First Aquarium Trip 5-26-2010

For the entire month of May, the aquarium had a special for hotel employees...they get free admission and half off of a person they bring with them! So, finally getting a day to do so without it raining really hard, Emily I ventured there on Wednesday after I picked her up from school. I think that is the quickest trip in and out of there...30 minutes from the time we left the car until the time we got back!! She was so excited to see EVERYTHING and was running from place to place. Her favorite part was touching the star fish. I was quite impressed when she was naming off everything...just 5 months of preschool and she has learned so much.
In other news...as many know, I love my little Saturn, but things just keep popping up that need to be fixed, and I figure while I am able to afford a nice down payment on a car, thanks to my parents helping out and not charging me rent while we live here, I just decided to finally save up some money and get myself a nice car and just trade in my Saturn. Well, after returning home Wednesday from the aquarium and taking just a few minutes to sit down before running off to work, someone backed up into my car in my parents driveway. To make it worse, it was a big Ford van...one of those delivery vans for Samaritan Health Services. And, to top it off, he hit in square center of my hood and smashed it up and in so now I can't open my hood to put in the much needed transmission fluid that has been slowly leaking!! So, now my car is parked in the driveway, patiently awaiting for an insurance adjuster to come look at it. Fingers crossed they just cash my car out and I can put that towards my down payment for a new car!!
I had a great birthday last weekend. Went out with a couple of friends after I got off of work Saturday night/Sunday morning. Then on Sunday I got to spend the morning with Emily and my dad my favorite dinner before I had to go to work. It wasn't anything extravagant, but exactly what I wanted...a nice relaxing day at home with my girl! My mom did take me shopping so I could pick out my birthday present, but sadly, living on the coast, there isn't much to choose from. But, we did walk away with 2 pairs of shoes for Emily!!! Oh, and I did get a iPod charger for my car! Once summer gets here and my mom and I will actually have a day off together, we will venture over to Salem to do some serious shopping!!

2 Days Off!!

One of the perks about working at a hotel is the free use of the indoor pool and hot tub! Emily and I made use of this today. She was so proud of herself...she stuck her head under the water all by herself today!!
At school, the kids made "cook books" for Mother's Day...the high school students asked each kid what their favorite food was and how to make it...according to Emily, I apparently don't bake!! I thought it was cute! One of the kids in her class put that his favorite food was cheese burgers and all they have to do is go to McDonalds, buy it and eat it!! I love kids...they are so literal at times!
Every afternoon when I leave for work, Emily has to wave goodbye to me. One day last week, she had to come outside and wave goodbye. My dad sat her up on his truck so she wouldn't get in the way. I just thought that they looked so cute!!


And yesterday was moderately nice, so we decided to go to the beach to play with her new sand toys, and then we came home and planted some flowers.
It has been nice to actually be home these past 2 days with Emily and not have to rush off to work. I didn't realize how much I actually missed giving her baths, reading to her at night, putting her to bed, etc. I have just enjoyed every moment of being with her.
My trip to Michigan to get my things is being postponed until September...my manager at the hotel asked that I put it off to help them get through the summer rush...which makes sense!! But, it turns out that my going in September works out best for everyone, so that is nice. Just means that my parents are stuck with Emily and I living with them for a few more months!!!
Other than that, all is well here. Just keeping busy with work, Emily's school and daycare and whatever else seems to pop up!!

Princess Bed

Finally...her big girl bed has arrived! Emily absolutely loves it. She calls it her princess bed! I wasn't sure how tall the bed would be, but something told me to get her a bedguard, mainly because she moves around a lot in her sleep. When they brought the bed and then added the box springs and mattress to it, I was very grateful that I got it! Fingers crossed, this is the very last bed that I will ever have to buy her.

First Field Trip 4-29-2010

Emily got to go on her very first field trip on Thursday! She had so much fun...it wasn't just her first field trip, but her very first time riding a bus, which I do believe was her favorite part of the whole field trip! They went to the Hatfield Marine Science Center and the US Coast Guard station. She loved going on the boats at the Coast Guard Station and touching all of the animals at the Marine Science Center. Next week, I am hoping to take her to the aquarium on my one day off...fingers crossed the weather holds out!!

Changes

Where to begin...Emily is still doing great in preschool. Loves going and absolutely loves her teacher. I swear, if it weren't for teacher Ginger, Emily would not like it nearly as much. Emily now writes her name perfectly, however I did enjoy it when she wrote her name, EILMY!! She counts to 20 without any problems, with the exception of her forgetting 13 sometimes. She has over half of the alphabet down, but knows the entire melody of the song at least! She started daycare a few weeks ago on Thursday's and Friday's and can't get enough of it. Luckily, she is in the daycare that I used to work with, so I know almost all of the ladies that work there! Between preschool and daycare, Emily is learning so much.
I had to take her to the doctor yesterday because we were concerned that she might have a bladder infection, but turns out that everything was fine. But, I did talk to her doctor about how I am not sure how to get her to wake up in the middle of the night to go potty because she is such a sound sleeper. She still has to wear pullups at night. So, he put her on a medication that is actually an anti-depressant, but is supposed to help with bladder control in kids. He said to give it two weeks to see results, so hopefully this will help her.
As for me...I am still working the two jobs and still loving both jobs. My job at the hotel is changing a little bit. I was hired to work day shift, but last week both the front desk manager and general manager sat me down and told me they were moving me to 2nd shift. They said that the girl they have on 2nd shift is making too many errors and needs to be on 1st shift with managers on duty so they can help her, and since I am on of their strongest employees, they need me on the busy shift where they know I can handle the stress and be able to sell rooms! So, I guess it is a compliment, but now I don't get to put Emmy to bed anymore. :( But, I do get more time with her during the day, so that part will be nice.
Just ordered Emily a twin bed!! She has been sleeping on a twin air mattress since we have been back in OR. I haven't had the money to get her a actual bed, and she had outgrown the toddler bed! But, with my tax return money, I was finally able to get it! My parents bought her the comforter and sheets...of course it is princesses!! Now just waiting for the bed to get here...pictures will be posted!!
Other than that, not much new to report. Staying busy, having fun, and trying to save money to get my own place! AND...Oregon is quickly reminding me what I didn't miss about this place...the rain!!! We have had so much of it lately, it is depressing.

Quick Update

New job is going amazingly well and I love it so much. Employee's are awesome management is awesome...and here is the kicker...everyone is so laid back and loves to joke around and have a good time. I love it. However, I do feel bad that I am currently applying for a different job. As much as I love this job, I do always have to look out for what is best for Emily and I and our future. If I could possibly get a better job for more pay and set hours every week, I would feel more secure. I found a job listing in the paper for a patient accounts representative for the tribe here. I meet all of the qualifications and starting pay is $5 more an hour than I make now, plus it is a guaranteed 40 hours a week. We shall see where this goes, but fingers crossed that something promising comes up. In the mean time, I am really enjoying my current job, was asked my 2nd day of work if I had 3 sisters that were just like me to come work for them, got a $50 tip this weekend from a guest because he said he has never met someone so bubbly and happy as me, and my manager today said that between me and the other day shift front desk girl, she has the perfect day shift team. What a compliment to receive after only being there for 3 weeks. I have been working crazy hours lately, today was my first day off in 10 days!!! Tomorrow and Tuesday I work my other job at Gymboree...which I got because my good friend works there, so that will be nice to pick up a little extra money there. All in all, things are working out nicely. I love being back in Oregon, but still miss Michigan sometimes. I do think that moving back was for the best though.
Emily is doing great. She loves school and is learning so much every day. Her imagination just amazes me. She role plays so much now. My parents and I find ourselves just sitting back and watching her little mind at play. She is starting daycare this week also. My dad had some obligations with substituting and was unable to watch Emily while I had to work this Thursday and Friday. So, I decided that it was probably best that I put her into daycare any ways for Friday's so that she can have some more interaction with children. Being the only child, she is around adults all of the time and needs to be with kids her own age. So, Tuesday-Thursday's she will be in preschool, and on Friday's she will be in daycare. I have Monday's off, so that is our day together!
Still planning on going back to Michigan this summer to get my things. I was originally going to leave Emily with my parents, but the more I think about leaving her for an entire week, the more depressed I get and have come to the conclusion that I just can't leave her for that long!! I think that the longest I have ever been away from her is when she was a baby and my mom took her one night for me so I could get some sleep...however I ended up missing her so much that I couldn't sleep and gave up and went and got her early in the morning!!
That is my life in a nutshell currently...exciting, eh?! I have been considering getting the iphone, but have had mixed reviews on it...anyone want to throw in their opinion, I am more than willing to hear it!!

Guitar Practice

Emily and I went to the outlet mall this afternoon so I could look for a pair of comfortable work shoes...instead of shoes, I came home with a job application in hopes of getting a 2nd job with my great friend Shanna at Gymboree! Any ways, when we got home my dad was cooking dinner and playing his guitar in the kitchen. Emily was very curious and wanted to play also. I got these great pictures and video of them together...my mom has decided that she needs to get Emily the pink guitar that she spotted the other day so that my dad and Emily can jam out together!! Moments like these are great to capture and I am so glad that I am here to get moments like this on camera for Emily for the future for her to remember.