The Best of Both Worlds?

So I got myself a job. Or the job found me actually. I NEVER advertise to watch other people's kids, and yet I seem to be able to just wish for a babysitting job and one appears. I have been watching 2 siblings on and off for a few months now. (Colt 3 and Lainey 2) Just when the regular babysitter is busy, or goes on vacation, or is sick. Some days it is ok. Other days it is overwhelming. So is it the best of both worlds to do daycare in the home? Some say it is. A job. An extra income, and I still get to stay home. I question myself..."Do I want to stay home and watch kids all day?" It doesn't seem fulfilling in a "career" sort of way. It definitely doesn't pay worth squat. And to tell you the truth, other peoples kids drive me nuts sometimes. So I get a phone call from one of my visiting teachers who just had a baby. His name is Hoss. (No I am not joking. How am I supposed to look at this baby boy and call it Hoss?) She goes back to work at the end of the month and needs me to watch him. I reluctantly say yes. This also means watching her 6 yr old daughter Lilly after school every day and all day Friday (we have a 4 day school week here). Lilly is in my class at church. Whenever I tell someone that I teach the 6 yr olds I am almost always asked "Who is in your class". I start naming names, and 9 out of 10 times when I get to Lilly I get a moan. She has been an only child for 6 years and is a little turd a lot of the time. She really isn't that bad in class though, because she knows I won't put up with her crap...LOL So I am not too worried about it. So I will get 25 bucks a day for the newborn. 20 bucks a day for Lilly (Friday) and 5 bucks a day for Lilly Mon-Thurs. 165.00 a week. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it will help ALOT. And will more than make the payment on my exploder :) So here is where I am thinking it may not be such a grand thing: For the last 2 weeks I babysat for the 2 siblings (Colt and Lainey)I mentioned above. Thursday the boy started not feeling well towards the end of the day. The next day him mom called to tell me he had strep throat. Can you take a guess what comes next? Yep, I had to spend all the money I made babysitting on Dr. Visits and prescriptions. 3 with Strep. How great is that? I am beginning to think maybe this is the worst of both worlds. Especially when we have no health insurance. Oh and I may get Colt and Lainey 3 days a week also, but I won't know til Sept when we find out if the boy gets accepted into headstart or not.

A joke....

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump died and goes to Heaven. He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the Gatekeeper. St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven." Forrest responds, "It shor is good to be here, St Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I shor hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was." St Peter continued to say, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions; First: What two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Second: How many seconds are there in a year? Third: What is God's first name?" Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter who waved him up and said, "Now that you have had a chance to think over the questions, tell me your answers " Forrest replied, "Well, the first one --which two days in the week begin with the letter 'T'? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow." The Saint's eyes opened wide, and he exclaimed, "Forrest that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point. I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?" asked St. Peter. How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied Forrest. But I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?" Forrest replied, "Shucks, there is got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd.." "Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name?" "Sure", Forrest replied, "it's Andy." "Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St. Peter. "OK, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name 'Andy' as the first name of God?" "Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied, "I learnt it from the song... 'ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN'. " St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates and said: Run, Forrest, run."

Praying for the miners.....

I am pretty sure that I do not know anyone directly involved in the mine collapse but it breaks my heart just the same. I remember Jared taking me up to see the Crandall Canyon coal mine, except he just called it "Genwal". It was a beautiful drive. Reminded me of going camping. Beautiful pine trees everywhere, little streams of water, some wildlife. There right out in the middle of it all, this coalmine. If he hadn't taken me up there I would have never know it was there. You can't see it until you are right upon it. Jared used to take several loads of coal a day out of that mine during the year we lived in Castledale, Utah. We had so many good friends there that I dearly miss. Those were good times. There always seemed to be tragedy there though. Some wife losing her husband. And not only due to the mining, there were other circumstances too. I remember when we lived there, and we were in the midst of the coal industry, the Quecreek mine cave-in happened. I remember staying up all night, and watching them pull the Nine dirty but very much alive miners out one at a time. I hope this story has the same happy ending.

Baylee is famous.....

Well, was. For a Sunday. Her drawing was featured on the front of the ward bulletin. She was so proud! Jared and I were a little proud too :)

I wonder if anyone else noticed the date was wrong? LOL (Should say August 5, 2007). Odd.

Pictures of the Exploder...

Ahh, the weekend....

I am not sure why babysitting this week has gotten to me, but it has. I am so glad that I don't have to tomorrow. And Jared will be home tonight, along with Dallin. Joshua leaves tonight. He is going to go on a weekend get away with his friend Matt and his family. It will be wierd for him not to be here. He has gone every day this week, into town to sell melons for the scout fund. He really enjoys it, and I appreciate that he wants to help. So today as my "Good Intention", I made playdough for the kids. I am going to read them a story before bed. I am going to help them all say their prayers. I also sent a sick friend a card. It was only an "e-card" but I think it counts.

So it's August......

So. I am so excited! I could start a back to school countdown if I knew when school started. I need to find that out, I suppose. Babysitting again tomorrow. Today I was physically and emotionally exhausted by time the kids were picked up at 6. 11 hours with someone else's kids is too long! LOL My biggest problem is that I am SO not a morning person, and I have to get up at 7. I will not get to bed til late tonight. Joshua went to the fair with some friends, and the mother is on clean up and they won't even leave Ontario til sometime after midnight. Maybe I will crash on the couch til he gets home. And a note...I am going to do one thing tomorrow on my "Good Intentions" list. One thing a day. Something that I don't ordinarily do. I am going to try and make habits. Slow and sure is the best way. Right? ;)

Well I am home, and a little nervous...

So yes I brought home a new car. (hey this font is a lot like the last one..lol This one is "morning limerick", very nice..., anyhoo). Reasoning #1, they gave me $4300.00 trade in for my van. Probably 2 K more than they should have. #2 The payments are somewhat reasonable. #3 We need to have a 3rd credit line (or something, maybe it was "line of credit") to re-establish our credit so that we can re-finance the house with a lower % rate in a yr and a half. #4 My mom is getting too old and somewhat senile to keep flying here to see me. She is missing the plane, having to go home early due to health issues, tripping in the airports. I have to have a reliable vehicle to be able to drive to California. No way I could afford plane tickets for 6. Gonna be a miracle to save up gas money as it is. I have not been "home" since my dad passed away over 8 years ago. That is about 7 years too long IMO. Sad actually. #5. The Van was 11 yrs old and had 115,000 miles on it. Who knows how long it had left? This Explorer is only 3 yrs old and has 50,000. So are those good enough excuses? Plus the fact that I was really starting to feel really self-conscience driving that old car. That one is a bad excuse, but a true one. I am looking in the paper for something that I can do to make money. I am babysitting tomorrow and Thursday. Then next week Mon, Wed, Thurs. It could turn into a full time (well 3 days a week) thing, but I won't know until late September. It would be nice if it would work out that way. Well I will post a lovely picture of my vehicle tomorrow. Wish me luck with my money making venture! And I would love ideas if you have any!

My day so far, and a bad mistake?

So far today I have hunted for a lost horse, mopped the kitchen floor, washed the table and all the chairs, and I took Joshua into town to sell watermelons for scouts. I think now I will make some more waffles to go with my buttermilk syrup. Let's see if we can add another pound today! Oh, and just to clarify...buttermilk is nasty. This syrup is good though. And I just got a phone call. I may be making a huge mistake right about now, but....we really need a new car. Nothing fancy mind you, just something reliable (the van is 11 yrs old) so I am off to pick up my new explorer. Well, new to me. I may just be driving my family down the road to homelessness. Off I go....weeeeeeeeeee! P.S. Can we come live with you? ( I will explain my reasoning for the new vehicle later)

Just testing.....

So I've already posted once today. (Please read it and post a comment! I need help!) This is just a tiny test to see if I can figure out how to post to my blog from an email because I want to have a wider variety of fonts to choose from. Hope this works! Oh, and I changed my ear candy. This song had to grow on me, but i absolutely love this song now. Enjoy and Goodnight!