On the blog again...

Ok, ok, OK! I've got the memo. I know that I've needed to post on this thing for a long time. The issue is that most of my time now is spent on my desktop and all of my pictures are on my laptop and you all know that I don't like to post without pictures. So, anyways, here is the update:

• I am no longer employed by PCL. That job lasted 2 months and it was 2 months too long in my opinion. I loved the job but working nights and having to lift people was just too much for me.
• I am now employed by Enterprise Holdings. They own Enterprise, National, and Alamo car rentals. I work from home making reservations and answering general questions. It is a fun job, mostly. It is also quite entertaining and can also be extremely draining. Can I just put a request out there? PLEASE, be nice to customer service reps on the phone. For me? Think, of me the next time you want to yell, or treat a customer service rep badly. They are people too. Most of them are highly educated as well...so don't call them incompetent or stupid. Ok. My rant is done.
• We have moved! We are no longer living with my mom. We moved about 30 minutes away to Albany which is where my sister and bro-in-law live at the moment. We love our place and we love just getting to be a family for the first time ever. I must say that it is sad to not have Grandma around and sometimes quite inconvenient but we are surviving.
• Ralph is back in school part-time. He is going to Linn-Benton Community College while he is trying to get in-state residency.
• Ralph also got a job! He will beginning at the new wal-mart here in Albany shortly. He will work nights as an overnight stock person. It is part-time but it will definitely help with the bills.
• Addison is busy being herself. She is growing into an independent, highly self-sufficient child. She definitely knows what she wants and when she wants it. She moved into a "big girl bed" when we moved. It has been great! She loves it because she can get down and play until she is tired and then she can get back into bed and sleep. She is also in her own room which is very advantageous for Ralph and me because she sleeps in longer.

I think that pretty much sums things up for us. Here are some pics:

Addison's favorite thing to do is take pictures.

Addison and me when we were both sick. She was cutting a molar and I was just plain sick.

Addison as a ladybug for Halloween. She LOVED the pumpkin buckets and she is still playing with them.

We got some family pictures done by our good friend Celia. She is an AMAZING photographer and I LOVE the pictures.

I got to see one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world when I went to Boise for her sister's wedding.

Me and the BEAUTIFUL bride! She got married in the Twin Falls, ID temple.

Their little brother, Alex, who is quite cute and handsome, has a pet tarantula. This is me trying SO HARD not to throw the thing and run and scream in the other direction. You can't see him, but Rachel's other brother, Kitch is standing there telling me to not move or freak out. After this picture I was like, "Get it off! Get it off!" I nearly started crying...

By Request

So, a friend and reader of my blog has requested that I update my blog. I thought that I had updated it since my last post but APPARENTLY I am just dreaming that I had. A lot has happened since my last post.

To begin, I am employed!! That is a HUGE relief for us. I am working for an organization called Partnerships in Community Living. They run group homes for the developmentally disabled. I am also working graveyard which is from 11pm to 8:30am. It is a new experience for me and is taking quite awhile to get used to it. I like it though and the individuals I work for are amazing, wonderful people.

Another thing that happened to us is that in June (I don't really remember when) our car broke down on the side of the road! I was on the way to a Dr.'s appointment and the car started lurching. Ralph was driving so I thought he was playing around. He said he wasn't so I quickly told him to pull over. We had JUST enough time to get off the road before the car died. We were lucky though because we carry roadside assistance so they said they would send a tow truck. We had Addison with us so I had to call my mom to come get her and Ralph while I waited for the tow. It was a HOT day so sitting in a car was no picnic. The tow truck took forever too because the insurance company gave the tow truck completely wrong directions as to where I was. After calling the insurance back and having them try to clarify my location I finally just asked for their number and called the tow truck myself. Luckily it was nice and cool in the truck. I got to sit in it while the tow dude (who was actually clean cut and nice) pulled poor Bertha onto the flatbed truck. Then, we went back to Monmouth and dropped Bertha off at the repair shop. Well, after the mechanic looked at it, it turned out that the car would need a whole NEW ENGINE! I was really upset then because we had only made THREE payments on the car. So, off to POWER Mazda we went to have a lovely discussion with the manager.

First, they tried to screw us over by trying to sell us ANOTHER car and by playing number games. I'm lucky my mom was there to stop me from accepting their offer because I would have ended up buying Bertha AND another car. So, we went on to option 2 which was to fix Bertha. The cost of that option was $1800. That's almost HALF of what we paid for her!! Luckily, POWER Mazda after some pleading, begging, and talking to a guy with a heart, we were able to get POWER Mazda to agree to pay for half of the total repair cost. Bertha is still not fixed but we hope to get her back soon. More to come on this situation later.

Another thing that happened was Addison's 2nd 4th of July! It started with a flag raising ceremony at church. Then, my mom, Addison, and I met up with our favorite family, the McIntosh's, to watch the local parade. Addison really enjoyed seeing the animals like horses, dogs, and goats go by. She really HATED when the fire trucks or big semis would go by with their loud noises. I had fun sitting on the curb and teaching the kids how to get candy from the parade people. After that we got out of the sun for awhile and rested up for the annual BBQ we attend. This year, because of a conflicting BBQ, the even was MUCH smaller than usual. It was nice though because we were able to talk to everyone in attendance. The BBQ ended with some "fireworks" and sparklers. It was really fun and enjoyable. We definitely can't wait until next year!

Also, at the BBQ, our good friend and photographer Celia from Studio C took some pictures of Addison. I LOVE THEM! Here are a couple that she took:





I LOVE THEM! SO CUTE! I can't wait until I get paid so I can purchase some copies. Also, Addison had a photo shoot with my sister. I'll post about that in another post.

I think that pretty much has caught everyone up. We are just preparing for vacation. We will be going to Colorado on Tuesday to visit my dad and stepmom. It will be a fun time I think. Hopefully I will blog about that instead of waiting 10 years to post. Haha. Until next time...

Parental Advice Needed!

I need help! My wonderful, beautiful, daughter is not all she seems. You see, sometimes, a monster comes out, possesses her body and makes her do terrible things. Things like, biting, scratching, hitting, and pulling people's hair. I am at a loss on what to do! I have tried biting her back just enough to give her the idea that biting hurts. I have pulled her hair. I have put her in time out. I have tried redirection. I don't know what to do! It is getting so very bad. I find myself losing my patience because I'm with her all day and I'm the one that is receiving most of the attacks. Any advice??

Picture as Promised

So here is a picture of what I created last night:
It took a few magnets to hang it on the fridge but it has stayed there so far. Anyways, it seems to be working and it really helps me to remember to actually teach her things instead of just talking to her.

On another note, we bought Addison a potty yesterday. She has started showing us she has a wet/dirty diaper by pointing at it or by bringing us a diaper so we thought we would try potty training her. I have read a lot about elimination communication training but I think we will just try our best to have her use it. She chose a pink princess potty. No music, lights, or sounds for us. I think it distracts too much from the actual process. Anyways, we will see how it goes. So far I have just let her open and close the lid and she has sat on it twice but she has never actually gone. We shall see...

A, B, C, and 1, 2, 3

I am so very excited! I was sitting on the couch tonight contemplating ways to teach Addison her numbers and letters and ways to have members of my family help me do that. All of a sudden I had a great idea! I quickly got up and found the supplies I needed: A marker, index cards, scissors, and tape.

I began by cutting the index cards in half and writing the upper and lower case versions of each letter on them. Then, I cut more index cards in half and wrote the numbers 1 to 10 on them.

After I did that, that was when lightning struck! I thought of a good way to involve my family. I took an index card and wrote, "Addison's letter and number of the day" on it. I then proceeded to take another index card and made a pouch that I attached to the first index card. Then, I cut more index cards into quarter sized pieces. I wrote on them like this: A, 1; B, 2; C, 3; etc (repeating the numbers since I am only going to 10 to start with)... I put those into the pouch and put a clothes pin on the pouch to hold the letter and number card for the day. I'm sure by now you are going, "What in the world is she talking about?!" I will show you...later...when I take some photos. It all really makes sense...I promise. Anyways, I hung the index card pouch holder thing-a-ma-jig on the refrigerator for everyone to see. Then, tomorrow morning I will show my husband and my mom and ask them to point out things that begin with the corresponding letter (Example: If the letter of the day was "A" they would point out that an apple begins with an "A"). Then, I will ask them to show her groups of things that begin with the corresponding number. I have also found a way to attach my flashcards to Addison's chair so all I need to do is grab them every time she eats and I can review the letters and numbers (making sure to especially point out the letter and the number of the day).

It sounds easy enough and I hope we can keep it up. We shall see how it goes. I will try to post a picture of my "creation" later.

12 Month Check-up

Today Addison had her 12 month check-up! It went well. she is growing steadily so that is good. Here are her stats:

Height: 31 1/2 inches (95%)
Weight: 23 pounds 8 ounces (85%)
Head Circumference: 47.4 cm (95%)

She also got her first MMR shot and her first chicken pox vaccination. I personally think it is unfair that they have a chicken pox vaccine now since I had chicken pox when I was a kid. I guess they have a reason for it though.

I'm glad that Addison is steadily growing and I can't believe how big she is!


She is 5 days old in this picture.


She is 12 months and 1 day old in this one.

ONE!

I can hardly believe that my baby girl turned one on May 6th. That is so crazy to us! I think Ralph and I are in shock still because we can hardly believe it. Her birthday was loads of fun. It kicked off on Thursday night with my sister and bro-in-law. We had to celebrate a day early because they were headed back east to Iowa to visit family and to see my bro-in-law's brother graduate. We had fun eating homemade pizza and I had fun opening Addison's gifts (since she refused to open them).

On Addison's actual birthday we didn't do much. I did run out and get her a balloon bouquet with a GIANT mylar balloon. I also opened a savings account for her.

Saturday was the big celebration. We had an open house for her. We cleaned the house, Ralph decorated, and my mom decorated Addison's cake. It was girly and fun! We had some light refreshments as well. At 6p.m. that day We served Addison her first piece of cake. She LOVED it. I was surprised though because I figured she would be one of those babies that would smash it all over her face. She didn't though. She was quite a dainty eater and didn't even need a bath when she was done. After the cake we opened presents and everyone went home. We had a lot of fun and I was glad that our closest friends could celebrate with us!

I think she is excited to go work in the garden with Daddy!

She got a swimming pool from her Aunty and Uncle. She also got some clothes and shoes from me and her dad and Grandma.


Eating her first cheese pizza. I guess she likes it!


I wish this picture could show how big the mylar balloon was but at least you can see it.

Our good friend Kymberly loaned us the Wilton Animal Crackers pan and my mom and I made this giraffe cake. The big bottom circle cake was a yellow cake and the actual giraffe head was chocolate.


Yummy! She was really tired by now...


Opening her presents. She got this dish set, a doll, a ZhuZhu pet, clothes, and lots of other things. They were all appreciated and Addison loved them!


Addison got this car seat from her Grandpa Jim and my step-mom Marti. It is the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 and I love it! She does as well.


She can ride in style now!

I'm Baaaaaack!

After a brief hiatus I am finally back in action! Ok...so maybe I could have been back in action a week and a half ago BUT my life has been a little crazy lately. Seriously, we can't seem to catch a break in the Kaman household. Addison and I were sick and then we were fine for a couple of days but then I hurt my back. Badly. So I have been sitting on the couch for 4 straight days doing nothing but watching netflix. Can I just say that our house is a MAJOR disaster zone and that I need to get better SOON because it is driving me crazy?!

On a lighter note, I received a new laptop in the mail because my wonderful father said it would cost as much to fix my old one as it would cost for a brand new one. So now instead of having a Lenovo with an awesome sound system and hot button keys and other various features that I LOVED I now have a Toshiba Satellite. I can't complain though because beggars can't be choosers.

Addison and I are taking an introduction to water class for toddlers and their parents and we have been loving it! It was a little rocky at first with our first class being nothing but screams but now we are able to just go and jump right into the pool (and when I say jump I don't mean that literally).

Yesterday was also our first Easter with Addison. The Easter Bunny brought Addison a HUGE pink bunny that I am fairly certain is bigger than her. She loves it though and loves to wrestle with it. She even attempted to crawl with it today which was quite comical. I wish my camera had been near because it would have been a funny thing to catch in a movie. Oh well. Such is life. Addison also received a BEAUTIFUL Easter dress from her Grandma Saffell who worked tirelessly on it. Then, we went to church and were uplifted with messages abut Christ's Atonement. After church we hurried home, took some photos, and then went over to our close family friends' house for Easter dinner. Let me just say, Kymberly can cook up a storm. Her food is heaven on Earth AND it was mostly gluten free due to some health problems some of her family members have. I could literally sit there and eat the whole casserole of potatoes that she made. Also, her trifle is to die for as well. Addison enjoyed herself as well and got to try a lot of new foods. She even tried to eat my finger at one point! We always have an enjoyable time with them and they have the funnest kids ever. Addison even likes the dogs. Thanks for a wonderful Easter dinner!!

On another note, Addison has a new "hobby." She likes to reorganize my mom's Tupperware drawer all over the kitchen floor. At first I was a little upset at Addison because I though she was doing something she shouldn't but my mom says every kid needs a drawer to play in and a spot where they think they are getting into trouble but really aren't.

Now for some pictures:

Addison in her Easter dress that her Grandma Saffell made. The sweater is the one my Aunt Linda made for her and sent to us last year. (This is the ONLY photo I could get with her smiling and looking at the camera)

My baby and me. I wanted this to be a family photo but as we were getting ready to leave church Ralph informed me that he had a Court of Honor to take care of before he was coming home.

She is going to be a model someday. She loves to pose for the camera!

Addison "reorganizing" the tupperware all over the floor.

Who could deny a kid that much joy??

Death of the laptop...

About 3 days ago I left the room for a moment when I heard a big CRASH! I quickly returned to the room to see that Addison had sent my laptop crashing to the floor. At first I was a little angry but I knew that Addison didn't know what she was doing. I just can't seem to get it in my head that Addison can reach higher than I am used to. I quickly grabbed up the laptop and turned it on. At first I breathed a sigh of relief when the lights turned on to signal that it turned on. That sigh of relief quickly turned to exasperation as I realized the screen wouldn't turn on. One thing I am grateful for is that I backed my computer up about a week before. That means much won't be lost! I am hopeful that it can be fixed and I will be shipping it off to get fixed tomorrow...we shall see.

OH. My. Life.

Today marks a new day for the Kaman family. We have made a GIANT leap forward and we did something CRAZY. We have gotten a car! It's not new but it was an AMAZING deal. It is a 2002 Ford Taurus. It is a lot roomier than my mom's Ford Focus and we hope that it will last us for quite some time. It just got a new drive belt today. We signed all of the paperwork and will be dropping off a check for our car tomorrow. I love the phrase, "Our car."

Some of you are probably wondering how in the heck we can afford a car when neither of us have jobs. But, we will do it. Somehow it will work out. Between Ralph's student loans and my job as a ChaCha.com expediter (I answer people's questions for .02 cents a question...it pays much better than you think.) we will make it work. Ralph will also be able to get his license which will enable him to get a job as well as go to school. This is a big step and it took a long time to figure out our next move. We discussed this as a family (my mom included) and we felt that this was the right step for us to be able to move forward in life.

I must admit that I am still a little shocked. We only decided Sunday night that we would even look at cars and then we found this one. We took a test drive and it just felt right. Everything has fallen into place for us to be able to get the car and we are very excited. I can't wait to go get it tomorrow! Here are some pics that I took off of the dealer website:






By the way, if anyone needs someone to haggle a good deal on a car for them then let me know. I am your girl. The dealership manager wasn't going to lower the price any lower than what it was but I got them to lower it AND include DMV title transfer, registration, and fees into the final sell price. The final cost of the sell was just $5 over the price that the manager said he wouldn't lower and wouldn't change. Yay for us!