Fine Dining

As parents we try to provide unique experiences for our children, at least once in a while. We think it's the big trips or long-planned events that have the most impact. But last night, my almost three-year-old proved me wrong.

Troy and I decided to go grab a bite to eat for supper at the local grocery store's deli. Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. (Maybe other people have already eaten by six.) So we opted for Plan B which was to stop at the convenience store/gas station to get some sandwiches. We waited for our food and picked out a hot dog and string cheese for Mateo. We were planning to go home and eat, but Mateo spotted the three little tables by the big picture window at the front of the store and really wanted to eat there--dine in, if you will.

As I was sitting there, trying to eat quickly so not too many people would see us, Mateo said, "I like this place. I want to live here." I had to smile. It was not a comment I was expecting to hear. "What do you like about it?" I asked. He scanned the store. I could tell he really liked a lot of things about this particular "restaurant." Then he answered, "I like the big window." As we finished our food, he said, "Can we come here tomorrow?" "Not tomorrow," I said, "but maybe some other time."

Simple pleasures.

Unemployment - Nobody's Friend

I have taken a lot of classes in my life. But I don't recall any classes that taught me what to do if you, or your spouse, loses a job. When Troy was told this September that his job was done, effective immediately, due to budget cuts, we did know that he needed to file for unemployment right away. That is where our knowledge on unemployment ended. Six weeks later, we are wishing we had known more, because if I knew then what I know now, I don't think he would have even bothered to file. So here are some tips that I would like to share so that if you are ever in our position, (which I hope you are not) you will be a little more informed.

A)If you are taking classes and also working but get laid off, you will be denied unemployment if you state on your application that you are not willing to quit your classes.
B)If you appeal your case and speak to a judge who reviews your case, you will still be denied benefits even though you would be able to accept a job while taking classes.
C) If on your initial application you choose to have taxes taken out of any benefits (which you assume you will be getting), you will then be required to pay taxes on benefits you receive when those benefits have actually been denied but are sent to you mistakenly due to a "clerical error."

This has been an on-going process for a month-and-a-half. I did my best to deal with the sudden shock of his job loss, accept the fact that we weren't going to get any unemployment compensation, understand that our appeal was denied, and even try not to feel too disappointed that Troy didn't get a part-time job he applied for at BSU. But coming home today and finding out that we now owe taxes (on money that we don't get to keep) due to someone else's mistake has made me really mad. The saying "kick a person while he's down" comes to mind. Oh, in case you're wondering, we're supposed to get reimbursed for the taxes we have to pay now when we file our taxes this spring. Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like a good deal to me. I have a feeling the final chapter has not been written on the unemployment saga.

Happy Birth Day Tyler

Today I (along with many others) helped you celebrate your sixth birthday! It made me think about your actual birth day when I was there to see your entrance into the world. I hadn't intended to be at the birth, but your mom went into labor a few days before your due date, and I just happened to be at their house that weekend. You made us wait awhile once we got to the hospital. I had to sleep on some uncomfortable chairs that night and thought for sure you'd make your appearance in the morning.

Morning came and went and still nothing. But sure enough, about 24 hours after your mom thought you were on your way, you were here! I got to hold you right away--you were just the most special baby I had ever seen. I couldn't quite believe how much I loved you from the moment I saw you. I made your uncle Troy drive back to your parents' the next weekend because I wanted to see you again. I held you as much as I could and fed you some bottles. You were so tiny and the sweetest baby ever. I was so excited to be an aunt!

We spent a lot of time with you your first couple of years. I was always so excited to see you. You were the easiest baby to care for. We hardly knew you were there. This may explain why your sister Brooke came along eighteen months later! You made it seem too easy.

So here you are, six short years later, getting older and wiser every day. You are still such a sweet boy with an easy smile. I think back to some of your other birthdays--like your first birthday when you fell asleep or when you turned two and blew out your candles over and over because you thought it was so fun. This year I will remember how you read your own birthday cards! I hope you have a wonderful sixth birthday. I look forward to celebrating many more with you and being reminded of why your birth day is so special.

See You on Facebook

This afternoon I was at my nephew's birthday party and some cousins were there whom I don't see very often. It was nice to visit with them without needing to play "catch up" because they are Facebook friends. I have a tiny little snapshot of what is going on in their lives because of their postings.

If I was in some master's program that allowed me to choose any topic, I would seriously consider studying the phenomenon that is Facebook. I think it is revolutionary and changing the way we communicate/keep in touch with one another. I am curious about how different demographics use Facebook and wonder about the rate of new accounts that are opened on a weekly and monthly basis. It seems like just about everyone is on Facebook.

There are lots of pros to being on Facebook and, of course, some cons. Like how much time one can actually spend on it! But I really like that I now have an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family at the click of a button.

So if you're reading this and haven't signed up yet...get to it! It's really fun!

Grandma Winda

Mateo thoroughly enjoyed his time with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles when we spent some family time with them this past weekend. He didn't want to leave. Here is a short conversation we had on the way home.

Mateo (said sadly): I don't feel very good.
Me: What's wrong?
Mateo: I miss grandma.