Yesterday afternoon, hubby went out to a couple of pizza places to look for his part-time job. The closest pizza place to us wasn't hiring b/c they had JUST hired two drivers, but referred us to one in the next town over. He went out there and the person who could hire him wouldn't be there until today. He went ahead and filled out an application anyway and went back today. He called me what seemed like just a few minutes after he left the house, to tell me that he was hired. :D He has to call on Monday to see exactly what day he starts (they have to process his I-9 to make sure he can legally work in the US, lol), but he does have the job. And he's off on Sunday and Wednesday. :D With that job and w/ the apprenticeship, we should easily be able to make ends meet. Then my little piddly work at home things will be completely extra, to be able to go to debt or to save for a far-in-the-future home birth or whatever. :D
I feel calm, but nervous at the same time. We are moving into a "new" normal, now. I don't know what that normal will be, yet, but it will be nice to be self-sufficient again. I am excited to be moving forward in the next phase of our life and that our unemployment wasn't too long.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
forgot to mention
Hubby DID get the pipefitters apprenticeship. :) It's going to be a long 6 years, but so worth it in the end. He's looking for a part-time night/weekend job now, too, since an apprentice doesn't make enough to support a family on. There may be overtime involved w/ the apprenticeship, but it's not a guarantee. If it were, that would be great. He starts at the job site on Monday, and today and tomorrow he's trying to find that perfect part-time job.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
here's the missing videos
Ok, here's the videos that I promised yesterday. Also, Lydia has started saying "woah!!" whenever she falls down unexpectedly. You can sort of see that in the first video, even though it's just a sit down instead of a fall down. :p
Monday, September 8, 2008
a coop, multiple rejections, a toddler and more
I did not even realize that it's been nearly a month since I posted. So here's what's been going on since then.
Coop
Right after my last post, I received a shipment of Enwrapture skirts for which I had hosted a coop. A few hundred people paid me for an order for them, then I ordered the skirts in bulk so we could get a wholesale discount on them. It was interesting b/c this company doesn't allow color selection for wholesale orders, but it was a lot of fun. We got them for about a 70-80% discount off of retail. Here's part of the craziness:
And here's what a couple of them look like:
Rejections (and a possible job finally!)
Tim has been having a few interviews here and there, but then a few days later he would invariably receive a rejection email. But even rejection emails after an interview are better than no interview at all. He had tried to be a truck driver, a college bookstore manager, an insurance agent (which we may still do after a couple of years as a secondary job), an IKEA kitchens salesperson, a 911 dispatcher and a number of others that I can't remember right off the bat. He has yet to hear from a company that makes video recording equipment for police cars, but said he would really like that position.
But meanwhile, he is pretty sure that he has found what he wants to do. He is going to be a plumbing apprentice. They pay is not terrific at the start so he will either have to hope for overtime or get a second job, but it's steady, stable, long-term work. He went to an orientation/testing for it today (he finds out tomorrow at around 3:00 if he passed the test, then the rest of it is just a matter of paperwork before he can start), and the instructor said that in 30 years of doing this, the longest he has been without work was 2 months. Tim could also be an HVAC apprentice instead of a plumbing apprentice. There are raises every 6 months that are pretty substantial. The only bad news is that a group of classes started a month ago, so Tim's first raise won't be until 18 months from now, and the whole process will be 6 years instead of 5 since the first year, he will just be working instead of working and going to class. But we are very excited about the long-term situation this will help us be in.
Toddler
Lydia is now 21 months old, and very much a toddler. We continue to train her, and have found that if we train her like it's a game, then she seems to be more receptive. Like the other day, we were playing "stop/go" with her, to teach her to stop right away when we say stop. We would hold her hand or walk right next to her, and say "go go go go go go go go go go go STOP!" and then stop right then. Then we'd go go go some more and stop again. After a while, Lydia started doing this herself. She'd tell herself go go go and stop. It was so cute. She has several more words since the last time I posted, and will try to repeat some 3-syllable words or phrases now, too.
We've given up on potty training for now. The whole idea of it, and especially when I look on a message board and see children younger than Lydia who are completely trained, just makes me cry. I'm trying to just push it to the back of my mind and revisit it when she's 4 or when she shows very VERY clear signs that she is ready to do her business somewhere besides her diaper. I've read Diaper Free Before Three which encourages "early" potty training, and we did try those methods for a while, but they just didn't yield any results for us at all. Lydia is not ready. She doesn't care if her diaper is wet or dirty. I will just continue what I've been doing, which is letting her come w/ me to the bathroom and letting her watch me put her poop in the potty (we cloth diaper) and talking about the whole scenario w/ her in a lighthearted manner (oh, look, your diaper is wet. One day you'll put it in the potty and you'll stay dry).
Here's a few videos of her modeling one of the short wrap skirts which is still way too long for her, lol. But the three videos combined show how she's grown so much since the last time I shared. :)
...
Ok well never mind on the videos... YouTube is doing site maintenance so I'll have to post them later. :p
More
I am still crocheting play food. I'm gearing up for what I hope will be a busy holiday season. My link over on the sidebar is still pointed to my Hyena Cart, but I'm toying with the idea of moving over to Etsy instead. Each site does have its pluses and minuses. In the meantime, I'm making a bunch of in-stock food, especially bread (the bread is what seems to tie me up the longest when I get a custom order, lol). I have about 60 different items now, with more in the works. When I first started making it, I would have never thought that I'd have such variety. I also am attempting to start another work at home thing, just to make a little change here and there. The company seems to be having technical difficulties right now, though, so I'm not able to complete my test. Hopefully I can finish that test by this weekend though.
Coop
Right after my last post, I received a shipment of Enwrapture skirts for which I had hosted a coop. A few hundred people paid me for an order for them, then I ordered the skirts in bulk so we could get a wholesale discount on them. It was interesting b/c this company doesn't allow color selection for wholesale orders, but it was a lot of fun. We got them for about a 70-80% discount off of retail. Here's part of the craziness:
And here's what a couple of them look like:
Rejections (and a possible job finally!)
Tim has been having a few interviews here and there, but then a few days later he would invariably receive a rejection email. But even rejection emails after an interview are better than no interview at all. He had tried to be a truck driver, a college bookstore manager, an insurance agent (which we may still do after a couple of years as a secondary job), an IKEA kitchens salesperson, a 911 dispatcher and a number of others that I can't remember right off the bat. He has yet to hear from a company that makes video recording equipment for police cars, but said he would really like that position.
But meanwhile, he is pretty sure that he has found what he wants to do. He is going to be a plumbing apprentice. They pay is not terrific at the start so he will either have to hope for overtime or get a second job, but it's steady, stable, long-term work. He went to an orientation/testing for it today (he finds out tomorrow at around 3:00 if he passed the test, then the rest of it is just a matter of paperwork before he can start), and the instructor said that in 30 years of doing this, the longest he has been without work was 2 months. Tim could also be an HVAC apprentice instead of a plumbing apprentice. There are raises every 6 months that are pretty substantial. The only bad news is that a group of classes started a month ago, so Tim's first raise won't be until 18 months from now, and the whole process will be 6 years instead of 5 since the first year, he will just be working instead of working and going to class. But we are very excited about the long-term situation this will help us be in.
Toddler
Lydia is now 21 months old, and very much a toddler. We continue to train her, and have found that if we train her like it's a game, then she seems to be more receptive. Like the other day, we were playing "stop/go" with her, to teach her to stop right away when we say stop. We would hold her hand or walk right next to her, and say "go go go go go go go go go go go STOP!" and then stop right then. Then we'd go go go some more and stop again. After a while, Lydia started doing this herself. She'd tell herself go go go and stop. It was so cute. She has several more words since the last time I posted, and will try to repeat some 3-syllable words or phrases now, too.
We've given up on potty training for now. The whole idea of it, and especially when I look on a message board and see children younger than Lydia who are completely trained, just makes me cry. I'm trying to just push it to the back of my mind and revisit it when she's 4 or when she shows very VERY clear signs that she is ready to do her business somewhere besides her diaper. I've read Diaper Free Before Three which encourages "early" potty training, and we did try those methods for a while, but they just didn't yield any results for us at all. Lydia is not ready. She doesn't care if her diaper is wet or dirty. I will just continue what I've been doing, which is letting her come w/ me to the bathroom and letting her watch me put her poop in the potty (we cloth diaper) and talking about the whole scenario w/ her in a lighthearted manner (oh, look, your diaper is wet. One day you'll put it in the potty and you'll stay dry).
Here's a few videos of her modeling one of the short wrap skirts which is still way too long for her, lol. But the three videos combined show how she's grown so much since the last time I shared. :)
...
Ok well never mind on the videos... YouTube is doing site maintenance so I'll have to post them later. :p
More
I am still crocheting play food. I'm gearing up for what I hope will be a busy holiday season. My link over on the sidebar is still pointed to my Hyena Cart, but I'm toying with the idea of moving over to Etsy instead. Each site does have its pluses and minuses. In the meantime, I'm making a bunch of in-stock food, especially bread (the bread is what seems to tie me up the longest when I get a custom order, lol). I have about 60 different items now, with more in the works. When I first started making it, I would have never thought that I'd have such variety. I also am attempting to start another work at home thing, just to make a little change here and there. The company seems to be having technical difficulties right now, though, so I'm not able to complete my test. Hopefully I can finish that test by this weekend though.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
back from a not-so-relaxing trip home
I just got back today from an 8-day trip home for a visit. Lydia and I went to my parents' house. A friend of ours who we've known pretty much her whole life had gotten married in their hometown on the 2nd, and I went to the wedding, and since it was a long drive to get there, decided to make a visit out of it, too.
I say the trip was not so relaxing b/c my mom still watches all 3 of my nephews. This week, one of them wasn't there b/c my sister took some vacation time, but the other two are so hard on her. There are a 2 yr old and a 4.5 yr old, and they are brothers. The 2 year old can open doors and climb things, and both were highly resistant to naps all week, even though they both still desperately need a daily nap. They constantly stress my mom out and push limits (limits? what limits? Doesn't something have to be consistently enforced to really be an effective limit?), and then my mom releases the stress on whoever is closest, whether it's one of them or whether it's me.
But before all that, there was the wedding. She was the acting "wedding coordinator" for the weekend, helping to tell everyone where to stand and when to walk in with and who to be escorted by, etc. The wedding overall went OK in that they did end up married in the end, lol, but the cake and the sound system (it was an outdoor wedding and indoor reception) were two major problems that the bride's parents are still trying to get some satisfaction from. But it was beautiful and I know the bride and groom are going to be so happy together. :)
Some brief Lydia highlights from the trip, now. Mom has a little wading pool that she has been letting the boys play in, so we added Lydia to the mix. The water level was just at the height so that when she was on her hands and knees, her head was still above water. She LOVED playing in the water. Then at one point, she was sitting, and somehow she slipped and slid completely under the water. I was nervous about that happening, but when it actually did happen, I was so calm, and I just reached over and lifted her back out. She coughed a bit. I stood up and held her, and she started crying. I thought she was crying b/c the experience had scared her, and I was trying to comfort her, but it turns out that she was crying b/c she wanted back IN the water. I lowered her back down and she stopped crying the very moment that her feet touched the surface. :p
She was also highly entertaining to everyone, including her little cousins. She has a laugh that she does occasionally that sounds like a cackle, and she treated us to that laugh last night. :p She learned better how to climb on things, courtesy of her cousins. My parents have a carpeted staircase, and Lydia has been able to climb UP stairs for a long time, so we worked on going DOWN stairs (backwards, on her tummy) and she got pretty good at that, too. She also learned how to sit just in a regular seat while she ate, instead of a high chair.
Her size 3 diapers were fitting her, but she kept leaking through them, so I had my mom get her some size 4s and they worked out better. At one point, I was changing her, and she had grabbed the clean diaper, and opened it up. Apparently it looked like a flip-phone to her b/c she put it to her head and said "Hello?" lol
And also this week, a bittersweet realization. There were a few times that b/c of the hour or something else, I had to put Lydia down for a nap or for the night w/o nursing her (those are the last two sessions that we still do consistently). I expected her to NOT go to sleep, but she surprised me and went to sleep within about 5 minutes the first time, and w/in about 20 seconds all the other times. :( I guess she doesn't "need" me anymore, and if I had to wean her for one reason or another, she would be OK with it. I still want to try to nurse her at least until she's 2, though. Only 4 months to go until that milestone.
Speaking of nursing, there was one instance this week where I was VERY glad that I was still nursing her. We were visiting my sister's house, and she has a brick area by her fireplace that's about 12 inches tall. Lydia was walking by it, and she tripped over some toys and fell into it, and landed right on the corner of that brick w/ her cheek. :( She was so upset. I nursed her briefly, until she was comforted, and until the initial sharp pain had dulled some. It's times like that when I realize that there's so much more to nursing than just "the milk." I hope that our nursing relationship continues on through more bumps that she will inevitably get.
I say the trip was not so relaxing b/c my mom still watches all 3 of my nephews. This week, one of them wasn't there b/c my sister took some vacation time, but the other two are so hard on her. There are a 2 yr old and a 4.5 yr old, and they are brothers. The 2 year old can open doors and climb things, and both were highly resistant to naps all week, even though they both still desperately need a daily nap. They constantly stress my mom out and push limits (limits? what limits? Doesn't something have to be consistently enforced to really be an effective limit?), and then my mom releases the stress on whoever is closest, whether it's one of them or whether it's me.
But before all that, there was the wedding. She was the acting "wedding coordinator" for the weekend, helping to tell everyone where to stand and when to walk in with and who to be escorted by, etc. The wedding overall went OK in that they did end up married in the end, lol, but the cake and the sound system (it was an outdoor wedding and indoor reception) were two major problems that the bride's parents are still trying to get some satisfaction from. But it was beautiful and I know the bride and groom are going to be so happy together. :)
Some brief Lydia highlights from the trip, now. Mom has a little wading pool that she has been letting the boys play in, so we added Lydia to the mix. The water level was just at the height so that when she was on her hands and knees, her head was still above water. She LOVED playing in the water. Then at one point, she was sitting, and somehow she slipped and slid completely under the water. I was nervous about that happening, but when it actually did happen, I was so calm, and I just reached over and lifted her back out. She coughed a bit. I stood up and held her, and she started crying. I thought she was crying b/c the experience had scared her, and I was trying to comfort her, but it turns out that she was crying b/c she wanted back IN the water. I lowered her back down and she stopped crying the very moment that her feet touched the surface. :p
She was also highly entertaining to everyone, including her little cousins. She has a laugh that she does occasionally that sounds like a cackle, and she treated us to that laugh last night. :p She learned better how to climb on things, courtesy of her cousins. My parents have a carpeted staircase, and Lydia has been able to climb UP stairs for a long time, so we worked on going DOWN stairs (backwards, on her tummy) and she got pretty good at that, too. She also learned how to sit just in a regular seat while she ate, instead of a high chair.
Her size 3 diapers were fitting her, but she kept leaking through them, so I had my mom get her some size 4s and they worked out better. At one point, I was changing her, and she had grabbed the clean diaper, and opened it up. Apparently it looked like a flip-phone to her b/c she put it to her head and said "Hello?" lol
And also this week, a bittersweet realization. There were a few times that b/c of the hour or something else, I had to put Lydia down for a nap or for the night w/o nursing her (those are the last two sessions that we still do consistently). I expected her to NOT go to sleep, but she surprised me and went to sleep within about 5 minutes the first time, and w/in about 20 seconds all the other times. :( I guess she doesn't "need" me anymore, and if I had to wean her for one reason or another, she would be OK with it. I still want to try to nurse her at least until she's 2, though. Only 4 months to go until that milestone.
Speaking of nursing, there was one instance this week where I was VERY glad that I was still nursing her. We were visiting my sister's house, and she has a brick area by her fireplace that's about 12 inches tall. Lydia was walking by it, and she tripped over some toys and fell into it, and landed right on the corner of that brick w/ her cheek. :( She was so upset. I nursed her briefly, until she was comforted, and until the initial sharp pain had dulled some. It's times like that when I realize that there's so much more to nursing than just "the milk." I hope that our nursing relationship continues on through more bumps that she will inevitably get.
Monday, July 28, 2008
a video of her not liking the word "ow"
I talked about this in my previous post, but here is a video of Lydia "not liking" the word "ow." I have no idea why she's made the association that us saying the word "ow" is such an end-of-the-world thing for her.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
the cute and strange life of a toddler
First, the strange. Yesterday, Lydia started doing the weirdest thing. I haven't a clue from where she picked this up. But whenever DH or I say "owww" to her, she will start crying. And it's not just a little whimper, either, it's a full-on yelling cry with real tears and a red face and everything, like SHE is the one who has been hurt somehow.
Now, the cute stuff. The other day, I was checking my email, and she was "helping" me clean out my diaper bag. She took everything out of all the little side pockets, and brought the stuff to me bit by bit. After she gave me each little pile of "treasures," I said "Thank you!" to her. Now, SHE says "thank you" (really "dah koo") whenever she hands us something, anything from the remote control to a dish or cup that one of us has left in her reach.
And I can't leave this post w/o posting an update on hubby's job search. It's going very poorly. The few leads we started out with have only gone to dead-ends, so even though we're a good two weeks into the search, it feels like we're starting over every day.
Now, the cute stuff. The other day, I was checking my email, and she was "helping" me clean out my diaper bag. She took everything out of all the little side pockets, and brought the stuff to me bit by bit. After she gave me each little pile of "treasures," I said "Thank you!" to her. Now, SHE says "thank you" (really "dah koo") whenever she hands us something, anything from the remote control to a dish or cup that one of us has left in her reach.
And I can't leave this post w/o posting an update on hubby's job search. It's going very poorly. The few leads we started out with have only gone to dead-ends, so even though we're a good two weeks into the search, it feels like we're starting over every day.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
so much for today's job fair
Hubby went to a job fair this afternoon. It had several different food service companies there, who were doing on the spot interviews for restaurant management. But, over and over, they kept telling him, "Sorry... we're looking for someone with some restaurant experience." Hubby does have it, but not enough overall and not recent enough.
He also called several HR departments of other jobs that he's applied to online over the past several days, and gets the runaround there, too. "We've received your application, and it's being reviewed, and we'll call you if we need anything else."
He has one more job fair (not in restaurants, lol) to go to Thursday. Then Sunday we'll get another paper and go from there. And also make a call on Monday that will hopefully be profitable.
He also called several HR departments of other jobs that he's applied to online over the past several days, and gets the runaround there, too. "We've received your application, and it's being reviewed, and we'll call you if we need anything else."
He has one more job fair (not in restaurants, lol) to go to Thursday. Then Sunday we'll get another paper and go from there. And also make a call on Monday that will hopefully be profitable.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
no more job
Hubby and his employer mutually decided to part ways yesterday. So now, for the second time in 7 months, we are once again 100% unemployed.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
camping summary, and a non-update on jobs
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Hubby's family decided several months ago to meet up at a lake in Kansas and go camping, and this would be their only "big" get-together this year (usually it's at Thanksgiving). I am not a camper. Bugs of all kinds think I'm tasty. I used to be able to tan, but I've gotten so pale now that I get a little pink before the tan comes. I was not looking forward to this trip. Hubby wasn't even going to get to go since he had to stay home and "work for free." We did find a plane ticket where he could come out Saturday night, go to church w/ us on Sunday and then fly back home Sunday afternoon, and his parents gave us the $$ for the ticket, but then on that day, his flight got cancelled. But anyway. On the FIRST day of camping, sure enough I did get bitten. I had plenty of mosquito repellent so it wasn't that. Turns out it was spider bites. Lots and lots of them. They itched so badly that it hurt. You can even still see them today, nearly 2 weeks later. And it was HOT. The campground did have showers, but even those weren't very refreshing b/c they ONLY had hot water going to them, so I might as well have sat in a boiling soup and cooked myself that way. But the Babygirl seemed to have fun, and she escaped w/ no bites, so that was good. And it was nice to see everyone. I just wish it could have been at a different location. Most of the extended family only came out here and there instead of actually camping with us, since they all live in the area.
And the non-update on job(s). It's a "non" update since nothing has really changed since I last posted. I have done some looking into being a nanny, but there are a whole lot more nanny wannabes than there are nanny positions available. Sort of the same situation like I had spoken of earlier w/ possibilities for hubby. Today is his day off, and right now he is out driving around to apply in person to anywhere and everywhere. He's trying to "kill the bear and drag it home to the cave." He has been in contact with an old boss of his at a college bookstore. Hubby has 4 years experience there, and has since acquired some management experience, so he is looking into possibly being a bookstore manager. But we have not heard anything back from that yet, either.
In the meantime, we are still praying. I believe our prayers will be answered. I believe the prayers of all the people who are praying FOR us will be answered. I believe that God has an amazing plan for us that I may not even be imagining yet. I believe... I believe... I believe. I need to keep telling myself that, because in times like this, it's way too easy to slip into doubt. When hubby first got this car sales job, we thought it WAS a blessing and an answer to prayers, but it has caused us both nothing but stress and grief for the whole time. I am SO ready for my stress to be lessened.
People have shared some amazing personal stories with me about how their prayers were answered right at the time a catastrophe could have happened, and the prayer-answer prevented the catastrophe. I tried to think of even mild instances like that in my own life, and I couldn't. I know that God loves us and will take care of us, but lately, instead of feeling like the thriving green houseplant that gets plenty of water and sits in the south-facing window... I feel like the sickly, scrawny, somewhat neglected yellowing plant with dropping leaves that's under a fluorescent light in the closet.
And the non-update on job(s). It's a "non" update since nothing has really changed since I last posted. I have done some looking into being a nanny, but there are a whole lot more nanny wannabes than there are nanny positions available. Sort of the same situation like I had spoken of earlier w/ possibilities for hubby. Today is his day off, and right now he is out driving around to apply in person to anywhere and everywhere. He's trying to "kill the bear and drag it home to the cave." He has been in contact with an old boss of his at a college bookstore. Hubby has 4 years experience there, and has since acquired some management experience, so he is looking into possibly being a bookstore manager. But we have not heard anything back from that yet, either.
In the meantime, we are still praying. I believe our prayers will be answered. I believe the prayers of all the people who are praying FOR us will be answered. I believe that God has an amazing plan for us that I may not even be imagining yet. I believe... I believe... I believe. I need to keep telling myself that, because in times like this, it's way too easy to slip into doubt. When hubby first got this car sales job, we thought it WAS a blessing and an answer to prayers, but it has caused us both nothing but stress and grief for the whole time. I am SO ready for my stress to be lessened.
People have shared some amazing personal stories with me about how their prayers were answered right at the time a catastrophe could have happened, and the prayer-answer prevented the catastrophe. I tried to think of even mild instances like that in my own life, and I couldn't. I know that God loves us and will take care of us, but lately, instead of feeling like the thriving green houseplant that gets plenty of water and sits in the south-facing window... I feel like the sickly, scrawny, somewhat neglected yellowing plant with dropping leaves that's under a fluorescent light in the closet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
