Degrees and Pounds.

Today I got advised because I am going back to school to finish my degree. I am actually changing courses a bit, so it will take me 3 years instead of 1, but I'm happy with my decision. Money has always held me back before, but now I have been approved for a pell grant and student loans. Yay for more debt! Heh.

So anyway, I have one month before classes start and my free evenings are gone.

And finally, I have lost 8 lbs from working out. I joined the gym at work and go during my lunch hour. I have lost enough weight for my clothes to be baggy but not enough to drop down to the next size. But it's progress in the right direction so that's nice.

Baby Float Recall!!

BABY FLOAT RECALL!
I was at the lake this weekend (and last) with Bayley and we used one of the floats on the recall list that a friend gave us. We didn't have any problems, thank goodness, but I'm destroying it nonetheless.

What has happened to others: the seat tears and the baby is submerged into water. Thankfully, no babies have been harmed because RESPONSIBLE PARENTS have been with them every single time. THANK GOD!!

Anyway, I did some more reading and was able to join the CPSC recall mailing list.

Thank you, Laura , for posting this on your blog. You just possibly saved some lives. :)

Hey Coppertone -- need a new spokesbaby??

Going to the lake with Bayley!! :)

IQ Test Requirement for Breeding?

I think there should be an IQ test and several other types of tests I have yet to determine before people should be allowed to breed.

For those of you who don't know, when I got married I got an awesome package deal. I got my wonderful husband Joe and his son Z. Joe had been dating this girl (who was WAY too young, btw. She was legal, but just barely.) and after 3 months, she got pregnant. Joe was very excited because he had wanted to be a father for a long time, but this just wasn't the way he wanted it to happen. All the same, he was happy. So, the girl had severe post partum depression and decided to not keep taking her meds. She turned into a filthy, hateful monster. Joe took care of Z and girl would go for days without even looking at Z. After a few months of this, Joe was done. He and girl had already stopped speaking and they just lived in the same rent house. I'll leave out some awful details that will just disgust you about how irresponsible, lazy, and hateful the girl was. Joe is no angel, but he tried his hardest to keep a roof over their heads. Finally, Joe moved out and got his own apartment. Joe tried to file for custody, but the court system automatically gives custody to the biological egg donor. Joe had to pay part of her legal fees, pay child support, and provide health and dental insurance for Z. He also had to pay for half of any expenses incurred for health/dental issues. This is very unfair. You see the child one night a week for a few hours, then every other weekend. That's a whole other post or hundred.

Since Z was 3, girl has been trying to say Z is ADD/ADHD. This is so absurdly ridiculous that there are NO words to describe how much so. This child (Z) sat in my office here at work for 8.5 hours each day for THREE days, playing his Nintendo DS, coloring in coloring books, reading books, watching movies on my laptop, or playing with his cars SO QUIETLY that no one knew he was here until I said, "Hey, Z is in there if you want to say hi." He brought home straight A's in kindergarten and again in 1st grade. He got in trouble at school for leaning back in his chair, playing when he wasn't supposed to, etc. and some weeks were better than others, but most weeks he had perfect behavior, per his teacher. He is thoughtful, sweet, and affectionate. He is a WONDERFUL big brother who is very protective of his little sister and loves to lay down to watch cartoons with her, and he helps out around our house.

This little boy is so smart and knows all of his dinosaurs, construction vehicles (dump truck, back hoe, front end loader, etc), and is reading on a 2nd-3rd grade level during 1st grade. His favorite color is green, but he likes red and blue too. He likes to draw pictures of his daddy kayaking (he even gets the paddle color and boat color right), writes his Daddy letters saying how he's the best Daddy and kayaker in the world, and he sings to Bayley's toddler songs for her entertainment.

Z holds doors open for me (his Daddy doesn't even do that for me!), helps me bring in groceries, and will come to me for no reason to hug me and say he loves me.

He can sit and play his DS for hours and not get up (he did that here at work), he will keep his little sister entertained in his room for an extra hour in the morning so Daddy and I can sleep in, and he is sometimes so quiet I have to call out his name to make sure he's awake.

Does this sound like ADD/ADHD to you?

No? So what would make a "mother" try to push this diagnosis on her child?

How about filing for SSI and getting up to $700 a month? I think that may be a motivating factor for her.

Yes, I have done my homework and read on what requirements must be met, and he will NOT meet them. My guess is that girl has not done HER homework. She's just hoping to get some more spending money to blow on herself every month.

Photos.

The photo of the house with the overgrown shrubs is our neighbors. Our grass has dry spots because I've been too lazy to water our lawn. :)

I've been trying to upload video of Bayley dancing, but Blogger has eternal uploading status. I'll keep trying. In the meantime, enjoy photos of Z and Bayley.

And yes, that is her nose suctiony thing. No, it's not full of snot and boogers. But she's teething, people, and you just don't take away something that feels good to her gums because she'll throw the granddaddy of all tantrums.

Blowouts, leakage, fireworks, and booty shakin'.

Thursday after work I was headed home when my tire blew out with 20 minutes to get to daycare to pick up Bayley. Joe was headed to kayak and I couldn't get the jack unlodged from my car. I called Joe, hoping he hadn't left yet, and thankfully he hadn't so he was able to get Bay, come change my tire and then follow me home. He pulled me over at the nearest gas station and discovered transmission fluid was leaking. Badly. We swapped vehicles where he flew home and made it to our driveway without my car bursting into a million pieces. Two days later (and being trapped at home with a teething Bayley) we had his Dad come look at it and tell us the hose for the trans fluid just needed to be repaired. My darling husband changed it for me and I was able to drive again. My spare is a full size tire so a new tire is going to have to wait. (The one that blew was pretty new, but the sidewall split so there is no repairing that.)

4th of July was fun. We just hung out at home, shot some fireworks for Bayley and then I put her to bed. She was worn out.

Her 15 month checkup was yesterday and she's doing great. The doc wanted to know if she was walking so I put her on the floor. She stood up and walked 3 steps then lunged into my arms. He was impressed and very happy with that. She danced, sang, walked, crawled/sprinted across the room, and even let him hold her for a few seconds. She is 29 inches long and weighs 18.6 lbs. Her lungs make up for her petite stature.

I took some photos yesterday but will have to upload later. Left my camera cord at home. I even took video of her trucking it across our yard and shaking her little booty to music. That girl is going to be the next (white version) Beyonce'. :)