The Everyday

I’m All About The “i”

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

When they were released, I really wanted an iPad. But when challenged by my fad technology sceptic husband (who works in technology), I didn’t really have a good reason. I wanted to be able to read on it–I thought that would be great but then why not just get a kindle? When I got my iPhone 4, I could read on that and then I didn’t see the reason to get anything in the short term.

I went to the bookstore on campus the other day to get my books for class. In the technology department (which is at the entrance to reel us folks in) they have iPads. I wasn’t going to look at them, because really who needs a glorified iPod touch?

Oh was I wrong. I need one. It has a word processing program, a presentation program, a spreadsheet program, etc. I can use this (I’m typing on my new iPad now) for my student teacher observations–which I take lots of notes about because it is part of my dissertation research.

Also, my iPad has access to all Kindle books (it has an amazon kindle app). So, I have been lured into more mac products not just by their shiny looks but also by their smart functionality. I have it pared with a wireless keyboard so that I can actually type quickly.

I love you Apple. Please stop making these great new products. I don’t know how many more purchases I can justify.

At A Loss

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

on what to post about.  Not there isn’t anything going on in my life. It’s just that I am so busy and have so many different things happening that I have a hard time attempting to process all of it.  I am working and really like it a lot.  The kids love daycare–as I knew they would.  Part of me wishes on some level that they didn’t like it so much, but I know that being home with me these last few months haven’t really been fun for anyone–I was crabby and they needed/wanted more stimulation and interaction.  They get it now and they love it.

Noah is completely potty-trained.  He makes it most nights too w/out going in his pullup.  I am so very excited about this and the money it saves in diapers and the sanity it saves in trying to change a 3-year-olds diaper who doesn’t want it changed.  I have to say everyone was right-when they are ready it is so easy.  So, if you are fighting with your kid about potty-training chances are they aren’t ready.  I know not what you want to hear.  But there it is anyway.

I am teaching a class this summer as well.  That was certainly a last minute addition to my schedule.  I am hoping this means that my supervisor will give me a class or two to teach this fall as the extra money would really come in handy to help cover the cost of living and help pay down some of our living beyond our means that happened in the past.  Fun times.

I miss my moms group.  Now that I am working, I certainly don’t have time to get out much during the week.  I am off on Fridays and the kids are not in daycare that day.  But it just is one of those things that I miss terribly.  Not as much the group activities as I miss the ladies who were my friends.  But it is hard when one goes  back to work and the rest continue to be SAHM.  I miss them.

I have been sick the past few days.  A bit of a virus of some sort.  I haven’t been puking and I am happy for that and am also happy for Imodium A-D.  It has been a live saver. I have been avoiding food for the past 3 days.  I didn’t eat much on Monday and yesterday I ate a little bit, but then my body wasn’t real fond of the fact that I gave it food to process.  So, we’ll see today if I dare to eat.  I’d like to be able to work out but it’s hard when you are sick and haven’t eaten but about 900 calories in just over 2 days.  Makes for not a lot of energy.

Zoë is talking more and more.  She is getting easier to understand–she doesn’t have a lot of really clear words that anyone other than her parents understand, but she is getting there.  She continues to be a bit of a trouble maker.  She got in trouble at daycare yesterday for disrupting naptime–Noah told on her.  He’s really good about keeping track of all the other kids offenses–he often forgets his own.  She is a pistol and hilarious.  I find myself cracking up w/her many times a day.  The boys will have there hands full with this one.  I don’t even want to think about the battles we will have with her as she enters her teenage years.  Oh boy.  I am just goint to enjoy this part of it.

Time to get everyone up to start the day.  Thanks for listening in.  I miss you all too.

Economics 101–How I Have Failed

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

Time for some randomness.  I am still job hunting and I absolutely hate it.  I want a job now and I am ready to get hired.  I have had a few interviews with a few districts–two with one district and one with two others.  I know that this is just the beginning of the interview season and that it really picks up in April but I am starting to start to freak out. 

We didn’t get as much financial aid for Noah’s school as I would like, so that means I need to get a job if Noah is going to go to school.  This gets me back to the whole being in debt trap.  We have debt–it was the price we paid for me not working and staying home with the kids.  We didn’t scrimp like we should have in order to make sure we were not spending more than we were making.  Part of it was an underestimate of what kids cost–just so you know they really are expensive.  We are in debt and it sucks.  I hate it and it takes a huge portion of Bill’s income every month to service.  I want a job to help us get out of debt and I want to make sure we begin to shrink the debt.  But, we have to be willing to sacrifice and thus far we haven’t been able to do that. 

UGH!  I am sorry for all the complaining, but sometimes it just hits me and I have somethings that are important and I need to make sure that they happen.  It is just a matter of priorities and I have to get them straight–which is certainly something that we haven’t been able to do.  I need to get a handle on it and soon. 

Did I mention that I need a job–not just for money but for sanity.  I am tempted to attempt to get a job teaching summer school this summer to make some extra money–maybe I could teach a class this summer at the community college–I’ll have to look into that.  Money is important.

TGIF For Those With Jobs

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

For me….well at least I’ll have a helper for two days–oh wait only one as he’s playing golf on Sunday. 

I have so much I want to post about, but can’t quite pin it all down. 

Peepers only woke up twice last night–once at 11:20 and once at 3am.  We are making progress and all are all a little happier for it.  Did I mention that she slept until 8:30am and that hubby got up with her at 3am.  Even though I heard her and woke up too–I still got to go right back to sleep.  I hope this is a signal that we are moving towards sleeping mostly through the night.  I could deal with one middle of the night feeding. 

I have so much more I want to say about yesterdays post…I know it’s a loaded topic and one that I must tread on carefully as I am not black but my kids are and so I have to look at it from two sides while I really only experience it from one side.  So, please click on over, read it and chime in.  EDW commented and I think her comment is valid and great.  It is nice that black wasn’t the leading descriptor–that she saw more in my precious little boy than his skin color–but in this case it would have been a helpful lead as he was the only little boy of color in the place.  It is such a hard topic, especially since we often shy away from it to not offend. 

I got the most awesome compliment the other day from an awesomely kind black woman.  She thanked my for taking such good care of my kiddos and for really putting forth a great effort with Minnow’s hair.  We chatted about the products I used–Carol’s Daughter’s Hair Milk and she said that was a good choice and that their Tui shampoo and conditioner were also awesome.  I commented about not wanting to cut Minnow’s hair and she said that I’ll have to eventually because it will be too much to take care of.  She was being sincere and her tone was not at all “oh come on white woman  you won’t be able to do his hair.”  I agree with her, especially since Minnow doesn’t sit still.  I’ll be taking him in someday to get his hair cut…maybe before he starts pre-school (in a year). 

I pride myself on being a good mother and raising good, polite, and kind children.  So far, so good.  We were at the store the other day and a man held the door for us and as Minnow walked through he paused looked at the guy and said “Thank you.”  It was awesome.  Minnow has also begun trying to hold doors open for me, which is too cute especially when the door is a little heavy for him. 

I lost another pound this week and lost 12lbs (almost halfway to my September 26th goal).  WooHoo.  I don’t mind slow–especially this week when I had a really bad week of binge eating ice cream.  I have banned it from our house, because I must eat it all.  Until. It. Is. All. Gone.  That is not good for the waist line.  I simply cannot have that our brownies around.  But I must say if you are looking for a good no-fat brownie–NO Pudge brownies are the frickin’ best. 

Next week at this time I will in Portland for EOR’s first annual board meeting.  I am excited to get to meet my fellow board members IRL and get to meet their adorable children.  I am taking Minnow and leaving Peepers at home, even though I am really having a hard time leaving Peepers behind and may end up taking her with me too.  I know, I am crazy.  But she’s my girl. 

Time (Mis)Management

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

Let me just start off by saying that I totally suck at managing my time.  Perfect example.  I didn’t have my morning coffee until 11:15am this morning…I’d been up since 7am.  I can’t believe how fast time moves in the wake of two kids.  Before I know it time has moved on and I am still a day behind.  I certainly waste time–don’t get me wrong.  I spend entirely too much time online.  But that is easy to do as my computer is on Minnow drawing table and it calls to me as I play with the kids…Yes, I know that’s horrible and the kids should have my undivided attention.  But when you have two kids, no kid get undivided attention anymore.  I have laundry to do still and I am finally getting ready to have lunch as soon as it’s done and it’s nearly 2:30.  Before I know it, Hubby will be home and I still will not have put on a bra yet.  Maybe that’s too much sharing. 

Both of my kids are asleep.  Peepers is on her second nap of the day in her own bed.   We have switched her to soy formula for a trial run to see if that helps her sleep better.  It has certainly helped with the amount of poop she produces.  We’ll see. The real test will be sleeping tonight.  Well, I am off to enjoy the quietness of my kids sleeping and see if I can’t (mis)manage some more time.