Thursday, December 25, 2008
My Christmas Eve
Merry Christmas, everyone! I've been pretty sad the last couple of days. Not only is this the first year that I am without my girls for Christmas, but it is also only the second time I won't be with my family. The first time was when I was on bedrest, trying not to deliver Emily too early. So anyway, all in all, yesterday turned out pretty great. Judd and I woke up and took our time getting going. I wanted pancakes for breakfast, so we went out to Perkins. Then, instead of heading home, Judd started driving the other direction. He wouldn't tell me where we were going until he couldn't find the right store. His Christmas present to me was to take me shopping for more maternity clothes! It was really sweet. Surprisingly, the malls were not insanely busy. He helped me pick some stuff out, then I got really tired, so we headed home. We got home and worked on cleaning around the house. I kept getting sick, so I could only do a little at a time. Then we got to talk to my family on video chat since everyone was at my parents' house. After that, it was time to go to dinner. We had reservations at The Melting Pot. Can I just say that it was a perfect evening?? We lingered over dinner for 3 hours! Then we felt bad because we were the last ones to leave, and it was Christmas Eve. But it was so wonderful! When he made the reservations, Judd surprised me with the rose package. We had a secluded table for two, and on it was a wine glass with a red rose in it. At the end of dinner, the hostess took our picture and put it in a frame. When we got home, we watched a movie and folded laundry, then headed to bed. Could I possibly ask for a more amazing man to be my husband? I think not.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Day of Travel... From a Vantage Point of the Couch!
SATURDAY MORNING: Last night, the girls packed everything. They showered and put on their clothes for today. The alarm went off at 2:45. At that point, Judd said he needed to shower. My plan was for them to plan on leaving at 3, so they would get out the door by 3:30. I woke the kids up and brought them to bed with me until it was time to go. They finally left around 3:40. I went back to sleep around 5, finally.
At 7, James texted me, and woke me up, to ask if everything was on schedule. I responded with "As far as I know. They should be landing in about 45 minutes, so I will let you know when I hear from them." So I got up and checked the airline's website... Their plane hadn't even taken off yet! Judd had his phone on, so we've been texting... Apparently, the first plane that they were on had been fueled for the West coast instead of a little jump across one state(Minneapolis is about a 4 hr drive from us), so they made them switch planes... For too much fuel?? hehe Anyway, just turned his phone off about 5 minutes ago, so I'm assuming it was because they finished switching the luggage and were headed out to wait in line to take off.
So far, the flight to NY is on time. Thank God they were scheduled for an almost 3 hour layover.
I will keep updating as today progresses....
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Ok, well, the plane that was supposed to take them to NYC was flying from Fargo, ND to Minneapolis, to NY. So... The plane got snowed-in in Fargo! It took off 2 1/2 hours late. In the meantime, they found a different plane that could fly to NY, but it didn't have a crew. So now, back to the original plane again. It will arrive in NY around 4. Hopefully things stay on this schedule now because Judd is supposed to head home at 6. BUT it is steadily snowing in Minneapolis now, and we are supposed to get another 7 inches here in WI tonight, so hopefully Judd can make it home....
SATURDAY EVENING: Ok, nope, it didn't happen that way. They got the "extra" plane ready, the one with no crew, and they waited for the other plane to come from ND so they could have that crew. So all in all, they ended up in NYC 4 1/2 hours late, at 6:30. (Judd pointed out that he could have driven to Minneapolis in the time that they sat at the 2 airports!) Judd's plane, which was scheduled for 5:55 ended up being delayed until 7:30. He had just enough time to eat some pizza, call me, and say goodbye to the kids. So he got on the plane, it left the gate, and it waited in line for an hour and a half to be de-iced! In the meantime, I am watching the progress of this plane as the delay gets longer and longer, and also watching the status of the flight from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, which still says "On Schedule."
Judd finally takes off, and is estimated to arrive in MN around 11:30, a full hour after his other flight is supposed to leave, at 10:29. So at 10:24, I hit the refresh button once again, and WHAT? The plane is delayed! It's only until 10:50, but it give me hope that my prayers are working. Maybe if I keep praying, the delay will stretch out.....At 10:54, the estimated departure time changes to 11:20!! C'mon... Just 15 more minutes!!!
On that website, it will tell you when the plane leaves the gate, and when it actually takes off. So I keep refreshing the page, waiting and waiting to hear from Judd. I also text Judd, telling him to tell someone his plane is about to leave the gate so that maybe someone will have a heart and radio in to tell them to wait a couple more minutes. At 10:28, Judd texted me that he was on the ground. He tried to talk to the flight crew, but no one would help him. At 10:29 the other plane pulled away from the gate. Judd jumped off the plane, ran for the gate, COULD SEE THE PLANE OUT THE WINDOW, but the nasty lady at the desk yelled at him, "The plane left the gate and is gone!" (among other things)!!!
SUNDAY, WEE MORNING HOURS: The next flight to Milwaukee that had any available seats was at 10:30... Sunday night! So Judd starts looking around for a comfy place to settle in when he hears, "Flight...to Madison now boarding at gate..."!!!! So he asks someone if there is room on that plane and is told yes, so he jumped on!! YAAAAYYY! The car is in Milwaukee but we'll deal with that tomorrow. After all the de-icing, flying, then getting a cab from the airport, at a little past 2AM, Judd arrived home more than 22 hours after leaving. 15 minutes later, Bernie called to say that Madison had just arrived in Rutland. (It was snowing, a lot, in NE last night)
SUNDAY MORNING: Judd left a little bit ago to catch a bus back to Milwaukee. I wanted to go with him, but it was $20/person, and he didn't think the extra money was worth it. The bus leaves at 9:40 and arrives at the airport at 11:55. Then it's about a 2 hour drive back home again. Man, does my head hurt! But at least I know my family is safe. Yesterday was a very trying day for me, and I wasn't even the one going through it!
At 7, James texted me, and woke me up, to ask if everything was on schedule. I responded with "As far as I know. They should be landing in about 45 minutes, so I will let you know when I hear from them." So I got up and checked the airline's website... Their plane hadn't even taken off yet! Judd had his phone on, so we've been texting... Apparently, the first plane that they were on had been fueled for the West coast instead of a little jump across one state(Minneapolis is about a 4 hr drive from us), so they made them switch planes... For too much fuel?? hehe Anyway, just turned his phone off about 5 minutes ago, so I'm assuming it was because they finished switching the luggage and were headed out to wait in line to take off.
So far, the flight to NY is on time. Thank God they were scheduled for an almost 3 hour layover.
I will keep updating as today progresses....
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Ok, well, the plane that was supposed to take them to NYC was flying from Fargo, ND to Minneapolis, to NY. So... The plane got snowed-in in Fargo! It took off 2 1/2 hours late. In the meantime, they found a different plane that could fly to NY, but it didn't have a crew. So now, back to the original plane again. It will arrive in NY around 4. Hopefully things stay on this schedule now because Judd is supposed to head home at 6. BUT it is steadily snowing in Minneapolis now, and we are supposed to get another 7 inches here in WI tonight, so hopefully Judd can make it home....
SATURDAY EVENING: Ok, nope, it didn't happen that way. They got the "extra" plane ready, the one with no crew, and they waited for the other plane to come from ND so they could have that crew. So all in all, they ended up in NYC 4 1/2 hours late, at 6:30. (Judd pointed out that he could have driven to Minneapolis in the time that they sat at the 2 airports!) Judd's plane, which was scheduled for 5:55 ended up being delayed until 7:30. He had just enough time to eat some pizza, call me, and say goodbye to the kids. So he got on the plane, it left the gate, and it waited in line for an hour and a half to be de-iced! In the meantime, I am watching the progress of this plane as the delay gets longer and longer, and also watching the status of the flight from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, which still says "On Schedule."
Judd finally takes off, and is estimated to arrive in MN around 11:30, a full hour after his other flight is supposed to leave, at 10:29. So at 10:24, I hit the refresh button once again, and WHAT? The plane is delayed! It's only until 10:50, but it give me hope that my prayers are working. Maybe if I keep praying, the delay will stretch out.....At 10:54, the estimated departure time changes to 11:20!! C'mon... Just 15 more minutes!!!
On that website, it will tell you when the plane leaves the gate, and when it actually takes off. So I keep refreshing the page, waiting and waiting to hear from Judd. I also text Judd, telling him to tell someone his plane is about to leave the gate so that maybe someone will have a heart and radio in to tell them to wait a couple more minutes. At 10:28, Judd texted me that he was on the ground. He tried to talk to the flight crew, but no one would help him. At 10:29 the other plane pulled away from the gate. Judd jumped off the plane, ran for the gate, COULD SEE THE PLANE OUT THE WINDOW, but the nasty lady at the desk yelled at him, "The plane left the gate and is gone!" (among other things)!!!
SUNDAY, WEE MORNING HOURS: The next flight to Milwaukee that had any available seats was at 10:30... Sunday night! So Judd starts looking around for a comfy place to settle in when he hears, "Flight...to Madison now boarding at gate..."!!!! So he asks someone if there is room on that plane and is told yes, so he jumped on!! YAAAAYYY! The car is in Milwaukee but we'll deal with that tomorrow. After all the de-icing, flying, then getting a cab from the airport, at a little past 2AM, Judd arrived home more than 22 hours after leaving. 15 minutes later, Bernie called to say that Madison had just arrived in Rutland. (It was snowing, a lot, in NE last night)
SUNDAY MORNING: Judd left a little bit ago to catch a bus back to Milwaukee. I wanted to go with him, but it was $20/person, and he didn't think the extra money was worth it. The bus leaves at 9:40 and arrives at the airport at 11:55. Then it's about a 2 hour drive back home again. Man, does my head hurt! But at least I know my family is safe. Yesterday was a very trying day for me, and I wasn't even the one going through it!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Snow, a Plane Trip, and More Snow
Hi All! Well, last night we got about 10 more inches of snow. The wind was so bad this morning that visibility was less than 1/4 of a mile. Schools were closed, which meant I had off too. The girls and I spent a low-key day at home while Judd headed to school for his last final of the semester. I am now vigilantly watching weather.com as Madison, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis are all still under Winter Storm Watches through the weekend. NYC is under a Winter Weather Advisory, but I believe that will end at midnight tonight. And NE is getting about 2 inches/hour. Yep, just in time for the girls to be heading to VT tomorrow. Judd and the girls will be leaving Madison at 3 tomorrow morning to get to Milwaukee in time for a 6:30 flight. They will have a layover in Minneapolis from 7:50 until 10:30. From there, they will fly to NY, where Em's dad will be picking them up. Judd gets to hang out in the airport for 4 hours before getting back on a plane to head home, via the same route. Only trouble is, another storm is supposed to move through tomorrow evening, so he may end up stuck in Minneapolis. We are expecting another 5-7 inches tomorrow night into Sunday. Judd's plane doesn't come in until 10:30, so we're praying that the storm runs a little late. There is another Wind Chill Advisory for Sunday and Monday, so we will be expecting the temperature to feel like about -20 again. At -30, they issue a wind chill warning, and everything shuts down. It all sounds like a wonderful way to start the holiday week! The girls, and Judd's parents, fly into Milwaukee next Saturday, so we will be celebrating Christmas a little late.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Funny Winter Stories...
These are all about Emily and have all happened within the last 24 hrs....
1. We went out and bought long underwear for the girls. But the boys' sets were $5 cheaper than the girls' sets, for no apparent reason, so we bought those. So last night, Em is standing in the kitchen in her long underwear and was holding chapstick. She asked where she should put it, and I (on purpose) told her in her pocket. Well, what she took for her pocket was the boy hole in the pants, and the chapstick fell down to her foot! We then had to explain to her why that opening was there!
2. This morning, the girls were getting all bundled up to go out in the snow when Em realized she had a big itch on her leg. Instead of trying to figure out how to scratch it through her layers, including snow pants, she kicked herself. It was a big, wind-up kind of kick, and she ended up kicking her leg right out from under herself and falling down!! How could I help but laugh at that one?!
3. The snow is about knee deep on Emily right now (and still falling). I just called them to come in, and Em started running towards me, only to do a belly flop in the snow! Luckily she managed to keep her head up, or it wouldn't have been so funny.
1. We went out and bought long underwear for the girls. But the boys' sets were $5 cheaper than the girls' sets, for no apparent reason, so we bought those. So last night, Em is standing in the kitchen in her long underwear and was holding chapstick. She asked where she should put it, and I (on purpose) told her in her pocket. Well, what she took for her pocket was the boy hole in the pants, and the chapstick fell down to her foot! We then had to explain to her why that opening was there!
2. This morning, the girls were getting all bundled up to go out in the snow when Em realized she had a big itch on her leg. Instead of trying to figure out how to scratch it through her layers, including snow pants, she kicked herself. It was a big, wind-up kind of kick, and she ended up kicking her leg right out from under herself and falling down!! How could I help but laugh at that one?!
3. The snow is about knee deep on Emily right now (and still falling). I just called them to come in, and Em started running towards me, only to do a belly flop in the snow! Luckily she managed to keep her head up, or it wouldn't have been so funny.
Winter Wonderland
Hi everyone!
Over the last couple of weeks, we have gotten about 10 inches of snow, but just a couple of inches at a time. Unlike PA, though, it rarely gets warm enough to melt. In fact, this whole week, the temps are predicted to be in the mid to low teens, with wind chills in the single digits. I've taken a few pictures of the girls out in the snow, but not a ton yet. I'm thinking that after today there may be more.... School is closed for our first snow day! Normally it would have taken about 15 inches of snow overnight to shut us down, but we got a layer of ice, with 6 inches on top of it, and the winter storm warning continues until 6 tomorrow morning. We are expecting another 6 inches before noon today.
One of the nice things is that if Madison schools close, so does my job. Makes it rather convenient not to have to find a sitter at the last minute. The not-so-nice part is that we have to use our own vacation time to get paid. Luckily I don't have any yet b/c I would prefer to just not get paid, rather than use my time. I can make up some of the hours during the rest of the week. It's really funny though... I'm the one who is wide awake and excited about the day off, and Judson had to tell me to be quiet before I wake the kids up! It doesn't help that I had to get up, check the news, then call my clients and tell them. Plus I'm a "morning person" anyway.
On Sunday we started making Christmas cookies. So my plan is to finish that project today. I would also like to get some cleaning done. And the kids, I'm sure, will want to play outside! I will have to take more pictures. I also have tons of catching up to do in the picture department. Eventually it will all get done. Love to all. We miss you!
Over the last couple of weeks, we have gotten about 10 inches of snow, but just a couple of inches at a time. Unlike PA, though, it rarely gets warm enough to melt. In fact, this whole week, the temps are predicted to be in the mid to low teens, with wind chills in the single digits. I've taken a few pictures of the girls out in the snow, but not a ton yet. I'm thinking that after today there may be more.... School is closed for our first snow day! Normally it would have taken about 15 inches of snow overnight to shut us down, but we got a layer of ice, with 6 inches on top of it, and the winter storm warning continues until 6 tomorrow morning. We are expecting another 6 inches before noon today.
One of the nice things is that if Madison schools close, so does my job. Makes it rather convenient not to have to find a sitter at the last minute. The not-so-nice part is that we have to use our own vacation time to get paid. Luckily I don't have any yet b/c I would prefer to just not get paid, rather than use my time. I can make up some of the hours during the rest of the week. It's really funny though... I'm the one who is wide awake and excited about the day off, and Judson had to tell me to be quiet before I wake the kids up! It doesn't help that I had to get up, check the news, then call my clients and tell them. Plus I'm a "morning person" anyway.
On Sunday we started making Christmas cookies. So my plan is to finish that project today. I would also like to get some cleaning done. And the kids, I'm sure, will want to play outside! I will have to take more pictures. I also have tons of catching up to do in the picture department. Eventually it will all get done. Love to all. We miss you!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
So Much To Be Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving! As you may or may not know, Kim's dad was in the hospital for a few days. He fell and hit his head on a concrete wall. He ended up having a brain hemorage. Thank God that he is doing better, did not need surgery, and was able to come home yesterday. It did change our plans a bit, as Kim's mom was not able to visit us for Thanksgiving, so we are on our own for dinner.
I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while... Life, as usual, is crazy busy. My last day at my second job was supposed to be Tuesday. But I didn't go since we were still awaiting news about my dad. So Now that I will be home in the evenings, and on the weekends, hopefully I will have more time.
It has been very cold here. Generally in the 30's or 40's during the day. And much much colder at night. But we have gotten less than 2 inches of snow so far... I think that's less than our family and friends in PA. This past Saturday, the boiler in our building died, so we didn't have hot water until Monday night. And the heat only started working again yesterday. So that was an adventure that we weren't expecting to deal with.
The girls and Judson are all doing well in school.
I have more to say, but I have to go check on my turkey.......
Ok, I'm back. Now that we have told our siblings... We are also extremely thankful to be through the first trimester!! Up until today, only our parents and my co-workers have known. I have a baby website with updates on the pregnancy. You can find it at www.babysites.com/sites/babykanejune09 I am due June 11th.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Happy Halloween!
Hello! Well, I'm a day late, but it's been busy here. On Wednesday, the girls had their Halloween parade and parties at school. I managed to get out of work a little early so I could make it to the parade. Eventually, I will post pictures. Until then, I won't tell you their costumes.
They had Thursday and Friday off because of a state-wide teacher convention. So I took Thursday off and Judd had them on Friday. We took the bus downtown on Thursday and picked up Madison's glasses. Yes, I will eventually put up that picture too. Then we went to city hall so I could vote early. Unfortunately, I work from 8 am until 9:30 pm on Tuesdays, without much time between jobs. Luckily WI is one of the states that is allowing early voting. The girls had a great experience coming with me.
Friday I had my Halloween party at work. I went as Dorothy. It was a very long and trying day at work, including a grand mal seizure, and 10 extra people who came for the party. I was exhausted when I got home. I got home, got changed, and we headed out the door to a 15-acre corn maze! Again, pictures to come.
The girls agreed to skip trick-or-treating this year since we end up just throwing the candy away anyway. Instead we went to the giant corn maze and wandered around inside for 2 hours! We didn't finish the whole scavenger hunt inside because we got too tired and too cold, so the owner gave us free passes so we can come back to finish. I just hope we find time, but next weekend is the last weekend, so we will have to see what my work schedule looks like. And what is going on with Judd and school. This week he has a big exam, so we knew this weekend was out.
They had Thursday and Friday off because of a state-wide teacher convention. So I took Thursday off and Judd had them on Friday. We took the bus downtown on Thursday and picked up Madison's glasses. Yes, I will eventually put up that picture too. Then we went to city hall so I could vote early. Unfortunately, I work from 8 am until 9:30 pm on Tuesdays, without much time between jobs. Luckily WI is one of the states that is allowing early voting. The girls had a great experience coming with me.
Friday I had my Halloween party at work. I went as Dorothy. It was a very long and trying day at work, including a grand mal seizure, and 10 extra people who came for the party. I was exhausted when I got home. I got home, got changed, and we headed out the door to a 15-acre corn maze! Again, pictures to come.
The girls agreed to skip trick-or-treating this year since we end up just throwing the candy away anyway. Instead we went to the giant corn maze and wandered around inside for 2 hours! We didn't finish the whole scavenger hunt inside because we got too tired and too cold, so the owner gave us free passes so we can come back to finish. I just hope we find time, but next weekend is the last weekend, so we will have to see what my work schedule looks like. And what is going on with Judd and school. This week he has a big exam, so we knew this weekend was out.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My 9th Birthday
Oct. 11th was my birthday\ birthday party. My friends came over, Fransisca,Sophie and Stella! It was a sleepover. For my birthday I got A Wind in the Door,A Swiftly Tilting Planet,An Acceptable Time,Many Waters and a few other books, a really cool mozece. We had icecream cake and pizza,we also watched Matilda,painted nails and did hair then went to bed.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Life is Crazy
Hello again. I know, I am totally slacking. I started my new job this week, and I absolutely love it!! I work in the Retirement Art Center for my company. It is pretty much what it sounds like. A retirement center, for people with disabilities. There are, of course, many challenges, but I love it so much! I did a lot of training this week, but I also got some client time too. Today, I spent almost the whole day pretty much one-on-one with one person. It was really awesome, although as soon as my day ended, I got a really bad headache.
Now, one thing I have to clarify is that even though it is called a retirement center, that doesn't mean that every one there is of retirement age. Some of them are in their twenties.
Anyway, I got to go bowling with one group yesterday, so that was cool. Next week, we are taking another group out for coffee. We try to do a lot of community outings. That will change as the weather gets bad, which I don't think is too far off.
I am also still working at the grocery store. It is supposed to be two nights during the week, plus one weekend shift. Only, this weekend, I am scheduled both days. That stinks. When I left work last night, I could see my breath freezing. It was in the thirties! I'm a little worried with Halloween still being 2 weeks away that it is going to be freezing by then.
One of Emily's field trips was postponed because of rain this week. They are hoping to go next week. She is doing really well in school. We are still having trouble getting her to eat though.
Madison has an appointment on Tuesday to go to the eye doctor and get glasses. She is a little nervous about it, but mostly relieved because she has been having a little bit of trouble in school. We knew last year that she would be needing them, but it wasn't quite bad enough until now. We will have to take pictures after she gets them.
I have fallen behind on uploading pictures too. I just feel like I don't have any time. That, plus, with my camera being broken, I've had to rely on Judd's, and I don't know how to do it with his yet, since they are in a different format. Well, and we've been spending some time watching the Phillies too. Who can believe we made it to the World Series?? This is pretty long, so I better stop for now. I will try to have the girls write at some point this weekend. But since I will be at work, it may not happen. Love to all!
Now, one thing I have to clarify is that even though it is called a retirement center, that doesn't mean that every one there is of retirement age. Some of them are in their twenties.
Anyway, I got to go bowling with one group yesterday, so that was cool. Next week, we are taking another group out for coffee. We try to do a lot of community outings. That will change as the weather gets bad, which I don't think is too far off.
I am also still working at the grocery store. It is supposed to be two nights during the week, plus one weekend shift. Only, this weekend, I am scheduled both days. That stinks. When I left work last night, I could see my breath freezing. It was in the thirties! I'm a little worried with Halloween still being 2 weeks away that it is going to be freezing by then.
One of Emily's field trips was postponed because of rain this week. They are hoping to go next week. She is doing really well in school. We are still having trouble getting her to eat though.
Madison has an appointment on Tuesday to go to the eye doctor and get glasses. She is a little nervous about it, but mostly relieved because she has been having a little bit of trouble in school. We knew last year that she would be needing them, but it wasn't quite bad enough until now. We will have to take pictures after she gets them.
I have fallen behind on uploading pictures too. I just feel like I don't have any time. That, plus, with my camera being broken, I've had to rely on Judd's, and I don't know how to do it with his yet, since they are in a different format. Well, and we've been spending some time watching the Phillies too. Who can believe we made it to the World Series?? This is pretty long, so I better stop for now. I will try to have the girls write at some point this weekend. But since I will be at work, it may not happen. Love to all!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Sorry
Sorry. I really wanted Em to tell you about her field trip, but we just never seem to have any time. I still will, at some point. She has 2 more field trips this week, so maybe she can tell about all of them at once.
Today, of course, is Madison's birthday. Our plan was to go to the corn maze before her sleepover. That feel through. It is now 11, and I think all the kids are asleep now. Man, what a crazy night! It was fun though.
I'm so tired. I can't even think straight right now.
Today, of course, is Madison's birthday. Our plan was to go to the corn maze before her sleepover. That feel through. It is now 11, and I think all the kids are asleep now. Man, what a crazy night! It was fun though.
I'm so tired. I can't even think straight right now.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Always so Busy
Hi everyone! You know how life can get away from you... Sorry I haven't updated in a while though. But mostly, it has just been normal life. I have been working a lot. Judd is swamped with school work. And the kids are just doing normal kid things. Last week, they started their after-school Spanish classes. They seem to be doing really well. Madison was originally put in a beginner class, but after the 2nd day was moved to intermediate. Emily is the youngest one in the program, but apparently, thanks to Ota, knows more than anyone else in her class.
Last week marked a major milestone for me: Madison rode her bike to school by herself! I was so nervous the whole time Emily and I were walking to meet her. Em of course was saying stuff like, "What if she broke her arm?" "What if she broke her head?" etc. Madison was fine. Today, she is walking home with 2 of the girls from our neighborhood. Just the three of them. Letting go, even just a little, is really hard!
On Saturday, we went apple picking. We had a great morning and took tons of pictures. I'm sure we will post them eventually. After the apples, I had to go right to work, so that was a little sad. But as of this weekend, I will only be working one weekend day/week. I start my new job next Monday, the 13th. I can't wait!
This morning, Judd and I were in our bedroom, talking and finishing getting ready for the day when we heard Emily start screaming. We went to see what was wrong and found her in the bathroom, covered in blood and holding her tooth in her hand. Judd asked what happened, and she said, "I lost my tooth." He then said, "Why are you crying about it?" She said, "Because it's my GROWN-UP tooth!" and started screaming more. We looked at the tooth, and thank God it was a baby tooth, but we were still confused as to why she thought it was an adult tooth and why she lost her bottom tooth when her two top teeth were much closer to being ready to fall out....
It turns out that she used her teeth to open the tooth paste and knocked the bottom one out! Judd had just talked to her about that the other day! It was a good lesson for her to learn though, and she went to school, and her teacher had her tell the class about it. She also had her remind the class that teeth are for food! We still haven't decided if the tooth fairy should visit tonight or not. My first instinct is not, but we'll see.
Tomorrow, Emily is going on her first field trip. She will be visiting a pumpkin patch and haunted house. I will have her tell you all about it.
Saturday, we are going to a corn maze during the afternoon. Then Madison is having a sleepover for her birthday. The lice is gone, so hopefully no one brings it back!
Sorry this is so long. I guess there was more going on than I thought.
Last week marked a major milestone for me: Madison rode her bike to school by herself! I was so nervous the whole time Emily and I were walking to meet her. Em of course was saying stuff like, "What if she broke her arm?" "What if she broke her head?" etc. Madison was fine. Today, she is walking home with 2 of the girls from our neighborhood. Just the three of them. Letting go, even just a little, is really hard!
On Saturday, we went apple picking. We had a great morning and took tons of pictures. I'm sure we will post them eventually. After the apples, I had to go right to work, so that was a little sad. But as of this weekend, I will only be working one weekend day/week. I start my new job next Monday, the 13th. I can't wait!
This morning, Judd and I were in our bedroom, talking and finishing getting ready for the day when we heard Emily start screaming. We went to see what was wrong and found her in the bathroom, covered in blood and holding her tooth in her hand. Judd asked what happened, and she said, "I lost my tooth." He then said, "Why are you crying about it?" She said, "Because it's my GROWN-UP tooth!" and started screaming more. We looked at the tooth, and thank God it was a baby tooth, but we were still confused as to why she thought it was an adult tooth and why she lost her bottom tooth when her two top teeth were much closer to being ready to fall out....
It turns out that she used her teeth to open the tooth paste and knocked the bottom one out! Judd had just talked to her about that the other day! It was a good lesson for her to learn though, and she went to school, and her teacher had her tell the class about it. She also had her remind the class that teeth are for food! We still haven't decided if the tooth fairy should visit tonight or not. My first instinct is not, but we'll see.
Tomorrow, Emily is going on her first field trip. She will be visiting a pumpkin patch and haunted house. I will have her tell you all about it.
Saturday, we are going to a corn maze during the afternoon. Then Madison is having a sleepover for her birthday. The lice is gone, so hopefully no one brings it back!
Sorry this is so long. I guess there was more going on than I thought.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Running out of Energy
Well, we are two weeks into our battle with the head lice, and my positive outlook is slowly fading. We FINALLY got rid of it, only to have Emily bring it home from her class on Friday. I started work last week, and I worked all weekend, so Judd had to deal with it on Saturday. He is really far behind on his school work and can't keep dealing with the lice. I work all day, then come home and spend hours combing the girls' hair. Then I have to figure out dinner. In between everything, I am also running up and down the steps washing the sheets, towels, and our clothes... EVERY day! Sorry, I just need to vent because we are just plain exhausted. I think we are going to take the girls for short hair cuts over the weekend.
On a good note, I had a job interview today. It was actually with the 3rd company to which I applied while still in PA. For those of you who remember, they called me right away, but it was only a temporary position for someone on maternity leave. Well, last Thursday (a month later) the woman called me back to say that they now have a permanent position open, and would I still be interested? So I went in for my interview this morning at 6:45. It had to be early because I worked from 9-3, and she worked 6:30-2:30. So I was there until 8:30, but left with a really good feeling. Around 4 this afternoon, she called me back to set up a second interview, which is Friday.
So this job involves working with adults with special needs. My hours would be 7:30 to 3, M-F, so no weekends, and no need for after school child care! Yippy! The pay is $3/hr more than I am currently making. And, most importantly, it is a much more rewarding than slicing deli meats.
On a good note, I had a job interview today. It was actually with the 3rd company to which I applied while still in PA. For those of you who remember, they called me right away, but it was only a temporary position for someone on maternity leave. Well, last Thursday (a month later) the woman called me back to say that they now have a permanent position open, and would I still be interested? So I went in for my interview this morning at 6:45. It had to be early because I worked from 9-3, and she worked 6:30-2:30. So I was there until 8:30, but left with a really good feeling. Around 4 this afternoon, she called me back to set up a second interview, which is Friday.
So this job involves working with adults with special needs. My hours would be 7:30 to 3, M-F, so no weekends, and no need for after school child care! Yippy! The pay is $3/hr more than I am currently making. And, most importantly, it is a much more rewarding than slicing deli meats.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
911 Call
I must say, I have a new hero. Yesterday after picking the girls up from school, I had the worst asthma attack of my life. My hands turned blue. I couldn't take a deep enough breath to be able to use my inhaler. Judd was at school. I was too dizzy to be able to drive to the ER, even though it is only right down the road. And I could not talk to be able to call for help.
So Madison called 911 and told the dispatcher that I needed help. I was aware of her being on the phone and what she was doing. She was very calm and collected while talking. Emily went out front to meet the ambulance. Both girls did an AMAZING job. And neither of them broke down until after they knew I was safe.
Thank you, Madison. I am really proud of you.
Judd arrived shortly after the ambulance and said that my face was still blue, even then. The paramedics were able to get my oxygen level back up. Since Judd was home, I opted not to go to the hospital. If I had any further trouble, I knew he would be able to get me there. It took a couple of hours and several more uses of my inhaler until I was able to breathe normally again. But by today, I was ok and able to go to work.
So Madison called 911 and told the dispatcher that I needed help. I was aware of her being on the phone and what she was doing. She was very calm and collected while talking. Emily went out front to meet the ambulance. Both girls did an AMAZING job. And neither of them broke down until after they knew I was safe.
Thank you, Madison. I am really proud of you.
Judd arrived shortly after the ambulance and said that my face was still blue, even then. The paramedics were able to get my oxygen level back up. Since Judd was home, I opted not to go to the hospital. If I had any further trouble, I knew he would be able to get me there. It took a couple of hours and several more uses of my inhaler until I was able to breathe normally again. But by today, I was ok and able to go to work.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Thankful for the craziest things
Over the last week, life has been pretty crazy with this whole head lice thing. I have done a lot of complaining and have been really close to crying so many time. But today, as I was cleaning the whole apartment once again, I started thinking....
Right now, I am thanking God for giving my children asthma and allergies. Why?? Because we spent $150 on each of them to get the allergen covers for their beds and their pillows, which happen to keep the lice out too. Because I usually wash everyone's sheets at least once if not twice/week anyway to keep the dust away. Because I usually vacuum at least every other day, but really try to do it every day, to keep the dust and pollen to a minimum. Because we don't let the girls have ANY stuffed animals because they are so allergic to dustmites and end up with really bad asthma attacks. I really believe that that is why this infestation has not been worse than it has.
Right now, I am thanking God for giving my children asthma and allergies. Why?? Because we spent $150 on each of them to get the allergen covers for their beds and their pillows, which happen to keep the lice out too. Because I usually wash everyone's sheets at least once if not twice/week anyway to keep the dust away. Because I usually vacuum at least every other day, but really try to do it every day, to keep the dust and pollen to a minimum. Because we don't let the girls have ANY stuffed animals because they are so allergic to dustmites and end up with really bad asthma attacks. I really believe that that is why this infestation has not been worse than it has.
I am thankful that we were stuck in a 2 bedroom apartment and had to be put on a wait list for a 3 bedroom townhouse. Why?? Because the 2 BR apartments have FREE laundry, and even though I have to share with other people and make trips up and down the steps, it is FREE. (other than my soap of course) In a townhouse, we would have our own washer and dryer, but it would also be on our electric. And with having to wash and dry everything on the hottest settings, imagine the bill! 3 beds, with sheets, blankets, and comforters on each bed. Sheets have to be washed daily for the next few days. Laundry and towels for 4 people. Bathroom rugs. Plus all of the pillows (beds and couch) and the curtains, and everything else that can't be washed, but have to go in the dryer.
I am thankful that we moved to Madison and we ride our bikes or walk everywhere we go. Why?? Because I don't have to clean the car. (I will spray it with Lysol, but I think that should be good enough.)
And even though I can't quite be thankful for having my miscarriages, I could not imagine having to do all this cleaning while pregnant. If we had not lost Jo, I would be 8 months and on bed rest right now.
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Routine of Life
Hi everyone. I just got back from volunteering in Emily's classroom. I haven't updated in a while because life has pretty much settled into a routine. The girls are doing well in school and have made lots of friends. Madison brought home head lice the other day. Luckily we caught it before anyone else got it, even Emily. I guess that was.... Wednesday. It took us a long time of combing hair and doing laundry, but we are pretty sure we contained it.
The weekend was pretty "blah," weather-wise. It was rainy/cloudy and chilly all weekend. We did manage to get out for a bike ride on Sunday, though. Madison rode her bike about a mile to the grocery store! She did a great job. It's been really hard with her being gone for the summer - she doesn't have a bike in VT. So we have had to rely on the spring and fall to get her riding. Pretty soon she will be able to ride to school by herself! Emily got pulled to the store in the trailer, but after we got home and the groceries were put away, Judd took her out to ride too. She is doing really well, also. I made videos of her riding, and I will post them on here later.
I got a job. I decided to only work part-time because the after school care is so expensive that working those few extra hours would only go towards paying for that. So tomorrow I start at the grocery store. I am going to keep searching, but it's something for now. They put me in the deli, so with my height (or lack thereof), it really kills my shoulders to be slicing meat all day.
Judd is doing well, but incredibly busy. He has three classes this semester, plus clinic. That means that he is providing supervised therapy to a few clients. I think he meets with each of them twice a week for one-hour sessions, plus has a meeting with his supervisor for an hour/week/client. So that's 9 hours of contact time, plus all the prep that goes into each session. And of course regular coursework on top of that. He is also working 2 hrs/week at the moment and hopes to pick up a few more hours in the lab of one of his professors.
Tonight we are taking a little break though. A girl in Judd's class is going to babysit so we can go out and watch Monday Night Football. We probably won't have another chance to watch the Eagles, until the playoffs, of course. We have a few channels through the campus internet but not ESPN.
Oh, also, some of you may have already received letters from one of the kids. We are trying to have them write to someone at least once a week. Please, if you get a moment, write back to them. They would love to get mail. It would also give them positive rewards for all the writing I am making them do! (They had a lot of "Thank you" cards to write too.) Thanks! We love and miss everyone.
The weekend was pretty "blah," weather-wise. It was rainy/cloudy and chilly all weekend. We did manage to get out for a bike ride on Sunday, though. Madison rode her bike about a mile to the grocery store! She did a great job. It's been really hard with her being gone for the summer - she doesn't have a bike in VT. So we have had to rely on the spring and fall to get her riding. Pretty soon she will be able to ride to school by herself! Emily got pulled to the store in the trailer, but after we got home and the groceries were put away, Judd took her out to ride too. She is doing really well, also. I made videos of her riding, and I will post them on here later.
I got a job. I decided to only work part-time because the after school care is so expensive that working those few extra hours would only go towards paying for that. So tomorrow I start at the grocery store. I am going to keep searching, but it's something for now. They put me in the deli, so with my height (or lack thereof), it really kills my shoulders to be slicing meat all day.
Judd is doing well, but incredibly busy. He has three classes this semester, plus clinic. That means that he is providing supervised therapy to a few clients. I think he meets with each of them twice a week for one-hour sessions, plus has a meeting with his supervisor for an hour/week/client. So that's 9 hours of contact time, plus all the prep that goes into each session. And of course regular coursework on top of that. He is also working 2 hrs/week at the moment and hopes to pick up a few more hours in the lab of one of his professors.
Tonight we are taking a little break though. A girl in Judd's class is going to babysit so we can go out and watch Monday Night Football. We probably won't have another chance to watch the Eagles, until the playoffs, of course. We have a few channels through the campus internet but not ESPN.
Oh, also, some of you may have already received letters from one of the kids. We are trying to have them write to someone at least once a week. Please, if you get a moment, write back to them. They would love to get mail. It would also give them positive rewards for all the writing I am making them do! (They had a lot of "Thank you" cards to write too.) Thanks! We love and miss everyone.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Photo Tour
I have been trying to take pictures of our apartment as we are finishing things, but with the entertainment center still not together, I still can't finish. You can go on our smugmug page to check out the kitchen, bathroom, and girls' room. Hopefully soon you can see the living room and our room. (the TV and coffee table are in our room, patiently waiting....)
We got a new shower curtain, so I had to take new pictures in the bathroom too. I don't know how many people will get to see where we live in real life, so I thought it would be fun to do this way.
We got a new shower curtain, so I had to take new pictures in the bathroom too. I don't know how many people will get to see where we live in real life, so I thought it would be fun to do this way.
Our Entertainment Center
The replacement top to our entertainment center arrived today. Enjoy the pictures.... The part where the wood is split is the original piece. The smashed corner is the piece that arrived today... with absolutely nothing protecting it in the box!!!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Our Adventure
We couldn't decide what to do yesterday. We didn't really have the money for a trip to Chicago. When we were looking online, everything was crazy. Like an elevator ride up the Sears Tower was $14! Yea, it's not that much, but if you multiply it by 4, then figure it won't take more than, what, 30 minutes to go up, take some pictures, and come back down, it's a bunch of money, then a lot more time to do things. So anyway, while we were fooling around online, we decided to check out amusement parks. Most of what we have nearby are water parks. Of course they are all closed for the season.
Then we came across Mt. Olympus, which has 4 parks included in one price: a water park, an amusement park, and an indoor park of each. It cost $35 each for all four parks. The 2 outside parts are closed, though, so we called to see if there is a lower rate for "off-season." It turns out that they are hosting a Polka Festival, and tickets are $15/person, AND the outside amusement park is open!!! So that's where we went! ($56 for one ride up the Sears Tower or $60 for our first family trip to an amusement park?!)
Madison, Judd and I took turns riding on all of the roller coasters. Emily did an awesome job being patient. Then we all rode on crazy go carts. After that, we stopped by the Polka Festival and had sausage, pierogies, and potato pancakes for lunch. We were pretty excited because they had a smaller roller coaster that Em was big enough to ride, so we got her all psyched up to go on it. But when we got to it, it was closed. Bummer. So Emily rode on all the kiddie rides.
Then we went to the indoor park where Judd and Madison went on another roller coaster type ride. There were more kiddie rides in there, but Emily only went on one, then she went through one of those climber/maze things and stayed in there until it was time to go. After that, we headed to the indoor water park. They had 2 big tube slides that we were all able to go on, 2 body slides that Emily couldn't do, a lazy river, and a nice kiddie section. We spent the next several hours playing in there before heading home. We brought Madison's camera, so hopefully I will have some pictures posted soon.
Friday, September 5, 2008
One of Those Days
Ok, so Emily hasn't been eating her lunch all week. We keep telling her that she has to eat before she can talk. But it's not working. So, Judd brought the girls to school this morning and went in to talk to Emily's teacher. We know she is not in the lunch room with the kids, but we thought that she could help somehow. She assured Judd that there is plenty of time for lunch, about 25 minutes. Judd told her that we know that, but that Emily tends to be a pokey eater and that we think chattering has been the problem, and that we told her not to talk to her friends until she is done eating. She agreed, noting that Emily is "quite social" with a big smile on her face.
After that, Judd went off to do school work, and I started cleaning. While I was cleaning, there was a knock on the door... Our entertainment center has finally arrived! They were supposed to ship it on 8/21, but never sent it out until 9/2!! I was all excited to put it together so our living room could finally be finished, so I opened it right away. And of course, a piece of the wood is split! So I called the company and was on hold for forever, but they are going to send a replacement right out.
I then decided to clean up and get rid of all of the packing materials. (So happy I didn't have to repack the whole thing and send it back to them!!) And while throwing stuff away, I dropped my phone into the dumpster! Luckily, the trash was picked up this morning, so it was empty. Also, I remembered the kids' butterfly net in the toy box, and I taped that to a long piece of cardboard to scoop it out. Judd used another piece of cardboard to push the cover and battery) which had fallen off) into the net, so fortunately I didn't have to climb into the dumpster!
I got an email yesterday saying that I did not get the teaching position that I had been hoping for. So I applied at the grocery store last night. They called me this morning to set up an interview for Monday. My thinking is that a grocery store is going to be much more flexible, so I can tell them I only want to work from 9-3, then I will be home with the kids. After school child care is 1. really expensive, and 2. completely full. I will also put up ads around our community, seeking some after school baby sitting jobs. Also, Judd got one position at school. It is only 2 hours/week, but will cover pizza on Fridays, if that's what we want! He is still waiting to hear about a reader/grader position.
We are hoping to take a day trip to Chicago tomorrow. Or we might go to Devil's Lake. Either way, we should have a fun adventure.
After that, Judd went off to do school work, and I started cleaning. While I was cleaning, there was a knock on the door... Our entertainment center has finally arrived! They were supposed to ship it on 8/21, but never sent it out until 9/2!! I was all excited to put it together so our living room could finally be finished, so I opened it right away. And of course, a piece of the wood is split! So I called the company and was on hold for forever, but they are going to send a replacement right out.
I then decided to clean up and get rid of all of the packing materials. (So happy I didn't have to repack the whole thing and send it back to them!!) And while throwing stuff away, I dropped my phone into the dumpster! Luckily, the trash was picked up this morning, so it was empty. Also, I remembered the kids' butterfly net in the toy box, and I taped that to a long piece of cardboard to scoop it out. Judd used another piece of cardboard to push the cover and battery) which had fallen off) into the net, so fortunately I didn't have to climb into the dumpster!
I got an email yesterday saying that I did not get the teaching position that I had been hoping for. So I applied at the grocery store last night. They called me this morning to set up an interview for Monday. My thinking is that a grocery store is going to be much more flexible, so I can tell them I only want to work from 9-3, then I will be home with the kids. After school child care is 1. really expensive, and 2. completely full. I will also put up ads around our community, seeking some after school baby sitting jobs. Also, Judd got one position at school. It is only 2 hours/week, but will cover pizza on Fridays, if that's what we want! He is still waiting to hear about a reader/grader position.
We are hoping to take a day trip to Chicago tomorrow. Or we might go to Devil's Lake. Either way, we should have a fun adventure.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Newest Nephew
Congratulations to Alison and Josh! Jesse Saidou Kane Johnson was born yesterday afternoon. We're so excited, but so sad we weren't able to be there to celebrate with them.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
TORNADO!
Judd does not have classes on Wednesdays. So we were able to walk the kids to school together again. (tomorrow will be my first day going alone.) Once we dropped them off, we rode our bikes to the store to pick up a few things. After we got home, I was not feeling great again, so I went to lie down.
I suddenly was awakened by what I knew to be the tornado alarm (an extremely loud, steady siren that lasts for a full three minutes!) I grabbed my bathrobe and ran out of the bedroom. Judd asked what was going on, and I said "Tornado!" He looked out the window with his head cocked to the side and said, "I don't think so." The sky was bright blue, with puffy white clouds. We went down to the basement, but then a moment later came back up. We looked outside again, and a mother was walking her baby down the street, calm as could be. Another child rode his bike by our back door, as though nothing was going on.
I finally saw that Sara, our neighbor and friend, had her door open and was pacing around, trying to calm her younger son. So we walked over to her house (me in my bathrobe, which was inside out, so I couldn't even tie it) and discovered that the first Wednesday of every month, even during the winter, the alarm is tested at noon. Unless, of course, the weather gives any indication that there may actually be a tornado.
Judd thought my reaction was hilarious and thought it should be posted. Please, just remember, that I was sound asleep, and all I knew was that the tornado siren was wailing!
I suddenly was awakened by what I knew to be the tornado alarm (an extremely loud, steady siren that lasts for a full three minutes!) I grabbed my bathrobe and ran out of the bedroom. Judd asked what was going on, and I said "Tornado!" He looked out the window with his head cocked to the side and said, "I don't think so." The sky was bright blue, with puffy white clouds. We went down to the basement, but then a moment later came back up. We looked outside again, and a mother was walking her baby down the street, calm as could be. Another child rode his bike by our back door, as though nothing was going on.
I finally saw that Sara, our neighbor and friend, had her door open and was pacing around, trying to calm her younger son. So we walked over to her house (me in my bathrobe, which was inside out, so I couldn't even tie it) and discovered that the first Wednesday of every month, even during the winter, the alarm is tested at noon. Unless, of course, the weather gives any indication that there may actually be a tornado.
Judd thought my reaction was hilarious and thought it should be posted. Please, just remember, that I was sound asleep, and all I knew was that the tornado siren was wailing!
My First Day of Kindergarten ~ by Emily
yestrday was my forst day fo kindargrten. my techr's nem is mrs. corey. shi is nise. i met som kids.
(Emily typed and sounded out that part all by herself! She will be dictating the rest.)
I got to play with Ana. I played in the classroom. I ate lunch in the lunchroom! I had a great time yesterday! It was so fun. I wish you could be there! I had computer time, and I played on the computer. Her name is Miss. Hatchel. She is the computer teacher and the art teacher. I love you guys and I hope to see you soon. See ya!
to evvre oun. love emily
(Emily typed and sounded out that part all by herself! She will be dictating the rest.)
I got to play with Ana. I played in the classroom. I ate lunch in the lunchroom! I had a great time yesterday! It was so fun. I wish you could be there! I had computer time, and I played on the computer. Her name is Miss. Hatchel. She is the computer teacher and the art teacher. I love you guys and I hope to see you soon. See ya!
to evvre oun. love emily
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
First Day of Third Grade ~by Madison
hello, today at school I met my Teacher, Ms. Lambrecht (aka, Ms. Lambchop). She said we could call her that . I aloso made a name tag . and i played on the play grounb . My favv. part was makeing my name tag .
Monday, September 1, 2008
BBQ and more
Hi everyone! I changed the settings on here to allow everyone to leave comments, not just if you have an account. I am also about to start adding some pictures. I can't figure out how to add a link to our picture website, but I am working on that, too.
We went to Judd's friend's house for a BBQ today. It was fun. We made some Dauphin-potato salad, and everyone raved over it! I was even told that I was the "master potato salad chef"! We also had the amazing experience of watching a cicada come out of it's shell! Emily was collecting the empty shells when she discovered one that was still inhabited! (She almost pulled it off the tree!) The head was almost out, so Em ran to tell everyone, and several of us watched as it worked its way out and spread its wings to dry. Pretty amazing. The girls even said that it was better than watching a movie.
We were curious to see if it would fly away, but it was time to head home. We came home, and the girls went out to play. James and Jeremiah are here for Emily's first day of school, so they came over to see Emily. Judd took them on a walk to picnic point. They should be back soon, so I am going to say "goodbye" for now so I can try to add some of these pictures.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Finally done and some time to relax!
Hello! So yesterday, we went to the farmer's market and got lots of fresh, local fruits, veggies, flowers, cheese, and even some bread. Then we went out to lunch. By the time we walked back to catch the bus, then waited for the bus, then got home, no one felt like going to the grocery store. So the kids took naps, and Judd did some stuff with the computers while I rested too.
I still wasn't feeling well for the rest of the evening, so the kids had a light dinner, and I bribed Judd to finish unpacking our room. (He got a new router) I was around to help tell him where to put things, but I just didn't have the strength to help. It is finally done though! We still have a few stray things that need homes, and we are still waiting for the entertainment center, but generally, we are done.
This morning, we went back to Target, for the third time this week, and we finally went and bought food! The hostess for tomorrow's BBQ asked if we would mind making potato salad to bring... She's expecting 30-50 people! So after shopping, we made 10#'s of potato salad! While cooking, Aunt Donna "called" on the computer, so we were talking while I was cooking. I also carried my laptop around to give her a tour of the apartment without all of the boxes around.
Then we got the kitchen all cleaned up and managed to fit the bowls into the just-restocked fridge when the bus went by. It goes in a big circle, so we know if we leave immediately when we see it, we can catch it when it loops back around.
We took the bus back to downtown, where they were holding A Taste of Madison. It's a really great thing where like a hundred restaurants set up booths around capitol square, and they sell samples of their dishes, for like $2-4 for most of them. So we tried foods from Indonesian, Ethiopian, Mexican, and Thai restaurants. We also, of course, couldn't pass up the hot wings from one place too. For dessert, we had chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls! Who woulda thought?!
We got home, and Emily showered. Then we called Mom and Dad K. We also tried to call Al and Josh when Emily came in and asked, "Can we call Uncle Josh?" I called Mom Y back too, to confirm that the potato salad turned out to be pretty yummy! (I did not tell her we had to use 3 pots to cook all the potatoes, that the eggs exploded when I tried to hard boil them, and that it took 4 bowls to hold it all!!) After all of our calls, we played a game of Memory. It was really close between Madison and me, until the last few pair came down to me. Sorry girls!
Oh, and we ran a test morning today, and we ended up 15 minutes late for school. Gotta set our alarms earlier!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
AIM and keeping in touch.
Hi everyone! As I mentioned before, and as we have told several people,
If you have a camera on your computer, we can use video chat through AIM. Mom and Dad Y. got to talk to and see the girls this morning. It was really fun. Send one of us an email for our screen names.
The internet is going to be the best way to contact us in general. We are going to try to avoid getting a land line, and unless you have VerizonWireless, we really don't want to talk on the phone too much during the week so we don't go over our minutes. And not just the minutes, but we also don't have great reception at home, except maybe in the kitchen! (Ask Mom Y... she keeps getting my voicemail!) Obviously if there is an emergency, or if a baby is being born, we want you to call! :-)
Still more unpacking and exploring.
Thursday was still more unpacking, and more errands and stuff. Friday, Judd had off. We took the girls on their first ride on the public buses. They ran through a fountain downtown. Then we worked really hard to get the living room almost done. We are still waiting for our entertainment center to arrive so we can set up the TV and all the components.
Today we are going to the farmer's market. Then we have to go grocery shopping. And our plan is to finish unpacking our bedroom. Then we will finally be done... Only a week later! That way tomorrow and Monday we can just relax and such.
It did end up raining, but it was Wednesday night and again Thursday night. The days were still nice. It is supposed to be a beautiful long weekend. The girls had their first-day-of-school outfits set to go, but now it is getting warmer again, and they are saying close to 90 for Tuesday! So they had to pick new outfits. Well, I guess that's all for now. I'm still taking pictures and will eventually get them up.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bonfire, Kindergarten Orientation, and More Unpacking
The bonfire last night was fun. We met a lot of Judd's classmates. We also had fun making s'mores. I must say, Em was the center of attention for a large part of the night.
This morning, we went to Emily's orientation. She made several new friends. One in particular, Ana. She lives near us, and her mom and I hit it off too. We all walked home from school together, so that was fun.
After that, we had a picnic lunch outside (only because there's no where to sit inside!!), then we got back to work. Madison put away several boxes of books, as well as her art supplies. Emily put away 2 boxes of movies. Together, we emptied a lot of the living room. We can walk down the hall without tripping now, too!
We were planning on going to play volleyball with Judd's friends tonight, but there's just too much to do. My goal for tonight is to make the kitchen usable! Oh, speaking of which, we just ate a wonderful quiche that our neighbor, Beth, made for us.
Tomorrow should be a quieter day. Judd only has a half day of orientation. And we don't have anything else planned. The weather has been absolutely beautiful all week, so hopefully it will continue to hold up. We would like to be finished unpacking by the weekend so we can relax and finalize getting things ready for the girls for school. No one has work/school on Monday, and we were invited to a cookout, so it would be nice to go to that without stressing over the state of our apartment.
Well, I better get back to work.
This morning, we went to Emily's orientation. She made several new friends. One in particular, Ana. She lives near us, and her mom and I hit it off too. We all walked home from school together, so that was fun.
After that, we had a picnic lunch outside (only because there's no where to sit inside!!), then we got back to work. Madison put away several boxes of books, as well as her art supplies. Emily put away 2 boxes of movies. Together, we emptied a lot of the living room. We can walk down the hall without tripping now, too!
We were planning on going to play volleyball with Judd's friends tonight, but there's just too much to do. My goal for tonight is to make the kitchen usable! Oh, speaking of which, we just ate a wonderful quiche that our neighbor, Beth, made for us.
Tomorrow should be a quieter day. Judd only has a half day of orientation. And we don't have anything else planned. The weather has been absolutely beautiful all week, so hopefully it will continue to hold up. We would like to be finished unpacking by the weekend so we can relax and finalize getting things ready for the girls for school. No one has work/school on Monday, and we were invited to a cookout, so it would be nice to go to that without stressing over the state of our apartment.
Well, I better get back to work.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday the 26th - Finally caught up!
I had my second interview today. It went really well. They are hoping to make a decision by the end of this week because ideally, they want people to start next week. That wouldn't give me much time for unpacking, but would be good. The idea of getting up and going to work seems strange after working from home for so long.
Madison got her bike out and was riding around with her friends for a while. After her third fall, she gave up. But she did really well and is getting better.
Emily and Madison both got to sit in a fire truck today! The fire department was here to do their annual inspection of all the buildings, and they took the time with the kids to show them things and let them in the truck. The one man even opened the water tank and sprayed the kids!
We got our health insurance today! So not that we want any trips to the ER, we are ok to now. Oh, speaking of which, Em had some asthma issues the other night, but she is ok.
I met a new neighbor today. She wasn't here last week because she was visiting her sister in Quakertown!! How funny is that??
Tonight we are headed to our community center for the annual ice cream party. After that, we will be going to a bonfire being held for Judd's department. We are looking forward to the s'mores! We are not looking forward to the mosquitoes! Judd says that all of his new classmates are super excited to meet the girls...and me too. That's all for now.
Madison got her bike out and was riding around with her friends for a while. After her third fall, she gave up. But she did really well and is getting better.
Emily and Madison both got to sit in a fire truck today! The fire department was here to do their annual inspection of all the buildings, and they took the time with the kids to show them things and let them in the truck. The one man even opened the water tank and sprayed the kids!
We got our health insurance today! So not that we want any trips to the ER, we are ok to now. Oh, speaking of which, Em had some asthma issues the other night, but she is ok.
I met a new neighbor today. She wasn't here last week because she was visiting her sister in Quakertown!! How funny is that??
Tonight we are headed to our community center for the annual ice cream party. After that, we will be going to a bonfire being held for Judd's department. We are looking forward to the s'mores! We are not looking forward to the mosquitoes! Judd says that all of his new classmates are super excited to meet the girls...and me too. That's all for now.
Monday the 25th
Judd's orientation started at 9AM. Again, I will have to let him tell you about that.
For me, the day started with the kids running out to play. Before Judd left, one of our neighbors also brought us some waffles! We had already eaten, but we will have them tomorrow. I had some phone calls to make, including one to the elementary school. They told me that there was some paperwork I needed to come pick up. So I went out and told the girls we would be leaving in five minutes. I came back in to get dressed...
The girls came running home, with Emily screaming her head off! She apparently took her shoes off and stepped on something with her bare foot. She was bleeding a lot, but wouldn't let me touch her foot. She also told me she pulled something off. I thought for sure that she stepped on glass and we would be headed to the ER (sound familiar?). Luckily Madison grabbed a popsicle for her, so Em calmed down and was able to tell me she had pulled the skin off. She also let me clean and feel her would to make sure there was nothing in it. As soon as she had a band-aide, she was fine. We did make a new Socks and Sneakers rule for playing outside.
So anyway, after that, we walked to the school to get the paperwork. They told us we could check out the kids' classrooms, too. We didn't have much time, but we did look. We also met Emily's teacher. She has orientation on Wednesday from 10-12. The first thing she said when she heard that was, "What am I going to wear?" Oh Dear!!
After that, we had to head home so I could get ready for my interview. It went really well, but I was not impressed with them. Hopefully the other interviews will go better...
By the time Judd got home, the last few days had caught up with me, and I really didn't feel like unpacking. So we went out to buy some of the things we need for our apartment. We had also gotten the school supply list, so we got that stuff too. Then we went out for dinner. We came home, and the girls and I got ready for bed while Judd got ready to go out. This week, besides orientation, there are evening activities too. Last night was at a bar, so the kids couldn't go. He got home late and never even woke me up!
For me, the day started with the kids running out to play. Before Judd left, one of our neighbors also brought us some waffles! We had already eaten, but we will have them tomorrow. I had some phone calls to make, including one to the elementary school. They told me that there was some paperwork I needed to come pick up. So I went out and told the girls we would be leaving in five minutes. I came back in to get dressed...
The girls came running home, with Emily screaming her head off! She apparently took her shoes off and stepped on something with her bare foot. She was bleeding a lot, but wouldn't let me touch her foot. She also told me she pulled something off. I thought for sure that she stepped on glass and we would be headed to the ER (sound familiar?). Luckily Madison grabbed a popsicle for her, so Em calmed down and was able to tell me she had pulled the skin off. She also let me clean and feel her would to make sure there was nothing in it. As soon as she had a band-aide, she was fine. We did make a new Socks and Sneakers rule for playing outside.
So anyway, after that, we walked to the school to get the paperwork. They told us we could check out the kids' classrooms, too. We didn't have much time, but we did look. We also met Emily's teacher. She has orientation on Wednesday from 10-12. The first thing she said when she heard that was, "What am I going to wear?" Oh Dear!!
After that, we had to head home so I could get ready for my interview. It went really well, but I was not impressed with them. Hopefully the other interviews will go better...
By the time Judd got home, the last few days had caught up with me, and I really didn't feel like unpacking. So we went out to buy some of the things we need for our apartment. We had also gotten the school supply list, so we got that stuff too. Then we went out for dinner. We came home, and the girls and I got ready for bed while Judd got ready to go out. This week, besides orientation, there are evening activities too. Last night was at a bar, so the kids couldn't go. He got home late and never even woke me up!
Sunday the 24th - More "Goodbyes"
Sunday morning, there were too many people and too many boxes to really try to do much. Ryan had to catch a bus at 10:00 which took him to the Milwaukee airport. FYI: If you ever come to visit us, it is much cheaper to fly to Milwaukee, which is only 1 1/2 hrs. away. Then I showed A. Donna how to set up a video chat. If you have a camera for your computer and AIM, we can see each other!
We also had an almost-emergency room visit with Madison. She had been coloring with double ended pencils and stabbed herself in the eye! I checked to make sure she hadn't scratched her cornea before deciding we didn't need to go. We can't register for insurance until Judd registers for classes. They will pay retro to the 15th, but we would prefer not to deal with that hassle!
Around 11:30, Mom, A. Donna, U. Ken, and John left. They had hotel reservations in Youngstown, OH, and would finish the drive on Monday (Ryan had to work on Monday, so that's why he flew).
We were still without a stove, so we had cold pizza for lunch. (We also don't have a microwave.) Then we worked all afternoon and into the evening. The girls spent most of the day playing outside, making new friends. At one point, some of the parents were out, so I told Judd we should walk out and introduce ourselves. All of our neighbors are super nice and super friendly.
We had salads for a late dinner. Then Judd and I worked late into the night.
We also had an almost-emergency room visit with Madison. She had been coloring with double ended pencils and stabbed herself in the eye! I checked to make sure she hadn't scratched her cornea before deciding we didn't need to go. We can't register for insurance until Judd registers for classes. They will pay retro to the 15th, but we would prefer not to deal with that hassle!
Around 11:30, Mom, A. Donna, U. Ken, and John left. They had hotel reservations in Youngstown, OH, and would finish the drive on Monday (Ryan had to work on Monday, so that's why he flew).
We were still without a stove, so we had cold pizza for lunch. (We also don't have a microwave.) Then we worked all afternoon and into the evening. The girls spent most of the day playing outside, making new friends. At one point, some of the parents were out, so I told Judd we should walk out and introduce ourselves. All of our neighbors are super nice and super friendly.
We had salads for a late dinner. Then Judd and I worked late into the night.
A Word from Judd
Well, Kim would like me to comment about my fall into the lake. In fact, I did quite well to stay as dry as I did. I did not fall climbing out on the tree branch extending over the lake. Fifteen feet out I commented that I ought not be in such a precarious position with our camera around my neck. I then returned to shore and walked over to stand next to my good friend John Gross. One of the rocks (on shore, mind you) slipped out from under my foot. My leg quickly plunged into the quite deep water. I was fortunate enough to find my footing on a submerged rock. Ryan Hill commented that he believed that I was going all the way in (thanks for your faith, Ry!). As I have said numerous times during the move-in process, "I'm clumsy, but I'm quick."
The only appreciable consequence being squishy steps for the day.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday the 23rd
Ok, so we made it to Madison around 10:30 AM. We knew we had time to kill, so we emptied the car then went grocery shopping. While we were finishing at the store, the phone rings....
One of the tires on the trailer totally blew out!! Thank God everyone was ok and Ken was able to get the truck to the side of the road. That's why we wanted him to drive! But then the shoulder was really narrow, they couldn't jack the trailer up high enough, 911 left them on hold, and the tow truck never came! 2 1/2 hours later, they were back on the road. Unfortunately, the spare was almost flat too, so Ken had a hard time controlling the trailer until they could find a gas station. From what they tell me, it almost jack-knived at one point, and came close to pushing them over the embankment, which would have flipped them, but Ken kept control and kept everyone safe.
So anyway, we know at this point that we have a lot of time to kill, so we bake veggie burgers for lunch, then all take naps. Only, John was the only one who could actually sleep. We had internet already, and we all had our laptops, so we fooled around. Then we woke John up and went on a driving tour of Madison. After that, we were planning to go on a hike. 10 steps into the woods, and I already had 2 mosquito bites, so I decided to walk home. The guys went on the hike, and Judson fell into the lake!
But bigger than Judd's wet sneaker was the fact that when I got home, the oven was still hot! Yes, I had turned it off, but apparently it was broken. Ryan tried to play with the knob to get it off, and all of a sudden there was a bright red flash behind it, and sparks came out the bottom! It was smoking a lot too!!! Thank goodness the breaker switches are located in the kitchen, so I was able to throw the switch right away. Maintenance said we'd have to wait until Monday to get it fixed!
Around 7, the truck arrived! Yaaay, everyone made it! While we were unloading, we had to separate what needed to go in storage, so that stuff stayed on the front lawn. A. Donna and Mom started putting away kitchen stuff. When the truck was mostly empty, Ryan started rebuilding the futon (without instructions) and I started working on the bunk beds. Only, I wasted an hour trying to find the hardware! It turns out, it was in a box that was labeled... "girls' room: bunk bed hardware" and it was in the room, but turned backwards the whole time!
After it got dark, it came down to a big scramble to get everything inside for the night. Only, we forgot to leave enough room for the air mattress! So then we had to rearrange all the boxes to make room for Judd and I to sleep! We were on the air bed, John and Ryan were on the futon, Mom and the girls were on the bunk beds, and A. Donna and U. Ken were in our bed. Finally...Goodnight!
One of the tires on the trailer totally blew out!! Thank God everyone was ok and Ken was able to get the truck to the side of the road. That's why we wanted him to drive! But then the shoulder was really narrow, they couldn't jack the trailer up high enough, 911 left them on hold, and the tow truck never came! 2 1/2 hours later, they were back on the road. Unfortunately, the spare was almost flat too, so Ken had a hard time controlling the trailer until they could find a gas station. From what they tell me, it almost jack-knived at one point, and came close to pushing them over the embankment, which would have flipped them, but Ken kept control and kept everyone safe.
So anyway, we know at this point that we have a lot of time to kill, so we bake veggie burgers for lunch, then all take naps. Only, John was the only one who could actually sleep. We had internet already, and we all had our laptops, so we fooled around. Then we woke John up and went on a driving tour of Madison. After that, we were planning to go on a hike. 10 steps into the woods, and I already had 2 mosquito bites, so I decided to walk home. The guys went on the hike, and Judson fell into the lake!
But bigger than Judd's wet sneaker was the fact that when I got home, the oven was still hot! Yes, I had turned it off, but apparently it was broken. Ryan tried to play with the knob to get it off, and all of a sudden there was a bright red flash behind it, and sparks came out the bottom! It was smoking a lot too!!! Thank goodness the breaker switches are located in the kitchen, so I was able to throw the switch right away. Maintenance said we'd have to wait until Monday to get it fixed!
Around 7, the truck arrived! Yaaay, everyone made it! While we were unloading, we had to separate what needed to go in storage, so that stuff stayed on the front lawn. A. Donna and Mom started putting away kitchen stuff. When the truck was mostly empty, Ryan started rebuilding the futon (without instructions) and I started working on the bunk beds. Only, I wasted an hour trying to find the hardware! It turns out, it was in a box that was labeled... "girls' room: bunk bed hardware" and it was in the room, but turned backwards the whole time!
After it got dark, it came down to a big scramble to get everything inside for the night. Only, we forgot to leave enough room for the air mattress! So then we had to rearrange all the boxes to make room for Judd and I to sleep! We were on the air bed, John and Ryan were on the futon, Mom and the girls were on the bunk beds, and A. Donna and U. Ken were in our bed. Finally...Goodnight!
Friday the 22nd - Moving day!
Ok, so, 6:30 AM and I was wide awake! So on 4 hours of sleep, I got up to finish the last packing and start cleaning. Judd woke up not too long after. We finished all the stuff we needed to do at home and went off to run errands. We had to close bank accounts, and stuff like that. We got home around 3:30, I think. Um... we had to pick John and Ryan up at the train station at 5:30, so our sleep plan totally backfired!! We did manage short naps, but not nearly what we needed.
So we picked the guys up, stopped for refreshments (aka lots and lots of coffee), and to fill the tires with air. Then we were on our way. I drove for the first 7 hours. I got us into Ohio before I was done. The sunset was absolutely spectacular. We took tons of pictures. We also have a blurry picture of the "welcome to Ohio" sign.
Judd drove for the next 8 hours. He got us through Ohio and most of Indiana. He had the hardest shift though because the rest of us slept almost the whole time. And to make it worse, the sun was rising behind us, and we were driving away from it, so it felt like it took hours to rise. It was right about the time change too.
About 45 minutes outside of Chicago, Ryan took over driving. He finished it for us too. So through Illinois and into Wisconsin. It's kind of a shame we drove over night because we missed seeing stuff. But the sun was finally up, so I took some hazy pictures of Chicago. I guess technically we are now into Saturday....
Thursday, the 21st - Loading Day!
Earl and his friend Chris arrived around 12:30. Shoot - Earl and Chris, I am so sorry I didn't say Thank you in the introduction! I will have to go back and see if I can edit it. Earl let us use his truck and trailer to move. Since he broke his ankle and couldn't help, he brought his friend Chris along to help load the truck. We finished in about 3 hours (mostly), and the trailer was filled to the brim. I said mostly because there was a dresser at M&D Y.'s house that we were still waiting for.
Bryan and Greg arrived as we were finishing up. So we saved a couple of boxes for them! Thank you, Bryan and Greg, for your help! Bryan also cooked everyone pierogies and helped me do some of the cleaning.
Thursday evening, our families came to say goodbye. It was a happy/sad evening. We also celebrated Al's birthday.
At some point during the day, Judd and I decided to stay up late so we could sleep all day tomorrow since we will be driving all night tomorrow night. So after everyone went home (the kids went with A. Donna), we went to see Batman again with our good friend Jenny. Jenny and I worked together. She is currently searching for a job in WI ;-)
We got home around 2AM and went to sleep at 2:30.....
Bryan and Greg arrived as we were finishing up. So we saved a couple of boxes for them! Thank you, Bryan and Greg, for your help! Bryan also cooked everyone pierogies and helped me do some of the cleaning.
Thursday evening, our families came to say goodbye. It was a happy/sad evening. We also celebrated Al's birthday.
At some point during the day, Judd and I decided to stay up late so we could sleep all day tomorrow since we will be driving all night tomorrow night. So after everyone went home (the kids went with A. Donna), we went to see Batman again with our good friend Jenny. Jenny and I worked together. She is currently searching for a job in WI ;-)
We got home around 2AM and went to sleep at 2:30.....
Wednesday, August 20th
I had to pick a spot to back track from, and I guess this is as good as any. Today was Judd's last day at work. The girls and I were at home finishing up the packing.
In the morning, I decided to google jobs in Madison. I came across 3 that sounded interesting. So at 10:40AM I sent out my resume to those three places, 2 preschools, and one to MARC. At 12:10, the phone rang. It was the first school, calling to schedule an interview. Can I come in Monday at 12:30?
When I got off the phone, I picked up my computer to email Judd and tell him, and also to add the interview to my calendar. I had a new email... the second preschool wanted my transcripts and my references! After several emails back and forth, they called me for a phone interview! I have a tour of the school scheduled for Tuesday!
Judd came home from work in a very emotional state. He has been working with this family for more than two years. They had a really hard time letting go of him. I will let Judd write more about this later though.
On his way home, Judd also picked up Seth, the boy I have been babysitting at night for the last 15 or so months. After our usual evening of babysitting, we met his parents at Rita's for a final farewell. We have watched Seth change and grow so much in the last year. He has the kind of smile that can light up a room (and get him out of any and all trouble!). His parents have become our friends, too. They are genuinely good people, and we will miss the entire family so much!
In the morning, I decided to google jobs in Madison. I came across 3 that sounded interesting. So at 10:40AM I sent out my resume to those three places, 2 preschools, and one to MARC. At 12:10, the phone rang. It was the first school, calling to schedule an interview. Can I come in Monday at 12:30?
When I got off the phone, I picked up my computer to email Judd and tell him, and also to add the interview to my calendar. I had a new email... the second preschool wanted my transcripts and my references! After several emails back and forth, they called me for a phone interview! I have a tour of the school scheduled for Tuesday!
Judd came home from work in a very emotional state. He has been working with this family for more than two years. They had a really hard time letting go of him. I will let Judd write more about this later though.
On his way home, Judd also picked up Seth, the boy I have been babysitting at night for the last 15 or so months. After our usual evening of babysitting, we met his parents at Rita's for a final farewell. We have watched Seth change and grow so much in the last year. He has the kind of smile that can light up a room (and get him out of any and all trouble!). His parents have become our friends, too. They are genuinely good people, and we will miss the entire family so much!
Introduction
Well, due to several requests, I am starting this blog about our time in Wisconsin. I will have to back track for a few days, but will hopefully be able to catch up soon. I will eventually have pictures to add, but since my camera drowned at the Phillies game, I have to wait until I can collect the pictures from everyone else's cameras. On this site, I will only post highlight pictures. You can see all of them on our smugmug page. kimjuddkane.smugmug.com
I also want to start by saying "Thank you" to everyone. All of your support and well-wishes as we begin this new chapter really means a lot to us. We know how hard it is for you that we have moved away. It is hard for us too. But it is an exciting and amazing opportunity, and we are thrilled to have this chance. Thanks also to everyone who came to our party. It was great to have that time to spend together. Especially big thanks to M&D Yost for hosting the party.
I also have to say a huge "Thank You" to John, Ryan, Mom Y, A. Donna, and U Ken for all of your help moving. If even one of you wasn't here, we wouldn't have been able to do it. I know there were moments of major stress, but we got through it. (well, you are still driving home, and are in our prayers that you make it safely!)
I also want to start by saying "Thank you" to everyone. All of your support and well-wishes as we begin this new chapter really means a lot to us. We know how hard it is for you that we have moved away. It is hard for us too. But it is an exciting and amazing opportunity, and we are thrilled to have this chance. Thanks also to everyone who came to our party. It was great to have that time to spend together. Especially big thanks to M&D Yost for hosting the party.
I also have to say a huge "Thank You" to John, Ryan, Mom Y, A. Donna, and U Ken for all of your help moving. If even one of you wasn't here, we wouldn't have been able to do it. I know there were moments of major stress, but we got through it. (well, you are still driving home, and are in our prayers that you make it safely!)
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