Katherine Elizabeth

On November 25 Katie will be two! The year she was born, November 25 was Thanksgiving. Needless to say, Ryun and I had one very good reason among many to be thankful...the arrival of a beautiful baby girl! I can still remember joking around with my mother the day before Katie was born about how I hoped that I would not be able to enjoy the potatoes and squash I was peeling because I would be too busy delivering a baby. As it turned out, my mother saved a plate for me which Ryun ended up eating because I was not hungry.

As if it was not hard enough for me to deal with the fact that she is two, she had the nerve to learn how to swing one leg up over the crib rail. This means she will soon be in a bed...one major step out of babyhood! I can still remember when she she was in the cradle like it was yesterday. As most parents will agree, time seems to go at warp speed once you become a parent.

Now that Katie is getting older, everyone asks us when we are going to have "the" baby boy. I find this question very odd because last I knew, there was no "surefire way" (if you'll pardon the expression!) of guaranteeing the sex of a child. The truth is that, even if there was I don't think we will be having another...at least not any time soon. We are happy with the two that we have.

I love how people refer to the possible child in our future as "the" baby boy. As if "he" already exists. Next, they'll be giving him a name and social security number! For the record, if "he" ever does come to be his name will be Brendan. As for the social security number, you will never know!

One of the many things that comes with any child turning two is the thought of potty training. This is one step out of babyhood that I am so looking forward to. As hard as it can be to train a child, the payoff is great! NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Although I think we will wait to start Katie until after the holidays, just the thought of it only being a couple of months away is nice.

Katie is starting to talk a lot. She has the sweetest voice. I love to hear her say "Mama". She calls Emily, "Emee" and our cats Joey and Pal, "Goey and Mal". She is definitely Daddy's little girl. It is so cute to watch her run to the door screaming with delight, "DADDY"!

She has a great personality and it is really starting to show. She is the typical two year old with the "my way or the highway" attitude and those of you who have seen her lately are familiar with her infamous "laser look". She is very smart, very determined and even a little stubborn. Sometimes, she will just run up to me in the middle of the day and give me a hug and a kiss. This makes my whole day. She is very laid back and easy going and has the most infectious laugh.

Katie is a joy and she brings us as many reasons if not more to be thankful this Thanksgiving as she did on the one when she was born!

Tomato Juice

As you will notice, my website has changed just a bit. I think it looks good, unfortunately, I can take none of the credit for it! Doug took care of it all...the new color scheme, the tag line running across the top...everything. I have to say that I am very impressed. It looks one hundred times better than it did and I think it will make it easier to read. Make sure you check his website out as well...the link is at the bottom of this page.

Anyway, about a week ago, Ryun went out just after dark to put the trash in the bin and as he opened the back door, there was a skunk on the stairs. Thankfully, it ran as soon as it heard the door open but I could not help thinking about how horrible it would have been had Ryun gotten sprayed. Then, I started wondering who thought of trying tomato juice to get rid of the smell? Who would think of something like that? It also got me thinking about all of the other things that they must have tried before figuring out tomato juice did the trick. Tomato juice seems strange enough to me...I don't even think I want to know what they may have tried before. Anyway, kind of a random thought but I just figured I would write about it anyway...

Walt Disney World

I take back every bad thing I have ever said about my job. As of today I feel that I could never be employed with a better company and I would recommend even to my closest friends working there. Okay, I am exaggerating just a bit but I just won a trip to Walt Disney World thanks to Adelphia and the Starz/Encore Channel so I am just a little excited! It is an all inclusive trip for two that we will be taking during February vacation! It will just be Ryun and I and even though I feel a little weird about going without the girls, I am looking forward to spending a week with just Ryun. I thought about taking Emily and Katie with us but decided that they were too young and would not remember it anyway. So that is it for now...so excited I can't even think of what else to write!!

Randomness

Randomness

It has been awhile since I have written, mostly because I have been trying to figure out this whole HTML thing. As you will notice, I have changed the appearance of my journal and even added a few of my favorite links down at the bottom of the page. Doug, the person who gave me this whole journal idea in the first place, also showed my how to sort of "cheat" with the HTML. While his method was very helpful, I still found it frustrating trying to figure out what to cut and what not to. In any event, I finally got it looking halfway decent and now I can write again.

Halloween went well. Emily had a party and parade at preschool which was really cute. While there, we found out that Emily was in the same class as her 4th cousin. I had no idea until I saw my fathers 1st cousins walk in and sit across from us. Small world...

Halloween itself was fun. The girls looked adorable in their princess costumes and had a lot of fun running around the neighborhood trick or treating. After we were done, we went to a friends house for a Halloween party for the kids. A good time was had by kids and adults alike. Emily decorated a cookie with frosting that of course, had more frosting than cookie! She is the typical frosting lover who scrapes the frosting of and eats hardly any of whatever is underneath. Oh well...she had fun doing it (and eating it!) and that is all that matters.

In other news, the Topaz did not pass inspection. Not a big surprise, but frustrating just the same. There were many problems, too expensive to fix given all of the other money we have put into that car so, we have decided to buy my parents Ford Taurus wagon. It is a good car, in good condition and will be great for family trips given its size. I will be driving that and Ryun will be driving the Lincoln. It will be nice to again be driving a car with four doors...so much easier to get the kids in and out!

For the next 6 weeks or so, Ryun will be working the night shift at the Christian Science Center in Boston. I guess there is an elevator they want done there stat, so his company, Advanced Elevator has decided to set up two shifts. It will be nice to have him home during the day with the kids and I. Emily is very excited that Daddy will be able to bring her to preschool and dancing lessons, as well as meet her teachers. We are also hoping to get a lot of different things done around here, some of which Ryun has already started. Motivation is little more present during the day before work than at night after a long day and a sometimes crappy commute.

Well, thats all for now. I will be updating this site as frequently as time allows, so be sure to check back often!

America The Beautiful

"It is often during the worst of times that we see the best of humanity-awakening within the ordinary that which is most sublime. I do not believe that it is the circumstance that produces such greatness any more than it is the canvas that makes the artist. Adversity merely presents the surface on which we render our souls' most exacting likeness. It is in the darkest skies that stars are best seen." Richard Paul Evans, The Letter

Like most Americans, I am shocked and saddened by the events of September 11. Although I was not nor did I know anyone who was directly affected by the attacks, as an American I believe everyone was affected in some way. For me, it has made me realize how lucky I am. I have a loving and supportive husband and family and two of the most beautiful children in the whole world. It has made me realize that in an instant, life can change dramatically and we should remember to tell the people we love that we do. It has given me a whole new outlook on firefighters and police officers. I always new that people in those proffesions saved lives without regard to their own...I just never knew to what extent.

The other day, I was on my way out the door with Emily and Katie. When we got outside, there was a firetruck in front of our neighbors house(apparently nothing serious, someone just fell). Emily went right over to the firefigher and said to him, "Your a hero, you save people's lives." The firefighter was so touched that he shook her hand and showed her around his truck. He made her day and she made his. The whole scene brought a tear to my eye. For everyone who knows Emily, you know that she says some of the sweetest things. Still, I was amazed at her understanding of what the firefighter did and how important she thought it was to let him know. Her outlook on this whole situation has been remarkably mature for someone of her age. She is only four. She already has her two year old sister singing "It's a Grand Old Flag." Too funny.

I have always considered myself to be some what patriotic. I can even remember studying the American Revolution in the 5th grade and feeling a great pride when I read the line in the textbook that said, "The Patroits had won the war." Never before however, has my pride been as great as it is now. America has never been this united and never before have I been as proud as I am today to say that I am an American.

"And I hear them saying, you'll never change things, and no matter what you do it's still the same thing, but it's not the world that I am changing, I do this so this world will know, that it will not change me." Garth Brooks, The Change

- 10/26/01

Me and my darn Letters

As most of you already know, I work for Adelphia Communications in Plymouth, MA. I have been there for 5 1/2 years. I do like my job; that is I like the people I work with and I like the work I do. The only real problem I have is that for the past five months, I have been doing the job of a supervisor without any additional pay or even any appreciation. I have taken supervisor calls, forced trouble calls in the system by doing what is referred to as a "must-do", handled dispatch, have inventory codes and training, something that is usually reserved for a supervisor or lead, and have been left "in charge" by various supervisors when they leave. After five months, I decided that I felt taken advantadge of and unappreciated, so I wrote a letter to two of my direct supervisors. I also addressed issues such as overnight staff having just as much right to vacation and sick time as the day people and, how when someone is absent(for whatever reason) from their ovrnight shift, their shift needs to be filled. There was one occasion where someone was on a scheduled vacation day and someone else called in. As a result, I had to work from 4:30PM Saturday until 8:00AM Sunday...a fifteen hour overnight shift. On many other occasions, we have been left short handed. Anyway,the letter was very kind and professional...I presented the problems and offered possible solutions, as well as had a face to face follow-up indicating that I was willing to help in whatever way I could. Not to brag or toot my own horn, but I write a pretty good letter and usually, I see some results. Unfortunately, other than a compliment on my letter writing skills, I saw nothing, not even so much as a thank you for what you do etc. I was shocked to say the least. Aside from doing the job of a supervisor and deserving to be paid like one, I at the very least thought I would get a little appreciation. So, now, I am at somewhat of a crossroads. I am tempted to just stop...stop doing everything that I do and let them see just how much they need me. However, being the helpful and kind person that I am, I feel bad leaving my fellow employees and the customers in a lurch, especially, knowing full well that I am able to help. But really, why should I continue if I am not going to get even the slightest amount of aprreciation (other than from my fellow CSSR's)? In my mind, I deserve the money, but in my heart, I just want a little recognition. Thats all, and I really don't think that is too much to ask. Sometimes I feel that part of this is my fault. For those of you who know me and know me well, you know that I am very easy-going, very willing to help, and very forgiving. Soemtimes, I think that these traits are good ones...at times like this though, I feel like I should be a little more aggressive, or rather assertive. I feel like I am being walked all over, like they just assume that, "Sharon's here so I can leave and feel comfortable knowing things will go well." I guess it is a good thing that they have confidence in me and my abilities but I really feel that I deserve more than that. I am still not sure what to do so I will have to continue to think about it and see which path I feel will lead in the right direction...if there is one.

9:30AM - 10/25/01

Buffy, Friendlys, and another famous letter!

I just finished watching an episode of Buffy with Ryun. It was pretty good. For those of you who may watch, I really like what they are doing with the relationship between Spike and Buffy. For those of you who do not watch and have no idea what I am talking about, you should start! The title, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is really kind of misleading...there is a lot more to the show than just vampires. I have to admit, when Ryun suggested I watch it with him a few years back, I was not too keen on the idea, but now, well, lets just say I'm hooked. If you are interested, it is on Tuesday nights at 8:00PM on UPN. If you want to catch it from the beginning of the series, they just started playing season one episodes nightly at 7:00Pm on FX.

Anyway, I just came down to my computer to write a letter to Friendlys in Plymouth. On Friday, after running a few errands for my mother, I decided to take my children, Emily and Katie for lunch. The service was horrible and something that should have taken no more than an hour took close to 2! It wasn't even busy and there was really no excuse, at least not one that was obvious. My kids were hungry and yes, probably a little tired, so they were restless and Katie was crying. You would think that the waitress would do all she could to help out...at least bring out the drinks within a reasonable amount of time. Instead, she took about 15 minutes to ask us if we even wanted a drink and then another 15 to bring the drinks out. Anyway I want to make the manager aware of the service, or rather lack of service I received while there. Who knows? Maybe I will get a coupon for a free icecream for the kids ...which I of course will use in the Middleboro restaurant! ;)

Well, it is getting late and I need to go to bed so I can get up in the morning and be somewhat functional for the girls! Until next time...