Date Night (Nightmare?)

The week started off nicely. I knew Valentines was coming up and I set about putting mine together. With Steven now being a working man again I thought a pick-me up gift would be nice on those days in which were just dragging on. So I got a bunch of different goodies, wrapped a note around them and placed them in a lunch box of mine. I then on the inside of the lid put a picture from our engagement, wedding and sealing. So not only did he get a treat and a note, but he also got a picture pf us together during some of our happiest times together :D

Steven loved it. He even got complements on it at work.

Then Friday it was date night... at work. To make a long story short, lets just say that there was 3 of us for 40 children! Thankfully one of our co-workers stuck around and that made the night go worlds smoother than it would have if she hadn't. One room was a movie room, while the other was an activity room. We had the children divided evenly and before we knew it, 10:30 rolled around and we all made close to a 100 bucks.

And on top of all that, my body is trying it's best to stay sick enough to make me miserable but yet able to work still.... it's on the up swing of things. I'm grateful for the good immune system I have and can only hope the day I truly have to stay home, that no one else from work.

Chapter 8 is out! Other than that, enjoy your week!

<3

Fire or Drill?

Monday there was a fire drill at my work. I remember seeing it on the white board in the office and thought nothing about it. Well, while on my break, about 6 minutes into it the fire alarms start going off. Immediately I was high tailing it back to my room to get my babies since I had no idea if it was real or a drill. I was determined to make sure my babies were safe! All our drills happen with out the siren going off, but there was nothing that would indicate the reasoning for the alarms to be going off hence why I was curious if it was just a drill. Sure enough it was, but boy it had me in mommy protect mode. I'm gonna be such a good mom.

The babies fared the dirll fine. I think one of them began to cry because I was alarmed once I came back to the room. I felt bad for scaring him. One of them slept through the ringing (which is concerning, but I'm not going to worry too much about it until he shows no alarm while awake since he is a heavy sleeper). I took my babies outside since the alarms were to go off for another 5 minutes. It was still cold, but at least the rain held off. Thankfully the rest of the Monday went very well. The drill didn't upset my babies :)

Tuesday Steven went back to work for Microsoft. I meant to mention that in last weeks post, but forgot. He's doing the same stuff for an extra dollar an hour. We hope that we'll be able to find a place closure to his job, but in the mean time it looks like we're still content to staying in SeaTac.

Saturday I got to do Knotty Yoga. Okay, bad connotation, so I've been telling people I'm doing aerial yoga. Basically the class combines yoga with aerial acrobatics. It's not a lot of flying around or anything, but you use the silk ropes to help support you and give you an extra stretch and to do pull ups with. My whole body hurts today! Well, that's a lie. My legs and hips are just fine. My abs and ribs are sore, butt he worst of it is my left fore arm. I think I have tennis elbow, or something. I remember pulling a muscle there years back from hitting a ball wrong with my hand. I feel I've over worked the muscle and it's hating me for it. But it's calmed down since this morning. However I've heard that it's the 2nd day (tomorrow) that it's suppose to be the worst! Here's hoping I'll be able to report back to you next week.

<3 

P.S. Chapter 7 is complete for Alysin van Delia!

Employee of the Month

The week was trying. The babies were all fussy on different days. You got to love teething woes. It is weeks like this when I don't feel at my best because my babies are all freaking out. But thankfully we had a Staff meeting Wednesday night. My boss brought up a really good concept for us ladies to keep in mind as we strive to teach our children. Interestingly enough I also feel like most of the things that go on at the staff meetings now don't really apply to me, but I do my best to still absorb the advise given and strive to apply them to how I work with my babies. This months them is, What is Excellence? To me it's when I meet all my children's needs with out feeling flustered and stressed out. When I'm able to get them engaged in playing and sensory activities. I know just because my kids aren't always satisfied with playing and sensory (amidst me taking care of their needs) that is doesn't mean I've failed, butt he fact I'm striving is what counts.

On top of this wonderful staff meeting, I was also surprised by being made employee of the month! This was another boost to how I feel like I'm not doing great with how upset my babies can get. So I suppose as I continue to strive for excellence, I shouldn't have anything to worry about my performance.

So that has been the highlight of the week. It has a busy week with work and lesson planning and pumping out the 6th chapter of my story. I almost worried I wouldn't find time to finish the chapter in time for the posting I made of it yesterday. But thank goodness nothing was planned for yesterday and therefore was able to write my chapter and plan my YW lesson with some time to spare :)

<3

Sleep Over!

This will be quick because there are sooooooo many people in the house right now. BUT last Friday I had my Beehive's over for a sleep over. It was quite fun. I was nervous to be honest, hoping would go well. It did, though the highlight of the night was our heart attack failing. The girls and I had come up with an activity in February to put hearts on the door of some of the people we know. They love the idea that we'd have to be sneaky about it, and since one of the people we wanted to heart attack was moving before our February activity, we decided to go decorate her door during the Sleep Over. Well, while there we were able to get half the hearts up before we were caught. In a panic we fled. We hoped that the kids would go back in and forget about us, but after waiting 5+ minutes and them coming out once more when we tried a second time, we noticed a Patrol car cruising down the road. I got super nervous and scared that I made a huge mistake, but I reflected and said to myself, "Meri, what wrong are you doing? You and the girls are putting hearts on the door for this girl. There are nice notes on the hearts. The family knows you. You are doing NOTHING wrong." But just in case we were scaring the kids (I assumed they were home alone), I told the girls we would call it a night while we were ahead. She at least got some of the nice notes and must feel somewhat good about getting such a unexpected (if not scary) surprise. We spent the rest of the night playing games and watching a movie, which we promptly passed out too.

I so look forward to another slumber party with my girls :)

<3

P.S. In case you guys are interested in the latest chapter of my current story, Chapter 5 of Alysin van Delia is up :D

Passed!

This week turned out to be the week Licensers came to inspect my work place. It was a bit unnerving, but I did a few things right that day. I'm not saying I do really bad things like putting babies in rockers to sleep, but there were a few things I did compared to what a usual day for me is like. I had ALL the bottles washed that were used and not cluttered on the sink (happens when I find myself focusing on the babies or if everyone is being so fussy that the bottles being rinsed and put away comes last on the things I need to do). I had made a bottle for one of the children who ended up still sleeping when I thought he was waking up, so I labeled it and put it in the fridge. I then had the feeling I should cover it with a sandwich bag since it didn't have a cap.

Then I saw the lady in the other room. At first I assumed it to be a tour since my boss was with her. But then I saw the lady looking around with a clip board. Immediately I was looking around my room hope so badly that I didn't forget to do something or leave something out that could give us a mark. To my joy, I was already on top of things and so I just made sure to keep doing my usual chatting with the babies and finish changing the diapers.

I waited a few minutes after I was off to find out if we (mostly me) passed the inspection. Sure enough nothing was written up! She even said I did great. I wasn't terribly worried, but being fully in charge of a room, by myself, not knowing exactly what the inspector might be looking for, had me second guessing if I was doing everything correctly. But alas, I am and so are the rest of my co-workers! I suppose I won't need to worry as long as I keep doing what I'm already doing.

Yesterday I got to enjoy playing Murder in the Dark with the youth at church. They earned a party by keeping their Armor of God coin on them at all times. So after enjoying pizza and ice cream, we turned the lights off for a fun and scary hour of fun. I even screamed once or twice.

Other than that, I've been keeping myself busy working on illustrations for my story (so far only chapter 1 and the description page has art work). I also was able to finish chapter 4 despite all the time I've spent on the illustrations.

Steven may have a potential job, but we may have another week before we hear back from the company. Here's hoping for good news. Until then, have a great week!

<3

Morning Sickness

Nope, not the pregnant kind (though I totally had another pregnant dream last night in which the child magically was a puppy....). Since Tuesday I've been waking up with head pressure, mild sore throat, mildly stuffed nose (with no mucus...) and coughing! My mid day everything except the cough is gone. It's kinda annoying because my mornings are already hard enough with just getting out of bed on time.

But despite my coughs and groggy soreness, I've been able to have a decent week at work. The numbers have been low due to my babies being sick and each taking turns, but I anticipate a full week this week of 4 babies. If I'm lucky, they will be feeling well enough to not be cranky. But I suppose I'll find out tomorrow.

Steven unfortunately hasn't received an offer yet from Microsoft again... so quite possibly there's another month for him of unemployment. Hopefully during this time of job searching still a better job will pop up, but in the mean time, we're doing fine. I'm very grateful to be employed.

And on other thing I've been doing this week is I've finished the 3rd chapter of a new story I'm writing. It's a dark story, but I love it. The best part is I have a clear vision of it and in 7 more weeks it will be complete (if I don't sit and do more writing besides once a week). You'd like to read the first 3 chapters and read a description of the story, either click on the Short Stories link at the top of the page or click HERE.

Enjoy your week!

<3

Happy 2013

Steven and I kick started the year with playing DnD with friends! With the New Year hours away, I enjoyed the last bites of candies and junk food (not into excess that would risk me killing myself) because with this new year I am getting over my addiction to sugar and white foods! I know, sounds crazy, but to me, there is no true middle point when it comes to portioning the things I love to eat that will kill my body (unless someone else is in full control and monitors everything I eat). So I am treating this out of control hunger for things that I know are not good for me by giving it up :)

I can feel with drawls setting in, but I have treats that have been a world of help. Sugar free jello, chikerons, and this chocolate that is sugar free AND low carb! The company is called Simple Lite. So far I can only find them at Trade Joe's, but they sure help with the cravings. It may be a cop out, but my rules strictly are against added sugars (white, brown, and honey) and white foods (things made with white flour and white rice). I've allowed potatoes, only because I researched sweet potatoes and regular ones and there is virtually no difference between the two. There's 0.??% difference between carbs, calories, fiber, and protein. Sweet potatoes, if I remember correctly, have a ton of vitamin A and a little more of the other vitamins it and regular potatoes share in common.

Of course I've carefully made charts for myself (and Steven so it's easier for him to remember) of all the food I can eat without a second thought, the foods I should eat sparingly, and the foods I cannot ever, EVER eat again. I've also made reminds of meals that fall under the healthy side of things so in the moments I can't think because I feel so hungry for all the things I can't have, I can see what I can eat.

Also, since it seems to not be so secret any more, another resolution Steven and I made back in November (and hoping it'll happen this year) is to add on to our family. So here's hoping I'll be able to deliver happy news as to whether I'm pregnant in the near future. Until then, you all get to play the waiting game with us :D

Anyways, the rest of the week went by nicely. The babies were amazing and despite my new diet wasn't feeling too stressed out. Yesterday Steven and I got together with Jessica and Adam to go see Les Miserables. What a story! And the acting I felt was amazing! I did leave with a weird sense of not knowing quite what to think of the end, but Steven says they may have ended it in such a way that it can be open to interpretation and that there really is no wrong answer as to how to feel about it. If you haven't seen the movie, or the musical, be sure to bring a box of Kleenex if you're a crier because it's sad and happy at the same time.

Love you all and here's wishing you a happy fast Sunday!

<3