February 25, 2009
What's that odor?
On our way home from school today, we were having ourselves a little chat in the van about the day's events. I asked the usual, did you have fun, what did you do, what did you have for lunch, etc. The in return they asked the same questions of me... Usually my day is pretty boring in their eyes but today I got to tell them that I couldn't eat my cereal at work this morning because it tasted like PAINT! Hmmmmm was the look on their face, as they wondered how that was so... I explained that because Daddy was painting the countertop with strong paint, the box of cereal in the cupboard must have absorbed the odor from the paint. "What's odor?" K~ took me a minute to try and make this comprehendable for them, but I knew it was a success, when Dylan said, "Like when I (Dylan) poop in the toliet and its still stinky the next time I go in." BINGO!!
February 22, 2009
Get me some Bug B' Gone... PLEASE!!
In a matter of 7 days this nasty GI virus has managed to pass through every one of us...Literally... Vomiting, and/or dieareahah. Brady's messy diapers finally ended on day 7...so I thought! Just after I got him all washed up and into his jammies tonight he had another explosive one that sent him back to the tub!! Geez!
Thankfully grandma was here when I was sick, otherwise Brad might have lost his freakin mind with the kids and the mess of living around a half painted kitchen. The kids weren't hit as bad as Brad and I but 2 boys were still sent home from daycare during the week with the trots, so we were again juggling work and kids ALL week. Thankfully Brad seems to be coming around a bit more this evening... so I'm hoping we can have a normal start to the week. I've never had to deal with so much shit in my entire life... For example on Tuesday morning I had just put my shoes on to head out the door when Brad called me into Brady's room... "You gotta help me... I can't do this one on my own." As Brad unzipped Brady's pjs he unveiled poo from armpits down to his toes. I carefully held him at arm's length as we trekked across the hall into the tub. At 7:20am he was having a tubby and loving every minute as he smiled at me with his toothy grin. Scrubbed up and out the door I went...daddy to finish the rest. Oh but wait... I was reminded of this disaster 5 hrs later. After my new employee health screening at SMDC I stopped in the hospital cafe for a bite to eat. I took my seat and as I crossed my legs at the lunch table, I caught a glance of something on my shoe. Assuming it was winter slush-salt-dirt or whatever, I didn't think twice before swiping my napkin across it... but it wasn't coming off, so I wiped harder. Then realized it was POOP!! Nasty, stuck-on, POOP!! I suppose when I was carrying him butt naked from his room to the tub, a blob of poop fell off onto my shoe. Thankfully it looked like mustard, but still how embarrassing!
On the way out that day a co-worker was venting about her tough day, so to give her a little pick-me-up I shared my story... she was laughing so hard it brought tears to her eyes.
Thankfully grandma was here when I was sick, otherwise Brad might have lost his freakin mind with the kids and the mess of living around a half painted kitchen. The kids weren't hit as bad as Brad and I but 2 boys were still sent home from daycare during the week with the trots, so we were again juggling work and kids ALL week. Thankfully Brad seems to be coming around a bit more this evening... so I'm hoping we can have a normal start to the week. I've never had to deal with so much shit in my entire life... For example on Tuesday morning I had just put my shoes on to head out the door when Brad called me into Brady's room... "You gotta help me... I can't do this one on my own." As Brad unzipped Brady's pjs he unveiled poo from armpits down to his toes. I carefully held him at arm's length as we trekked across the hall into the tub. At 7:20am he was having a tubby and loving every minute as he smiled at me with his toothy grin. Scrubbed up and out the door I went...daddy to finish the rest. Oh but wait... I was reminded of this disaster 5 hrs later. After my new employee health screening at SMDC I stopped in the hospital cafe for a bite to eat. I took my seat and as I crossed my legs at the lunch table, I caught a glance of something on my shoe. Assuming it was winter slush-salt-dirt or whatever, I didn't think twice before swiping my napkin across it... but it wasn't coming off, so I wiped harder. Then realized it was POOP!! Nasty, stuck-on, POOP!! I suppose when I was carrying him butt naked from his room to the tub, a blob of poop fell off onto my shoe. Thankfully it looked like mustard, but still how embarrassing!
On the way out that day a co-worker was venting about her tough day, so to give her a little pick-me-up I shared my story... she was laughing so hard it brought tears to her eyes.
February 08, 2009
Moving Day
Last Saturday was MOVING DAY... The long awaited day had finally arrived. A crew of 11 Denfield High school hockey players, and 2 trucks from "Johnson Brothers Furniture" (Thanks Larry and Connie) was our moving crew. Coach Smalley had those machines working an extremely efficient operation. From start to finish it took only 4 hours to move everything from the townhouse and storage to the new house... One of those hrs was spent throwing back 10 pizzas, few bags of chips, case of Mt Dew and a HUGE pan of Brownies. Those boys did a great job and we were so grateful for their help. They are a great group of kids, and we hope the little bit of dry land training we were able to provide them with will pay off in play-offs later this month ;-)
Even thing just came together like clock work. Our moms unpacked feverishly as I directed traffic. Dylan and Riley had a blast opening box after box of their toys in the toy room... they hadn't seen most of these toys in 9 months! So it was better than Christmas morning for them. Brady boy missed all the excitement as he was passed out in his play pen in the Master bath room for the whole 4 HOURS!! He's had a cold, and so this was a GREAT nap for him and us.
All and all it was a great quick move, and now the unpacking continues...
Even thing just came together like clock work. Our moms unpacked feverishly as I directed traffic. Dylan and Riley had a blast opening box after box of their toys in the toy room... they hadn't seen most of these toys in 9 months! So it was better than Christmas morning for them. Brady boy missed all the excitement as he was passed out in his play pen in the Master bath room for the whole 4 HOURS!! He's had a cold, and so this was a GREAT nap for him and us.
All and all it was a great quick move, and now the unpacking continues...
February 06, 2009
Paint Baby Paint
The time is finally here... We've signed the papers, got the keys and its time to make our house "Our Home". After closing on the house Tuesday morning, we swung in and scoped it out. The owners before took great pride in the home and left it very clean, but they didn't have the best taste in style. So I had big plans to get the whole upstairs painted before we moved in. Everyone doubted me along the way, but after busting my ass for 4 straight days it paid off. Even though I put in about 12 hours a day, I didn't do it all on my own... God NO! Brad's parents are down visiting and have been working to death all week too. And although Brad was held up at work, he still did his share in the evenings. I think that we've gone through 15 gallons of paint and primer this week? That's first priming every wall and then painting 2 coats of color on over 1300 square feet of house.
Dylan and Riley's room was a little girls room before with bright purple walls. So that was a MUST, to make it live able for them. I did 2 walls dark gray, 2 walls light gray, and then put a big Hockey guy shadow (decal) up on one wall. Obviously they will have a cool hockey room when all is said and done. We've got lots of other hockey paraphernalia to put up, including hockey stick curtains and jersey's but that'll come once we get unpacked.
Brady's room was the MONSTER of a room. The smallest of our bedrooms, and it took the most work. It started with blue wallpaper half way up the wall, topped with a chair rail that wrapped around the room. Then a stripe of Choo-Choo train boarder at the ceiling. Sounds cute, but it wasn't it... It was dated! So we pulled off the chair rail... that was freakin' GLUED to the wall, and pulled the drywall paper right off all the way around the room. And because they didn't size (prepare the wall) before papering, the wall paper came off in 1 inch strips. What a bitch!! It took 2 days to get all the wall paper and glue backing off the wall. We used every technique imaginable to get this crap off the wall. Finally it came off. Ron then had to go around and repair the ripped up wall from the chair rail, with plaster mud, then sand it, and spray texture, before we could prime. Once we got the wall ready for paint, I did 3 walls a light baby blue, and the 4th wall a dark navy blue. Further down the road when I've got some time, I'm going to paint a border of Bright Green and Orange circles on the dark wall. Hard to describe and visualize, so I'll post pictures when I get to it.
The rest of the upstairs got lightened up (from country blue) to a light beige... white as Brad would say. I have to admit I was going for a nice open airy look, and was too cautious with the color. So yes it is light, just a shade too light, but there's no way in hell I'm climbing a ladder to re-paint these 15 ft walls for at least the next year. I'm hoping it'll come together once we get all our stuff in. This beige went into our bedroom, for now, as I didn't want to live with the green that was in there, and I haven't found a new bedspread that I love yet to pull together a room.
The master bath also got a tinting of the light beige/tan whatever it is... but then half the walls are a mocha brown. I also did this brown on a few accent walls in the living room/hallway area.
The kitchen is scoped out to be a 2 toned green, but we are planning to tackle that after we get moved in.
Really I've just set the foundation for what's to come with new furniture, art, and fabrics. I just wish I could do it all at once, and get it just perfect. But I know Perfection takes time ;-)
Dylan and Riley's room was a little girls room before with bright purple walls. So that was a MUST, to make it live able for them. I did 2 walls dark gray, 2 walls light gray, and then put a big Hockey guy shadow (decal) up on one wall. Obviously they will have a cool hockey room when all is said and done. We've got lots of other hockey paraphernalia to put up, including hockey stick curtains and jersey's but that'll come once we get unpacked.
Brady's room was the MONSTER of a room. The smallest of our bedrooms, and it took the most work. It started with blue wallpaper half way up the wall, topped with a chair rail that wrapped around the room. Then a stripe of Choo-Choo train boarder at the ceiling. Sounds cute, but it wasn't it... It was dated! So we pulled off the chair rail... that was freakin' GLUED to the wall, and pulled the drywall paper right off all the way around the room. And because they didn't size (prepare the wall) before papering, the wall paper came off in 1 inch strips. What a bitch!! It took 2 days to get all the wall paper and glue backing off the wall. We used every technique imaginable to get this crap off the wall. Finally it came off. Ron then had to go around and repair the ripped up wall from the chair rail, with plaster mud, then sand it, and spray texture, before we could prime. Once we got the wall ready for paint, I did 3 walls a light baby blue, and the 4th wall a dark navy blue. Further down the road when I've got some time, I'm going to paint a border of Bright Green and Orange circles on the dark wall. Hard to describe and visualize, so I'll post pictures when I get to it.
The rest of the upstairs got lightened up (from country blue) to a light beige... white as Brad would say. I have to admit I was going for a nice open airy look, and was too cautious with the color. So yes it is light, just a shade too light, but there's no way in hell I'm climbing a ladder to re-paint these 15 ft walls for at least the next year. I'm hoping it'll come together once we get all our stuff in. This beige went into our bedroom, for now, as I didn't want to live with the green that was in there, and I haven't found a new bedspread that I love yet to pull together a room.
The master bath also got a tinting of the light beige/tan whatever it is... but then half the walls are a mocha brown. I also did this brown on a few accent walls in the living room/hallway area.
The kitchen is scoped out to be a 2 toned green, but we are planning to tackle that after we get moved in.
Really I've just set the foundation for what's to come with new furniture, art, and fabrics. I just wish I could do it all at once, and get it just perfect. But I know Perfection takes time ;-)
February 04, 2009
As if...
...buying a home, and moving isn't enough to handle this week... So why not add a little more spice to the salad and take a new job too.
Just after Christmas I had the opportunity to interview with the SMDC (St.Mary's Duluth Clinic) Behavioral Health program, for a social work position in the adult partial hospital program. I had held this same position during my first year back in Fargo at MeritCare, so I knew what I was in for. However, I wasn't really looking to leave my current job at United Way, because I LOVE it so much. But after chatting with them and seeing the potential growth for the whole department I was interested. And then when they offered me the job, and threw a large salary increase at me, it was hard to say no...REALLY hard to say no. Plus down the road, being at SMDC will get me further, whereas United Way doesn't have much for any promising career advancements. Tough call to make, but I'm moving on and looking forward to working in mental health again.
In this position I will be facilitating a lot of groups, family sessions and of course care coordination. Partial Hospital is an intensive 5 day a week treatment program for people with severe depression, anxiety, and/or dual-diagnoses, with a 2-3 week length of stay. So you really get to know your patients and family, which is nice, but can also be exhausting. At this point SMDC doesn't have a program specific to addiction treatment (my interest), but could in the near future... so I've got my fingers crossed, and when that happens I'll be sure they bring my buddy Jenn in from Fargo to be the lead LAC, so we can once again work and play together everyday!!
Just after Christmas I had the opportunity to interview with the SMDC (St.Mary's Duluth Clinic) Behavioral Health program, for a social work position in the adult partial hospital program. I had held this same position during my first year back in Fargo at MeritCare, so I knew what I was in for. However, I wasn't really looking to leave my current job at United Way, because I LOVE it so much. But after chatting with them and seeing the potential growth for the whole department I was interested. And then when they offered me the job, and threw a large salary increase at me, it was hard to say no...REALLY hard to say no. Plus down the road, being at SMDC will get me further, whereas United Way doesn't have much for any promising career advancements. Tough call to make, but I'm moving on and looking forward to working in mental health again.
In this position I will be facilitating a lot of groups, family sessions and of course care coordination. Partial Hospital is an intensive 5 day a week treatment program for people with severe depression, anxiety, and/or dual-diagnoses, with a 2-3 week length of stay. So you really get to know your patients and family, which is nice, but can also be exhausting. At this point SMDC doesn't have a program specific to addiction treatment (my interest), but could in the near future... so I've got my fingers crossed, and when that happens I'll be sure they bring my buddy Jenn in from Fargo to be the lead LAC, so we can once again work and play together everyday!!
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