December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

Dawson and Owen had spent five days at my parents’ house over Christmas break. They finally came home today and Doug and I were very happy to see them. We loved having the time away to get things done around the house, and my mom and dad love spending time with their grandsons, but it was awfully quiet while they were gone.

Owen was mad that Poppa and Nonna didn’t stay for awhile after they brought him and Dawson home, but I managed to distract him with a game of Angry Birds on my new Kindle Fire. Big mistake on my part because Dawson (who loves everything that resembles a video game) managed to take over the Kindle and has kicked my butt with the high score. It’s amazing how technologically advanced my kids are.

I gave the boys a bath and they got dressed to go to the New Year’s at Noon celebration at the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum in downtown Stevens Point.  I’m embarrassed to admit this, but it was their first visit since they moved to their new location.  I was amazed at how awesome the museum is now.  Owen was fascinated with all the exhibits, but the Grocery Store was his favorite.  Dawson loved the News Anchor station the best.

We had a very good time. They did a New Year countdown at Noon that was quite noisy. Owen freaked out when all the kids began honking their noise makers so we moved off to the side to calm him down. Dawson and I loved the champagne, which was really ginger ale. We had a toast and then the boys continued to play for a bit.

The CWCM is having their 1st Anniversary in their new building and we might go back to celebrate at their party on January 7th. Plover and Stevens Point locals are encouraged to attend. It will be great fun and admission is just $1 per person.

Later tonight we’re heading to the YMCA to celebrate the new year with some fun, games and swimming. The boys are super excited. We can’t wait! Happy New Year, everyone!

December 30, 2011

It’s a Kindle Kind of Christmas

My fall semester was over on December 19th and I’ve been enjoying my time off before the Spring semester beginsin two weeks.  This is my last semester at Mid-State Technical College.  I’m looking forward to graduation in May.  I can’t believe all my hard work is paying off.  Soon I will have an Associates Degree in Business Management.  I’m super excited!  I’m also freaking out because my boss has recommended that I complete my AINS Designation and the facilitator-led course begins on January 18th.  I’m pretty certain I will not have a life from now until October which is when the AINS courses will end.  I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into, but I know I can do this.  I was planning on starting my Bachelor’s Degree in the fall, but I think I may need to focus on finishing the AINS courses and passing the tests first.

Our Christmas was wonderful.  Dawson and Owen got just a few toys this year, but they were everything they wanted.  Dawson and his uncle immediately went to work on building the Star Wars Lego clone battle ship and they finished it in just over two hours.  It had like 4 million pieces and I knew I wouldn’t have the patience to put it together.  Dawson also got Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii and he loves it.  My sister-in-law bought him more Legos and my brother gave him a gift card and he bought Mario 3D World for his Nintendo 3DS.  He has been playing with his gifts ever since.

Owen loved the Little People Wheelies Stand N’ Play Rampway.  He was so excited when he tore off the wrapping paper and saw the toy.  Daddy and Mommy put it together immediately.  It has four race cars and Owen coerced his brother to play with him.  It really is a fun toy.

I got a few gift cards for Christmas and decided to spoil myself.  I bought both the Kindle Touch 3G and the Kindle Fire.  I didn’t intend on getting both.  It was sort of an oversight.

When the original Kindle first came out, I swore I would never buy one.  ”I love real books; paper and ink and binding,” I had said.  As an avid reader I have at least one hundred books on my shelves.  I didn’t like the idea of an e-Reader taking the place of my favorite novels.  Fast forward to now.  I can’t fit any more books on my shelves.  Friends have been suggesting I get a Kindle for several months.   I thought long and hard about it and decided to get one.

I went to Target with Doug and played around with the Kindle Fire.  I looooved it, but they were sold out at the store.  So I went online to Amazon and bought it.  While waiting for it to ship I started reading the reviews and some people were saying that they really preferred the E-ink on the Kindle Touch because it didn’t cause as much eye strain.  Another reviewer flat out said that avid readers should not buy the Kindle Fire.  I was miffed.  I tried to cancel the order with Amazon but it was too late.

Meanwhile, I went to Target and bought the Kindle Touch 3G with the intention of returning the Fire immediately after it arrived.  I fell in love with the Touch and have been reading Pride and Prejudice (yes, again – I love Jane Austen).  Then the Fire arrived.  I tried not to open the box.  I was going to just print the label and return it.  But then that little box kept calling me.  And without thinking I ripped it open and started using it.  I can’t return it now!

I feel guilty.  I really spoiled myself.  I don’t do this often.  I don’t ever buy “big” things for myself.  I like to justify the Fire as a gift for the whole family.  We can all use it.  Right?

Wow.  The guilt.  It is killing me!

December 6, 2011

A Much Over Due Update

My last few weeks of school are wrapping up for this semester.  I’m just ready to be done.  Like yesterday.  I will have completed three of four semesters at before the end of the month and I am starting to panic about graduating next May.  I know I can do this, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s just that I worry about strange things happening – things beyond my control – like getting in a car accident and being in a coma for five months.  Irrational.  Yes, I know.

I think this is just a combination of my natural tendency to worry (a lot) and lack of sleep.  I haven’t been in bed before 10 p.m. in many long weeks.  I’m tired of it.  Pun intended.

Okay, and I’m just too busy.  I’m still learning the ins and outs of my new position at work.  Training is an ongoing process.  There is so much to know about the insurance industry.  Even applying my years of insurance experience isn’t enough to breeze through this training.  Also, worker’s compensation insurance is complex.  Each state follows it’s own rules on what is defined as a covered employee and I’m constantly learning all the “tricky situations” and exceptions to the rule.  It’s no wonder I crash on the couch for 10 minutes the second I walk through the front door.  I have to give my brain a break.

Lately I have had zero ambition to do anything other than go to work, get my homework and studying done each night, and try (oh, do I try) to spend quality time with the boys.  My poor kids.  I have slowly realized they are beginning to prefer Daddy over Mommy.  Mommy is always busy.  Mommy is burning the candle at both ends.

I’m learning to let go of some of the Mommy Guilt, however.  Tonight after work I rushed to Dawson’s school to watch him in wrestling practice.  Then he had a Cub Scout meeting at the Lutheran church down the street (we’re Catholic, but all of Dawson’s classmates are in this particular pack and the meetings are within walking distance of our house – it’s like killing two birds with one stone because I squeeze in some much needed exercise).  Our den leader is the mom of Dawson’s best friend and their family attends the same church we do.  It’s nice to have friends I can commiserate with.  It’s a win-win.

This is Dawson’s first year in wrestling.  When the registration form came home from school I asked him what he thought about it.  He said, “Yeah, Mom.  I think I might like to try it.”

I was a little nervous the first night (which was yesterday) because he really had no experience with the sport, but thankfully his coach was a wrestler in high school and college so he had lots of experience.  I think I may have gone to high school with him, actually, as he looks very familiar.  I keep meaning to ask him his name, but I’m get sidetracked and forget.

Tonight, Dawson won a “take down” against a second grader and he was super pumped.  It makes me happy to see him having fun and learning so many different things.  Plus, he likes to be active.  It’s good for him.

Owen is growing like a weed.  I bought him some pants a few weeks ago and I realized tonight they are getting to tight in the legs.  My little guy isn’t so little.  He’s got a strong build and I can definitely picture him as a tackle on the football team.  He loves to do everything Dawson does and this evening they played a mini game of  ”wrestle mania.”  Thank goodness Dawson knows that he has to be gentle with Owen.  But little brother is definitely a brute.  He didn’t hesitate to charge at his big brother and take him down.  Good times.

Overall, things are good.  Crazy chaotic, but I can’t really complain.  Life is….good!