Marry For Love

Since I am hoping beyond all hope that spring really is here, this drab winter layout will be changing soon...maybe even after I am done with this update.

Time for some pretty spring colors, no?

Apparently, the Massachusetts Legislature has given final approval to a constitution amendment that would ban gay marriage, but legalize civil unions. Freedom of choice...one of the very things this country was founded on is being...revoked. It's pathetic. Consenting adults should have the right to marry whomever they choose...and that right should be recognized worldwide.

So there.

I figured that since I hadn't written anything controversial in a while, I was due.

Final Answer

As mentioned in my previous entry, last night was my official last day of work at Adelphia.

It was only the tiniest bit depressing but it wasn't too bad. I think the only sad part was that something that has been part of my life for eight years was over. Kind of like the end of an era, you know?

Katherine had a hypoglycemic attack this morning. Ryun said that she ate well last night( finished her dinner) but she is coming down with a cold and I think her allergy issues are kicking in. She mainly seems affected in the spring...which is right around the corner. Anyway, her attacks are more frequent during this time of year.

It is supposed to snow here tomorrow, and maybe again on Friday. It really hasn't snowed all that much this winter...it's just been freezing, colder than it has been in quite sometime I think. I guess that is why the thought of snow this late in the winter isn't really depressing me too much. We had one major snowstorm back in the beginning of December where we got about 2 ft...then just some random storms here and there that never accumulated to more than 6 inches.

A good New England snowstorm is due.

Just Stuff

I am going to find out the baby's gender tonight. WOOHOO! Go to my pregnancy journal to find out more...and of course to find out if it is a boy or a girl.

I haven't heard anything about my work severance yet...no big surprise there. In typical Adelphia style, I probably won't find out until the check for whatever amount of money s actually in my hand. Sunday is my last day.

Emily gets a report card next week, on Friday. Parent/teacher conferences are on the Wednesday previous...isn't that weird? Report cards usually come before the conference don't they? I don't know...at least that was what I thought.

We are getting Olive Garden for dinner tonight...YUM! I love the food there. And now, living in Middleboro, we are within 1/2 hour of the Dartmouth restaurant. We have only been once so far since we moved here...not counting tonight.

Anyway, I have to go get ready to go off for the day to do errands.

Ta Ta.

Boiler Clog

Last night, when I walked in the door (after leaving one of my last nights ever of work..YAY!) I smelled gas. It wasn't really strong in the foyer but, as I walked toward the kitchen and down the hall, it got worse. I opened the cellar door, and almost passed out the smell was so strong. I immediately woke Ryun and had him check the pilot to make sure it wasn't out and to check the tank and make sure it was empty or close to empty. Neither was the case, so I immediately called the gas company. They came out at about 12:30 am and said that the boiler was clogged and that he would be back out tomorrow first thing to fix it. He shut the heat off and left, after assuring me that since it was off, it was perfectly safe to be there. I was concerned mostly about inhaling the fumes but also about...well about it exploding or something.

They came at 7:10 this morning and fixed it.

I slept horribly all night though...I couldn't stop thinking about all of those people you read about dying in their sleep or houses exploding etc. I am normally not that paranoid but if you smelled the gas and how strong it was....

You may have worried too.

Corporate HR

On Thursday, I have a meeting with a rep from corporate HR to go over my severence package and my 401k. I think I have about 2600 sitting in my 401k so, I may just take it out rather than roll it over. It would be a good down payment on a new car(which we are considering getting this summer). I am still not sure yet though.

My severance should be 8 weeks...basically a week for every year I have worked there. Technically, it won't be 8 years until April 11 but still...I think it's close enough, don't you?

My sister gave me a laptop. She works for a pharmeceutical company and as soon as the computers they use become outdated, the company gets new ones. So, I have a fairly new laptop as a result. I have no idea why, but I have always wanted a laptop.

So, I am going to go play with it. WHEE!

I have only 5 days of work left...not that I am counting or anything.

Just an Update

Emily lost another tooth this morning, and the tooth right next to it is quite loose.

My little girl really is growing up.

I have been so lazy this week...I don't know why really. Just tired I guess. I have piles of laundry to fold and the playroom still isn't organized. I am hoping that this weekend will bring a burst of energy or something so I can get this place back in order.

My last official day of work is March 14. I am so excited about that I can't even tell you. I technically only have 7 working days left, as I have the next two Wednesday's off. I will miss some of the people. There is somewhat of a sadness attached to this only because something that has been part of my life for almost 8 years is ending. That's about it though. I really am looking forward to being home with my family at night and seeing more of Emily especially. I hardly see her during the week now and it's hard.

I guess that's about it for now. I am going to go watch ER from last night and fold clothes.

You are getting sleepy

I am at my wits end with Emily. Here's the situation.

She goes to bed every night at 8:00. For one or two hours before she actually falls to sleep, she is in her room...either playing or yelling down that she can't sleep, asking if she can come back down. This happens almost every night without fail.

When she wakes up at 7:10 every morning to get ready for school, she is a big grump...and that's putting it kindly. She takes her sweet time eating, getting dressed, doing her hair etc. I used to let her watch tv while she was getting ready but, it took her even longer so I took that tv away in the morning before school. She complains about having to get up("Call me when breakfast is ready Mom" "Do I have to get up?" etc),and like I said, when she does get up, she takes forever to get ready. On top of that she whines and cries about everything...what she is served for breakfast, me having to use the hairdryer on her hair, what I have packed her for lunch etc. It's not like I make her eat something she doesn't like for either breakfast or lunch but it always seems like whatever I do make is just "not what she wants." She wants to buy lunch everday which I don't agree with(at least when I make it, I know what she is eating) so, as a compromise, I let her pick one day each week that she can buy.

I am thinking that maybe this whole situation is due to lack of sleep. We used to put Katherine and Emily to bed at the same time(7-7:30) but, because Emily is older and doesn't need as much sleep as her sister, and as a special treat for Emily we changed her bedtime to 8:00. I was hoping that this would be an exciting thing to Emily, but also that keeping her up a little later would help her fall asleep quicker.

It's not working.

Me being me, I researched a little online to find out what the general feeling was regaring how much sleep a 6 year old needs. According to everything I have found...the average 6 year old needs 9 to 11 hours, with no nap.

Apparently, Emily is on the lower end of the spectrum...needing only 9. She usually doesn't fall asleep until sometime between 9:00 and 10:00. If she wants to play in her room for a couple of hours while she is up there, I really don't have a problem. Soon, most of her toys will be downstairs in the playroom (which is in the process of being organized) so maybe she will just get bored and fall asleep. I doubt it though. No matter what her surroundings are, Emily always manages to find some way of entertaining herself. Under normal circumstances this would be a good thing.

When I have to deal with a grumpy, unyielding 6 year old every morning, it is not.

I don't know what to do though. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to keep her up until 10:00 every night. That certainly wouldn't help with the crankiness every morning seing as she is up in her room that late anyway. No matter what we do, she almost never falls asleep at a what would seem a normal hour for a child of her age and I can't seem to think of anything that would force that.

I don't even know if forcing would be a good thing, even if I could think of a way.

What do I want? I want her to go to bed at whatever time she feels is right for her(even if it means playing for awhile) and for her to wake up in the morning cheerful. Any suggestions?