Tag: life

birthdays, hamsters, life, transcription

a grumpy birthday for me

criscollrj

We of course all are still very sad about the loss of our Spice but not thinking about it every ay anymore. We love our lent (from mom) guinea pig Reese and we are still talking about getting a little dog (another yahoo group to join to see what kind to get for the kids, etc.).

I had a bunch of work since wed. so was busy typing typing typing. My mom was here 3 days helping me. She just came over to celebrate our birthdays (me and Ryan on Wed. the 22nd) and ended up staying until Friday night while I typed and she cleaned. She’s a sweetie! She went home last night so of course I should now be cleaning but here I sit. I’m TIRED!

Wed. was our birthdays, like I said, and my mom did a lot to make it a special day. She got us cupcakes and took me for a subway sandwich. She also brought me new clothes, and ryan a cute puzzle, and bought us (along with my uncle) a new dehumidifier. We are celebrating my and Ryan’s birthday next week with Roger’s parents. I haven’t given Ryan any of his presents either. We’re having the party on March 3, I think. But I was still kinda grumpy…. grrr. But I knew I had to take the work as no other money is coming in! Luckily though Rog is supposed to start a night cleaning job next week. Just about 15 hours a week.

Roger and I balance each other – when I’m too peppy and upbeat he gives me a reality check, I hope that when he’s down I cheer him up. We love our music, and goofy old tv shows, and we make each other laugh. And he’s hard working and a great dad.

I admit when I worked, I actually felt like it was EASIER at times. Get in the car, drive 2 boys to day care (after daughter walked down the street to her babysitter), drive 45 minutes while listening to my religious show of devotional speaking, get tasks done at work and actually get complimented for it (most of the time, until the end when I was fired for absenteeism at the end due to sick kids) and have a whole hour lunch where I did paperwork or ran errands, or just SAT, or even WALKED on a nice summer day), then finish the day and drive home and just watch kids for 2-3 hours. Of course it was hard with the housework, and no time with kids, and extra take out and convenience foods draining the budget, etc., but the actual DAY, WORKING at the job? No kidding, it was probably easier.

if you’re still with me, thank ya — I feel better.

now off to do massive cleaning with my head a little more cleared out than before.

dori

 

life, transcription, work at home, writing

scary!

criscollrj

Thanks, Heather, for alerting me to this —

check this out, guys

“http://www.familywatchdog.us
Check that out.. put in your addy + it’ll show you a map of where the sex offenders are near you. Click on one of the red boxes (offenders) + it’ll tell you their name, what they look like, what they did + when.”

And, am I the only idiot that forgets for entries on end to put “friends” only? I just changed like 10 entries from public to friends. I’m going to have to see if there’s a default for that…..

(2020 obviously above is a reference to LiveJournal — this was a friends-only blog on there.  I actually had to delete a lot of stuff to make this a public blog….)

dori, who’s proud to say she typed 2/3 of a CD at 6:00 a.m…..

Christmas, life, organizing

The list

criscollrj

 

  • 3 snows in 2 weeks – beautiful but cold!
  • Sent out Christmas postcards and emails – felt funny not doing regular cards, newsletters and pix but needed break!
  • Bought about half of Christmas presents?
  • Sold our old house – in-laws bought from us to sell after repairing – I hope they make good money on it!
  • Got ourselves a Christmas present/settlement check receipt celebration – 32″ flat screen (NOT HD or whatever) $500 TV with also a stereo system and beautiful cabinet and CD players yesterday! Have NEVER done that in almost 19 years of marriage!
  • Ate at a lovely delicious Chinese buffet yesterday too
  • Keeping up with dishes
  • Have unpacked all boxes in house about 3 times but then lugged more in from old house and in-laws and have to do it all again 😉
  • Haven’t seen hide or hair of our mouse (mice?) and no sign of them. 4 traps set
  • Our lovely Spice escaped last week and went downstairs and was only inches from the mousetrap. Found her when up early! She doesn’t seem very well now and we hope she’s okay 🙁

More soon, that’s the biggies.

Look for me to comment in a few weeks I HOPE! I love your comments and always read them. So I hope you have time to comment this time!

Blessed season to you all!

dori

life, surveys

ice cream

criscollrj
You Are Strawberry Ice Cream
A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core.
You often find yourself on the outside looking in.
Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works.
You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

cute —

🙂

I think I want some ice cream now.

I’ve been SO busy, and just crashing today.

More soon — but just thinking of —

big birthday party for Colleen,with pool and friends!

all the cleaning for it 🙂

 

life, reflections, work, work at home

tired of things….

criscollrj

I know it’s all part of being a mom…. at home.

But for some reason I just had this urge just now to find a job! I know I CAN’T! But I was perusing the legal secretary ads for some reason. I couldn’t stop. I worked for SO long at so many different things and I loved it. Over 1 year as a word processor in 87. 6 years from 88-94 and another 7 months in 2003 at a legal secretary job that I loved. And another 4-5 part time legal secretary jobs that were okay, just okay, through the years. Then one full time legal secretary job in 03 that I hated in many ways but loved the work. I really did have enough of working.

When i was done for good in Dec. of 03 I was OVERJOYED! Excited to be a stay at home mom, to be DONE with the rat-race. Ready to have my picture perfect house, work out many hours at the Y, volunteer, spent lots of quality time with my kids doing orderly crafts, teaching them perfect manners, and cooking lots of from scratch meals and having a garden. Oh, AND IMMEDIATELY starting my music therapy program at college.

HA HA HA HA HA.

Not to leave anything out, from 94-02 I also worked AT HOME – a lot. Typing at home for some attorneys. Typing at home for the word processing job I worked at in 87. Working at home for corporate transcription firms out of state. And finally (I LOVED THIS) legal transcripts for a court reporter. I just got ANOTHER offer to do this this summer doing criminal transcripts. I love doing those…. I wanted to say yes badly. But I said no. Because I know I can’t handle it.

I LOVE BEING HOME. But I need a break. I think school starting for my kids in 5 or 6 weeks will be good for me. I just need a break.

But I loved a lot about working – the finishing something feeling, the time alone, the breaks, the lunch hours, the MONEY! I liked dressing up. And the break wasn’t that bad.

But I also hated a lot of it – the driving, the rushing, the panicking if I wasn’t perfect, the fear over losing my job over my kids’ illnesses (which I did, twice), and missing my kids. And working at home isn’t perfect either — you do get more flexibility but you have to STILL DO YOUR WORK – all night if need be. I remember falling asleep at my desk many nights trying to do all nighters and still get up at 6 to get kids off to school.

So, I know I am blessed, I’m home, I don’t have to do this anymore.  We are making enough now to look for a bigger house. 

Well, just had to vent a little, though I think this is disjointed and doesn’t make much sense! I’ll write more later– dishes, cooking dinner, piles of papers I sorted, bills, laundry, and a little boy sitting in the stroller and an older son hungry for dinner await! (Colleen is having fun with grandma today!)….. I don’t usually just park Ryan in the stroller but he was really driving me nuts – he threw something and hit me in the head — OUCH – I had to put ice on it.

dori — wanting to change background soon as I always do.

 

eloping, hamsters, health, life

A little runaway

criscollrj

2020 – March of 2005 – Ryan was just over 3.  I hadn’t remembered when this happened but remember often that it DID happen.  Ryan had elopement as a severe symptom of Autism/ADHD, or whatever caused it, for many years.  He did not outgrow it until about Age 11.  Thank God he did outgrow it.  It was very very scary.

Good morning! I hope you all had a good Easter if you celebrate. We had a wonderful dinner, then had some interesting moments in the evening! I’ll describe them in a minute.

We made a delicious glazed ham with pineapple and brown sugar, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, and peach pie. Devilled eggs too. We also drank a whole bottle of sprite. And we ate plenty of candy!

We also had 3 fun easter egg hunts. Ryan even found an egg!

So we stayed home all day. About 6 I had Colleen go outside and play with Ryan for a while. He did have a cough still all day but seemed to be feeling all right. They were playing ball and stuff.

Next thing I knew, almost simultaneously, Rog said, look at that little kid running down the sidewalk – wait, it’s Ryan! And I heard Colleen shouting RYAN! So I went running out and down the street and as soon as he saw me he laughed and started running into the street! Luckily there were no cars coming and I got the little stinker. I went home and saw that the gate was open. Colleen swore she tied it after she put her bike away like 5 hours earlier. I also think it was locked because Chris had been outside walking around and I kept checking from the window. So my hypothesis is that she didn’t tie it tight enough, and he just pushed on it enough to loosen the rope and get out. But I’ll never know…. Thank God he wasn’t hit by a car – gives me chills.

Then I just held him and after a while he felt like he was running a fever again. He fell asleep on my lap at 7:30 and I put him to bed (tried to give him Motrin but he wouldn’t take it — his temp was 101.5 so not horrible). This morning at 5:15 he got up and seemed warm still – I didn’t take the temp but just gave him the Motrin and we got up and went in the living room 45 minutes later and the temp was about 101 or so. So obviously it was higher before but I don’t know how much. He’s still coughing a lot. I called the dr. and he’s going in at 10:20 today. No one else is sick at this point.

So the next interesting thing to happen is when we were playing with spice and I was attaching her old wheel back in the new cage (it’s bigger and more suited to a Syrian hamster) I noticed a loose wire from the cage at the bottom. So Colleen and I taped it and put toilet paper all along the tape on the inside, but I think we may have to replace it again or maybe if possible solder the wire back in place? I was so glad she didn’t escape last night – I think she was too excited about having her old big blue wheel back!

 

adhd, life

aggravated!

criscollrj

If anyone can see why I suddenly can’t post pics, let me know???

I’m trying again here…. Ryan on the bus! I copied this from successful picture posting from the past….

If this doesn’t work you may hear me screaming, and as my kids are running wild and loose (and healthier now, so more able to get into trouble) now I will have to give up and be very crabby until tomorrow’s quiet time!!

dori, perfectionist ADD type who has trouble giving up on things that bear no importance at 7:10 p.m. on a school night with her house a mess and screaming 3 year old next to her.

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children, reflections, Ryan

Baby…

criscollrj

so odd — this was Ryan’s first day to take the bus to school (his third day). He got on a little bus and rode away about 15 minute ago. I am alone. Monday I had Colleen home with pink eye so I wasn’t alone – we had some quality time together playing board games. Yesterday I dropped him off and stayed awhile, having him practicing getting on the bus (he rode it home yesterday). Today is my first day to have the whole time at home (11:50-2:30 when Chris gets home). Ryan doesn’t get home until 3:10.

My life as a mom is changing again. Baby’s growing up!


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Christmas, life, relocation North Carolina, sleep, work

Christmas!

criscollrj

 

Yes, I remember Thanksgiving is coming, and I’m ready – I LOVE Thanksgiving! But I just wanted to get my Christmas background done here before it’s almost Christmas and I have no time to do it!!!

We’re surviving okay – Chris is having a little trouble sleeping again which isn’t fun but it’s not as bad as it was. We have a problem with his ears being blocked up right now which we’re not sure how to deal with.

I’m trying to get Christmas shopping done early so I can just deal with all the school events, etc., in December! I already am starting Christmas card/newsletter prep. I hope to get them out by Dec 1!!!! We are overbooked with activities – here’s our schedule: (And remember our busy 2 3/4 year old is with -me ALL the time, doesn’t nap, and sleeps like 8-5 a.m. (I can’t go to bed at 8 because of other kids still being up until 10 or so).

Continue reading “Christmas!” →

life, work

money crapola

criscollrj

from my group….. I’m all stressed out about all this……

User: dori

Comments: kind of long financial vent, feel free to scroll, but prayers appreciated anyway!

Hi – not reading tonight yet, just posting. I just went through to do papers, did my filing, and went through bills (ugh!). I still would appreciate prayers for our financial situation — I thought we were actually doing okay at the moment but when I checked my checkbook online saw that we were under. I had to rush my unemployment check to the bank (thank God I got it early! today to keep lots of fees from happening. I just keep wondering if as soon as this unemployment is over (I have 3 more checks coming) I should really try and get a night job at McDonalds or KMart or something — the secretarial jobs just aren’t coming through, not even non-legal ones. Obviously my attendance problems are huge and the last place is probably saying terrible things about my skills, even though my typing skills are very good.

Continue reading “money crapola” →