whiny baby tales

It took Mike over 4 1/2 years to finally become a full time employee at UPS. During those 4 1/2 years we went without medical insurance for us and the kids...we just couldn't afford a private plan and we made too much for the state aid plans.

I just got a read out of our 2008 prescriptions and this is what makes that 4 1/2 years worth the wait:

Household Total for 2008: Prescription cost: $2091.76
Out Of Pocket cost: $20.00

UPS has, by far and thanks to the Union, the BEST benefits we've ever had. And we pay NOTHING for them out of pocket. Yes, we have a co-pay for doctor visits and some prescriptions, but seriously...we spent $20 for the year for the family for medications.

Labels: hottie hubby, mama's bored, rambling thoughts, UPS

So, last week I finally did it...I quit my job. I can't tell you how relived I finally feel, being free of all that garbage. I'd share some of the highlights (low, really) of the job, but I really need to stay in the place I've finally arrived - peace! I didn't realize just how negative I was feeling until late yesterday afternoon...I feel so much lighter and a ton happier now. It was crazy and terrible and I can't believe I worked there for so long. Ugh.

I had a job interview that I am waiting to hear back from. This is in a church so I'm really praying that I get it...I desire to work in a true Christian environment. If this job doesn't come through I have a few other things in mind. I don't need to earn a ton of money, but I do need to bring in something each month.

Mike had some GREAT news at work also last week. The nasty GM that was basically forced into hiring him on permanent (because HE can't count days on a calendar!) has been transfered to Denver! Mike was SOOOOO happy when he told me. And even better, the new GM is a sup that has known Mike from his first season at work and has always been positive and encouraging and wanted Mike hired on a lot sooner than it happened. I'm so glad that God has blessed our family with all this wonderful news on our job fronts!

Now that I'm home with Zachary full time I am trying to implement a learning time. He "might" know his ABC's, numbers, colors and shapes but he sure won't tell me! He might even know some songs or whatever from the last year (wow!) in daycare...but he sure won't tell me. So, last week I started a letter, number, shape, color and song. I can't decide if I should keep at this one more week or go ahead and start a new set this week. He seems interested, thankfully. Mostly though, he's interested in trains! LOL He has a new word: Henry, the #3 train on Thomas the Tank Engine. Now he can say Henry, James, Edward (Eh wah), Percy (Prs) and of course Bertie the Bus. I think it's pretty normal developmentally right now that he's dropping most of his ending sounds, I'm just happy that he's TRYING to say more and more words for me...when I say something he actually tries.

Funny story then I'm done. In the car last night:

Mama: Zachary can you say Henry?
Zachary: Henry!
Mama: can you say James?
Zachary: James
Mama: can you say Thomas?
Zachary (dramatic pause): uh huh!

Haley got the biggest laugh out of that! That's pretty typical for him though. Sure I can say it...but WILL I????

Labels: a day in the life of a Zachy boy, mama's bored, rambling thoughts, UPS, Zachary

Zachary wants to be just like his Daddy:


I made a hand print of Zachary's hand for Father's Day...now I think I'll do up a little scrapbook for him too. He LOVES to show off his boy to everyone he comes across, this will surely melt his squishy heart more!

Suggestions on the best way to make a little scrapbook basically indestructible? He's hell on just about everything he touches! :D

Labels: a day in the life of a Zachy boy, cutest baby EVER, hottie hubby, our blessing, recommendatoins please, UPS

I wanted to post today just because it's Leap Year Day. But instead of having a happy thought...I'm filled with angst and worry. Mike got "fired" today. We're meeting with a Union Steward tonight and will file a grievance. We'll follow through on everything on our part...but he might not get his job back. Hindsight, it's all about something very stupid. I will not blame my husband though, he does his very best for our family all the time. He's an awesome provider, a wonderful husband and the best Daddy ever. We're all proud of him...and upset right along with him.

God's got plans for our family...I believe this is just another part of it. Gotta take the good with the bad, right?

***edited to update:
Had the hearing on Friday. He ended up with time served as suspension and a HUGE warning that if he does this again he WILL be fired. Yikes. But praise God, Mike went back to work on Monday 3/10.

Labels: bitch and moan, family news, hottie hubby, UPS

I never post anymore. I'm having way too much fun in our new house with our growing way too fast for Mama big boy!




Picture entry, ok?





Zachary testing his new skills on stairs!









And here he is in the rocking chair my mom had made for "all" her grandkids (but has solely lived in my house and therefore is my kids' rocking chair! LOL







This next set of pictures is from today...in about 3.2 seconds time. He's found his mobility and there is pretty much no stopping him now. I still can't believe he will be 10 months old tomorrow!















I am really enjoying our new house...it's very comfortable and very homey. We'll stay here for a year, maybe 2 at the most, before we buy another house of our very own...which we are both very excited about already. I do know that the part of town we are living in right now is the part of town we'll buy a house in...it's the perfect part of town for everything we do. About 3 miles gets us to Mike's job, Haley's current school and about 2 miles gets us to church. Even closer is all kinds of shopping and restaurants and everything our little hearts desire! LOL I really love it here.




Micheal is driving home from his very first work trip. He had a LAN managers meeting with most of the entire company and was way too excited for his own good! LOL He got to rent a car, drive to NM, stay in a hotel, and hang out with 10 of his newest "real life" friends! I talked to him this morning as he was headed out of town for home, he's really had a great time. I hope he learned a lot, made some great friendships and is ready to start his life as an "adult". As his mom I'm not sure I'm ready for that!




Haley gets out of school in 3 more (school) days. Thank GOD. She's doing pretty good academically, but she's got a PE teacher from HELL. I can not wait to get her out of that woman's class! Then to get Haley in Physical Therapy for her pelvic issues (she's tilted!) and get the PT to document exactly what Haley can and can not do in PE next year. Whew. Her other fun thing, it's the last 3 weeks before the ballet recital...she's got practice 4 days next week, 5 days the week after that and then all 6 days the week of the recital. I'm going to be exhausted! LOL




Mike is still trotting along at UPS. I love how dedicated he is to our family to put up with so much at work. He works a minimum of 50 hours a week, and it's not the "busy" time yet. Ugh. UPS should be getting a few seasonal drivers hired on soon, so maybe Mike can work less than 60 hours all summer. We'll see. We would love to do a few fun family things this summer on the weekends...just to play and have a good time is so good for us all. Mike needs it, he's a workaholic by birth. Zachary has become such a daddy's boy, he even gets up an hour earlier than he used to just to spend time in the mornings with his Daddy. I'm going to be taking advantage of that daddy love soon, I need another pedicure! LOL




I guess I should be going, I need a shower if we're going to meet up with Daddy for lunch!

Labels: a day in the life of a Zachy boy, cutest baby EVER, family fun, hottie hubby, kiddos, UPS

I can not believe Zachary has been on the outside of the world as long as he was inside of me! Amazing.




He now has 2 teeth, both on the bottom. Still not much hair but what is coming in is very blond. There seems to be a tiny bit of texture to it so I'm hoping to see some curls eventually! He's still got his birthmark between his eyes but it is starting to lighten. Everyone loves his amazing blue eyes and long eyelashes too...I can't go anywhere without at least 3 people stopping me to admire him. And that smile! He can light up the world with that smile. He's giggling and drooling and smiling and so much fun!




Yesterday he crawled twice. Two separate times he got on his hands and knees and moved his arm/leg on one side then the next...then he sat down. It's a start and shows that he knows how to do it...which will, going by pretty much every other skill he's done, be it for crawling for him. His doctor said that was all he had to do...show me that he knows how. So now he's "cleared" to walk! LOL I told his doctor that he'd probably walk three steps and then take off running...that's what he's wanted to do for the past 7 months anyway! Silly boy...doesn't he know his Momma isn't ready for him to be a little boy yet?




Life is good but very hectic. We're getting ready to move again, but this move will be for a lot longer than what we just did. Thankfully anyway...I'm ready to hang my pictures on the walls and make a house my own again. I'm sure we'll be moving in the next 2 years though, but that will be our "forever" house. In theory, anyway! LOL




Not much else to say...life is busy and chaotic and hectic and I am loving every minute of it! Mike is working a lot, usually 45 to 55 hour weeks, but he's home every Saturday and every Sunday. I love that. Over the next 2 years he'll get regular pay increases and in about 2 1/2 years he'll be making double what he makes right now. I can't wait...he'll finally be paid what he's worth as an employee! I was thinking today it would be fun to have a bumper sticker that says "I love my UPS driver". LOL

Labels: cutest baby EVER, hottie hubby, the joy of teething, UPS

Life is Crazy right now!




Last Wednesday morning we received an offer on our house...and we accepted it. Closing date was set for 13 days later...so we started packing quickly. Well, other things were also very close to happening and I started to freak out just a little that if we waited until the weekend before closing to actually move all the big stuff that something would happen and we'd be, well, screwed. LOL So...we decided to go ahead and do the big move three days after accepting the offer! We're in the other house, trying to get settled in and put things away...yet we still have a few things at the other house. Today though, Mike is determined to get that all emptied out. I'll go over this weekend for a final walk through and we'll do some cleaning as well. Closing is Tuesday!!!




So the other thing that was very close to happening, finally happened. I got a call the Tuesday after we had accepted the offer on our house...Mike is finafreakingly hired on permanently! It's been a long 5 year mission, and now it's come to fruition. He won't start back until the middle of next week, which once again shows us that we're walking God's plan for our lives. If he had to go back before, he wouldn't be able to get to closing. :)









Zachary is 6 months old now. How on earth did that happen? I had planned to do a whole "you're six months old" type entry last week and even do a collage of birth to 6 months pictures but we had no Internet because of this:







that is our new back yard, and in the first picture, under roughly 6 feet of snow, was our cable/Internet box thingy that they needed to get us hooked up! Mike dug it out a few days after we were here so we could have a home phone again! LOL




So anyway..things are good but very busy. I'm hoping that once we're closed on the other house and Mike is back to full time work that my life can settle into a new pattern. That's what I'm shooting for anyway!

Labels: family fun, UPS, what's with the white stuff?

Hope everyone had a nice New Year's celebration! I was in bed sound asleep before midnight on NYE and actually awake at midnight new year's day...go figure!




In the last couple of weeks I realized I miss blogging like I used to do. Free thoughts, feelings or whatever just written down for me. For some reason I stopped feeling free to do that and now I hardly ever write anything. Mostly I feel like all I can do is whine and complain about my shitty life when in fact it's not shitty, it's just mundane and boring.




I need to make some more or some new mommy friends. I'm bored and lonely and tired of just spending all the live long day with my adorable but very demanding 5 1/2 month old cutie pie.




So...give me some tips on making new friends. I attend a MOPS groups (when it's not snowed out) and just found a new yahoo group of mom's that wear their babes in slings and such (they met once, haven't met since...hope that changes soon!) and I try to attend a Le Leche League meeting once a month. I still feel like I'm on the outside of that group, but they are very nice ladies and the kids are pretty close in age (all of course older than Zachary but whatever). What else can I do to find a few like minded mom friends?




I'm about to bitch and moan loudly about UPS and the state of our non-hiredness...so ignore if you want.




Dear UPS, you SUCK. Major suckage. My husband works his ass off for you all season long, for 9 long sucky seasons now, and you STILL can't hire him permanently? He's really thinking now that you have given us health benefits (what the hell dude, no seasonal gets benefits) and have him working the week after New Years that he's got a permanent job. I, on the other hand, am positive that you are, once again, dicking us around. I bet you found some minor little loophole in the Union rules that since you lost all that time right before Christmas due to the TWO freaking snow storms that you can use him this week and toss him aside until May again. Well...let me tell you something, if my freaking house would ever sell, my family is outta here and headed south for warmer weather. I am sick to freaking death of him working 59 hour weeks all season long and then when the magical day arrives you just toss him aside with the rest of the garbage. He's a super hard working devoted employee and family man...he should have been given the permanent job YEARS ago.




Assholes...please get your shit together and for the love of all that is sane stop fucking around with my family's future. Either you want him to be a UPSer or you don't...either way, get it straight once and for all THIS WEEK.




ok, I'm done.

Labels: bitch and moan, blogging, UPS