Just Another Day

So it's just your typical Saturday.  We get up, dressed, and head off to a photo shoot.  Ha ha!  We had family pictures done today and it was so fun.  I'm now stalking the photographers blog.  ;)

So currently I'm trying to do laundry and get caught up things.  A trip to the grocery store is in the near future.  I've been so busy this month I feel like everything has gotten behind.  Thanks to help from my mom, I'm starting to get dug out of the backed up laundry.

Hopefully my new niece should be here next week.  I'm so excited to have another baby around!  Babies are such blessings.

Anyone else starting to think about Christmas?  Christmas songs have already started playing in my head.  I'm already trying to figure out what to get Mr. Carter.  And of course he's getting old enough that I can't talk about it in front of him.

On my baby front, we finally told Carter that we're having a baby.  He's excited, patting my belly so the baby will burp.  He looks in my belly button to see the baby.  Last night he sang to the baby.  I'm trying to keep the excitement up.

Now I have a couple weeks to relax.  Then it'll be Thanksgiving, birthdays, and soon Christmas.

Laundry is calling me.

This, That, & the Other

So I finally have a day off and what do I do?  Go out of town shopping.  I know typical female. 

My mother and I went to pick up some stuff for a baby shower we're hosting.  It was a really quick trip, left at 8:30 and back by 3:30.  That's pretty good for me considering how easily distracted I get.

I was happily surprised last night when I got home from work.  I walked into a picked up house.  The living room was picked up and vacuumed.  There had been dishes done.  Laundry was folded on the dining table.  Casey had been busy and I so appreciated it.  I can't believe how lucky I am.  Just for reference, during my last pregnancy I had no nesting instincts.  Weird, I know.  I will assume that it will be the same with this one, which will be disappointing to Casey.  :(

So I talked to one of my besties today.  We decided that I will start showing earlier.  It only makes sense this being my second.  Her sister is eleven weeks and already in maternity clothes.  (It's her second as well.)  And I can feel a pooch coming on.  I'll keep you updated on all my belly happenings.  LOL

Yes I'm Still Alive and More!

So I haven't posted for months.  I feel horrible, but better late than never.  Since I'm finally on here I'm trying to update the blog.  You'll notice some new badges going up. 

Bum Covered Diapers is a close friends business.  If you ever have questions on cloth diapering this is a great source.  Thrifty Nift Mommy has great giveaways (right now a super cute Pognae Baby Carrier) and product reviews.  Check it out sometime.

I'm finally working again.  I'm in a factory that manufactures ham lunch meat.  It's completely different than anything I've done before.  Surprisingly I don't hate it.  The money's not bad either.  I'm temporary so come next spring I'll be laid off.  Although the timing is perfect.  More to come on that later.

Casey has switched jobs and then switched back.  Sounds like fun doesn't it?

Carter has started his second year of preschool.  It's going great.  He really likes his teacher and class.  I can't believe he'll be starting kindergarten next year.  That will have to be an entry all on it's own next year.

We're getting ready to get family pictures taken next month.  I'm so excited because I went to school with the photographer (plus her dad's our family doctor) and she's fantastic.  If you live around Kirksville, St. Louis, Kansas City, or Columbia I highly recommend her.  Check her out you will not be disappointed.  www.missprissiness.com

And finally the big announcement......I'm expecting!

When is all this snow going to go away?

The title is copied from my photo album on Facebook simply because that is what is on everyone's lips.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

I have been trapped inside with my son since Tuesday afternoon.  So what am I doing to keep my sanity?  I escape to my computer, while he destroys the house.  Actually I'm lucky to be withing walking distance of my in-laws.  And they were wonderful and let us stay with them.  I was able to pawn my son off on my mother-in-law and take a break.  But we did partake in fun snow day activities.

1. Drawing - My son is getting into the whole crayon/paper freestyling.  It's fun and I got to walk him through step-by-step a puppy how-to.

2. Hot Chocolate - Who doesn't want a great cup of hot chocolate on a snow day?  We had Stone Cold  Creamery hot chocolate.  It was the best I've had in a while. Delicious.

3. Board Games - I taught my son, mother-in-law, and husband how to play Candyland.  It was fun, but did test my patience.

4. Pictures - We took pictures of the snow through the windows and of my son being goofy.

Husband and father-in-law worked all day on clear the driveway and getting vehicles unstuck.  Success was partial seeing as how they got the vehicles freed but I am still home bound.

For a snow day it wasn't bad.  However I don't see us being freed anytime soon.

How do you keep kids entertained when you're trapped indoors?

Up In the Air

Unfortunately after 3 months, I was let go at my job.  So let's look at the emotions I've been through.  Mad, upset, angry, sad, and most currently disbelief.  I keep thinking it's a weird dream or cruel joke.  Nobody has called me and asked me to come back yet.

Here's how it all went down.  I stopped by Maurices to grab a sweater to wear over the top I'd chosen for the day and ended up buying two.  Then off to work where I was whisked off to the back room.  "I'm sorry Amanda, unfortunately, we're going to have to let you go."  And there was a typical "It's just not working out" and "We hope the best for you."

It's bitter sweet.  I'm upset and angry because I feel betrayed.  Yet I'm happy to be out of there if I wasn't wanted.  Really who wants to be somewhere that no one wants to work with them?  I don't really know if that's how they felt, but that's how it comes across to me.  (And honestly who wouldn't want to work with me?  I'm awesome!)

I just left there with the impression that people felt like I was telling them what to do.  And I find that very odd because I hate confrontation.  (I hate it to the point that I will drive myself nuts thinking about it before and after.)  So I'm feeling like I had a target on my back.  Again I'm stressing that this is just how I felt.

I left one job and took a $700/month pay cut.  Now I'm out of a job period.  So where to now?  I have no clue what I want do.  Do I look for an office job?  Or maybe go back to retail?  Any suggestions out there?  I just feel like I'm done with the hair industry.  I love it but after 7 years I'm still not making it.

So I think that's most of it.  It's really hard to put down in words but there it is

Work, Home, Sleep, Repeat

I'm thinking I haven't posted about my job yet.  In October I got offered an awesome job doing hair.  Yay!  I was offered a manager position at Cost Cutters which was opening in November.  I have to say I absolutely love the company.  It's a franchise so we have an owner who is the best boss I've ever had.  He invests so much into the employees.  I started training two weeks before opening and then the rest of the stylist started training the week before.  I loved seeing the salon come together.

Now I have to admit a couple of things.  First I was nervous starting the new job.  You have to understand that it is required that I work two evenings, every Saturday, and every other Sunday.  That's quite a change from my former position.  I have enjoyed my work so much that it hasn't phased me. 

Second,  I'm no longer in the manager position.  My boss decided that after seven weeks I wasn't really meshing with the stylist as much as they would've liked.  That is as a manager.  I'm not upset by this.  It's actually a little bit of a relief.  The only downfall is that I've had to take a pay cut.

Now come decision making.  Since I'm now making quite a bit less; do I go looking for a new job, find a second job, or just try to keep my head above water.  So I go look for a new job, then I'll give up on the job I love altogether and probably never go back.  :(   I go look for a second job and have to find something that I'm able to do when I'm not cutting hair.  Chances of finding that, slim to zero. : \   Can I stay afloat?  I'm hoping holding out until after tax time, maybe we can survive.

So that's my long drawn out work stuff.  It's not that interesting, but it's stuff I've been battling with this last week.

Carter just started back to school today.  I'm happy to say that after dragging him out of bed,  I did succeed getting him there.  And there was no struggle.  He was happy when I picked him up and was excited to go to Grandma's this afternoon.

We had our annual New Year's Eve party and unfortunately we had one couple missing.  :(  I'm sure next year will be a lot better.

I'm starting to plan Carter's birthday.  I've discovered that on his birthday there will be a "Day Out With Thomas" down by Kansas City.  I'm thinking that for his birthday and our anniversary, we'll make a weekend out of it.  Maybe see Thomas on Saturday and go to the zoo on Sunday.  It still needs to be discussed.

I'm excited simply because it's a new year and I'm making plans for the future.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful new year!