll find Ms. Caitie repeating it. Like one time, I called Winston, the family Golden Retriever, a blonde idiot and wouldn't you know, I heard Caitlin call a dog at the park that same thing! Whoops, I need a sensor on my mouth! The cutest things come out of her mouth too...the other day, I was nursing Cara, who has discovered that she can bite Momma, and she decided to attempt to take a nibble. I yelped out in pain and unlatched Cara. Caitlin, seeing my distress said, "Breathe Momma!" Do I have a future labor coach or therapist in the making? I was laughing so hard that I forgot about the pain that I was in. I swear that I don't know where she learns these things from.
Also, Caitlin has been starting to say things in Spanish lately, thanks to Dora the Explorer and Diego (and yes, the Dora Kitchen). She can count to ten and does so without thinking a lot when she's counting up stuff while playing; and uses many phrases in the course of a conversation. I even heard her talking to her Little People doll house characters the other day, in partial Spanish. It's pretty bad when your 3 year old knows more Spanish than you do. I had to find a website to translate some English words into Spanish when Caitlin would ask what such and such was in Spanish. Thankfully, I came across this site that not only finds the correct word for you, but sounds it out (http://www.spanishdict.com/). I need that since phonics are not one of my strong points. I'm thinking that Muzzie might be a good birthday gift idea for her. Who knows, maybe I'll pick it up too...goodness knows it will come in handy out here where we have a large hispanic population.
We are working on letter recognition and have found it to be a lot of fun to make letters out of PlayDough and identifying each of alphabet letters that we have on the fridge. I think, I'm going to take Lauren's idea and make flash cards for her--that will be a test of my artistic ability because I want to draw a picture on one side that starts with that letter and the letter on the other side. I'll probably chicken out and use clip art! She did get two alphabet games for her Leap Pad for Christmas, so she has learned a lot because of those too.
I have noticed a great change in Caitie's drawings as of late. The little artist in her is blossoming. She is drawing faces that are atomically correct and other pictures with things in them that I can usually identify. When she colors, she is also staying within the lines most of the time and coloring things a more realistic color...green for grass, yellow for a sun, etc. I love to watch her be so artistic and creative.
Her pretend play has also become more grown up too. She roll-plays with her doll house characters, plays "What's cooking?" with her Dora Kitchen and loves to make houses and forts for her stuffed animals. She has also recently taken to puzzles, effortlessly putting together 25 piece puzzles. Somewhere, there is a little brain working away.
I just delight in seeing these "big girl" changes in her though I find it hard to believe that she will be FOUR this summer!

Growing like a weed, she is.

Cara had her 6 month well baby check up yesterday. While we were there, Cara was totally charming everyone from the doctors to nurses and other mothers--with her head of dark hair and her babble and kicks. She was very good throughout the entire appointment and barely cried when given her shots. All in all, her doctor was impressed with her progress especially since we were just ther about a month and a half ago for her 4 month check up. Cara is almost sitting up on her own, without support, babbles almost non-stop for hours at a time (there will never be peace in my household!) and is oh so close to rolling over. We have started real solid foods though she hasn't taken a liking to any thing other than nursing. We are also trying to work on transitioning her to a bottle and formula, which isn't going well. Not that I can blame her, there is a big taste difference. She just has to get used to it though, so that I can safely leave her with a sitter knowing that she will not starve herself.
Cara's personality has really emerged lately and no longer is she an inactive baby. She is just so sweet and social. One of the things that she does that I just find so adorable is if I put my face close to hers, she will take both of her hands, reach up and grab the sides of my face and pull me down towards her and slobber on me--baby kisses. She also loves to play with her favorite things being her exersaucer and play gym. She loves to "twirl" around on the exersaucer, playing with all of the different toys. She has learned how to manipulate them so that she can chew on them, funny to watch! With her play gym, she has mastered the scoot & roll technique and can move all over the mat, playing with all of the toys and harassing the heck out of the flying birdie in the middle. It's nothing short of a miracle that the poor bird still has its head and wings. She usually strikes up a conversation with the toys while she's playing too. Mostly, she is a very content baby. Lately, we've had some fussy days due in part to teething. Two pearly white teeth really stand out in her little mouth and by the way that she drools and chews on everything, I'd say more are coming.
From her doctor's visit, we came away with only one concern and that is to get Cara rolling over with ease soon. I guess she is lagging behind just a bit since most kids are rolling over by about 4-5 months. Her doctor is not overly concerned though since babies are put to sleep on their backs, tummy time is not a popular thing with them...especially babies like Cara, who have big heads. She is in the 99% for head size. So, more time on her tummy every day, as much as she'll tolerate was the Rx given to me. Wouldn't you know, that night, she rolled over! Sure, it's not a habit yet, but we're heading down the right path. This past weekend, we went to the Children's Museum of Denver while visiting Ben, and Cara played in the infant pond and rolled over again, in both directions. I'm so not worried...she'll do it when she's ready. I guess that's a common trend with 2nd children. The first, we freak out if they don't do things right on time and with the 2nd, we want them to take their time!
One more note, Cara is to have her ultrasound on the 30th to check on her sacral dimple. She was born with one, just like Caitlin. Again, no real concern because she moves and kicks her legs too well, but, just the same, I can't help but be nervous. I will keep you all posted on that.
I guess that's it for my update on Cara. I am so extremely proud of her and how much she has grown and changed lately. I am so blessed to be home and able to see this first-hand.

6 month stats:
Weight-15lbs, 15 oz (I had her weight wrong @ 4 months, she was 15lbs)
Height-26 inches
Head Circum-18.5 inches

Keep on growing baby!

Today's Special

While Lauren & Jon take a stroll down memory lane, I thought I would too! This was one of my favorite shows as a kid, I rarely missed an episode.



I also found Pinwheel which according to a reliable source was on Nick right before Today's Special at 2:00pm EST.

It just keeps coming!

I just thought I would report that we got MORE SNOW last night & a little bit today. I've stopped adding up all of the white stuff that we've gotten this year. I just know that it is a lot...more than we've seen in the course of a winter in about 12 years! I saw an article in our paper about a lady in Loveland, CO who sold snowballs to a guy in CT for $200 so that his daughters could have a little bit of a white Christmas. She had tons of snow to spare since Loveland got hit during the blizzard of 2006 with over two feet of snow. I remember, during some brown (and a few green) Christmases in Michigan, wishing that my parents could buy snow...I guess it's true, you CAN buy anything on Ebay! Now, this poor woman has got to figure out how to ship the snow without melting it--two words for her-dry ice. Anyway, we got about 3 inches here and some bitter winds. I was out pumping gas (a moderate $2.39/gallon for 87 Premium) with my hood up and my ears will still REALLY cold by the time I got back in the car. No playing out in the snow for the next few days. I think the highs are only supposed to be about 20F. Truthfully, I'm getting a little sick of having to deal with the snow (bundling kids up, trekking thru it, etc), so if anyone wants to make me an offer, I might be willing to sell all the snow in town!

A little update

Time seems to have gotten away from me lately so I thought I would update everyone on what's been happening here...

~I had another job interview with the county health & human services department last week. I interviewed for two social work positions. I saw the ad in the newspaper and thought, maybe, it was time to put my sociology degree to work. The first was for a child welfare case manager. When I first graduated and moved to MI, this is the kind of work that I interviewed for there and didn't want to do. Thankfully, this isn't Metro Detroit...there is no police weapon-carrying training or a high crime rate. Still, I would have to testify in court, possibly remove children from their parents and other unpleasant tasks. In addition to the case load demand, I'd also be on call 24/7 M-F and rotating weekends. Not good for someone with two young kids. So, I don't think that's a feasible job for me. I also had a chance to interview for a 32 hour/week position as a coordinator for the teen pregnancy prevention program. Now this, it sounds like, would be right up my alley. I was really intrigued by the prevention program in high school and college (did some volunteer stuff here & there) and pictured myself doing something related to that cause when I graduated. I told my interview panel that I thought that this program would be a good match for me. I would be teaching classes on pregnancy prevention, self esteem and things like that in addition to one-on-one mentoring. I think I interviewed well and am now just waiting to hear back.

~Cara visited a pediatric optamologist yesterday due to my concern that she appeared to go cross-eyed a lot. She had a vision exam and a refraction test where they dilated her pupils. She was such of a trooper through the whole thing, even letting me briefly put on the little sunglasses to protect her eyes from bright light. Her doctor was awesome, had a whole bag of tricks to get babies to pay attention to her...a monkey banging drums on a the end of a stick that she kept in her mouth, a Pooh light, etc. After all was said and done, Cara was pronounced a normal, healthy baby who has a wide bridge on her nose which makes it appear that she's cross-eyed because we can't see as much "white" in her eyes. I let out a big sigh of relief...another hurdle jumped or avoided all together.

~Cara now has two teeth. The bottom left tooth (front) came in days after the one next to it. What can I say except that she drools a lot and Baby Orajel has become our best friend! She has a lot of fussy days when sometimes, only crying herself to sleep seems to work. This too, shall pass, I keep reminding myself.

~Caitlin has developed a total obsession for dancing, especially ballet and Angelina Ballerina. It is so cute to watch her dance around, twirling, doing splits and jumps. As soon as finances allow, I'd love to get her enrolled in a tumbling/beginning dance class. She seems to be a natural. If I knew how, I'd post a little video that I took of her dancing in the kitchen.

~I have made a few minor changes to the blog. I have added a counter on the left-hand menu below the Flickr icon. If you're curious to see how many people, besides you, might visit my site, take a look. I've also added birthday countdowns for both Caitlin & Cara, just for fun. Oh, and there are new pictures on the Flickr account...

I guess that's about it, I think. Peace out! *wink*

Clear!

Good news everyone! Ben got the preliminary results back from his biopsy yesterday and it showed no signs of cancer! Praise be! I was so happy when he told me that I weeped afterwards. It was just a benign cyst, which is what I was praying for. Now, I can rest assured that I'm going to have one of my best friends around, healthy, for a good long while!

Mystery Solved

Well, the mystery of Cara's fussiness has been solved--dum dum dum--she has a new tooth! It's just started to peek thru her gums, it's so white and cute! Another date to fill in on her calendar and baby book. She's growing up so fast!

Prayer Request

I have never posted anything like this before. I am asking that you pray, think good thoughts and pass this on to your family and friends so that they can do the same.
My husband (we are still married even though we're separated) just told me that he may have a cancerous lump under his chin. He is to go next week for a biopsy to determine if it is cancer or benign is only 31 years old and mostly a heathly guy. Maybe I'm being selfish but I'm not ready to lose him yet and my girls need their father.
I am trying not to assume the worst until I hear the results but, it's hard not to, especially since cancer runs rampant in his family. As he once told me, the men in his family don't live long. I tried to tell him that I didn't believe that it was his time. Of course, only God knows when it's someone's time...
So, please pray, think good thoughts, meditate or do whatever it is that suits you. I will keep you all posted.
Thanks so much, in advance.

Check it out

Thanks to Lauren for the tips on how to add my Flickr account to my blog! You can find it on the sidebar. Click it and you'll be able to see all of my latest pictures, including those from Christmas. I was a tad bit disappointed to see that there weren't any good shots of Caitlin. My dad was appointed camera man while I handed out presents. He didn't get many pictures at all as he quickly became consumed with opening his own presents. I am going to have to learn how to crop using iPhoto so that I can post the few pictures that I do have of Caitlin. Truth be told, she was so busy tossing paper aside that I doubt my dad would've gotten too many good shots anyhow...

Pure Frustration

For those of you without kids, consider this a good dose of birth control or why you don't want to have kids...
For the past few days, my youngest, 5 month old Cara, has been very fussy almost to the point of being inconsolable at times. I've tried everything from feeding to a car ride to calm her down. On she wails. If I I could truly decode her cries--is she overstimulated, tired, hungry, bored, mad? Does she have gas? Is she teething? Your guess is as good as mine.
She is content right now, in her car seat, go figure...I wonder how long it will last?

P.S. Christmas pictures will be coming soon, I promise...as soon as I get more than 30 seconds of free time & peace.

Happy Holidays One & All

I wanted to wish you all the blessings that this holiday season can bring. The love of family, friends and memories.

Christmas this year is going to be in two parts. Santa will come tonight for Caitlin & Cara and tomorrow morning, they will open the gifts that he brings along with some from their daddy and an honorary aunt.

Our big celebration won't be until the 27th when my brother Mike and my soon to be sister Ally arrive here. Matt is actually on his way back from Denver via Amtrak today (Christmas Eve). He was in the Mile High City for the Blizzard of 2006. Anyway, we will open the majority of presents then and of course, the stocking that were hung on the couch (we lack a fireplace) with care.

Caitlin is beyond excited this year and it has been fun doing all of the rituals with her--visiting Santa, decorating the tree, making cookies, etc. The honorary aunt sent a Winnie the Pooh Christmas Countdown calendar, so we have been doing that everyday too. Tonight, Grandma is going to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to the girls, another tradition in our house. I MUST remember to get a picture of this.

This is Cara's first Christmas, so it is just so priceless. Of course, she is clueless but, it will be fun for me, no doubt.

I'm so blessed to be able to be here with my family for the holidays. Even though the circumstances that brought us here weren't the best, it has all worked out splendidly.

So, HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone, Happy Holidays!

Please excuse me while I crank up the Christmas tunes on the stereo...

We saw Santa Claus, we saw Santa Claus

...and for the record, Santa lives in a cabin, at least here in Montrose.
Caitlin was so excited when I told her that we were going to go see Santa. Such of a different reaction from last year where she wanted nothing to do with the man, much less sit on his lap. This year, she not so patiently waited her turn and then climbed right up into his lap and began to tell him how she wanted a Dora the Explorer Kitchen for Christmas. (Sorry to disappoint you, little girl, but Santa's helper a.k.a. your momma has already purchased your gifts) and how much she can't wait for it to be "Merry Christmas time". I handed Cara off to a sweet Mrs. Claus and then tried to persuade Caitlin to smile for the camera. All I got was a look of, "Gee Mom, can't you see that I'm busy?" from her. Cara looked so content with Mrs. Claus and much to my surprise, she did not cry...possibly because she couldn't tell who it was that was holding her. I'm so happy that this year was a happy & memorable experience for both girls.


(Caitlin fell in the parking lot right before we got to the cabin, hence the dirt on her tights) It is almost impossible to get a non-cheesey smile out of this girls these days!

Why we love KidzPlex

Why we love KidzPlex...it's a simple thing, really...there, Caitlin can run around and be silly 'till her heart's content. In fact, it is encouraged. There are always kids her age for her to play with. She gets more brave each time that we go (climbing up to the very top of the structure, going down the long purple slide, doing the zip line all by herself...). They have popsicles for the unreal price of 10 cents. There's a really sweet employee who loves to play with the kids and help them out, which is wonderful to a mom who already has her hands full with a baby. Speaking of babies, they have a cute tot area too, so that Cara could get in on the action. All of this for the bargain price of $3 for limitless hours of fun. Can't beat it, can you? Did I mention that it tires Caitlin out? I just love the peace & quiet on the way home...totally worth the drive up there (it is in Grand Junction).

My Chunky Monkey

Cara had her 4 month check up today and would anyone care to phantom a guess as to how much she weighed? *drumroll* 15 lbs! Truly earning my new nickname for her...chunky monkey. But, she is a really cute one at that.
The pediatrician just adored her singing, "I'm falling in love with you". He is such of a sweetheart and my favorite doctor in the practice.
Cara was given a clean bill of health along with three shots. We do have a couple of appointments with specialists coming up. One for a hearing test, given my hearing loss and all and the other for a vision screening. I am a bit concerned because she seems to cross her eyes more than normal. While it has decressed lately, I am still concerned since there is some family history of lazy eye and vision problems. Her doctor isn't real worried since a lot of babies do this but then outgrow it around 6 months.
Otherwise, no real concerns and Cara is hitting all of the developmental milestones.

A smack in the face...

Some of you know about my current job dilemna...I was offered (officially) a position as a library technician at a correctional facility in south east Colorado on Tuesday. This followed an informal offer from the regional librarian. I was all set to take the offer when the business manager for the contract employer called on Tuesday. However, that all went south when she quoted my salary. Let me back up a bit and explain...when I interviewed for this position a few weeks ago, I was told by the regional librarian that I would get a raise in my salary since I had two years of DOC experience. I was thrilled because I knew that I couldn't raise two kids on what I made before. Even with a raise, I'd be cutting it close every month. So, imagine my surprise, when I find out that the contrct employer is going to offer me the EXACT SAME salary that I made when I resigned! WTH?! I was furious, of course. After I had cooled down some, I did some serious number crunching & sure enough, there's no way that I can make it off of that pathetic salary. Long story short, I'm going to decline the offer some time today. I am really bummed 'cause I was looking forward to going back to work (yes,in a prison) and working with one of my good friends. But, maybe this is happeningfor a reason??

Milestones & Memory Making

In my previous post, I mentioned how playing in the snow with Caitlin was going to be something that I remembered forever. Seems that we are making a lot of memories these days, as well as ticking off some milestones.
Here are just a few--

*Caitlin (and I say this with great conviction) is finally fully potty-trained (except for nighttime). Those that have been following this journey know what a celebration this is. Our fiercly independant and stubborn daughter finally decided that "it was time". I think, that bringing the potty chair back into the picture finally did the trick. Caitlin calls it "my special potty". There were shouts of joys and big smiles in our house on Monday, followed by a mad dash to Cold Stone for the promised reward for doing #2 on the potty.
*Cara is starting to teethe. Can she really be old enough for this to be happening? She has been drooling a lot and has enjoyed "gumming" my fingers and chewing on just about anything that she can get into her mouth. Unlike her big sister, Cara seems to enough the teething rings that you freeze and we are working on getting her to be able to hold it & put it in her mouth. We don't see any teeth yet, just mounds in her gums. It could be weeks, it could be months. All I know is, I'll be watching!
*Caitlin has mastered being able to play Candyland, for real, by the rules. We played today and she did so well, moving her gingerbread piece in the right direction, finding the right colors and taking turns. She even won this game.
*And finally, Cara started her first solid food last night. She had a little bit of very watery rice cereal. Mostly, she just made "eww, this is gross faces" and spit it out, but Rome wasn't built in a day. Soon, she will be eating wonderful entrees like turkey & rice. All in due time, all in due time.

My girls keep growing up before my eyes. While it saddens me sometimes, I am also extremely proud!

Colorado Winter Wonderland

As the "big storm" continues to sweep the nation, it has thankfully left our neck of the woods in western Colorado. Though, not before dumping 9.5 inches of snow on the ground and bringing us frigid temperatures both day & night. Nevertheless, our clan managed to make the best of it. This really is the first year that Caitlin has been both aware of the snow and wanting to play in it. For months, she has been asking when the snow would come so that she could make a snow angel. Well, on Tuesday, she got her wish. Outfitted in more layers than was probably necessary, she & I (along with the family golden) frolicked in the snow having snowball fights (even though the snow didn't pack very well--common for our semi-arid area), making snow people and running around exclaiming at our foot prints in the fresh snow. I doubt that Caitlin has as much fun in 30 minutes as she did that day. It took a lot of convincing to get her to come inside, even though she was as frozen as a popsicle. As I stood watching her play, I couldn't help but recall similar childhood memories of begging my parents to help me put on my snowpants so that I, too, could go out and enjoy freshly fallen snow. That day, I really saw things through the eyes of my child and gained some new insights into her life. It was truly a wonderful day, makings for a life-long memory.
After coming inside, Caitlin enjoyed a warm bath followed by a snuggle and I made myself a mocha, sat back and watched the Christmas lights come on outside. A small blue spruce in the front yard looked absolutely beautiful covered in snow with multi-colored lights shining through (if I can get the picture from my dad, I will post it). That night, I added an extra blanket to our bed and snuggled up close to Caitie as we endured below freezing temperatures. What a magical day!

Cute kiddo pics

I realized that I have been slacking off on posting pictures lately. Here are some of the cutest recent ones.



Yumm, lamb! I have expensive tastes already


Me & my best buddies


Oh my gosh! Do you think I could LOVE soccer?


Total goofball!

Job Update

I sent out a mass email to just about everyone but, just so that no one can say they didn't know...
I was offered the prison library job that's two hours east of Pueblo. I interviewed on a Tuesday and the Regional Librarian called me that next day to offer me the job. Now, all is not said and done because I still have to go to the Springs for an integrity interview (intensive background check, basically) and also have to be formally offered the position by the contracting employer. I am still waiting for a call for the background interview. I have no doubt that I will pass, I did before and I haven't committed any felons or murders in the past 4 months, so I think I'm good. As for as the contract offer, it had better be at least $200/month more than it was last time or I will most likely turn them down. I may turn them down anyway and here's the story behind that...
I always thought that I made decent money--at least in the library tech word--but what I failed to realize is that yeah, it's a decent amount, but only when you have a 2nd income (read a spouse). It ain't crap by itself when you're trying to pay off bills and raise two beautiful girls. So, I have a new dilemna...can I live off of the salary that they offer me? Can I take this job? Hmm...good questions and believe me, I have been stewing over them for quite awhile. I have basically decided to wait until I get my contract before making a final decision. My good friend, Jeanne, has offered for the girls & I to stay with her for a few months while I get a feel for the area and the job to make sure that I like it. I just might take her up on the offer if we can get everything squared away with day care and training. The big problem is that I may have to train on the swing shift which is 12noon-9pm. Uh oh, you might be thinking...big problem finding day care for the evening. Yep, that's exactly it. So, I'm trying to get something set up so that I can make this work. While living with Jeanne, I would, hopefully, be able to get a little bit ahead on some of my bills so that, again hopefully, I'll be able to live on my own with the girls off of my salary.
I hope that this all works out, if it's what I decide that I want to do, because the sense of accomplishment I'd feel being out on my own would be so wonderful!

Then again, if I decide not to be that risky, Montrose County called today to have me interview (yet again) for some part time position. So, who knows! Right now, I just want a call from the DOC about that stupid interview...

That's the way the cookie crumbles...

Well, it doesn't look like I'm going to be a court clerk, at least not for Montrose County. I got a call on Wednesday informing me that they had chosen someone else for the full-time position, and of course, that person accepted the job. The head clerk did ask if I wanted to be placed on "the list" for the part time position and I told her to go ahead. While I was a bit bummed not to get the job because I dearly and desperately need income, I know it just wasn't meant to be. When I went to the 2nd interview on Tuesday and learned the exact duties of the position, the more I began to wonder if I would do a good job and if I would like it. I would've had to do a lot of transcription, data entry and answering telephone calls. Frankly, it sounded kind of boring. Mind you, the pay was pretty good as were the hours, but I found myself wondering if I would enjoy it. Oh well, their loss.

In other news, I did get called for an interview for another prison library job. This prison is located in southeastern Colorado...about two hours east of Pueblo, for those that want to pull out a map. My good friend Jeanne works there as the Library Tech III, so I would be working "under" her though we work so well together that I wouldn't feel like she was my boss most days. We worked together briefly while I worked in Delta and became instant friends. Anyway, this interview is next Tuesday at noon. My mom, the girls and I will be trekking over there on Monday since it's at least a 6 hour drive across and is really hard to do with the girls--especially Cara who is going through a stranger anxiety phase, so that I can't leave her with anyone.
I am having mixed feelings about this job. While I will love working with Jeanne & the inmates again, it is SO far away from my family and support system. It is, as it looks right now, my only shot at making a living wage and, it might be a really good thing for me to be out on my own. I just don't know if I'm ready for that big of a leap yet. I'm just taking things one step at a time though...got to ace the interview first, and go from there. So, once again, if you could pray, cross fingers, etc. for me, I'd appreciate it. I'm in dire need of some divine inspiration!

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Got a "call back"

Just when I was about to give up on the court clerk job (they were supposed to call yesterday to let me know one way or another), I got a call asking me to come back for a second interview next week! I guess I did better than I thought 'cause only the top three were going to be invited to interview again. So, on Tuesday, I have to knock the socks off of some more big wigs in order to get the job. Please keep fingers crossed for me. I will keep you posted.

I'm so psyched!

Well, I finally heard from Montrose County about the court clerk job I applied for a few weeks ago. I have an interview tomorrow @ 2pm. I have to go to the probation department first to take a typing test and then the interview will follow. I hope that I do well on the typing test. I can type fast most days but sometimes, my accuracy isn't the greatest. I wonder what a good typing speed is? I took this online typing timed test earlier this morning and I was at about 56 WPM...hmm...

Anyway, wish me luck. I really want to get this job 'cause the idea of, once again, being able to pay my bills and provide for my daughters is so appealing.

The final product

Okay, Blogger is being totally stupid and won't let me post this picture along with the others so I'm going to try to do it this way. *raspberries to Blogger*

Here are the pumpkins. Caitlin's is obviously the one on the right. The other one my mom carved using one of those patterns.

Halloween 2006

Each Halloween, it seems, is more fun than the last. This year was no exception. Caitlin was totally into the whole thing from pumpkin carving to ringing door bells. My mom hand-made (gotta love someone who can sew 'cause I haven't a clue) her a Sleeping Beauty costume (the Disney Princess obsession continues) which she loved dancing around the house in, holding her skirt out while she twirled.
This year, Cait was really into making a face on the pumpkin. At one point, I asked her what shape she wanted to make the pumpkin's ears and she said that she would be right back because she needed to look in the mirror to see what shape HER ears were. She comes back and says that they are kind of a cresent or almond shape. How smart! Her pumpkin is the one on the right.
We ended up spending 2 hours trick-or-treating at the neighborhood across the street from my parents' house. Caitlin got a lot of loot, which I carefully inspected. What was funny was how she would exclaim over and scrutnize each piece of candy that she got. "Oooo, a sucker! Those are my favorite! Thank you!"

This was Cara's first Halloween--another milestone! She went out as a wooly lamb wearing the same costume that Caitlin wore at about a year old. True, it was a bit big in the arms on Cara, but honestly, there wasn't that much room. Cara cruised the neighboorhood in her stroller while her big sister ran door-to-door. That baby was roasty-toasty the whole time as the costume is thick faux fur. Cara fell asleep about halfway thru the Halloween adventure but nonetheless, she got lots of comments on being a precious little lamb.

All Flushed Out

If this doesn't make you laugh, then well, you have no sense of humor. Read on...

On Saturday, the girls, Ben & I were in Ridgway eating at the famous True Grit Cafe. I was enjoying a BLT on sourdough and great conversation with Ben when our oldest announced that she needed to use the potty and I decided I would follow suit. So, I'm wrapping things up while trying to help Caitlin and turn half way around (so that my eyes are not directly watching the toilet bowl) and then I flush. I turn back around for a second to hear a metalic "thunk" and see a brief spot of green. The light bulb went off in my head, my keys were going down the toilet! Frantic, I stick my hand in the toilet and try to rescue them at no avail. Next, I get out the trusty plunger hoping for a miracle to return the heavy item to the bowl. No luck there either. I was faced with the reality that my keys were being flushed to a treatment facility somewhere. Embarassed as heck, I seek out our waitress to tell her that my keys just might cause them some plumbing problems but not to worry about my keys--they're non-essential. Thankfully, earlier that same day, we had dropped my car off at Big O to have them fix a slow leak in one of my tires. So, my only set of car keys were safe with them. Even so, I felt so dumb. I mean, how do you flush keys? Rings, I can understand, they are small and all but keys?! In my defense, the pockets on the jeans I was wearing are really shallow and things have a tendancy to barely fit. I think that by sitting down and then rising quickly, I caused the keys to shift and fall...simple physics, I suppose.

Okay, go ahead and laugh now! I had Ben, two waitresses and Caitlin laughing at me.

Oh, one more thing. It seems that I got a lemon of a laptop. The second time I tried to boot it up, it won't and the screen gets these pastel stripes all over it. I couldn't hear the hard drive working either. CRUD! I have to send the bloody thing back to Apple, again. This time, I am going to insist on a new laptop...this one seems to be doomed.

First Snow

Montrose just got it's first snowfall of the season. A blizzard was predicted for pretty much the whole state for today and yesterday. We only got a couple of inches here but it blew in so violently. First it was almost totally blue sky, then the wind came up (enough to blow our storm door off of one of it's hinges), the sky turned DARK gray and then the rain started. Soon, rain gave away to sleet and sleet to snow. My eldest daughter, was of course, thrilled 'cause she thought it was Christmas time and wants to go out and make snow angels in the yard. The snow/rain mess snapped a big, huge willow tree nearly in half in my neighbor's backyard and caused my dad's flight to Denver to be cancelled. I guess they cancelled a lot of flights due to the fact that they feared the flight into Denver would be hell. I heard on the news that Denver really didn't get hit that badly but Colorado Springs truly got the blizzard--13 inches in 2 hours. Dang, I'd love that here...enough snow to make snowmen and snow angels. Though, I'm sure it would've delayed my dad's flight even more and he really wants to go to my cousin's wedding so...

Anyway, kinda cool to see the snow, even if it is way early. This has been an odd year for Montrose anyway, lots of rain and gray clouds...you'd think it was Michigan or Seattle.

Thank You Apple!

(I just realized that I had posted on MySpace and not copied them over to this blog)

Well, I just got my laptop back from the nice FedEx guy this morning. I had to send it in about a week ago 'cause it wouldn't boot up for the longest time and then smelled like fried computer parts. So, Apple sent me a box, with explicit instructions of how to package the darn thing and I shipped it off to them. I was kept informed of the entire process and was surprised that I had my laptop back in less than a week. I have to say that I am very impressed with Apple. The associates I spoke to on the phone with polite and knowledgable and now, I have my computer back better than ever with a new touch pad and all. One thing...it is SO worth buying th extended warranty on big purchase items like computers. I don't even want to think how much this would've cost to fix without one (though Apple gives you a limited warranty with every new purchase and the AppleCare that I have goes above and beyond that...but still...). I'm a happy camper.

So, thank you Apple, I am one satisfied customer. You've made a believer out of me! :)

Going to be the death of me!

I am currently seeking employment and came across a very intriguing job in the Montrose paper the other day. It is for a deputy court clerk for the county judicial court. Basically, it sounds like I would be typing up court proceedings. Not very glamorous but, the pay is good and it would be a steady M-F job. So, I hopped onto the website and downloaded the application. Piece of cake, it was, the same old, same old stuff. Well, as I read the job ad, there was a mention of a supplemental form that needs to be filled out in addition to the application for a candidate to be considered for the position. No problem, I thought, how hard could it be, a few more blamks to fill in or boxes to tick. Boy, was I in for a surprise when I downloaded the required form. It consists of 10 very detailed questions. I feel like I'm trying to get clearance to work for the CIA or Secret Service or better yet, going for eassyist of the year. Here's just an sample of the questions I have to answer---
What is your management/adminstrative style? Provide examples of how these philosophies can effect the operation and moral in an organization. Explain and provide examples of how you make decisions.

Holy poop Batman, huh? Sympathy, please. I imagine that their reasoning behind using these questions is to rule out the underqualified but honestly, they just about scared me away and I LIKE to write and have a good vocabulary! Anyway, wish me luck...I have to have this turned in by the 24th of this month.

Thunderous Outing

I totally forgot to post about a trip that the girls and I took with Ben a couple of Saturdays ago down to Ouray, CO. We hopped in the car for a half hour drive south to the Switzerland of America to visit Box Canyon Falls. This is a little city park nesteled above the beautiful town of Ouray. Obviously, there's a waterfall. It's super cool 'cause it thunders thru a steep canyon with a small "box" like beginning and then down a considerable drop. Because of the "box" the water is very noisy and the current quite strong a lot of the year. You can walk thru the canyon and then down to the actual falls where you can see and hear the mighty water as well as dip your toes in. Forget about getting any pictures most days though 'cause the spray from the falls puts water spots all over the lense. Believe me, I tried.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time together. Ben & I had a great, friendly conversation on the way there, even telling jokes and laughing like the good 'ole days. Ben strapped Cara to his chest in her front carrier and spent a good deal of the stroll to the falls staring at his youngest daughter. We had to convince Caitlin to go down to the water, but she was happy that she did as she splashed around in the water and exclaimed at how cool the waterfall was. The only downside was when, on the way down, I backed up into a fence to get a picture and poked my heel on an exposed piece of fencing, thus poking a small hole in my hell as well as a scrape. My on call nurse (read my mom) assured me that I didn't need a Tetnus shot though, thank goodness. All in all, we had a wonderful time! It's these kinds of things that I want the girls to see. Their parents enjoying each other's company--laughing, joking and smiling...

Are they kidding?

My friend Lyla did this and was worried 'cause she looked most like a man. Well, at least she looked most like a WHITE man. I apparently look Oriental. I think I should be very worried! Y-I-K-E-S! I'm going to have to do a Google search to see who this guy is that I supposedly resemble.

To the Zoo We Go!

Caitlin meets the giraffes!
Give me a cracker!--Please!
Daddy & Daughter on a giant mushroom in My Big Backyard
"Guys it's called a hollow!"

Last Saturday, Caitlin, Cara & I met up with Ben in Colorado Springs for the afternoon. We decided to take the girls to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. This zoo is unique because it in set in a mountainous area and you have to walk up some steep inclines to get to the exhibits. I got quite a work out pushing a stroller loaded with a 11+ pound baby, portable cooler and overstuffed diaper bag. We had fun seeing lion, tigers and bears (oh my!) along with monkey and giraffes. The giraffe exhibit was the coolest. They built up decks all around the exhibits so that you were at "head height" with the tall creatures. This way, you could pet them and feed them Wasa crackers. Cait had fun watching one stick out its LONG tongue and try to grab the crackers. Here are a few pictures from our outing. (None of Cara because she slept peacefully through the whole experience)

Got Wireless?

My soon-to-be ex-husband and computer guru was in town yesterday to visit the girls (we had a wonderful time together) and decided to do one of the sweetest things...he set up a wireless network at my parents' house! Now, I can sit in the living room, keep an eye on both girls and blog...what could be sweeter than that? I've been dying to use my laptop, which has been sitting, neglected, in a closet, pretty much since we arrived here. The only time I've been able to use it has been during my rare getaways to the Montrose library where they have WiFi. So, I'm so excited to have my Apple back...PC's just can't compare anymore though, I am finding that there are some things that just aren't totally Apple compatible yet. Ben told me that I could sit outside on the patio and probably get a decent enough signal to be able to surf. Again, SWEEEEET, I say! I love the innovations of the modern world.