Deja Vu
So tomorrow I’m going to talk to an academic advisor at ACC, our regional community college – if I can get an appointment. I am still thinking about pursuing a nursing certificate. I’ve already applied for student aid but haven’t heard back yet. Summer semester starts in late May, so I guess I need to get the ball rolling. I still have a lot of questions about what’s going to transfer from my previous degree, student aid, etc. – but hopefully, the advisor will be able to answer all that for me.
I feel like I’m having a mid-life crisis. I’ve been on interview after interview for jobs in my field, and nothing ever came through. That’s why I keep thinking about pursuing a nursing degree – I love helping people, the jobs are plentiful, and the money is good. What more could you want?
The only thing about a nursing degree that I’m a little nervous about: math. I don’t know if I’m truly bad at math, or if I just have a mental block. All I had in high school was algebra I. That’s right. No algebra II, trig, pre-cal, general mathematics, statistics or geometry. No wonder my ACT score’s math portion was a 2. (If my math score had been as high as my English and science scores, I could have gotten a free ride to college. Too bad my math score pulled the average WAY down.) In college, I took a remedial algebra class, and a college algebra class. Actually, I think I took college algebra something like 4 times. I kept dropping it and re-enrolling because I wasn’t doing well. I finally passed with a high D. Almost all of my other grades in college were A’s and B’s. Sigh.
Any RN’s (or even LVN’s) out there with some advice for me? Can I cut it if I really apply myself? What kind of math do you use as a nurse?
Lame
We were supposed to get severe storms today, but nada. I’m so disappointed. I love a good thunderstorm.
I don’t know what’s in the air here, but allergy season is in full bloom. My eyes itch so bad I want to claw them out. They’re so red and watery I’m afraid people are going to think I’m smoking pot.
Interview
I had an interview today at that inflatable play land where I often take my kids. Not exactly the career move I was planning on, but they will let me bring my kids to work. The owners are Christians and really nice. They said they’d get back to me shortly. I think this might just work out (but given my track record with interviews not turning out the way I expected, what the heck do I know?)
This would be a part-time job with fairly low pay, but it might be enough for us to make ends meet (if we’re frugal). I am still toying with the idea of nursing school, so I will at least have another career that I’m working towards, and also since my journalism career seems to be dead in the water. Summer semester starts late May. I guess the first step is talking to a school counselor who can look at my previous transcripts and help me figure out what I need to take and when. Then, I need to see about applying for financial aid. I think I’m going to wait until I get back from Nashville before I get too serious about this.
Nashvegas, here I come
I am so ridiculously excited. After weeks of thinking I wasn’t going to be able to afford to go to our good friends’ wedding, I found a great deal on plane tickets today. I will have to fly out of San Antonio, but it’s well worth the drive.
We’ll be there from April 13-22 (my birthday – what a present!), although I’m sure a good deal of that time will be split between Knoxville and Birmingham, where my sister and parents live.
I complained about Nashville when I lived there, but now that I’m in Austin, I miss Nashville badly! Actually, I miss my dear friends there – geography doesn’t mean nearly as much as friends do. I’d give up all my possessions if I could just move back.
I do have friends here that I would miss, too. But for some reason, Texas has never felt like home to me, and I’m not sure it ever will.
Well, at least the flowers looked pretty…
I tried to get pictures of the kids in a field of bluebonnets this weekend, to no avail. It was windy out, so Mikaela kept having to brush her hair out of her eyes. And Gabriel wouldn’t look up at me because the sun was in his eyes. This is what all of the photos look like:
Weekend
Friday night the family went to Lowe’s. When we reached the cash register, I happened to look up and see a bat flying around the store (a frequent occurence here in Austin). I freaked out and told Jay to hurry up so we could get out before it swooped down to suck our blood. Mikaela looked up at the thing to see what we were talking about and said, “Buh-fy!” (butterfly). Yeah, butterfly with large teeth!
We went to Georgetown to see Jay’s sister and pick up her unused hammock last night. I’m so excited … I’ve always wanted a hammock, and this is the first place we’ve lived where we actually have room for one outside. Too bad it’s rainy today, because I’d love to be out there in it.
Last night, Jay’s sister and her 12-year-old son came over for dinner, and afterward, we went to a local play center filled with inflatable toys – moon bounces, mazes, tall slides and the like. We’ve been several times lately, and the kids really have a blast. Mikaela amazes me going down the tall slides head-first. One thing she’s recently figured out: she doesn’t have to do all the work of climbing the steps up to the tall slide – people will do it for her. If there is an adult nearby when she’s about to climb the slide’s steps, Mikaela will hold up her hands and say “help you!” (which means, ‘pick me up!’) She always puts on her most pitiful face when she’s doing it. The adult invariably looks around to see whose child this is, then carries her on up. I am close by, but I’d prefer that Mikaela just do it herself – I like to foster independence in my kids, and so far it’s worked really well. Until my manipulative little daughter decided she’d found a way to get someone else to do the legwork so she could have fun. 
It’s funny, but kind of scary, though – Mikaela is the kind of child who would walk off with a stranger. I have to keep an eagle eye on her.
This morning, Jay and I got up and taught Sunday School. We’re currently subbing for a friend who recently had knee surgery. Our class is older 3’s and younger 4’s. We only had 13 kids last week, but this week, we had 18. Shew, that’s a lot of young kids. Really, most of them were angels, but there were a couple that kept disrupting worship and story time. One kid in particular was a handful. Jay told him to get out of the wooden sink, and he didn’t and wound up getting stuck (Jay got him out). Later, during storytime, the same child was “shooting” Jay with his pretend gun – ‘pow! pow! pow!’ Another child said “you tooted!” to Jay during story time (he hadn’t). Jay kept a really straight face and said, “that’s not appropriate.” I probably would have laughed. I guess that’s why I’m not a teacher … I’m not serious enough.
Gabriel speech update
Gabriel has been in a speech therapy preschool program for five months now. It’s provided free through the local school district, in a classroom at the local elementary school. He goes Tuesday and Thursday mornings for two hours each day. The program is specifically for kids with speech delays – and it’s been a Godsend.
His speech is still pretty severely delayed, but it’s definitely improving. He talks mostly in phrases and sentences now, although many words are still hard (or impossible) to understand. (He turned three in October, so he’s almost 3 1/2 now.)
Some examples: “I ready a-go” (I’m ready to go)
“No, dat Ge Ge’s” (no, that’s Gabriel’s)
“I paya moongh” (I’m playing in my room)
“Ge ge tummy hew” (Gabriel’s tummy hurts)
“Mama, I watching” (Mama, I’m watching [tv])
So, as you can see, he’s improving, but he’s still probably about a year behind his peers. The neurologist said he’d likely catch up by school age, but I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t something else we could do.
My remaining concerns about him include the fact that he’s STILL not potty-trained, his extreme pickiness about food, and his occasional inability to follow what I think are pretty basic directions (ie – put this on that table).
First off, I know boys are slower to potty-train. But he’s getting pretty old. He knows HOW, he just doesn’t want to. I’m all for waiting until a kid is ready, but frankly, I’m sick of paying for diapers.
The food pickiness is also a common concern with kids, but I wonder if it isn’t related to his texture aversion/gagging issues he had as a toddler? One doctor prescribed food texture therapy, and I laughed – but now I wish I’d heeded her advice.
Re: the directions thing, it’s so strange – most of the time, he seems to understand on an age-appropriate level, but sometimes, he scares me. I’ll tell him something pretty basic and understandable, like “pick that chip up off the floor” and he will look at me like I’m speaking Greek.
I’m going to talk to his pediatrician soon to see if they think he needs to be re-evaluated. I just want to make sure I’m giving him the best start in life that I can. I don’t want him to struggle in school.
Update: to read all entries about Gabriel and his external hydrocephaly, speech delay, learning delay, sensory processing disorder / sensory integration disorder / sensory integration dysfunction, click on “Gabriel’s Journey.”
Legal
Well, I finally went and got my Texas license plates and driver’s license today. No more ducking down side streets when I see cop cars! Yea!
Gabriel – cute update
Gabriel has been very sweet lately. He gives Jay and I kisses frequently, which always makes my day. He’s such a great helper, too… he will do almost anything I ask, replying, “awight!” (All right)
One sweet development lately have been his prayers. He will say them when prompted, but you never know what he’s going to say. He always remembers to pray for his family members, but I heard him thank God the other day for TV and milk. Well, at least we know what’s near and dear to his heart!
His language gets better steadily. I think it’s a combination of hearing Mikaela and his speech therapy class. From some reason, he doesn’t take instruction and/or correction from me well at all, so I don’t feel like I’ve been very instrumental in helping him to overcome his speech problems. Heaven knows, I’ve tried.
He does say a lot of things clearly, but some things take some time to figure out. Like last week, he said, “heh-chew-chew.” Jay and I scratched our heads and finally figured out from the context that he was saying “helicopter.” Goodness.
Jay and I have noticed something recently: not only can Gabriel keep a beat to music (he was born with rhythm – got that from Jay and not from me!), he can sing with almost perfect pitch. He may not have all the words to a song right, but he sure can hit the notes. American Idol 2021: Gabriel?
Another thing I’ve noticed recently is that he’s starting to stay in the lines a lot better when he colors. He loves to color, play with play-doh and paint. I need to scan and upload some of his artwork.
Update: to read all entries about Gabriel and his external hydrocephaly, speech delay, learning delay, sensory processing disorder / sensory integration disorder / sensory integration dysfunction, click on “Gabriel’s Journey.”
Mikaela – cute update
There’s a new play-center here in town full of inflatable (think “moon bounce”) games. There’s mazes and slides and all kinds of things. The kids LOVE it.
There is a special play area at this place that’s designated for toddlers and younger kids. I took Mikaela over to it, but she was having none of it. She walked straight over to the 18-foot (seriously) inflatable slide, scaled the ladder, and whooshed down the other side. You could see the adrenaline rush on her face. So, she spent the next hour-and-a-half doing more of the same: up the slide, down the slide. That kid has no fear!
Let’s see, what else has she been up to? Oh yeah, singing! Everywhere we go in the car, she serenades us. Loudly and often off-key. She sings songs she knows, and then she makes up songs. Songs she knows (well, “knows” is used loosely): “C is for Cookie” by Cookie Monster, the alphabet song, and “Sing a Song” by Sesame Street. We hear the alphabet song about 50 times a day (not counting the times I hear it echoing in my ears when I’m trying to sleep). But anyway, when we’re in the car, she has to make sure she has your attention before she sings: “Mama! I sing a song!”
This has been a good week. She seems to be getting over the worst of her temper-tantrums. I think she’s finally figuring out that they’re not going to get her what she wants. We’re still having to work on her attitude, though … she sometimes throws things when we tell her to do something that she doesn’t want to do.
She sure does have a temper. Right now, she’s mad at her runny nose. I’ve never heard someone growl while wiping their nose before!
Read the rest of this entry »
An answer
Remember that interview I went on a month ago? You know, the one where my interviewer said that she thought “I was the woman for this job?” Well, apparently, not so much, because I talked to her today and they are “more interested in another candidate.”
Hi, my name is Melanie and I’m the unemployable woman.
That gives me an idea for a job! I could be a circus sideshow.
Or maybe a Hooters waitress (who says they have to be skinny?) 
Seriously? I have to have a sense of humor about this, or I could easily let myself get into a serious depression. I know God opens and closes doors for a reason, but it’s hard not to get impatient when you’ve been looking for a job for almost a year.
I did have one interesting development today, though. I have been taking the kids to a new play-center near my house, and I’ve started to get to know the owners. I talked to them today and they’re Christians. After hearing about my background and my current situation, they suggested that I could work part-time for them and bring my kids along with me. The pay’s not phenomenal, but when you think about how much child care costs, I’d probably be bringing home about the same $$ as if I had a full-time job and both kids in daycare/preschool. Part of me feels like if I work at a job like that, my ‘career’ is going to be further sidelined. It’s already been over a year since I’ve worked full-time, and I know employers don’t like to see resume gaps.
But, realistically? This is the first job offer I’ve actually had. Even if it’s not what I planned for or expected, maybe this is what I’m supposed to do for now?
Wal-mart in the wee hours
Ever been to Wal-mart really late (or really early)?
It’s a freak show, man.
Not good. Not good. Not good.
This is the error message appearing on the screen of my dear old mac. Not sure what a corrupt stack is, but it doesn’t sound like a good prognosis. Mac geeks, any advice?
Somebody get me a BB gun
I love the great outdoors … to a point.
One example? This obnoxiously happy songbird that sings melodies into the wee hours. Like right now.
That song is so beautiful! Now shaddup so I can sleep!
Jumping through hoops
Well, my quest to get a new license – a Texas license at that – is underway.
I’ve lived in TX for two years now but still have my old Tennessee license – I never got it changed over. You’re supposed to do so within 30 days of arriving in the state. Well, I never got around to it. And now? I’ve lost the TN license and I’m up the creek.
So, I have to get ahold of a certified copy of my birth certificate (it’s in the mail en route to me as I type), my social security card, and my marriage license. They’ll still probably hassle me about losing my old license and may require me to take a new driver’s test. (Good grief, don’t make me parallel park or I’ll fail.)
That’s not all though. Before I can go to get the license, I first have to get the title to the minivan (we traded vehicles with Jay’s parents) in our name, get it inspected, get new tags for it, get my OTHER car inspected, and get new TX tags for it. Yep, that’s right – I have to get all of my vehicles’ tags up to date before I can apply for the license. The total bill for all that will be in the hundreds, I’m sure. Grrrr.
The cherry on top? I get to go stand in line at the DMV with my kids! That should be LOADS of fun. Like poking myself in the eye with a pencil.
The moral? Don’t procrastinate about stuff like this or it will come back to bite you in the butt.
Woohoo
I just joined a gym recently and I’m starting to feel great after working out. Yea for endorphins. Now, if I could just get to the point where I LOOK as good as I FEEL. In time, I know. 
I never cease to be amazed at people running on the elliptical machines. I didn’t last 20 seconds on that *#$*&$ thing. I guess I have to work my way up. I’ve mostly been doing the treadmill and exercise bikes. I’ll do weights when I’m closer to my weight-loss goal.
I forget if I blogged about this already, but I lost my driver’s license (shhhhh! don’t tell!). I think it fell out of my jacket pocket last week while I was shopping. No one’s turned it in. Not good. So, I’m driving unlicensed - but for once, I’m following all the traffic rules so I won’t get pulled over!
Read the rest of this entry »
What’s that, up in the sky?
It’ s pouring down rain here. We never get just a shower here, it seems – it’s either drought or flood. We had some good storms here tonight, but nothing too bad. I was kinda hoping for at least a severe thunderstorm … oh, well – spring is still young.
Well, Tuesday will make two weeks since my interview and still no word. That can’t be good. I must not be as charming and witty in person as I think I am. 
After a full week on this Kimkins diet, I’ve lost 16 pounds. I can already tell a difference in the way my clothes fit. How’s that for fast?!? I joined a gym today, so hopefully, I’ll maintain the quick loss. I know it will slow down some, but I’m determined to finally get rid of this “baby” weight.
I went out to a movie Friday night with one of my girlfriends. That was the first movie I’ve seen in a theater since The Terminal with Tom Hanks (I think that was 2003?) Needless to say, I don’t get out to the movies much! Anyway, my friend and I went to see Music and Lyrics, which was pretty cute. The whole thing was especially worth seeing for the hilarious cheesy-80s-band love ballad video at the start of the movie. What a riot.
Let’s see .. .what else? Oh, Mikaela made me laugh out loud the other day. I was changing her diaper, when she looked over and said very clearly, “Oh my gosh! I pooped!”
Saturday morning we had a pretty successful yard sale – we made $361 and gained a lot of storage space from selling some large items. Note to self: learn how to speak enough Spanish to communicate prices before next yard sale!
Kids TV
When the kids were sick, Gabriel stayed camped out on the couch and Mikaela in her little recliner for several days. When they weren’t asleep, they were watching TV. I don’t like them to watch too much TV, but I felt bad for them, so I kept the TV tuned to kiddie channels for 3 days straight. I think my brain has since leaked out my ear.
There are some really stupid kids’ shows out there, but there are still a few gems, thank goodness. Sesame Street is still good, but not as good as it was when I was a kid. A few other shows that are good (well, in my opinion) include Charlie and Lola, Jack’s Big Music Show, Thomas and Friends, Backyardigans, and Between the Lions. I used to think the Wiggles were good, but a lot of their new stuff is just silly – it just doesn’t have the same heartwarming feeling to it anymore.
My daughter LOVES the Doodlebops, but I despise them. My son loves Pingu, a clay-mation show with penguins muttering gibberish, but it gets old (with me) quick. Both kids love Sesame Street, thank goodness. Something we can watch together.
One thing that is NOT ALLOWED in my house: Barney. I would rather poke my eyes out. His voice makes me want to have seizures. If I can help it, my children will never have to be subjected to that saccharine purple blob.
Mending
My kids are a bit better today, thank goodness.
Today is GORGEOUS - it’s warm and the trees are in bloom. This afternoon while the kids napped, I sat out on the back porch and blew bubbles with a friend. Yes, I’m five. I forgot how fun bubble blowing was. It’s very therapeutic. You should try it.
Speaking of weather, I’m ready for a good storm. I love sunny skies, but I also love a good thunderstorm. If I’m at home, that is. Don’t like to be caught driving in them (who does?) Austin could use some good storms – we’re in a drought that seems like it’s been going on forever.
I still haven’t heard back about that job. Sigh.
And another
The kids are sick with a stomach bug. I’ll spare you the gory details.
Saturday night, I had to take Mikaela to the ER because she was dehydrated. They put an IV in her arm and then put a splint on it so she wouldn’t bend it, topped off with a gauze wrap so she wouldn’t pull the cord out. She was *not* a happy camper about it, to say the least. She’s on the mend today, but Gabriel just came down with it. I can’t even joke about it anymore; I’m just over it.
Mikaela made me laugh last night. Jay and I walked into the room and there was a tone-deaf cartoon character singing on TV, and Mikaela had her fingers plugging her ears.
Hope you’re all well. Sorry for the blog drought. I’m just too tired to be witty. ha.
Oh! I almost forgot … I just started a new diet this week, and it’s going pretty well. I’ve lost 10 pounds in 3 days. I know, some of that was water weight, but it’s encouraging nonetheless. Anyway, a friend of mine lost almost 100 lbs. on this diet from September until this month. Very inspiring. It’s low carb/low calorie. If you’re interested: Kimkins
Little miss observant
I recently bought an identical version of Mikaela’s beloved stuffed “doggie” that she sleeps with. I intend to use the replacement if doggie ever gets lost or falls apart. The new doggie is (obviously) much cleaner-looking than her old one. The old doggie is faded from many spins through the laundry, and is currently covered in pop-tart and God-knows-what-else.
Anyway, Mikaela recently left her old doggie at a friend’s house, so I pulled the replacement out. I was hoping she wouldn’t notice a difference. She looked at the new-looking thing and said, “All clean!”
