Finished!

Hurray! I finally finished the blanket I was crotcheting for the past few months! I am a little disappointed. I made 3 panels then crotcheted them together. Some how, one panel is alittle off, slightly bigger. It looks a bit oblong. I made it for my aunt. She's coming down to San Diego this weekend from San Francisco. I haven't seen her in about 11 years. I am looking forward to visiting with her. Maybe go have some lunch.

Today, we took the kids to the Play Palace at Burger King. It was soooo successful. The kids had a blast and were truly worn out!...lol! That's always the goal with a group of kids, to wear them out! lol! They were soooo well behaved and they ate really well.

Yes, I'm exhausted, but I have no late nighters tonight. My daughter is off work tonight too. She will handle my grandson. I plan to take a hot bath and get to bed fairly early....maybe. My son mentioned $5.50 movies at the theater tonight. That sounds like fun! We'll see...:-)

Postive thoughts and prayers!....:-D

Progress

For the past few weeks, I've been getting together with a fellow day care provider, R. Being a day care provider can be a very lonely job. Parents can be quite difficult as well. The kids are wonderful, the parents are usually the problem. We talk almost everyday to support each other.

For the past 2 weeks, we met on tuesday at the park. It is wonderful. Today, we are taking the kids to the Burger King Palace. We had the parents provide their kids with $5 for their lunch and the kids can play in the enclosed jungle gym for a little while.

Though I love the support and getting out of the house, the tendency is I become quite exhausted the next day. I'm sure it is the fibro, but I definitely feel it is worth it. It's good for the kids, it's good for both myself and R. I always feel good emotionally when we go.

I'm beginning to feel the fullness of my schedule with the internship on the weekends and the day care during the week. I really feel good about it all. I'm much more motivated and feeling a purpose with my life. Yes, it's a challenge, but it's a good challenge. I'm really enjoying myself these days...:-)

Refound Sister

A few days ago, my sister re-found our sister in Tennessee. It's pretty awesome. Originally, back when I was 23 years old, I decided to reunite with our biological father. It was the best thing I ever done in my life. I went out to Tennessee during Thanksgiving week during that year. It was as if I had always lived there. Even though I had never been there, it felt totally familiar. This is when I met my sister and brother. It was so awesome.

Well, about 7 years after this reunitification, my father died. He had received a heart transplant 7 years prior. The heart was only expected to last 2 to 3 years. He was really blessed with 7 years. So, my sister and I took the trip together back to Tennessee for his burial. That was my sister's first trip back.

She and our brother form a really nice bond. They communicated a lot through Instant Messaging on the computer until she had told me that he had suddenly stopped responding. At this time, we did not realize our sister did not have our contact info. She was in not-so-good relationship that made her less available.

Recently, my sister had become curious about our sister and brother. She got on Facebook and looked for them. To our greatest surprise, our sister responded! It is so exciting! I must admit, I am nervous. I have no clue what to say! This is so unlike me!

The sad news is, our brother passed away in 2004. This is more than likely the reason he had suddenly stopped communicating with my other sister. Though I did not know him well, it left me with a very strange feeling. I still felt the loss. It was my brother...a brother I never knew I had. When I was yonger, I always wanted a brother, an older brother. Of course, he was my younger brother, but a brother is a brother. Still not quite sure how to feel about it. I am more disappointed than sad, but I am sad too. Also, my dad's sister passed in 2008.

My dad's side of the family is very small. I think our sister is out there pretty much alone with the exception of some friends. She seems like she is doing very well now, much better than before. She seems happy and settled down. This is very good, makes me extremely happy for her.

Positive thoughts and prayers....:-)/:-(

Looks like things are looking up a little bit more. My daughter seems to have been accepted onto one of the subsidized programs that will pay for her childcare. That means, I will begin to get paid for my grandbaby being in the day care :-D.

I would never charge her from her own pocket because I promised her that, if she handled her responsibilities i.e. school, work and taking care of her son (which I knew she would do, just her nature), I would keep my grandbaby. She has always been a very hard worker with extremely high standards for herself. Despite all that she has been through, even in high school, she has always been very outgoing and a high achiever. Both high school and college, she was pretty much, almost, a straight "A" student.

I am beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed with my internship. Last saturday was a very long day. I started at 9am and ended at 5:30pm. My supervisor called me on monday to let me know, with significant excitement (lol), that my schedule was "booked" all day. I could hear the smile in her voice, see her face aglow with excitement.

I am excited, but I still feel a little vulnerable regarding treatment plans, techniques and theories. It's been a long time...3 years. I did feel pretty good last week in retrospect. I felt focused and in a good direction, however, when I got home to review old notes, textbooks and study references, I became overwhelmed! I didn't know where to start! Her husband will sit with me and provide me with some direction regarding my studies. I want to start now, so I can arrange for the exam as soon as possible. I really don't want to wait until the last minute to begin studying. Besides, studying will help greatly in working with the clients and vice versa.

A dear college friend of mine called me other other day. We went to San Diego State together back in the early 80's. We had soooo much fun! Well, her youngest boy is graduating from high school and she wants to have a sort of reunion party for him. All of us friends had kids about the same ages. So, this will be very fun to get the kids together after all these years. They last time they saw each other was while they were in elementary school.

Though I am very excited about this reunion, I am concerned that it starts at 5pm on saturday in San Diego, an hours drive away. This would mean I would finish my day at the counseling agency at 5pm or 5:30pm, come home, change clothes, eat dinner, gather my boys then make that long drive. Getting there is not so much of a concern. It is the getting "back" that is of concern. After hanging out for a few hours to catch up on each others lives and see the kids all grown up, the drive back will, more than likely, be very late. I don't like driving at night. I don't see very well. I'm also concerned with feeling exhausted the next day with the fibro.

My supervisor wants me to consider gaining hours on sunday as well. I find that kind of awkward. Most agencies aren't open on sundays. Most people don't make appts on sundays. I personally like sundays for spiritual worship, which would not be an issue. She said, if I didn't mind, she could probably arrange appts after I return from services. Though rather awkward, I could gain my 1500 hours a little faster if this worked for a few clients....hmmmm.

A lot of exciting things going on right now. I'm staying focused and taking care of myself. I'm actually eating better, more regularly and better foods i.e. salads, veggies and fruits. Struggling a bit with exercising, but working on getting back to a good schedule. Getting rest at night as well.

Positive thoughts and prayers!....:-D

Looks Like My Time Has Come

I don't know if any of you remember when I mentioned that I would like to go back to my career as a Family Therapist, emphasis on children.

Well, my time has come! I started going to therapy again, just to clear my head and get my thoughts on track. I was falling into depression and all that "wonderful" stuff (being sarcastic). My therapist asked me why haven't I been pursuing my career again. I told her the long story of how I ended up doing day care again and she came up with an awesome idea.

She wants me to get back on track, gain my lost hours again, take the exam, get licensed and come work "with" her, possibly as a partner in her and her husband's private practice! Yes, it will be a lot of work, but I am so excited! I'm so excited that I am nervous.

So far, I had my intern registration number reinstated with the Board Behavioral Sciences. They let me know that, out of the 3000 intern hours that I completed back in 2007, 1500 have expired. I was very concerned that all of them had expired. So, when I heard that I still have 1500 hours still on the book!....I became even more excited!! Today, we established an agency to do some of my hours under and then I will also be working with her as well.

I wll be doing my hours on the weekends. My nervousness is being able to run the day care during the week and doing my hours on the weekends is a lot. I must be careful with the fibromyalsia to not become exhausted. I'm also nervous because I have been out of the field for 3 years. My knowledge is quite rusty! That mean in between working the day care and being at the office on weekends, I will be studying!...whew!

The goal is definitely worth the sacrifice!

Positive thoughts and prayers!!!.....:-D

The Final Round of Drivers Ed

Today I signed my last child up for drivers training. He will be 16 next at the end of next month. I am not eager for him to drive at such a young age, however, it will be so beneficial to the household with all the things I have to do. He can make runs to Walmart or to put gas in the car. He can even go grocery shopping! I'd trust him to drive to his friends house that live nearby. He's pretty calm which makes me feel a little better. Calm makes me feel like he might pay more attention.

Each child has been different, of course. My daughter, my 1st child, was extremely nervous (and later diagnosed as bipolar) and 3 accidents later, I took her car from her and held it for a year. My oldest boy, 2nd child, was a bit over confident and had to take the behind-the-wheel test 3x's. My,2nd boy, 3rd child was quite unconcerned and passed very smoothly. So far, he's had one mild accident in the parking lot when driving our large van, Ford Econoline 150 and one speeding ticket which hurt his feelings...lol!

This is child number 4. I'm kinda use to it, know what to expect. They get the hang of it and be on their way before we know it. Interesting, they have all started out in my car, the same car. That's a lot of years...lol. That's like 12 years! We shall see how this one does behind the wheel. Hmmmm.....

Many happy thoughts and prayers....please....lol.

Next Step

Good news again! LOL!

I spoke to the man that handled the tires for the motorhome today. He told me he found the last tire for me! Annnndddd, I checked my little savings that I have been putting aside, seems like forever and looks like I have enough to get the shocks and the muffler done as well...:-D Yaaaay! I am really excited.

She has needed shocks since the day I bought her, but I did not know that. I thought that was just the way motorhomes were on the road because they are top heavy vehicles. Yes, he did laugh at me! She would catch every morsle on the road and wobble all over the place...lol! So, I was told to get shocks and that it would change all that...lol!

All I will have left to do is to get the roof vents replaced. That will take saving some more money. I must be careful with my budget. I review every penny and every bill constantly. I might have to wait for the vents. Just depends on how the day care holds up over the summer. Parents that have older children, tend to take the little ones out and let the older kids look after the little ones to save money. If I were them, I'd do the same thing. Enrollment usually picks up again after summer.

For now, I am happy with the progress. It can be worth the wait and the patience.

Positive thoughts and prayers!

Close Call!

Wow! I thought I lost my entire blog site!!!

When I turned on my computer and signed it, my blog went way back to January 3, 2009. I was so upset. I thought I had lost all my friends and my entries.

See, this is why we have kids....lol! My daughter figured out that, somehow, I created another blog, with the same blog, when I forgot my pass word. I went in and created another one, I guess, and it took me to the same blog, just back dated to January 2009. It was crazy! When she figured it all out, I was sooooo relieved!...yaaaah! It feels good to be back!

I have finally cleaned the inside of my motorhome! I have been considering selling her, but before doing so, I wanted to look at her condition and really think about it. Recently, I had her tuned up, oil changed and an overall check up. Mechanic said she's in good shape for such an old RV, 1977. She has absolutely no power and is extremely slow!...lol! I don't think I would trust her to make that trip from San Diego to San Francisco again....then again, she might be fine. Still thinking bout that one.

I spent time cleaning the inside and making minor repairs. I will need about $700 to get her fulling up to operation. She needs a muffler, shocks, one new tire and two vents replaced. The thing about the tire is, my rims are old and the tires are hard to find unless I order them at like $170 per tire. So, I found 3 mildly used. I just need one more. I do have a place who has 4, but he doesn't want to break up the set. At $35 per tire, I think I will do well to buy all of them and just hold on to the others as spares. The vents are fairly expensive to have installed at$120 per hour. So, I will purchase them. My son offered to try to put them in. If not, then my mechanic said he would do it. That should save me a few dollars even if the mechanic charges me something :-D

This weekend, I took of both friday and monday for the Memorial Day holiday. Boy was it worth it! I got a lot of things done that I had been putting off for a while. I finally took my son shopping for clothes which he needed very badly. My kids really came together and got up with my grandson so that I could sleep in a little bit. I did learn that, if I sleep beyond 7:30am that I become extremely tired and stiff.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend

Positive thoughts and prayers