Take my daughter to work day :)

I took Elaine to work with me the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Elaine and I walked over to the Barnes & Noble before the mall opened and picked out a book for her. We got her one, teaching her to draw different animals, characters and castles. I liked the book because it had lots of verbal tips and tricks about how to achieve shading and depth. Jim fetched her around 1pm.

random stuff

 

part of the window I painted at work

I love Ebay. I got Elaine 8 shirts and the pink jacket for $12. :) I love bargain-hunting.

The kids are out of school ALL this week for Thanksgiving. Codi watched Elaine and Allan Monday and Tuesday mornings. Then in the afternoons she dropped the kids at Sue's house (church friend) who could watch our kids until Jimmy got off from work. Tomorrow Allan is going to work with Jimmy, and Elaine is going to work with me. She's gonna hang out in the break room and watch DVDs. Jim is only working a half-day, so he's gonna fetch Elaine from me around 1pm.

Steven is coming over for dinner tomorrow night (night before Thanksgiving). I get off of work at 6pm (when the mall closes), so Jim's doing all the cooking. The mall is closed on Thanksgiving day, but on Black Friday I work at 7am!

We've RSVP'd for Jim's office Christmas party. It's a big catered event.

I had this pain every once in a while below my right ear. It kept me awake until midnight on Sunday, and til 2:30am last night. A warm compress helped the pain go away. It feels like pressure... like when riding in an airplane. Today at work the pressure built up below my ear, so I put a warmed towel to the side of my head and took some Tylenol. After 20 minutes it went away. Later, I sneezed really hard and my ear POPPED, again like in an airplane. So weird! Rick thinks it's related to the runny nose I've had. All that ear/nose/throat stuff is related.

The tour continues: Elaine's Room

We moved Elaine into the spare bedroom, separating her from Allan for the first time since he was born. Up til now, the kids have slept on a twin/full bunk bed.

For Elaine's room, we were almost starting from scratch. She didn't like her Disney princess sheet set anymore. She doesn't like Dora anymore (she keeps a few that are keepsakes). She DOES still likes butterflies and flowers, which I guess girls never really outgrow.

Elaine loves a pillow she helped sew in girl scouts (lime green thing on her bed). It has her name embroidered on it. It has colorful daisies and a 'going green' motif. She and I both like the same aqua color, so I was pleased to find Elaine twin-sized aqua sheets on clearance around 'back-to-school' time, in August. A few weeks later I found this bedspread 1/2 off at Target which totally has the same colors as her favorite pillow case (lime, aqua, fushia).  Our church friends donated the rug for Elaine's room. The black chair goes in another room, but Elaine drug it into her room to sit and read. 

We are hoping to get Elaine a boxspring for her mattress soon. We heard a local thrift store sells them for $10, but we're usually at work when that store is open. Gonna try to check into that soon.

I put a shelf in her room (it use to be in the kitchen at the trailer) for her chapter books and keepsakes.She has her own walk-in closet.

This is the dresser that I haggled $80 off the price at Big Lots. I need to touch up the paint job and want to switch out the drawer knobs for something cute. I showed Elaine some Disney princess drawer pulls that were on clearance, but she said that she doesn't "really watch those shows much anymore". She's loosing interest.  The lamp is another half-price purchase ($9). 
The cabinet on the left is that Barbie dollhouse cabinet I decorated for her last birthday. I want to install some sort of ledge, up high, for her keepsake stuffed animals.

Tour of The House

Here's our place:

I want to do a large floral wreath (sunflowers, bluebonnets, indian paintbrushes) to hang where the star is hanging now. I love how the roof overhangs from the house on all sides (unlike any trailer) because we can open windows when it's raining, and the rain doesn't come in.

Living room:
I love how easy it is to sweep up or wipe the floors up.You can see where Elaine's dresser is hanging out until we move her into the extra bedroom (we think Thanksgiving break).

I used the same valance from our sliding backdoor at the trailer, and split it to make a long valance for the dining area and the house's backdoor. I still need to curtain the living room window and the little window on our front door. I plan to re-stuff the sofa cushions again. I've done it before and it really perks them up. :)

This is the sign my hubby got for me. hehehe

Dining Area / Kitchen:

We've started using our wooden bench at the dining table for the kids to sit on, under the window. I'm considering sewing a cushion for it, but it'll have to be something easy to clean... like with a removable pillowcase.

 The door on the right goes to our utility room (washer, dryer, utility sink, pantry)

There is a built-in microwave. The stove is the type that's smooth on top, without like visible coils. That really makes wiping up messes easier.

Jimmy likes the window above the sink. At the trailer Jim hit his head on a cabinet whenever he leaned over the sink.

up waaaay too late

My friends were here until 1am tonight, using my Cricut machine to cut out iron-on letters for T-shirts. They brought me a Dr.Pepper, so I drank it. This is me, pretty much wide awake at almost 2am! I'm gonna regret this (We pretty much all wake up at 6:30am.)

The other night Jim and I bought a new box spring for our bed. It's a Sealy Queen-sized and was on sale for $75 at Sears! We're sleeping a lot better now.

A few nights earlier, we bought a 6-drawer dresser for Elaine at half-price because it was the last one at Big Lots and I showed a sales associate where the paint would need to be re-touched (no big deal for me to do). I intent to switch out the drawer knobs with some girly ones before the dresser moves into Elaine's room.
The kids have been continuing to share a bunkbed in one of the bedrooms, since the move. Probably over Thanksgiving break we are gonna make the move and put Elaine in her own bedroom. We have a twin mattress for her to use, and now the dresser. It'll take time, but we'll get the rest of her room pulled together.
 It will be the first time she's had her own room since she was 2 (Allan's birth).

My landlord is coming tomorrow afternoon to replace the baseboards in the main bathroom. (The last tenants got them soaking wet, so they needed replacing). When he's done, I'll take pictures of more rooms of the house. I've been a settling-in tornado this week. Really getting everything feeling like home now.

Elaine was raking the yard for fun Sunday afternoon. She was being cute, so I took her picture.

"Happy Hallelujah" (Fall Festivals with the kids)

Lainey with Jim. She wanted to be Dorothy because she likes reading about weather and tornadoes

I look exhausted! (probably because I was)

I love this photo because the guys didn't intentionally match the theme of their shirts.

Branks made a killing in the cake walk. LOTS of cupcakes.

Allan played a dart game while Elaine and Jim went on a hay ride. Hay rides are NOT for Branks with allergies.

Bounce House at the first church we went to

Elaine with her Candy. She's still only had 5 pieces. :p

This pendulum/balancing game was hilarious. Elaine was afraid to fall, so she barely stood up. Allan was his fearless self.

More bounce house fun.

update ... more pictures to follow

I'm sitting here waking up, uploading pictures from the digital camera (so I can put them on here and facebook), drinking my coffee and browsing eBay for deals on shirts for Elaine. It's so hard to dress her in the mornings. She's gone up another size, since August. She's both taller and rounder. The weight wasn't added to her belly this time, but to her arms and chest.
I sent a Dorothy costume home from work for Elaine to wear for 'Happy Hallelujah'. Jim brought her to the costume store, where I work, crying because she put the blouse on backwards and couldn't get it off! It was too tight on her upper arms. Poor thing! (That was an awkward time to be a Daddy getting the kids dressed. Luckily she had her undershirt on.) I helped her, and swapped the Dorothy blouse out for a larger size (12-14). She still had to use the skirt from the (10-12) Dorothy, because she's not as tall as a 12 year old. It's an awkward age... Anyways, I found some shirts for 99cents on eBay and if no one else bids before the auction ends, I'll be pretty pleased. No sense in spending much on Elaine's clothes right now. Not with the way she is growing.

This is Elaine in the Dorothy outfit with Allan and Codi, at my job, on Oct.31st.

Our van was in the shop for a few days last week. Jim's boss paid for him to have a rental car for 2 days and paid for HALF of the repairs. That job is a real blessing! Jim told me what all was wrong, but I don't recall... long story short, the van is driving better now and it isn't putting off gas fume smells.

I worked lots of overtime in the last two weeks. So that pretty much covered our end of the van repairs and left me with some pocket money. I unpacked a few more boxes yesterday, before work. Found a whole box of jelly, jam and peanut butter. lol. It feels good to have a day off today. I still woke up at 6:30am (time Jimmy wakes for work) but I'm getting to putter around the house and make it feel more homey. Soon everything should be in it's place... once I decide where everything goes. :)

The other day, Jim and the kids went walking through the mall's new Toys R Us to see what their ideas are for their Santa lists. Allan wants everything in the store... even the girl things. ha! His recurring request is a "pillow pet". I keep suggesting they ask Santa for outdoor toys, since they are playing in the yard almost daily. I think it'd be cool, if Jimmy used PVC or something to make the kids a soccer goal, since they mainly play soccer. I also think I might talk Jim into setting up his camping tent for them to play in (the yard is pretty big). I think he's afraid the kids will rough the tent up. The lady who hosts our Bible study, Sue, is giving the kids a tall adjustable basketball goal and a small bike for Al pal. Sue's teenage son is supposed to drop off the basketball goal some time this week.

I talked to my mom yesterday. She isn't gonna make it for Thanksgiving. She's gonna be in the midst of moving that week, so the timing is just bad. We're set for her coming for around Christmas though. My brother is still in California, at the base... so he wont make it for either holiday. No fun.

Allan

The other day, when I got home from work at 6pm, Allan woke up from a nap. He asked me, if he had to start getting ready for school yet. He thought it was already morning. :) 

Allan wants to be a Lego Star Wars Storm Trooper for Happy Hallelujah this year. We sell Storm Trooper masks at work, but thought altering this toy helmet was a better idea. Rick gave us this helmet, with a visor that opens, and I've started painting in designs to make it look more like a storm trooper. (I had to vary from the exact pattern... so Allan wouldn't loose much ability to see. lol.)

When our smoke alarm went off tonight at home (Jim was taking fishsticks out of the oven). Allan announced, "That sure is being sensitive. It always makes noise when Mommy cooks dinner too."

I don't think I ever told yall about this... I had to go to these Parent/Teacher conferences the first week of October. Elaine has all high A's in every class that produces real grades. (In Music, it just said something like 'needs improvement'). Her teacher this year is awesome. She's an older, conservative Christian woman, who is very spunky. She and I got along great. She said that Elaine is so quick to learn each lesson that Elaine helps her teacher explain lessons to the kids at her table once she's completed her own work. Evidently Elaine has a lot of free time in school. Her teacher lets her spend her free time however she'd like, as long as it's educational.

I've been told that Allan is a math whiz! His teacher issues this standardized test to all her students every year. Allan is her first student EVER to complete the math test! Since her students don't all read yet, Mrs.Fagan read allowed to each child a math problem and without counting any fingers Allan knew the answers immediately. He counted to 120, by 30's. He immediately knew 100 + 100 is 200, then 100+99 is 199... didn't miss a beat. He must get that from his daddy.
I told Mrs.Fagan that I was afraid Allan's enthusiasm would get him in trouble. She said when he gets wiggly, he's easily corrected and that he's very kind to the other kids. She said that the one thing he really needs to work on are fine motor skills. He knows all his alphabet but has a tricky time with writing some letters. He isn't use to holding a pencil correctly or using his hands to express himself. She suggested he play with legos, puzzles or other small precision toys. We bought Allan some $1 Star Wars coloring books at Target that week and it's proven to be a big incentive to hold a crayon correctly.

Today Jim and Elaine were playing in the yard after work

2nd weekend of October at work

Friday:

Saturday:

Pics of Rangers Game

Jim got tickets to a Texas Ranger's game from his boss. He went with the kids and Dave a couple weeks ago. It was Allan's first baseball game. He danced in the aisles, being silly. A nice old couple bought Allan a souvenir baseball.

We're in the rent house

Tonight we got the last load out of the trailer. We've been working on moving for almost 2 weeks. It's been tricky to get things moved with Jim and I both working more than full-time. Dave helped move the washer & dryer and some other large items. :) The girls from work, Jenna & Codi, took my kids from 6-11pm last Sunday night, so Jim and I could get some real progress made.
I think we're about half unpacked, It's beginning to feel like a home. 
Work is getting hectic. We're preparing for the October rush. We keep hiring new girls, but they keep quitting... so frustrating. We've lost three girls in three weeks. It's not a good time to keep having to train new girls from scratch. We hoped to have more people prepared when October customers really pick up. 
The manager I replaced back in 2007 will be working at the store again this October, to pitch in and help Rick & Regina. That should help a lot. She's great with customers. Rick's cancer is spreading. He just got results back from a body scan and new biopsy. His last surgery removed his cancerous adrenal gland and kidney. Now his OTHER adrenal gland is cancerous. His doctor is changing Rick's chemotherapy to stop the cancer from taking Rick's only remaining kidney. We're all unsure how much Rick will be able to work in October, since the new chemotherapy is supposed to have a laundry list of side effects. Please keep praying for healing for our friend. 

another update

Our landlady (who said we needed to move out this fall) knows we'll be out of the trailer by the end of this month, so she can do whatever she wants with the trailer after then. We're leaving things on good terms with her, so I'm glad about that.


We will have keys to move in to the rent-house on or before Friday, Sept. 24th. I'm super excited. We are gonna have a lot more space.

This photo is the living room of the rent-house. The wooden floors are gonna be awesome. It'll be a lot easier to clean up after the kids, and ZERO carpets will be great for mine and Allan's allergies. :)  I'll get more pictures uploaded soon.

We saw David & Katy over the holiday weekend and celebrated Dave's birthday. On the way home, Allan fell asleep in the van, hugging his JarJar Binx doll. Adorable!

In other news: I won $200 on 94.9 KLTY Radio. A few days later they had me call the radio station and talk about working for a Christian business (that plays their radio station all day). I was on the radio at 6:20am and again at 8:30am....so very few people I know heard it. But my friends that DID hear it, got a laugh out of it. A picture was taken of me winning the money, on other people's cameras, but I don't have a copy of the pic yet. I won because my boss wrote a letter on my behalf to the radio station. 

Plan A ?

Okay, we think Plan A for moving is BACK to the rent house, instead of the apartment. The landlord for the house agreed to lower the rent by $200. So there is less difference between renting a real house vs. an apartment on a 3rd floor walk-up. We get to tour the house some time this week, once the contractor is done.
The new floors have been put in. He's installing a built-in microwave, new garbage disposal and fridge. We'll let yall know, when we know.

In other news: Jimmy has pretty much completely stopped playing warcraft again. He's asleep by 10pm almost every night.
He likes his new job. His boss likes him too.