Update time!

I haven't updated in a while and thought I would do so today.

Well, the law firm job fell through but at least they let me know...the receptionist job also was a no go but that's okay because it was really a long drive although I know that I would have loved working in that environment. So...now I'm waiting for a phone call on Monday about a possibility...we'll see if it works out.

The children have all been gone this weekend...the boys left Thursday evening to go visit with their mother and Rhiannon went back to her dad's on Friday...it has really been quiet! Kind of enjoying it, at least for a while.

The cold finally reached us...it was 74 on Thursday for Thanksgiving and 43 yesterday...yes, that is a 30 degree swing in temps in one day! LOL...gotta love East Tennessee!

We had two Thanksgivings this year. The first one was last Saturday, Nov 20. We've had visitors in town from LA and the UK...two wonderful gals that we met via the internet and our mutual love for all things Harry Potter! They vacationed in Orlando for a week and then flew up here to visit with us for a week as well. Sarah, our Brit friend, had never been to a midnight release (they don't do that in the UK) so we all went to the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Thursday night/Friday morning. It was a blast! After the movie, it was off to IHOP for breakfast...got home and into bed just before 5 am. Slept for a bit and then the girls came over and waited for Rhiannon to come home from school...she was so excited to see them both! Risie and Sarah had visited us for Thanksgiving last year so we had to do dinner again as they would both be home before the holiday this year. We had 15 people at our house on Saturday night for dinner! It was grand!

We had a family dinner on Thursday...just us and my mom...very quiet and quite nice...especially after all the excitement of company earlier in the week.

Today is football Saturday...watched UT beat UK for the 26th year in a row! Go Vols! After an extremely shaky start and agonizing October, the Vols are bowl eligible...it won't be a prestigious bowl but is more than many expected at the beginning of this year with the mess that Kiffin left us in after his quick departure in January. Dooley has done an outstanding job with a very young and inexperienced team. I can see great things for the future with this team.

The Vols basketball team won the NIT Preseason thingy in New York yesterday, beating Villanova in the finals...good game. I'm loving this team as well and look forward to seeing how they play the rest of the year.

Of course, my Lady Vols are playing in St. Thomas and one of my best friends is there. They've won both of their games and play again tonight. A good experience for the team and a fun trip to the tropics!

I'm out...Peace.

Maybe things are loosening up a bit...

I've had 3 interviews in the past few days so maybe things are loosening up a bit in the job market. I interviewed in a law firm yesterday and would totally love that job! Just have to hope they call me today or Monday.

Next week is going to be jammed packed with exciting events! Sarah and Risie will be here on Tuesday evening...will be tied up with them every evening plus they will be attending the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 with us on Friday! So excited!!!

We are also planning a pre-Thanksgiving meal on Saturday...they were both here last year at Thanksgiving and Sarah is really excited! Last year was her first Thanksgiving...we would love to make this a tradition that she come to the states every year in November!

Peace!

Countdown is on...

So...in anticipation of the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I, I've been reading Mark Reads Harry Potter and looking at the book through his eyes...very interesting...and, gives me a new appreciation of the books. I started when he was reading Half Blood Prince and think, after he finishes, I may go back to see how he reviewed the other books.

http://markreadsharrypotter.buzznet.com/user/

One thing is for sure, he has been pleasantly surprised at the greatness of these books. He did this first for the Twilight series and really dissed them from what I've heard.

He has shown much restraint as he has read the books one chapter at a time, one per day, and reviewed after reading. I don't know how he can constrain himself! When I'm reading something I'm really enjoying, I just want to keep it up!

*****

Other matters...no job yet and none on the horizon. Maybe my lot in life is to keep this young one? We have completed potty training...no accidents now for over a week. I told him that if this continued, the pull-ups would come off and big boy pants would come back out. We have reached a good relationship now...I've become calmer and don't let his tantrums get me started...just ignore them and send him to his room and to bed...let him scream and kick and cry...at least it is in his room and now around me. LOL!!!

Peace!

Bummer

Well...no word on the job and it is almost 5...he wants the person to start on Monday so my assumption is that it isn't mine.

I will just have to continue to search and hope that something shakes loose soon...or that I would at least start drawing unemployment. I so need to get out of here and get on my own...I loved those few hours that I was alone...no kids, no newlyweds, no mother...it was blissful. I would like to try to work on the internet marketing that I started with but can't do anything with it when there are noisy people...I have absolutely no privacy...if I hadn't screwed up, I would be out of here and on my own by now.

There is a reason for everything and I know that the reason will be clear to me in His time, not mine.

Peace.

Home again...

The newlyweds are home again...things are loud and noisy. I'm already missing the quiet time I've enjoyed since Saturday. Oh, well...if I could just get a job, I have a place to live and could move out and find my peace again. Maybe I'll get a call about the job I interviewed for yesterday.

In the meantime, I'm excited about this!



This is really one of my favorite Disney movies...I'm sure we will pick it up sometime to add to our collection as we don't have it on DVD...just had it on VHS which is gone.





I'm getting ready to read this book...I totally love Anita Blake! If you haven't read Laurell K. Hamilton's books, you really should give them a try. This is #7 in the series.



Pick up "Guilty Pleasures" first and read them in order...totally fab!



Well...Leighanne is fixing supper and the boys are being boys and I think I may retire to my room early this evening!

Peace and out!

Finally...PROGRESS!!!!

We finally have significant progress in the potty training department! Andrew told me both times today that he needed to go poo! YES!!!

No accidents in the pull-ups at all.

He is staying with Jason's best girl friend along with his brother while Leighanne and Jason are on their honeymoon...Steph brought him to me this morning about 7:15 and we had a great day...no wooden spoon, no spankings, just a bit of a tussle to get him down for a nap at 9 this morning...he was so tired! Slept for 2 hrs without a peep.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying my evening "me" time...no kids, no lovey-dovey couple, just me and whatever I want to do. Tomorrow is going to be fabulous as I won't even have Andrew during the day...just me and the dogs tomorrow after I get home. Ahhhhh....shall I knit or bead? Decisions, decisions, decisions...

On to the work front...I have an interview tomorrow afternoon for a job that I found on Craigslist...I've been leery of using this source due to a couple of scam jobs that I had applied for earlier in my search. However, this one sounds legit...located here in town...I've looked over the website. We'll see how it goes. I just really need to be working in an office...really!

Fabulous chapter meeting tonight...Raeus Canon on Networking...I so enjoy hearing her and she did have some good information and ideas that I will carry with me whenever I enter into a new situation. I'm not as outgoing as I sometimes sound and am actually a bit shy with people I don't know so her tips for breaking that shyness are appreciated.

Have an all-day seminar tomorrow (will be slipping out early due to above mentioned job interview) so need to turn in soon.

Peace.

Wedding Week

Yes, it's "Wedding Week" in the household...Leighanne and Jason are getting married on Saturday morning although, at this point, it really is only a formality. But, a good one...after all, you only get married for the third time once! LOL...

Babysitting duties have been very difficult lately, although today was better. Monday and Tuesday were spent with the wooden spoon for the most part. *sighs* Definitely need a real job...I'm just getting too old for this.

Job market sucks

I've been in the job market now for almost 2 months...I know, it isn't as long as some folks but, for me, it is an eternity. The fact that I'm not yet collecting unemployment makes the suckage even larger...no income whatsoever but still have bills to pay...*sighs*

Anyway, I posted a bit ago about the scam employment opportunity? Well, I got another one yesterday. I'm beginning to think that maybe Craigslist isn't the best place to search for a job. However, I have gotten a few good leads there so I'll keep looking but just be more selective.

I applied for a customer service position with Scripps Networks but, without any real customer service experience, it is probably not a go...but, it would be a fun job.

Still on potty training...still having accidents and I just hate cleaning them up! YUCK! However, he is on a good schedule right now and seems to have adjusted to it. I have actually gotten him to take longer naps that his dad! YAY ME!

The wedding is a week from Saturday and I have a milestone birthday coming up later in the month...life is good...well, except for the unemployment issue!

Day 2 of potty training

Day 1 of potty training could have been better...I've got to quit getting discouraged so easily.

Today is Day 2 and, except for the "big one" this morning, we've had no accidents. Of course, since he got up from his nap, he has been to the potty almost every 10 minutes to sit for 2-3...I'm determined he will poop in the potty this afternoon!

Girls are just so much easier...I remember potty training Leighanne...she was in big girl pants by the time she was 18 months old! Rhiannon was done before age 2. Andrew just turned 3. He really has no interest. He likes wearing big boy pants but could care less if he messes in them or not...I mopped the floor 3 times yesterday, within a 3 minute period! You would think he was done the first time...but, noooooooo...there was more! and more! Sheesh...

Only the one accident this morning...he doesn't bother to tell you when he has a poopy diaper or pants...yuck. His pull-up was even dry after his nap! So, I'm hoping to make it through today.

So...Day 3 ended in disaster...Day 4 was okay...Day 5 has brought new developments

I didn't get here yesterday for an update on adventures in babysitting. Just as well...I was still so upset after the shenanigans from Wednesday afternoon.

Recap: Andrew got up from his nap and ate his lunch. I'd been feeling puny most of the day and spending a lot of time in the bathroom. About 2:30, he was playing in the living room with the play dough...decided it would be a good idea to throw it on the floor and stomp on it...with his shoes with tread...as I was pulling off the play dough from the shoes, I could smell the poopy diaper...yuck...why doesn't he say something? He could probably carry that load all day if no one noticed! Off to the bedroom to change...oh oh...what do I discover? The curtains in his room have been pulled down along with all the hardware. AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a very heated discussion that included lots of screaming from me...not a pretty sight. I was shaking and so angry I had to walk away. Leighanne called shortly after and I told her and was trying not to cry (the puniness). She called a friend who keeps the boys a lot on weekends (they call her Aunt Stephy, she is one of Jason's best friends). She came over as soon as she got off work so I could go hide in my room and she dealt with him. His dad came home early and he dealt with him. So...I made it through the day with a hiccup. I felt so much better on Thursday morning and we had a good day. Today, things are good as well...he is napping and my mom is here. I am picking Rhiannon up from school and then heading to a meeting in Dickson.

Oh, and I have an interview on Monday morning!

Day 3 is going well but I've got something else to talk about

Andrew is taking his nap so I wanted to get on here and talk about something that just blows my mind...job scams.

You may know that I'm out of work (which is why I'm doing the nanny thing) and am still searching. I look at all the regular places - CareerBuilder, Monster, etc. I have also looked on Craigslist...you just never know, right?

Well, I applied for a position on Craigslist...a Personal Assistant...which I've done in the past. I heard back from the potential employer via email but it sounded a bit fishy...plus, I googled his name and couldn't find anyone by that name in the Knoxville area...hmmmm...he says he is a Realtor and an Attorney but no one by that name listed in the area?

I emailed back with my concerns. Got another email this morning. Says he does not have an office in the area yet but needs me to help set it up...he will be sending me a Client check, I'm to deduct my wages for that and send the remainder to his manager who is going to be purchasing office equipment. I. DON'T. THINK. SO.

I'm sorry, fella, but I'm not stupid...I wasn't born yesterday and don't have any plans to follow up with this. I'm heading to Craigslist to report this one as a scam.

Anyway, the job search will continue as I also do the nanny thing...

I woke up feeling a bit under the weather...a cup of tea helped but I'm still feeling a bit puny so I haven't really been a good nanny today...letting PBS do most of my sitting for me this morning. I'm heading to the shower now since he is sleeping and hope that I'll feel better soon.

Back tomorrow!

Day 2!

Day 2 started when Andrew woke up about 9 am...breakfast of cereal and then a trip to the park! He played and played and climbed and slid and swang and just had a great time. Lots of other kids there so he wasn't alone. It was a beautiful morning...I believe this will be a morning activity until the weather gets cooler and we have to wait for it to warm up! Of course, if I'm still doing this when the weather cools off, there is always the play area at the mall!

The play wore him out and he went off to nap about 11:30...and he just woke up! Time for some lunch!

Will check in later!

Day 1 - the first half

Day one has gone pretty smoothly. Andrew woke up early but went back to bed after everyone had left and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow. I noticed he felt a bit warm but let him sleep. He still wasn't awake by 9:15 but thought I ought to go ahead and get him up so he would take a nap.

Cereal for breakfast at the kitchen counter as I put away the dishes and ate my cereal. He didn't eat it all but I don't think he felt too well. We played with the play dough for about 20 minutes and then made something for his day with the foamy stuff.

I put everything away for the day and he decided to watch a bit of TV...turned on Sesame Street. I don't know if he has ever watched it but he was intrigued. I glanced over as it was going off and he was nodding again so off for nap. He is still asleep.

Plans for this afternoon...lunch, play with some of his toys, and, depending on time, we might go to the mall to play in the play area or just head out to pick up brother and then to meet Leighanne...I think Day 1 has been a success. Will let you know later!

And, so, it begins...

Well, it begins tomorrow...Adventures in Babysitting 101. Or, I should say toddler sitting.

I've been unemployed for over a month now and still no prospects. To help out my daughter and future son-in-law, I told them I would keep the youngest of his sons so the other could begin preschool. Tell me, what was I thinking?

I'm thinking this might just be my salvation. I've been going batty, looking for work, not finding anything, trying out lots of things online with no luck. So, I'm sure this little tyke is going to keep be extremely busy until a job does come along.

I'll be keeping everyone posted on our exploits over the next few weeks. I bought construction paper and play dough and modeling clay and foamy stuff...I have books to read to him...I must admit, I'm so looking forward to nap time! If I remember correctly, I went back to work when Leighanne was 3 just so that I could keep my sanity!

I'll be checking back in tomorrow evening after the first day! Wish me luck!