Update on the move, and other nonsense

This is probably the last time they will CHOOSE to dress alike. LOL Notice the tights and flats even are the same.

So much has happened since posting about moving. I was in a pit of despair, with no possible alternative. As grateful as I am for my SIL offering, we have postponed making a definite decision until after the holidays. IF we decide to move, it will be next summer.

In the meantime, Bill has been doing side jobs, and my daycare hours are picking up. We are still trying to come up with a way to get his contractors license. I am going full time with the three little girls the end of the month. As much as I am looking forward to it, I am dreading trying to find ways to occupy them while the kids are at school. Especially the very smart and busy four year old.

Last night was back to school night at the elementary school. Tyler was first, as it has always been our custom to go youngest to oldest. I am down to two in the elementary school. Whoo hoo. Anyway, we got to ooh and ahh over her desk, her family portrait (which was quite amusing) and other things of importance to her. On the wall was a chart with the kids in the class represented by apples. The top was labeled something AB(I really didn't look to closely at the first one), below AB, AB, and CD. The first column had most of the class, with about four in the below AB column, two in the AB and two in the CD. Tyler was in the CD. I asked the teacher the meaning of the chart and she said it was reading levels. AB is the standard level of the beginning of first grade. At the end of the first trimester, all the kids need to be at the CD level in order to be on grade level.I thought it must be kinda depressing for the teacher to have so few where they need to be but I was thrilled that Tyler is above grade level. Now if I could just get her to do her homework.

Cameryn is doing well, but she got the toughest teacher this year. The boys had her two years ago and I kinda groaned inside when Cami got her. The track system has been dissolved, so she had the chance of one of six or seven 4th grade teachers, and she still got this one. Oh well, she will do better than the boys did.

My washer pooped out on me. I bought it in March and was so thrilled that I actually had a matching set. Well, the pump was loaded with fish gravel, thanks to the kids throwingit in the garage, and this blew the motor. Going online told us that getting parts for this model was fruitless, as Whirlpool only made it for a year or two, and it was a piece of crap. They redesigned it, and released it again as another model. I called the junk guy and he came this morning for it. Luckily, I had saved my other one, and we popped it into place, adn I was back in business.

A new start??

Financially, we are sinking hard. Bill hasn't worked since May. I am tired of asking for help. An option opened up this last week, and it looks like we are taking it, if a few things fall into place.

Bill's sister lives in Washington, in a small town off the Olympic Peninsula. She has offered us a place a few times, but Bill has always had a good job and we just didn't feelthe motivation to leave. Now we do. The Pros:

1. a really low crime rate and safe schools. I can't imagine not have racial/gang riots and the ensuing lock downs. Or the cops doing practice drills at the high school.

2. A fresh start is always an adventure, right??

3. The unemployment rate on the island is much less than here, and if you are willing to cross the bridge into town, it drops significantly.

4. The cost of living is less. Rent is cheaper, utilities are about the same. We'd use a lot more gas in the winter trying to keep the house warm, but it will balance out with the unnecessary cooling bills in the summer.


The cons:

1. Leaving my parents and Grandma. Grandma is 91. Really, how much time is left with her?? I will really miss her and fight with guilt. Heck, I already am.

2. I have been the Queen of the Hive for a long time. Nuff said.

3. Leaving Cory and Brittany. Brittany has already moved to Flagstaff, and I hope it really works out for them. If things don't work out for them, she will always have a home with us. Cory has finished with his program, and set to go into jobcorps, if he ever hears from them. I am thinking we will be sending him a bus ticket to join us later.

4. the Queen of the Hive thing.

5. Delilah and Jack. Jack is nine years old. He spends half his time at the ladies' house next door, so I may offer them food for a while, and see if they will keep him. I would like to take him, but I am terrified he will bolt halfway there on a potty break. Jack is also my BIL's name, and he may not be amused.I would rather adopt him out than lose him. Delilah has to go with us. She is a member of the family. So is the cat, of course, but dogs just seem to be so much more needy.

So, I finally resign myself to this, and a friend thinks he can get Bill a job making close to what he is used to making. If so, we stay, and try to get caught up. I told Bill he has 10 days to figure it all out and we make a definite decision. I hate not knowing.

Hair today....

The hardest part of this daycare job is taming this hair. LOL. M is 20 months old, and very patient with my pathetic attempts to make her presentable. I usually put it off until I absolutely have to....like when Mom will be home soon. Kailey keeps begging me to buy a pick and really make it bounce. Nothing like a do that has a life of it's own.

Tyler lost her first tooth

While I was at girls camp no less. I think she looks adorable.

Chandler passed

Due to being gone for girls camp, I didn't have a chance to get Chandler in for another interview with the Bishop. So, he had it this morning, and passed with flying colors. Next week he will be ordained, and the following week will b e his first time passing. As tradition, Bill will pass with him, so it will be Bill, Chan and Hunter passing together.

I amglad we cancelled as Mom totally forgot, and had other commitments. I will call her a couple times this week and remind her to be here. Brittany planned on coming today anyway, and have Chan's birthday dinner with us, but then Ty got sick. Okay. No surprise there. Chandler was a little hurt.I just hope they can make it next week.

Chan's birthday dinner was tamale pie and pasta salad. I had sauted zucchini from Cindy's garden, and a touch of pie. After my terrible eating last week, I need to work on eating better. Not that I had any control over what I ate. But I do now, and I plan on fixing it.

Girls Camp

I am so tired, but wow did I have fun. We left Tuesday and came back today at lunch time. In between was tons of fun intermingled with teen drama and mediocre food.

A few highlights:

My camp name is Sister Sappy. Nice, huh?? Not because I am too emotional, but because I stupidly leaned against a tree and got a ton of pine sap in my hair. It was a knotted, matted mess, and I was terrified to go to bed and make it worse, so we were actually on the hunt for scissors when my co cabin mom, Sue, came up with the solution. Bless her. Did you know orange pumice soap for mechanics greasy hands works great??

15 girls is way too many?? It took forever to count, and then do mental attendance to figure out who was missing. By thursday, I had a list in my pocket that I would pull out and check off. I knew I was in trouble when it took a while for me to figure out one day that i was missing my own daughter.

I grew up in the same ward (different times) as one of the other cabin moms. Come to find out, she grew up with a lot of people who were there. It became a huge joke and her camp name became Sister Six Degrees. The Six Degrees of Noryne M. It was hysterical. We want to get her a shirt that says "I grew up with her" and then have arrows pointing all over.

I took a box of Triscuits in case I was hungry and the meals weren't diabetic friendly. Glad I did. Anyway, on the back was a picture of a wine glass and the caption of how romantic Triscuits could be. Triscuit became our code word for missing our husbands. The leader's precocious 16 yr old daughter was in on the conversation, and I told her she could not have a Triscuit yet. But when she could, I would get her a box. LOL. She requested a Costco sized box. I had to admit that she won that round, but she ended up with the nickname of Triscuit. I am thinking the Bishop might not approve. Her mom, being the YW President, thought the whole thing funny.

Testimony meeting is always a beautiful experience for the girls. I love watching them get up and profess their love for each other and the Savior. Three out of our fifteen girls got up and bore their testimonies. One of them was Kailey. I was so touched to see her stand there in front of all those girls and say how happy she is to have the gospel in her life, and how much she loves the YW program. She also declared her love for the Lord while trying not to cry. I was in tears in the back with how beautiful she is and how proud of her I am. I tried reallly hard this week not to be her mom, just let her go and be with her friends. I let her come to me when she needed me. When it was over, we hugged. These moments are few and far between. I relish them.

Online school is out....for now

I backed out of AIU. I researched it (thanks for the link, Melissa) and scholarships and grants are not part of their vocabulary. Plus a lot of places don't recognize an online degree. So, 20,000 for each year, and then run the risk of it being no good. Nevermind. I'll figure something out.

The counselor called me everyday, and a lot of times put me on hold so I could talk to a financial aid advisor. When I looked at my cell phone bill, I was baffled by an extra hundred bucks we owe. (Like we have money). I went over my minutes with this counselor!! Hey, Pal!! You gonna help me pay this bill?? Didn't think so. Lose my number!!