Yackety Schmackety

This has been a hell of a week.

While I really did enjoy myself at training last week, I hate that they take us out of work for an entire week.  Monday was SO hectic, mainly just catching up with stuff from the week prior.  I know I need to delegate, but sometimes it really just is easier to do things myself rather than fix them later.  Then I had my first Stampin’ Up! party to get ready for on Tuesday.

My party was pretty disappointing.  Besides my hostess and myself, there were only 3 people that showed up (I sent out 18 invitations!) and I think they were just there to be nice.  There were two others who showed up, one early and one late, and I hope to get orders out of them as well, but wow.  I guess my hopes were too high.  The latecomer did act like she wanted to host a party, which is a good thing, but it was still a disappointing night nonetheless.  Guess I can’t quit my day job quite yet. 

Not to be a downer, but this has had me in a funk all week too.   To sum up, a story ran in Cincinnati a few weeks ago about this 3 year old boy who went missing in a park while there with his foster mother and some other children.  Supposedly.  This week the news broke that he was, in fact, considered to be too much of a bother, being developmentally delayed and all, to attend their trashfest family reunion with his foster parents back on the 4th or 5th of this month.  So, rather than, oh I don’t know, find someone to watch him, they opted to wrap him and tape him in a rug and lock him in the closet for the weekend.  He was dead when they got home.  Shock.  The foster father took his body and burned it and they created this "lost child" story.  It has been all over the Cincinnati news, overshadowed nationally by the JonBenet freakshow, but sick sick sick regardless.  There is a special place in hell for those people.  And yet, even though my son is the same age which makes the whole story hurt even worse, I can’t stop reading about it.  Ugh.

Whew.  Sorry about that.

On to good news, my dad ROCKS.  He called me on Monday and just so happened to catch a commercial on TV for the Day out with Thomas coming to a train station near them!  While we’re visiting!  And he got us tickets!  For those of you who don’t have 3 year old boys, Day out with Thomas is a traveling kids’ show, I guess, featuring an actual "Thomas" train, that the kids can ride, and listen to stories and all of that good stuff.  I am so excited for Simon that I cannot even stand it!

Potty training has got to be the worst part of parenthood thus far.  Simon’s preschool director called me on Tuesday to say that the pull-ups are just not working for him, and asked if I could put him in "big boy pants" on Wednesday.  So we did, and actually he had two accidents at school and two at home.  We did again today, and he had three accidents at school and no pee-accidents at home (but two of the "other").  I SO hope this gets better.  I’m just glad we have old-ish carpet and furniture.  Hopefully by the time I get to updating around here again, we will see an improvement.

If I’m not back before then, have a lovely Labor Day weekend.  I plan on cleaning up accidents for my holiday, how bout you? 

One of the screwy things about Blogsome is that they do not have a "login" button that is very easy to find.  Which is my excuse this week for taking so long to post again.  Yeah, that’s the ticket.  Anyway, I have found the proper website (and bookmarked it, genius) so now I am back to fill your lives with my mindless rambling.

I returned Friday evening from my week-long training in Orlando.  It was actually a great time.  I flew our last Monday and met my friend Kimberlee for lunch at the Orlando airport.  I had not met her in person before, but she was just a doll.  We had a great lunch and I am so glad she made the trek to come and see me!

That afternoon, after some mishaps and confusion, I was picked up at the airport by a regional manager, along with several other location managers (like myself) and we got checked in to the hotel and went out for dinner.  The other location managers, save a few, were a great group of people.  Most of them were from Pennsylvania, some from Florida, one from New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and me, from Mississippi.  There was a core group of about 3 or 4 of us who "hit the town" (so to speak) every night to go out to dinner.  I haven’t eaten so well in a long time!  We went to a place called Salt Fish, Bonefish grill (yes I know it’s a chain but it was pretty good!), and we went two nights to a place called Seasons 52.  Let me tell you, if you ever find yourself in Florida (Orlando is the prototype, I know there are others in Florida) or Atlanta, GO FIND this restaurant.  It was one of the best places I have eaten in a long time!

Anyway, the point of us being there was training, of course, and that wasn’t too bad.  It was good to see how other managers were doing things (those who are new and don’t really know any better), as well as find out how things are actually supposed to be done by the people who make the big bucks.  And it’s always kind of funny to meet people in person that you get official, corporate-ish emails and phone calls from and find out that they’re not so scary. 

But, as much fun as I had going out and eating well , it was also time for me to head home on Friday.  I missed my boys.  Although, I think Simon and Phil had plenty of fun without me.  The nights I called and Simon was having cookies and real chocolate milk for his bedtime snack?  Yeah, I’m sure he’s okay with mom leaving every once in awhile.

Saturday, if you would like to check out the pictures to your right, we attended a cowboy birthday party for one of Simon’s little buddies, Noah.  Their neighbors have horses and were kind enough to bring one over for the kids to ride.  Video (of course) is here. He had a great time!

And that’s about all that’s going on here.  I can’t believe it will be September at the end of this week!  My first Stampin’ Up! party is on Tuesday, I’m so nervous!  I’ll be glad when that’s over with!

Now I know I don’t have any excuses to not update more frequently, so I will try to do better.  I promise.   

Well, our quick trip to Illinois is over and Simon and I have made it home.  We had a really nice trip but I wish I had an extra day off before I have to go to work tomorrow. 

We left from work Wednesday morning at around 10 and got to Tuscola right at 6pm.  Simon was SO good.  On the way there, I didn’t even have to break out our new DVD player until halfway through.  We just hung out with Phil’s parents and played that night and Thursday.  

Friday we were busy.  We drove around Champaign a little in the morning (that town is growing like crazy, still…some good, some bad) and then went to Simon’s old babysitter’s house.  We visited with her a little while and she kept Simon most of the day.  I took lunch (yay Monical’s) to my old coworkers in Danville, visited with my friend Danielle, drove around some more, and went back down to Tuscola.  That night I met some of my good friends at Guido’s (was supposed to be Memphis on Main but it was very biker bar-y) and then went to see the Brat Pack at the High Dive.  A good time was had by all.  Weather has cooled off in Champaign and I thought I’d freeze.  Maybe I’ve gotten used to the Mississippi heat already?

Anyway, we spent Saturday with my nephews (and Scott and Shannon).  The boys played very well together (for the most part).  I took some cute pictures and once I get Simon to bed I will post them.  There are also videos on our youtube site.  Probably not very exciting for you non-family types, but the boys were having fun.  Their papa took them for rides on his "horseless carriage" which was a lot of fun.  Until I caught Simon trying to stick his finger in the spokes of the wheel.  Luckily no appendages were lost!

In other news, I have officially signed up to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator!  I’ve only been talking about it forever.  Now it’s official.  And I need to place a big first order, so be nice and order something from me. 

Oh yes, I remember what else I was going to post.  We have finally settled on a church.  It is certainly a surprise to me (to us both, I think) to choose the denomination we did, but we both like it.  It’s very family-oriented and child-oriented, which works for us.  And we have met (and continue to meet) lots of great people there.  So the pastor is coming over on Tuesday evening to meet with us.  I think a house-cleaning is in order.   

And that’s about all I can report from the big city.  We’re back in one piece, I didn’t have to leave a tantrum-throwing child on the side of the highway, and life is good. 

…until next week anyway.

This has been a "normal" week.  Phil’s been home, it’s just been us, we’ve finally been able to concentrate a little more on potty training (joy), but alas, next week will be crazy again.  Phil is going to North Carolina for work and Simon and I are going to Illinois!  I’m excited to go back again, but a little nervous about the road trip with Simon by myself.  Which is why we will be springing for the portable DVD player this weekend. 

Later this month, I have my travel arranged to go to Orlando for work!  I’m actually excited, even though I would rather not be away from the child for that long.  Or Simon.   But I am glad to get away, to fly, and I might be meeting a friend for lunch!  Yippee!  Of course, I will have to put up with the training for long days during the week, but it shouldn’t be too bad.  I guess.  Work has been better this week, of course, since the boss hasn’t been around.  I have a coworker that is becoming a problem, but everyone else is complaining about her too, so I know it isn’t just me.  That helps.

I posted not long after we moved about (I think) about meeting friends down here.  We’ve actually met quite a few people, mainly through Simon, but everyone is just SO nice and welcoming, and I’m really happy about that.  However, the first girl that I met here (who has a son just Simon’s age) is moving!  To Naperville, IL, of all places.  I’m really upset about it, it was very sudden.  In fact, she’s leaving at the end of this month!  She and her husband are so nice, and while they may (or may not, we never got to find out) be a little straight-laced for us heathens, Phil even commented that he was sad they were leaving.  So anyway, this weekend we are spending time with her and the kids (her hubby has already moved north).  I don’t know how I feel about Greenville seeming like a transitional kind of town, it’s hard to make friends with people when you’re afraid they might move any day.  Especially when we know/hope we’ll be here for awhile.  But, I guess you can’t NOT make friends for that reason.  And there are several people who seem to be pretty permanent.  Anyway, we introduced our friend who’s moving to IL to Italian beef this weekend- we made it for Simon’s party.  She loved it!  Too bad she has to move away from the tamales.  Poor her.  (We had tamales from Stareka deli tonight for dinner and they were so good!  I’m thinking about stealing the leftovers instead of leaving them for Phil.  Damn the south is not good for the size of my pants.)  I’m rambling…

I will try to post before or during the Illinois trip, but if I don’t, have a great week!  Enjoy the pictures of my goofy child.  He takes after his father, remember.