So the way things go

My posting is dwendeling a little, I know, I know, but I never know if anyone besides DW is reading them anyway, she's the only comment I ever get (Hint, hint, DS and Keri!). I've been really busy at work and school and with Miss Maddie lately. Crazy days at the end of a busy month. I was at work until after 5:30 last night, and still had to take the mail and recordings to our Harrisonville office. I didn't get home until after 6:15 last night. It was craziness, really. I am entering week 4 of 5 for my class... I'm doing better and have a much better learning team this time around, but it's going soooo quickly, I'm not sure that I can really, truly keep up. I have a big paper due next Tues or Wed that I haven't really started. I have half of an outline, that's it. My 9 year old cousin Tori is staying with us this week for VBS... I think I'm going nuts with her there. She's sweet, but she wants to mother my daughter and tell me what to do and I don't like it, but she's leaving Sunday. Sunday. Sunday. I'm taking Maddie and her to the pool tonight, any voluteers to go with?

I am embarking on new adventures everyday, and considering my options. I think my mother thinks I'm crazy, but we will see what happens. I applied to NWMSU with intentions to attend this coming Spring trimester. It will take probably two full years from that time, but I plan to go to school all year round. I am really starting to think that this is the best option for Maddie and for me. I can get into the career I want. I know that I can borrow $$ and work part time to afford rent, food, etc. I have an offer from a friend there to stay with her until I have a place for us, and I have a job at Sonic, if I want it. I have to get accepted again to NW and all that, but it's a thought. It's been pulling at me for awhile that I may want to do this so we'll see what happens.

Scrape, scrape, pinch, pinch.

That's how the wallet goes... I over spent maybe a tad last weekend, I'll be okay, I always am, but it was so much fun. I went to go see my cousin for her birthday... It was just good fun. Maddie was staying at my aunt's house, and she got to play with a puppy... She was very excited. So excited that she can still say puppy. Imagine that.

She was sick and I had to stay home with her on Monday and Tuesday. She's all better and running around like a crazy child now though. No worries.

PS-- I posted this poem on a poets website a couple of nights ago, and someone commented that English wasn't my first language, that I should write it in my native tongue. What? What am I speaking here?

Into the Real World

To the Youth I leave behind

When I act my age, am I then old?

When I do this, am I not

the youth of my mind?

Do I have to do what I am told?

When should I begin to

act my same exact age?

Can I not skip and run and be bold?

Do I have to stop acting as

the child inside to get by?

Must I be learn to be callus and cold?

The world as I know it,

is it left behind?

Can I your hand please hold?

To enter this new world,

grown up inside too?

Do I have to fit the mold?

Of everyone else, and

then move on and on?

Working for the gold?

That cannot pay the

bills that always come?

When I act my age, am I then old?

In the Dark

So I'm at work; I know I should be working, but this is just too good. It's Friday, we're all excited about that. It's payday, even better. We have about 3 or 4 closings scheduled for the day, this morning to be exact. The first one was at 9 am. Right in the middle of the closing there's a loud buzz and a pop. HALF of our electricity went out. HALF. I have a computer, but no lights. I can turn on my electric tart buner, but we don't have A/C. We have 4 computers and 2 work. It's craziness for sure. Our noon closing is here early and we're waiting on his loan officer, I hope he doesn't start to melt in here...

Good news is... Power just came, but who knows for how long??!! Have a good weekend everyone. I'm headed to Savannah, MO for my cousin Keri's 21st birthday. Happy Birthday, Kooowwweeeeee!! Love Always.

Too Young?

I just got told by a salesperson that I look like I'm too young to have children. Is that a compliment?

Places I cannot Go

Family reunion was this weekend. Please remind me next time I am speaking of dragging my daughter 3 hours away from home, how cranky we both become. Miss Maddie did okay, but I know that she was tired of being in the car. She didn't even want to get in the car this morning to head to day care. It was one of those moments that was almost funny (if my parents hadn't made me late)-- I picked her up despite her efforts of staying "ground bound" and lifted her toward her car seat. She let out a little squeal and cry; I took her back out--she stopped. Back in, she let out the little squeal and cry; back to the carseat with her little whines that you want to be able to stop. I finally got her hushed with a promise that we were going to daycare and it wouldn't take long. Once we were moving, she was fine. But the whole experience was pretty cute.

On Saturday morning, she and I drove to my school for a brief meeting with my financial aid officer, then we went to the computer lab where she decided that she did not want to sit in the stroller anymore, but push all the buttons on my keyboard. That didn't last long. I put her back; she objected; I overruled for about 2 minutes. She got out and played with her toys for a little while; then thought it would be fun to walk around the lab (there was no one else there, thank goodness) . Then, we left.

We drove until I realized that I hadn't gotten gas before I left Harrisonville. Where did I realize this? At Winner Rd/24 HWY off of I-435. Not the best area for a single white girl and her baby, but I truly thank God for pay at the pumps in places like those. We did not have to talk to a soul. hallaluah.

We arrived without invitation to the Sonic in Maryville, only to find it had been totally re-built and the mangers on duty were two of my best friends from when I worked there. I was invited to dinner at Applebee's and given a free drink and ice cream for me and the little one. I miss it so much. Not all the crap that I dealt with there, but the whole college atmosphere. Then I was hit with the reality that all my friends from there are graduating next spring. I met them as little freshmen in our dorms or first classes or whatever. I can't believe it really. I want to go back with a passion. I want to succeed at that college more than almost anything I have ever wanted. But I don't think that I will be able to just pick up and move there and not end up living in a hole or under a bridge. Frustrations.

We then proceeded to each grandparents house. I think we caught grandma and grandpa Coffelt napping. Madeline showed off a little there, but quickly fell asleep in my arms. SO, we packed up and went to my Grandma Inman's in Parnell, population 197, and I think that includes cats. Madeline was on top of her game there. She was showing off like I've never seen for her great-grandma. It was really cute. This is the grandma who uses a walker to get around, and Miss Mad thought it was fun to try to shake it and peek through the bars at us. My grandma was pretty "tickled," as she would say, at these happenings. My grandma's house is very, very small and filled with stuff. Lots of stuff. Madeline was trying to get some off this stuff to call her own. It kept me on my toes for sure. She hated the bathroom there (as do I, since the floor slopes to the door on entry--that room is about and inch lower than it used to be), but I had to take her with me as my grandma could not pick her up or keep her from picking up any of her "stuff" and in turn trying to eat it. The whole thing was an adventure.

The actual family reunion was my dad's side on Sunday at 12:30. Maddie let me fall asleep and we were late, but there was still plenty of food. No worries. After the meeting and "wonderful" entertainment (which was better this year, I must say); we always have a family business meeting. We discuss the births and deaths and marriages. We always elect someone as president who isn't in attendance and laugh when they try to pass a motion for that kind of nomination to be "against the rules." This year the hot topic was changing locations. Boy, was it hot. Some of the family is wanting to have the reunion someplace where the kids have something to do. Believe me, after about ten-fifteen minutes on that old swingset in the middle of July at two in the afternoon, that's quite enough, but then you're out of things to do. Most with small children don't even bother (like my very intelligent brother and sister-in-law). One of the "aunts" brought up the point that the reason we get together is for everyone to get to know each other. You can tell that her children are twenty something and thirty something. Do you know how long a one year olds attention span is? Barely long enough to eat. If they want the kids to come, they cannot expect them to sit like angels and carry on conversations with the adults. It just doesn't happen. I was afraid of most of the adults as a child, and as they get older--I still am. We nominated a committee to check out other possible locations for next year's reunion. I hope that they are ready for what's in store if the pick some place else. My only problem with the committee is that none of them have small children. Not that anyone with small children would have time for this, but still.

Sorry so windy today. That's what happens when I hang out with my family though. Beware!! Have a great day!!

Nose to the Grindstone

So back at it today... Not really wanting to even be awake and it's lunchtime by now. Maddie woke me up twice last night, I guess she was feeling the same impending doom that I was in the coming work day. But I think I'm coming down with something... I may need to be home tomorrow [insert fake coughing noise here]. I don't have much to catch up on today, which is good, but not. I don't feel like anyone even noticed I was gone. But this isn't the busier time of the month for us (always a justification for such a feeling). I had class last night and some last minute hundred things to finish up for that TODAY... So maybe I should work on that instead of posting, yeah... Probably so.

I have a family reunion this weekend in Ravenwood, MO. I will probably come back with a story or two of my disappearing daughter who magically reappears for food or diapering. Or a story of my father the family entertainment emcee and his cheesy routine. Alas, C'est la vie. What's a girl to do?

Prayer for the day: Lord, please, give me the determination to go the places I want to go... So this life won't pass me right by.

A Day of Relaxation

So I have today and tomorrow off work... it's so nice. Maddie's at daycare and we slept in til 8:15. That's a huge accomplishment... I know you all are thinking "8:15, yeah, I roll over then, but really, I haven't slept straight through to 8am in well over a year. I feel soooooo rested... it's soooo nice. I don't know how I'm going to go back to workThursay when I have to get up so early! But I'm sure Maddie will be back to herself by then. We got lots and lots of fireworks in this weekend... she really liked some of them, but she was also very very sleepy for some of them so a little cranky,but good.

Hannah's wedding was Saturday evening... yeah, I have to admit that I cried. She had a little video about the two of them... I think that many people may have had a tear or two. The wedding was beautiful, as was the bride. Very traditional and Mennonite I think. I felt a little "heathon-ish" being there, but it wasn't about me. And I'll have you know that I didn't catch the bouquet... Neither did any of you, I may add, so, A night out to scope for guys?? LOL, right.

I am scouting apartments here in Harrisonville for lack of the means to go where ever I want... I found on today that includes a washer and dryer... I think that people around here must have a contract with the local laudry mats because rarely do even the houses for rent include that. It's not fun. I don't want to take Madeline to a laundry mat if I don't have to.

Hope that everyone had a safe and happy Independence day. And that you took a moment to appriciate what it's all about!! Have a great day!