He's My Man

I love bath night.  Audrie has taken to going poopy in the potty just before her bath.  Connor went too, but in his diaper.  Had their bath and they played.  Got Connor out of the tub and let him run around naked for a bit. Audrie came out and I got her dried.  We walked back towards the bedrooms and I see this pile of little things.  I say "what is that"?  She pipes up with....."it's poopy."  Joy.  The little man must not have been done before his bath.  Picked it up and threw it away. Put a diaper on him and gave him a hug.  He's my man.

Visit

So Dave sent me texts asking why I am colder and pulling away.  I was in the middle of tryng to get a phone line, so I didn't respond.  One thing at a time.  Then he texted again saying he hasn't done anything lately to warrant it.  Again I did not respond.  Then he asks if he can come see the kids.  So I say sure if you can drive.  Tells me he is completely sober.
When he arrived he actually looked sober, but he sure was happy.  Now maybe he really was happy.  Happy to see the kids.   Happy to have been given the okay to start using his foot.  Just happy.  I don't know. Dave isn't that happy.  Anyway we broached it a bit.  I gave him his key to his toolbox back as I no longer feel the need to look for his bottle.  He again for the umpteenth time tells me there won't be any more bottles.  Says it with a straight face.  Tries to tell me that the whole last year he was just overwhelmed.  And while I agree with him in that assessment....that is just an excuse to make it all right.  It's not all right.
What I heard was a whole lot of talk about the doc giving him more dilaudid and how he is being very careful with it.  And how he hasn't been drinking...he is just tired.  What I heard is the same kind of stuff Mike is telling me when he is trying to convince me of something.  So actions....not words.  Either way I guess Dave hasn't figured it out yet.  I'm not coming back.  I don't ever want to look for the bottle again.
I like my life now.  I really like my life now.

No Phone

Today was the day I was to have a landline.  The little kids and I went and bought a phone and plugged it in. Only to have it do nothing.  Wow.  I get on the chat feature on the internet and they can't find my order.  It got lost. Wow.  Oh it gets better.  So we start over.  All of this has taken almost an hour.  At the hour mark the chatter tells me that their system can't find my town and he can't complete the order.  Say what?? Tells me I have to call the 1-800 number and talk to someone.  I thought I was talking to someone, just via the internet.  Well I called and since it was after 6, I got nowhere.  So I get back on the chat. Yes the original order is gone, lost, kaput.  But imagine this...this guy can find my town and he set me up again.  I already have my confirmation email and so I expect that next week I will have a landline.  I still don't understand why it takes so long when all they have to do is flip a switch or do something on a computer, but I will be patient.

Daycare Man

Connor's CASA worker made a trip out to daycare today to check on him and see the facility.  I asked her what she thought afterwards.  She really liked it.  He is happy and the place is clean, friendly and the staff knowledgeable.  She was pleased with my choice.  I know I am, but it is nice to get feedback from someone with a little more experience than me.
Connor is getting a little bit frustrated with his Nana.  I tend not to let him feed himself messy food.  Well he really really wanted to feed himself yogurt.  After a moment of struggle Nana gave in.  It was bath night so why not.  Well he did pretty good actually.  There was only one dollop in his hair.  His hands seemed the messiest and he got quite a bit in his mouth using the spoon.
I can see how much the kids are growing from their experience in day care.  Audrie puts on her own coat and seat belt now.  She is also going potty much more often without prompting.  I prompt and she turns me down flat.  Her idea and she uses it.  She even goes poopy sometimes.  She is helpful and carries her lunch or bags in the house.  Wow.  Should have done this awhile ago.  ;p

How It Goes

We have been in the apartment for just over a month now.  We keep getting more and more settled.  I have been slowly working on the boxes that have stuff obviously not needed.  We are keeping mostly picked up and vacuuming about five nights a week.  We get a little slack on the kitchen, but it is clean right now.  I find I don't "COOK" as much here.  We had chicken on Saturday and then ate leftovers for the next two days.  Doing that a lot right now especially with the extra hours I am working.  Must be why I dropped a couple more pounds.
The kids are about all over their pneumonia.  They have a doc appointment tomorrow for a check on that.  I got Audrie's address and phone number changed, but didn't get Connor's.  They called Dave for the reminder call. Funny how he told me about that.  Unlike the changed WIC appointment that he changed.  He is no longer on WIC as my back up.  They will only deal with me and I won't miss my appointments.
My landline works tomorrow so I won't have to pay overages on my cell phone.  That makes me happy.  Still haven't gotten a water bill, but I did finally get a PUD bill.  Karen says we keep insurance as it is until a divorce is final.  Cheaper that way since there are multiple cars.
It is starting to feel more real and less like playing house.  I really like it here.  I am still breathing and find that we are distancing ourselves from Dave.  All those love songs about forever make me sad.  All those cute sayings on facebook about being married to my best friend make me sad.  But not for long.  I know they aren't realistic in my life.  And that is all I have.

Seriously

Well my month old router died.  Comcast gave me a new one.  After chatting with two different comcast analysts I still don't have working wi-fi.  No idea why but I can't connect to the syslink link to set up the router.  So they gave me a 1-800 number to call.  Here we go again.  I'm not sweating it.  Once I have my landline I will call them and we will get it all working.  And in the meantime Audrie will do without videos. She will just have to have the books read to her.

Quiet Weekend

When there are only two days to the weekend and Nana has worked a lot of  hours we don't get much done on the weekend.  We managed to get to Fred Meyer's so we have some lunch food for the beginning of the week.  We got a walk in and some laundry done. And other than that and the side jobs it seems the whole weekend just slipped away.  I don't see that changing the next couple of weekends.  After that it should lighten up and we will have some fun.  Nana Nita is thinking about coming down and maybe we can talk her into having the little kids overnight.  This Nana is ready for a night out.  :p
Ohhh ohhh ohhh. If I time it right maybe I can go see the hiphoppy belly dancers.

Walking

The weather changed and the kids were antsy.  We haven't done anything all week to relieve energy levels.  So we went for a nighttime walk tonight.  We were actually gone for an hour.  That is a pretty good walk.  Audrie was so big, watching for cars and staying right with me.  Connor just loved strolling and strolling.  By the time we got home everyone was ready to settle in and quiet down.  Then the little man went to bed peacefully and Audrie is watching "Monsters, Inc." again for the second time today.  It was a nice day with the little kids.

Oy

So I bought dog food for Dave because he figured he wouldn't be able to handle a 40 pound bag.  We dropped it off.  When I set up the work order for a landline they told me how to transfer the account at the house to Dave's name.  So I told him that next week we needed to do a change in responsibility.  For the phone.  He said....oh he thought he was getting the kids back.  I just looked at him and actually said "not hardly".  Honestly I do not know how his brain works.  Why would you ever think that when you know you are in relapse and you aren't doing anything about it?

A Couple More Steps

I faxed the last of the paperwork to DSHS today.  So I should be good to there when they get around to finishing it up.  Sometimes they are quick and other times a little slow.
Brenda and I talked with Liz today about where we want the receiving department to go.  Things we like, things we don't, what days off we like, etc.  It felt pretty good.  Like she listened to us.  And we survived our first long week.  Liz did tell us that we would be maxed out on hours through fall quarter. We sure would not complain about that.
I ordered a landline today.  My idea of just using the cell phone wasn't working out well.  First of all I hate talking on the cell phone.  Being as how it is a go phone it has limited minutes and since it is a cheap go phone it is crap.  So I am sucking it up and paying for a landline also. Basic phone no frills.  But my mother will be able to call me multiple times a day and it won't worry me.
And now it feels like it is time for bed.  Got to enjoy my two days off.  Yeah right.  Side jobs, grocery shopping, got to find a phone, etc.  And I promised Audrie we would do something fun this weekend since we haven't done anything all week.

Small Steps

I've been gathering all the paperwork that dshs needs to process my case.  I actually managed to get my phone interview done today.  I had them call me at work and then I took my break when the call came.  That in turn lead to needing more paperwork.  Gathered that all up tonight so I can fax it in tomorrow.  The lady told me since I work part time I could just take the paperwork to the office and have it completed right then.  That would work fine most weeks, but we are in full swing.  So I am working full time for three weeks in a row and they only do processing at the office during the times I am at work.  So I'm happy to fax it in.  When they complete it they will retroactive it to the day I filled out the application and it's all good.
Looks like we will be getting food stamps for now.  I will take what they give me because I do have two kids to take care of and feed.  And I'm sure the daycare will go through also.  I'm betting they need some of this paperwork I have to fax tomorrow because the lady today had all the information I faxed already for the daycare.  For once.....right hand and left hand appear to be working together.
I appreciated the fact that the lady wasn't condescending and she explained the various points to the paperwork and the need for them.  I have never done anything beyond the medical for kids and the TANF for being a grandparent raising grandchildren.  It is all a learning experience for me.
Having been working full time this week has made me realize that I really don't want to do that on a full time basis.  It has felt like I don't get much time with the kids and they are in daycare all day.  So if I can manage it I intend to stay a part time employee until they go to school.  Small steps and small decisions benefiting small people.

Duh!

Dave came over just as we were leaving last night to get Connor's hair cut.  I needed to broach the subject of me having guardianship with him so he wasn't surprised later on.  So we took him with us and that way he got to be included in one of those big firsts for kids.
On the way home I told him about my email from Beth, our social worker.  His reaction was it wasn't a good idea.  We would be taking a tax hit.  Huh? Well head of household pays a lot more than married filing joint.  I have no clue if that is true as I have never done taxes not married  And anyway I don't expect to be married when I file taxes next year.
I guess what amazed me is he seems to be under the impression that even though we don't live together anymore we will stay married while he gets his act together.  I figure he has had the last year to get his act together and has made no efforts whatsoever.  That says to me he doesn't plan on getting it together.  And my only choice now is to protect myself and that means divorce.

Surprise Visit

Today a social worker, not ours, showed up unannounced.  I always knew they could do that.  It just hasn't even happened in the almost 15 months we have dealt with them.  We had a nice visit.  She encouraged me to utilize the day care.  If I need groceries and it is already going to be a full day to pay for then by all means stop at the store before picking up the kids.  She encouraged me to keep my sanity and make sure I am getting breaks.  Being a single parent is a lot different.  So I will take my breaks where I can get them.
She also included a message to me from our social worker.  The state is going ahead with the guardianship, only now they are just using me as the guardian.  Seems like the smart and prudent thing to do in light of all the transitions in our life lately.
I sure am glad we cleaned house last night.  It wasn't overly messy, but I always feel better if it is picked up when company is coming by.

First Haircut

It was time for Connor's first haircut.  He was looking pretty shaggy and people were starting to mistake him for a girl.  So I decided that today was the day since it was an "early" day for me.  Got off work at 3:30 and went and picked up the kids.  Got to Melodie's right at the same time as three other people.  That means they got in the door ahead of us because we aren't fast getting out of a car.  So we waited in the lobby for 45 minutes and both kids were BORED.  That made them cranky and antsy.  After the hairdressers got done with the other three people one of them came and told me that since he didn't have a nap they couldn't cut his hair.  It was too dangerous because he was too cranky.  Funny how it was five minutes till five and they close at five.  Connor had had a nap and even though I told her that she again told me to bring him back another day after he has had a nap. Fine.
I took the kids home and we had a bite to eat.  Well I wanted his hair cut.  So we got ready and headed out.  Dave was just pulling in so we took him with us and we headed to Great Clips at Padden Marketplace.  We walked in and he got put in a chair.  He sat so still and let the hairdresser do her thing.  And she did a great job.  He looks fantastic and very man like.
After he was done Dave suggested that Audrie get a trim and she wanted it.  So she got a trim and even though it was just a trim it made her look a lot better also.  Cleaned it up.  They are both so beautiful.
Now Great Clips costed me $11 instead of $8 that Melodies would have charged.  To my mind it was well worth the price difference to be treated well and get really good haircuts.  I left the hairdresser a fiver because she really was excellent. And I have coupons so the next cuts are.........wait for it.......$8.  Yes!

Paperwork

So in order for DSHS to pay for daycare I have to jump through hoops.  They sent me out a list of requirements.  The first being a form for my employer.  Took it to Monica who then had me take it to payroll.  First time I have ever been there.  Sherri filled it out and then was so nice and faxed it for me so I didn't have to mail it.  I felt like I was treated as a valued employee even though I am just a temporary part timer.
While there I changed my address and turned in my direct deposit form  She asked me if I wanted next months check mailed or if I would come to payroll and pick it up.  I commented on it being picked up for me in Feb. and she said she wasn't going to let that happen next month to sort of push people into getting their direct deposits done.  Then she remembered there was only one check this month for the bookstore.  MINE.  I was the last hold out.  Not really, I just procrastinate sometimes.

Work

I thought this week was going to be a lot. I'm scheduled for 35 hours each of the next two weeks. It's good for the paycheck since we just went through a slow period. I'm going to be tired though. Kids are going to have long days at daycare.

Boundaries

I need to set some and make them real. It isn't something that I am naturally good at. Dave now keeps coming over here. I made a comment about his ten minute trips, so now he stays for an hour and a half. I should have kept my mouth shut. It annoys me that he is driving when he clearly shouldn't be. It annoys me that he is here and disrupting our routine. Supposedly today he doesn't feel like venturing out. Good.  We need a day without him. He thinks he is taking Conor to get a haircut. Not. He can meet us there and pay for it, but none of us ride with him now. Guess that is a boundary. One down, many many to go.

Did It

The kids and I, mostly I got the computer desk put back together this morning. They wanted to help so bad. They had fun using the screwdriver. They had fun crawling in all the cubby holes I made while sitting it in different positions to get to screws. Then I had to put them both in the crib while I set the top half on the bottom half. Sometimes they just have to be momentarily contained. Got it all placed and managed to get another box unloaded that was in my storage closet.
Seems like every day it becomes more our home.

Craigslist

I love Craigslist so much. Today I found the perfect small computer desk. Only cost me $25 and it looks like new. I think the people just wanted to get rid of it. The little kids were entertained by their very small dog. Connor thought it was a cat. Audrie managed to frighten it and it returned the favor. It is a good thing for Audrie because she has no fear of dogs. Maybe now she will think first.....nah probably not. I'm so happy that tomorrow my computer will no longer reside on the floor. I will take a picture when I'm done. :)

Grandparents

The little kids were inundated with grandparents. The day started off with a visit with great-grandparents McClaskey at Papa's house. We gave them our new address and directions to our house so next time they can come here.
Later in the afternoon Nana Nita and Chad came over. They are down for the weekend. They brought each kid a gift and the kids have been playing and playing with them.  While visiting Audrie completely  crashed. It was just too long of a day for my sick girl.

One Down

Today I took the last load of stuff from Dave's house. There are a few things left, like pictures. But I am done. While there, he commented on it looking like I don't intend on ever moving back. I gave him an honest answer. No I don't. Told him he was still drinking. He wanted to act innocent until I told him I could smell it today (and it is 9:30 in the morning). There wasn't much more to say other than I'm not living like that.
One goal is accomplished. I now have no reason to run over to his house to get something. And I have been here a month so it was time. No more limbo.

Valentines

The little kids made out. Brenda gave them a bag of goodies. The guy from upstairs, Josh, gave them hearts. Michael said she left goodies for them that they will enjoy next week. And Nana gave them "Kung Fu Panda".
 Nana got cuddles and snotty kisses. My son called and sent me wishes in our free one minute call. And I had a short chat with my sister.  What more could I ask for?


And then Jodi came over with candy for he little kids and flowers for me.

Mail Surprise

I finally got real mail.  It was from Hy-Top. Inside were three coupons for their cereal. Cool. FedEx also came today and tried to deliver my box. Unfortunately I wasn't home and they needed a signature. So they will return tomorrow. I am so so so impressed with this company. It feels like they actually care about their customers. I think I need to make some muffins. :)

Goals

So I need to set some goals for myself. The first of which is to quit rescuing. After that is letting go. Time to completely stand on my own two feet. I have started, but it is hard. I'm nothing if not codependent. I seriously need to get the last of my stuff out of Dave's house so I don't have need to go there.  That way when I go it is to see my pets and the kids can see Papa. And we can limit that.
The actions there do not in any way match the words. And the little kids don't need to hear the words that aren't true. It's time.

And the Doc Said

All day at work I thought about it and thought about it.  Audrie shouldn't have a fever this long with a cold.  So maybe it was time to take her to the doctor.  Connor was at daycare and I debated about leaving him there while I took her to see Dr. Rivera.  Then I just decided to go ahead and pick him up. And he was one cranky little boy.  When we were called back at the office he was still cranky and the nurse asked if the doc should see him also. Well why not at that point.  Right off the bat the doc tells us that Audrie has pneumonia. Joy.  Good thing we went.  Then he listened to Connor and he has the beginnings of pneumonia also and an ear infection. Well no wonder he was cranky.  So they called a prescription in for antibiotics for both kids.  And so we are on the mend.

Audrie

My poor girl is sick. She came down with a fever on Sunday. Was good on Monday. Fever was back by today. She threw up around 5 this morning, but seemed better after that. After her nap she was hot again. Good thing we didn't have any plans. Tomorrow I go back to work, Connor goes back to daycare and Audrie is staying home cuddling with Grammy.

Or Not

So we went this morning to fix the TV. Well Dave said he got it figured out last night. I was like nice of him to let me know.  The problem with the whole thing was when I turned the TV on today it was paused on the movie he was watching at exactly the same spot it was yesterday morning. And yet he had told me he was watching it last night. I feel played, just to get us to come running. Got to work on that a lot.
Respect means honesty, not manipulation.

OMFG

I am so stupid. So Dave called twice last night. He messed the TV up and couldn't make it work. So I agreed after the second call to come fix it today. I really need to quit rescuing him. He was pretty messed up and that is why he couldn't figure it out. That is why he messed it up in the first place.

Hy-Top

So I had an issue with a box of Hy-Top cereal. Since there was no phone number on the box, I googled and found their website.  There was a form to fill out and I did. I wasn't sure what would really happen as sometimes it seems forms on websites go into space. Today I got a call from Hy-Top. They are sending me a FedEx box to ship the box of cereal back and a new box of cereal. What great customer service so far.

OMG

All I had to do was connect the black box to the wall and the television and it worked. No activation, it just works. Then I had to again show him how to use the remotes...twice.  Seriously???
Oh and then he made some comment about only having to jump through the CPS hoops for 30 days. Hmmmm. I'm going to follow the hoops for as long as I need to. He's not sober and I doubt he will be in 30 days which means he still won't be able to watch the kids. Love how he twisted what she said.

Helpless Again

I understand how helpless Dave must feel in some cases. Like Audrie being sick. He came over just to check on her. And naturally by that time her medicine had kicked in and she didn't act sickly.
But then he gets home and texts me to please fix the cable at his house because he doesn't want to deal with it.  Before thinking about it I agreed to do it. So there I go rescuing him. All it is is connecting the black box and activating it so the TV works. We never did it before because the main TV had the TiVo connected to it. So I guess we will fix it this time and try hard to remember next time. He isn't as helpless as he likes to pretend to be.

Chill Day

Audrie came down with a fever yesterday afternoon.  So I rearranged my work schedule to be home today. She can't go back to daycare until 24 hours after the fever is gone.  That is a disadvantage to daycare. Anyway we are having a chill day, just taking it easy.  Hoping that if Connor gets it it happens today  I don't go back until Wednesday.

Good Night

Last night the little kids and I took another night time walk. I really enjoy them.  It is so quiet and calm. The little man went right to bed. That allowed me to get my DSHS paperwork filled out and sent. Looks like we may also get some food stamps since my income is in the poverty level. I will take what is available because I do have a very big job in taking care of the little kids and it is still cheaper for the state to help me than to have them in an actual foster care home. Either way we will be all right. And we will continue taking walks, playing at parks, and loving being together.

Work Hours

Thought I would check and see if Monica posted our work schedule for week after next. She had. Next week I work nine hours. The following week makes up for it with 30 hours scheduled. I hope there really is that much work. PJ is leaving us after that week so we will be down to three people in the warehouse.  I think she plans on moving someone from somewhere else into our department. When it rains it pours.

Poor Minnie

We had to leave her.  And now tonight I have gotten eight texts from Dave about her being gone and how done he is with trying to keep her contained and she can go to the pound.  The only reason she would leave is because he is ranting. Didn't know he ranted when there was no one to hear him. Minnie really doesn't like it.
And then I wonder if I'm not being pulled into this to fix it for him or if he is trying to wound me.  I did not respond to the texts. I got them last night also and she came home. I guess he will do what he has to do. Poor Minnie.

White Walls

My friend David came over last night. He liked the apartment, especially the kitchen. The kitchen in his apartment is on the small side.  He told me I need to hang some stuff on the walls to make it more homey. Guess he doesn't like plain old white walls.  Guess I will have to find some things to hang.

Closer

Today I moved the last of the big stuff from Dave's house. Two dressers and a cedar chest. I was so happy when I realized my second dresser could work as my bedside table. That marks another thing off my list. And I can once again start reading at night. I also got all the cookbooks packed. Once we got back home, one of my neighbors helped me get the chest inside. He was filling me in on the goings on in our complex. Explained about the people who have pets even though we are a no pet complex.
Once we got back from returning the truck we put everything away. Starting to look a lot more like home all the time.

Oy

So I watched the same sneaky behavior as before. So I know a bottle made its way into the garage while I was there to collect a load of stuff. I'm not surprised, but I am amazed that he keeps thinking I am stupid.  Anyway I took a load and after I had it all loaded he says......I didn't think you were going to take it all since there is a possible eventuality of moving back.  What? Anyway I got that load moved and there are still some small odds and ends that need to be gotten.
I worked on taxes some more.  Dave texted me the info I needed on mortgage interest.  Then we had this whole conversation about the taxes. That is fine except we had this exact conversation yesterday when I stopped in for the antibiotic cream.  His excuse for not remembering is he has a lot on his mind.  Well yeah and a lot of vodka in the body.  Anyway it looks like we are going to get enough back to pay the property taxes and insurance for the year.  Then next year he will be on his own...I'm sure.

All Right Then

So Dave texted me yesterday asking if I wanted to move the rest of my stuff this weekend.  I can do that and that is what I texted back.  He was at one of his random UAs for CPS.
So today I can't find my antibiotic cream and think I may have left it behind so I stop to get it before picking up the kids.  I had a few minutes to kill.  Wonder if Dave even realized that he was slurring.  Guess he felt confident that there wouldn't be another UA anytime soon.  And I have the cream somewhere here.  Just can't find it. Another hazard of the moving process.
I'm pretty sure Dave knows where this is going.  I got a couple of names from our social worker for a consult with an attorney.  It is time to see what the road ahead will be like.
As happy as I am in my new situation it still hurts to think that he would rather drink than live with and be married to me.  To be fair he would probably like both to happen at the same time, but that can't be.  So he continues to make his choice.  And someday I am going to be able to let that go.

Work/Daycare Week Ends

And so our work/daycare week is over.  I would call it a tremendous success.  The little kids love daycare/pre-school.  Audrie doesn't want to leave, but the meltdowns are getting smaller.  Today we went to the playground and played.  Connor chased after a ball some boys were playing with.  Audrie chased some girls and annoyed them.  They were a little bigger than her.
We squeezed in a visit last night with David and Maria.  Mr. Evil managed to scratch Audrie.  We told her to leave him alone if she found him, but she doesn't listen to us about things like that.  Maria shared some jasmine rice.  She had bought a big bag and didn't have storage space for all of it.  And since I just used a big container for water and electronics I was more than happy to take it.  She also gave  me a nice set of measuring cups for my birthday.
We made homemade pizza for dinner. The little man chowed.  Even Audrie ate some and she said she didn't want pizza at all.  Too funny what they do.

Natalie

Dave dropped by for a very few minutes today. Said he was much too warm and needed to leave. He brought over the last of the tax stuff. On his way out he called me by name. He hasn't done that in years. I think maybe he has made another choice. And he never said one word about my birthday.

A Down Day

The little kids and I didn't have anything we had to do today beyond a meeting with Josephine from CASA. That went well. She so understood everything I had been thinking as she has been down this road.
We just hung out except when we hit Costco and Winco. Needed lunch items for them and coffee for me. I was so happy Costco finally had my brand in. I also wanted craisins. Never found the display, but I found a misplaced bag. Imagine my pleasant surprise when there was an instant coupon for $3 off the bag. Got to love that.
It was a down day. No hurrying, no rushing, no meltdowns. Just a relaxed day. I like it. Oh and I'm almost done with taxes. Getting a refund....that I love.

Happy Birthday

Today I am 49 years old. Saturday Pat took Audrie and I out for dinner. Mom took the kids and I out last night. Today I was showered with love at work. Jacob brought in goodies and Michael gave me a lovely travel mug and a new keychain for my new keys. I spent the afternoon and evening with the little kids doing all the normal things we always do.  Happy birthday to me.

First Day

If today is any indication the little kids are going to like daycare. Neither one minded me leaving this morning at all. They both had naps. Then Audrie had a meltdown when it was time to go. She did not wnt to go home. She wanted to stay and play more. Now we need to figure out some lunches because they can't have homemade lunchables every day.
After we got home and Audrie calmed down we walked over to Kiwanis Park and they played on the playground. Wore off some more energy. Probably why Connor was ready for bed by 8, but I kept him up till almost bedtime.

Getting Ready

Boy daycare is going to be a big change. For all three of us. I have to pack lunches. Nothing like remembering that Sunday night. They are having homemade lunchables  tomorrow and I bet mine are cheaper than store bought.  Especially considering WIC bought the cheese.
 I got their applications mostly filled out and the handbook read. I need their immunization records and that information is at Dave's house in their files. Guess it will get turned in on Wednesday.
David told me about a job and I'm thinking about applying. I really need to consider full time employment. Thinking about it anyway.

Nana Audrie Day

We left Connor with Jodi and went to Portland. Audrie needed a snack from McDonald's. then we watched "Suessical" at the Northwest Children's Theater. It was wonderful. However since it was her first time and she is not used to sitting still that long we left at intermission. I didn't want to push her too hard and have her hate the experience. So she enjoyed what we saw.
Then we went out to Red Lobster with Uncle Pat. She did okay after a time out. It was a long day and it showed. She ate her dinner. We stopped and got milk before we picked up Connor. It was a good day.

Off to the Library

My day started with getting daycare arranged for the little kids. They will be going to Little Tigers. Little Tigers has been in business since 1989 so I feel confidant in their ability to take care of children. Connor will be the youngest there and I'm sure he will be running circles around those other older one year olds. Audrie will learn a lot there, so I am pleased.
After naps we walked over to the library. Audrie and Connor played while I found a couple books to check out. I really like the new library and the fact that kids don't have to be so quiet. Kids are on one end and adults on the other. It is a nice walk and a nice experience. I'm sure we will be going there a lot.

Arranged

So daycare for the kids is now arranged. I think Beth had to file a report on Dave, as we got a caseworker for Audrie now.  It's all good  for me as now CPS is paying daycare for both while I work on everything DSHS will need.  Basically the caseworker told me the case would be closed in a month, being as how I'm already in the process of dealing with all the issues.
And I didn't have to spend hours at DSHS today. It is the first of the month and they were packed with people waiting outside.