Going Off On A Rant

Major Update

2010-08-11T14:24:00.002-04:00

Has it really been over a year since I have updated this blog? That is completely unacceptable and I do apologize for that. I do have a reason for the delay, though. The Knapp family has been very busy getting things ready to accept a foster child into our home. On July 9, our foster daughter, *J*, moved in. It has been quite a learning experience...for all involved. The transition is going quite well and everyone is getting settled into the routine.

As for myself, I am staying at home full time now and loving every minute of it. I get to spend a lot of time with the kids and we are all growing closer every day. I also just started school again. This time, I'm going for Medical Office Assistant. Seeing a trend here?

Dan is still working at Tri-County Tire. On the 27th, he will have been there for 3 years. That's good for him. He is learning a lot though and he's using that new-found knowledge here at home when he is working on his classic cars. He has accumulated quite a few of those now. He has a 1966 Chevelle, two 1977 Monte Carlos (his & hers), and a few more that you can see on his blog (http://scrappyknapp.blogspot.com) if you are interested.

Jacob & Hannah will be starting kindergarten this year, which is unbelieveable!!! Where has the time gone? My babies are growing up so quickly.

*J* will be a senior this year, so I have kids ending school and kids beginning school. Just odd!

Well, hopefully I will be able to keep up with this blog again now that things are starting to settle down. You can also catch up with me on Facebook.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T16:29:00.000-04:00

I hope that each and every one of you are enjoying your holiday today...Easter! I know that I have thoroughly enjoyed spending today with my family and friends.

Until next time....

Have You Missed Me?

2009-04-10T14:42:00.002-04:00

Oh my goodness! It has been such a LONG time since I've updated this blog. Well, quite a bit has happened since last August. We got approved to buy the house and have moved from Port Allegany to Smethport. I now have so much more room to work with and don't feel all cramped into a little space. But, of course, with this much bigger house, comes a whole lot more cleaning!!! Dan is enjoying having his 2 car garage. I hardly see him when he's home. He's always out working on something. Jacob & Hannah are enjoying the huge yard that we have. When it's raining/snowing outside, they also enjoy having the entire upstairs to romp around. And with the weather starting to perk up, we can take advantage of the pool!

As for Jacob & Hannah, they are doing very well. They are going to Head Start on the mornings of Monday through Thursday, as well as going to IU 9 Preschool on the afternoons of Tuesday through Thursday. They just got pictures taken at Head Start so I will try to get one scanned and posted ASAP!

Hopefully they will be starting Pre-Kindergarten this August. I am still waiting to hear from the elementary school if they have been accepted into the class. They are both exited at the possibility of riding on "the big yellow bus". I guess that makes them feel like big kids! They are both loving school and I hope that sticks with them!

As for Dan, he's still working at the car wash/tire shop in Smethport. With the weather starting to get nice again, business is starting to pick up, which he is relieved to hear. The winter is a pretty bad time for a car wash!

I got laid off from my job at Elexco Land Services due to this fabulous economy. With all the clients pulling out and not doing any more oil drilling and what not, they had no choice but to let some of us go. They just didn't have the work load to keep us all on the payroll. So for the time being, I'm back to looking for a job. Wish me luck there!

One other point of bad news that I received recently was that my best friend, Jason, just found out that he has a form of cancer. He is traveling back and forth to Rochester for chemo/radiation treatments. The doctors up there are treating it very agressively and have given him a 70% rate of complete success, 20% that it may come back some day, and 10% that they can't do anything no matter what they do. So if you all could PLEASE say a prayer for him, I would greatly appreciate it!

Until next time...

August 5, 1980

2008-08-05T20:02:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how much time has gone by...

August 5, 1980 was the last day that I saw my birth mother. It has been 28 years. Absolutely unbelievable. I don't remember much about her. I only know stories that I have been told. The story that I was told of this day in particular was that my father came home to find a note on the kitchen table stating that my mother took me to the babysitter's so that she could go grocery shopping. My father came and picked me up and we went home and waited & waited & waited. She never did come back.

I often wonder how different my life would be had she been a part of my life. I was raised by a single father so I obviously was quite tomboyish. My father married in 1993 to a woman named Linda. We had a joke between us. She called me "Mandyrella" and she was the "wicked stepmother". Unfortunately, she passed away April 14, 2002. I miss her terribly. She was the only mother I have ever known.

If only I could turn back the hands of time.....

Just Think Positive...

2008-07-06T09:45:00.002-04:00

Well, I haven't posted in a while, so I've got a bit of an update to share. On June 30th, I started my new job at Elexco Land Services. So far, I love it and my supervisor said that I'm catching on very quickly and doing an excellent job. I've been inputting natural gas, petroleum and oil leases into their computer system, which seems to be pretty easy. She is going to start me on something new Monday morning, so we'll see what next week brings. I hope that this will help us to be able to move our family in a more positive direction.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their 4th of July and were able to come together as one to help celebrate our nation's independence. I, on the other hand, was in extreme pain and masked it pretty well for my children's sake so that they could see the fireworks down in Olean. But by the time that I woke up on the 5th, I could mask the pain no longer. I couldn't even take a step without tears coming to my eyes. So, we made the journey over to Bradford ER and things just got worse from there. The receptionist in the ER had me registered as Melissa Knepp instead of Mandy Knapp. She had my birthdate as 8/16/79 instead of my actual birthdate. When someone actually realized the mistake, that account had to be deleted and I had to start all over from square one. Meanwhile, the pain is becoming excruciating and I'm becoming very irritated. After another extended waiting period, I am finally registered correctly and back in a room in the ER. The nurse comes in and gives me my gown and leaves. After I undressed and put the gown on, she returned. She asked to take a look at my "problem area". When she did, her face went white, she said "Ouch!", left the room and returned with a whole table full of supplies. My eyes widened when I saw the stack of needles, but I became a bit relieved when she showed me the bottle of Lidocaine that she said the physician intended to use. She got everything ready and then I just had to wait for the physician to come in and check things out. I was put flat on my back so I obviously couldn't see anything, but from the look on Dan's face while he was watching (he was explaining something about a scalpel and some tweezer-looking instruments), as well as all the bloody gauzes that the doctor threw away, I guess things got pretty messy. The physician also withdrew a vial of fluid that he was sending to the lab as precautionary measures to make sure it wasn't something more serious than he had diagnosed me with. So hopefully, no news is good news. After a quick patch job and some discharge instructions, I was on my way home. Immediately, I could tell there was some relief when it was no longer painful to take a step. I was also finally able to get a good night's sleep last night. This morning, I awoke refreshed and ready to take on the day.

God Bless America!

Job World...Here I Come

2008-06-26T14:22:00.005-04:00

Well, I got the job at Elexco that I interviewed for on Friday. I start on Monday, June 30th @ 8:30am. I'm very excited and nervous all at the same time. I'm more excited though because this extra income will mean that much more towards us getting the new house. I will keep you updated on that aspect. Wish me luck!!!

Also, for all of you that are familiar with the Olean area program of "Woodland in the City", my new employer, Elexco has their own squirrel.

My Hopes are on the Rise

2008-06-19T13:07:00.008-04:00

This is probably going to be a pretty short post because I'm too excited to talk/type right now. I just got off the phone and I have a job interview tomorrow at 2 p.m. down in Olean. It's not doing the Phlebotomy or anything of that nature, which I would have liked, but at least for now, it's definitely something. My family needs everything they can get right now. This job would be for a company called Elexco. It's a gas and oil company and I'd be doing the data entry for the company.

On a brighter note, I hope that this new job works out and that we can buy the house that we have been looking at. Where we are now is just getting too small for all of us as the twins are getting bigger.

Here are a few pics:

The house

The kitchen

Living room/Stairs

Other half of living room/Stairs

One of the bedrooms (It has 4)

Dan's Pride & Joy -- The Garage

Carport/Pool

This is a craft shop that the old woman that had the house had. I'm not sure what to do with it but Dan said that he's going to make a "Trophy Room" of sorts out of it. Display his Avon collection, my Tony Stewart collection, and any racing trophies that he has now and will get in the future. Plus whatever the kids get in the future.

My Husband's Blog

2008-06-04T16:34:00.005-04:00

I just wanted everyone to know that Dan has made a blog that has all his cars -- classic & current -- for sale.

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure

Check it out!!!

Well, here I go again...

2008-06-04T15:28:00.004-04:00

I told myself after I was done with Phlebotomy school (May 21, 2008) and with getting my Associate's in Educational Paraprofessional (June 24, 2008) that I was done with school. Period! But, I just can't help myself. At this very moment, I have a fax going to admissions to continue on with my educational journey. I am now going on to attain my Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting. I thought this would be a good step since I've just completed my Phlebotomy training and these two fields pretty much go hand in hand. I've also got my EMT certification and I'm a CNA.

Let me explain a bit about what a Medical Assistant (MA) might do. A MA is a health care professional that performs the administrative and clinical duties that keep the physician's offices or any other health practitioners office running smoothly. MA duties vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice, and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, MA's are usually generalists handling both administrative and clinical duties, and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.

As MA's are not licensed professionals they are always required by law to work under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider such as a physician, registered nurse, nurse practitioner or physician assistant whenever they provide direct (hands-on) patient care procedures. Some states require that MA's who draw blood for lab tests are certified, and have passed a practical examination as part of their phlebotomy training. (Got that part out of the way already!) MA's perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handling billing and bookkeeping.

Clinical duties vary according to state law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. MA's collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings. Last but not least they serve as direct link and communicator between patient, physician, and other health care professionals whenever there is a need.

Happy Birthday, Jackie!!!

2008-05-28T14:03:00.003-04:00

I'd like to wish my friend, Jackie, a happy birthday today. I hope that you are enjoying Maine and I hope to see you sometime soon. I hope that you enjoy your day!!!

P.S. I didn't have a picture of you, unless you wanted me to break out our high school yearbooks, so I "borrowed" one from your MySpace. =)

It's Official...

2008-05-20T09:27:00.001-04:00

It is official. I am now a Phlebotomist. I took my Final Exam last night for the class. I don't know my exact grade that I got on it because there were some essay questions that the Instructor has yet to grade, but I do know that I did well enough to pass the test, and in turn, pass the course. I am so excited!!! Now I just need you all to keep me in your hopes & prayers so that I can find a job...and find it quickly! Lord knows how badly we are struggling.

Happy 55th Birthday, Linda-Mom

2008-05-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

Today is my step-mother's 55th birthday. I wish she were here to celebrate it with me, but sadly, she passed away on April 14, 2002. I recall some of our past memories, both good and bad. I was so used to having my father's attention all to myself that I tried so hard to push away any women who tried to interfere in OUR lives. But Linda was different. She stuck by my Dad's side no matter what happened. And I'm so glad she did. She was the only mother I have ever known, as my own mother abandoned me on August 5, 1980 -- a week before I turned 3. The memory I recall the most is her nickname for me -- Mandyrella. I was Cinderella and she was the wicked step-mother. That was our own personal joke from the time she came into my life until the sad day that she departed.

She was so young and had so much life left to live. I guess God needed her in Heaven more than we needed her here on Earth.

Here is a birthday poem just for her:

She was my stepmother,

And she was proud to be,

God had given her this important job,

And it is Him she aimed to please.

She was my stepmother,

A promise to me she had made,

To guide me and protect me,

And to teach me in God's ways.

She was my stepmother,

In some ways different,Some the same,

No matter how she's seen by the outside world,

She always knew her place.

She was my stepmother,

My father's partner for life,

She showed me how to be a mom,

And how to be a wife.

She was my stepmother,

She did struggle, She did cry.

When my innocence was threatened,

She stood, and promised to fight.

For she told me I am the future,

I am precious,I am worthy,

And she tried,To give me everything within her power,

Everything that is right.

She understood if she received no credit,

She was prepared to accept all blame,

All the wonderful joys of having a place in my life,

She said were worth all the tears and pain.

She has taught me the meaning of selfless love,

The value of every second of life.

I am so blessed to see the world,And myself,

Through Linda's eyes.

I love and miss you so much, Linda. I hope that you can rest in eternal peace.

Definitely Time for an Update

2008-04-30T21:36:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I've actually updated this blog, so I figured it was long overdue. The entire Knapp household has been extremely busy. I am still doing my Phlebotomy course. I am done with the classroom part of it and I am in the clinical phase of it. I spent 2 weeks at the Port Health Clinic (Dr. Tronetti's office in the old Port Hospital), and my 3rd week at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital. I will be done with my clinicals this Friday and will spend time studying for my Final Exam, which will be held on May 19th.

I met some great new friends while working at the Port Health Clinic. I'd like to introduce to you Melanie

and MJ

I hope to be able to keep these 2 as life long friends. They made my learning experience such a joy that I almost forgot that I was actually learning something.

I have just started my last term of college at Kaplan. I graduate from there on June 24th with my Associate's of Science degree. I think that once I complete this degree that I am going to continue on to get my Associate's of Science in Medical Assisting.

As for Dan, he's still working over in Smethport at the Tire Shop. He seems to like it, which I knew that he would because he loves to work outdoors.

Jacob & Hannah are still in preschool. They are both doing great and loving school. Jacob is coming closer and closer to being completely potty trained. He's staying dryer for much longer periods of time now. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Let It Go...

2008-03-31T09:47:00.001-04:00

There are people who can walk away from you. When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

Don't try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. When people can walk away from you, let them walk.

Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have, He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...Let it go!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...Let it go!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...Let it go!

If someone has angered you...Let it go!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...Let it go!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...Let it go!If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...Let it go!

If you have a bad attitude...Let it go!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...Let it go!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...Let it go!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...Let it go!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...Let it go!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed...Let it go!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to...Let it go!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.Let it go!

The Judge

2008-03-26T10:21:00.001-04:00

Sadly, we are critiqued,
By the people that we know.
By title or occupation,
And by the possessions that we show.

We judge by skin color,
Or by awards received.
By church denomination,
And by what we believe.

We're judged by what we spend,
Or by what we give.
We're judged by age and gender,
And by where we live.

We're judged by our past,
And by our education,
By the language that we speak,
Or by our nation.

We evaluate cosmetically.
We judge both fat and small.
We judge by one's appearance.
Fact is, we judge it all!

Some judge because they're paid to.
Some judge intentionally.
Some judge to build self worth,
Some unwillingly.

BEWARE, for there is only One,
Who evaluates every stain and smudge.
Good luck amateur critics of humanity,
When you face that Judge!

B.G. Wetherby

Some new Pics of my Kids

2008-03-24T20:23:00.006-04:00

On March 12, I took a trip over to Coudersport to my twins' preschool. We celebrated Parent's Day there. They showed me all that they do and all the projects that they have been working on. It was quite a day.

Here is Jacob and me at Parent's Day

Here is Hannah and myself

Stay tuned for more..............

I'm Sorry

2008-03-24T19:39:00.006-04:00

I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to leave an Easter blog on here. I've been so busy studying for this Phlebotomy class that I haven't had much extra time for anything.

We didn't do too much yesterday. We spent most of the morning together. In the afternoon, we all went up to get some pictures of some of the cars that Dan is trying to sell. Then we came home and got all cleaned up. We went to dinner at Mom's at 2 and was there till about 4. We came home and just chilled out for the remainder of the day. I spent the majority of that time, as well as all day today, trying to study for my Phlebotomy exam tomorrow.

Anyone have any good reminders on how to remember the blood flow through the heart, and the various blood vessels & blood cells? Wish me luck...

My Top 10 Joys...

2008-03-07T12:55:00.002-05:00

10. Being on a road trip with my children and husband. It makes me feel like I can just let my hair down and cast all my cares away.

9. I am amazed at the progress that my children are making with their potty training. Hannah is completely free of diapers & Jacob is only wearing them to bed.

8. My family – I don't know where I would be without them. Dan is always there to be my support. He's constantly telling me that I've come too far to give up now, whether talking about school or my weight loss journey. Watching my kids grow is simply amazing. Hannah knows her ABC's and can count to 10. Jacob is a bit behind her, but I have faith that he'll catch up.

7. I am amazing myself with my educational limits. I never thought in a million years I could accomplish all that I have since last January when I started going to Kaplan. Now I am going to BOCES too.

6. I love to watch my twins interact with one another. Hannah is definitely the leader & Jacob is the follower. Whatever Hannah does, Jacob does the exact same thing. It is so cute.

5. The races. Nothing like sitting on hard, wooden bleachers for 3 hours watching cars go around in a dirt circle throwing dust in your face!

4. I love to read for pleasure when I have the time, which hasn't been very often, as of late. I just like to escape from reality sometimes. My favorites are mysteries or romance. My favorite author is Dean R. Koontz.

3. Tea -- sweet southern-brewed ice tea. There is simply nothing like it.

2. TV -- I so wish I had cable service right now. I'm missing American Idol something awful.

1. Shopping – I love to go shopping, but I just can never afford it. Hopefully that will all change here shortly.

Life is getting better & better...

2008-02-16T19:07:00.001-05:00

OK, so I'm sure some of you have probably noticed that I have not been around too much the past 2 days. There's pretty good reason for that. On Friday, I had the intervew for the acceptance into my Phlebotomy class. I had a babysitter arranged to show up at noon so that I could run over to Smethport to take Dan to the bank while he was on his lunch break and we'd planned on getting a quick bite together while I was there. Well, 12:00 turned into 12:30 and still no babysitter. I was frantically calling to see if I could find someone else at such short notice. Low and behold, I get ahold of my husband's nephew to come sit with them until the actual babysitter shows up.

So I head over to Smethport. I get to Dan's work and find out that he's not there. His boss told me that he took off with the company truck. So I head downtown to search for Dan. I find him at the local grocery store and explain to him what happened and that now I don't have time to take him to the bank or get some lunch. He gives me some money so that I can grab a quick bite after my appointment.

So I head over to Shinglehouse. I head to my old Alma Mater to pick up a copy of my high school transcripts. While waiting for them to be copied, I run into my old Home Ec teacher, Mrs. Perkins. WOW!!! She looks fantastic. She has lost a dramatic amount of weight. So we catch up for a few minutes and I realize how old I am getting when she tells me that her son, Kayle, is now a Junior in college. I used to babysit this child and he's now a Junior in college???

From my old school, I head to Jason's house to visit with him for a few minutes before I had to get to my interview. I always love visiting with Jason. He just talks & talk & talks so all I have to do is just listen & nod. I love him & don't know what I'd do without him.

So, it's quarter to 2 and I'm heading to my appointment at BOCES in Olean, which isn't until 2:30. I arrive at BOCES about 2:15, reapply my lip stick and gather my things. I walk in, sign the sign in sheet and tell the receptionist that I was there for an interview with Theresa. She directs me to where her office is located. There is already a girl in there with her, which I happen to know, so I sit in the chair out in the hallway to await my turn. After about 5 minutes, it was my turn to be interviewed. Much to my relief, the interview wasn't really an "interview" per se, but just a couple of questions to determine how much I was really willing to put into this class & how flexible I was. So I spent about 15 minutes in Theresa's office and she tells me that I am accepted! I was sooooo excited & happy.

I leave BOCES and head over to the nearest Burger King to pick up a quick lunch, hit the drive thru & drive over to Bradford. I had to take the acceptance letter that I had just received from BOCES to PA Careerlink so that they can get my funding approved. I have to go back to PA Careerlink on Wednesday to get all the rest of the papers finalized.

So I head to Eldred to pick up the babysitter and then we head over to Smethport to pick up Dan from work. We go home & Dan gets ready for our "date".

We head to Olean and hit Aldi's for a few groceries before they close. (Nice date so far, eh? Just wait...it gets better! lol) We come out of Aldi's to a blinding snow storm and we all know how I get when the roads are bad! So, I think that we got our groceriesn, our next stop would be dinner. Wrong! Next stop...Advance Auto Parts! He had to pick up some things for his car, so I go in to see if I can find anything Tony Stewart in there like an air freshener or something. Nothing!

Now, I'm really getting hungry. I thought we'd go somewhere we hadn't been before, or at least somewhere we hadn't been in a while. Again, wrong! Into the Chinese Buffet we go. Told ya we were stuck in a rut! But it was nice to get away for a while and have some adult conversation.

So, all in all, it was a great day & night.

Groceries, auto parts, and chinese food......what more can a girl ask for?

Stay tuned for more........

Great News!!!

2008-02-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have GREAT news to share. I stepped on the scale yesterday and found out that I have lost yet another 15 pounds! All together since I have been dieting I have dropped an amazing 48 pounds and 7.3 off of my BMI!!! I tried on a pair of my old pants that I used to wear and I can pull them down without having to unbutton or unzip them. What a great feeling that was!

Thank you to all my friends and family for their continued support during my weight loss journey!

How RUDE!!!!

2008-02-09T10:58:00.000-05:00

Why do some people find the incessant need to be so completely rude? It is so totally uncalled for.

Dan & I are in the market to buy me a "gently used" car when taxes come in, so I've been shopping around on some of the local ISP classifieds. One that I use a lot is Pennswoods.net. They offer a wide variety of classified categories where you can usually find a little bit of everything for sale. Well, after I had my accident with the semi back in the Winter of '96, I have been petrified to drive in the snow since, so I was looking for something that would go good in the snow. I came across this 1996 Subaru Outback, which just happens to be All Wheel Drive. Perfect, I thought. So Dan has me ask the seller a couple questions about the car that are not listed. The seller emails me back asking if I could call him. Well, for one thing, I do not have any long distance and I politely told him that. He replies back to me that if I can't call him back, then I don't want the car that bad!!! So I "politely" replied back to him with some choice words of my own. I know that 2 wrongs don't make a right, but I feel that man was just down right rude to me for no reason. All he had to do was answer a couple questions for my husband about the car, but he felt the need to be mean instead.

He just lost my $1,000!!!

Words of Wisdom

2008-02-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

Hello folks. I just have to pass this along. If you live in or around the Potter County area, or you plan to visit, be sure to read Solomon's Words. It's a great blog that is updated MANY times a day with a lot of useful and interesting information. It is written daily by Potter County resident, James Jones, who has written for many other distinguished medias such as the Buffalo Courier Express, Olean Times Herald, and First Place Editorial, just to name a few. So grab a cup of coffee and stop by to read some of Solomon's Words. You won't regret that you did!

Time for Change

2008-02-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

Well all, I felt that my blog was in dire need of some change. Those old polka dots were driving me nuts! How do you like this layout?

Classes are going pretty good so far for me. I just started Unit 2 yesterday. This should prove to be quite an interesting term.

I made an appointment for my physical yesterday for my Phlebotomy class and the doctor's office can't get me in until the 13th. Classes start on the 25th so I hope that I'm able to get everything done in time.

Dan's work-work-working as usual. He's really liking working in the outdoors.

Hannah & Jacob are progressing very nicely on their potty training. If Hannah keeps waking up dry as she has for the past couple weeks, I will take her out of Pull-Ups completely. I think that Jacob is going to need a bit more time.

They both enjoyed "Silly Feet Day" at preschool this week.

I really am still on the face of the Earth...

2008-02-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, everyone… I didn’t fall off. I’ve just been a bit busier than usual. My classes for school started up again, so I’m focusing on them a lot. This term, I’m taking Sociology, Social Problems, and Career Development Strategies. It’s hard to believe I only have 1 term left after this one and I’ll have my Associate’s degree.

I’ve also been taking classes through the PA Careerlink to help me get funding for my Phlebotomy course. That course starts on February 25th, so wish me luck with that. I’ll be taking 4 classes at 2 different schools! They’ll both be ending just about the same time. I really thought that I wanted to go into the Education field, but I keep finding myself being pulled into the medical field in some aspect or another. I think that I’ll be very happy with Phlebotomy. It’s something that I’ve always been interested in.

The kids are doing very well with their potty training. A few accidents here & there, but that’s to be expected. I’m very proud of them!

I also wanted to add a family picture. It was taken at our Christmas party.

A Poem to My Girlfriends

2008-01-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

Someone will always be prettier.
Someone will always be skinnier.
Someone will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger.
Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house...

So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the clothes~~~~ might be lonely.
And the word says, 'If I have not Love, I am nothing.'
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say,
'I am too Blessed to be Stressed and too Anointed, to be Disappointed!'
'Winners make things happen ~~ Losers let things happen.'

Be 'Blessed' Ladies

Happy 2008!!!

2008-01-02T16:11:00.001-05:00

Well, so far, 2008 has been pretty good. We're starting things off with a bang around here. I spent New Year's Eve with my good friends, Kim & Jay. Dan's not one for drinking so he stayed home with the kids. I think Kim, Jay & I were just as lit as the ball that was dropping in NYC.

I also made a few New Year's resolutions:

1. Continue on my weight loss journey with more dedication.
2. Spend more "quality" time with Jacob & Hannah.
3. Get my marriage back on track.
4. Quit smoking!!!
5. Get Jacob & Hannah out of Pull-Ups

I started very intently working on potty training with Jacob & Hannah today. They were excited about getting to wear real underwear.

I gave them a bath about noon today and when they got out, instead of putting them in their Pull-Ups, I put them in actual underwear. I then took them to sit on the potty every 30 minutes afterwards. Jacob has gone "pee-pee" every single time with no accidents in his tightie whities "like Daddy", but Hannah, unfortunately, had an accident at about 2:30 this afternoon. So at about 3:00, I put them on the potty one last time and then laid them down for a nap. I put them back in a Pull-Up for their nap...just in case.

I can't believe how fast they are growing up!

Stay tuned for more.............

Hopeful...

2007-12-11T10:21:00.001-05:00

I had a job interview yesterday in Emporium about the Head Start position. I felt that it went rather well (I hope). When I got to the place, I went in and waited to be called. I was told on the phone to look over the job description and responsibilities while I waited. I was about 15 minutes early, so this gave me plenty of time. I had just finished reading the description when a woman approached me for my interview. She led me down a hallway and then down a set of stairs. Yup...we were in the basement! I entered the room and there was a long table there with 3 women seated. The woman in the middle, Jodi, did the majority of the talking, while the other 2 women mostly just took notes on everything...and I mean EVERYTHING...that I said. There were only 2 other women there for the job, so I hope that gives me a good shot. I was told by the woman that held this position prior that they hire based on most education. From what I know, I have the most, so I hope that this gives me a nudge ahead of the others. My family and I so desperately need for me to get this job. We are struggling to no end. I'm sure that there are many other families out there struggling as well, but I feel that my case is somewhat extraordinary. Dan is the only one working at the present time, so we are living from paycheck to paycheck. He's only making approximately $500 every 2 weeks. Well, our mortgage alone is $355 every month, so one whole paycheck goes right to that. The other check goes to bills. What does that leave me for groceries? How am I to feed and clothe my children? Our gas got shut off because we couldn't afford to pay the bill. Luckily, Dan's brother sells Harman stoves and installed one for us. We had a couple pretty cold nights without any heat!!! Now, without any gas, we are without any hot water. We have to pack everyone up and either go to Dan's mother's house or to Kim & Jay's house. I am so thankful for Kim & Jay. They have been great to us in this desperate time of need. But I still would like to be able to bathe my children in their own house and not have to boil water on the stove to do my dishes. That's getting a bit monotonous!!!

Please just keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers as we are going through this hard time. Pray that God decides that it's my turn to help my family out and that I get this job.

Stay tuned for more.......

Now What???

2007-12-01T14:16:00.001-05:00

I am sitting here bored out of my mind. This is the first time in 3 years that I have been without my children for an entire weekend. They are staying at my sister, Staci's, house so that Dan and I can get a weekend by ourselves to work on "us". Lord knows that we definitely need it as of late. It was supposed to be a surprise for Dan that we would get some alone time, and as he didn't know about it, he made plans to go hunting today with his friend, Carl.

So, here I sit. No kids. No husband. Completely quiet house. Too much quiet. I'm going insane.

Stay tuned for more.......

The Home Stretch

2007-11-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have written in so long, but there has been absolutely nothing going on in my life and/or my household all week long.

Here is a cute little pic of my little ones...

I am approaching the home stretch of my schooling as I only have two full terms left. I should have my degree somewhere around the 24th of June, 2008. I have been looking through all the Help Wanted ads to see if there is anything out there in my field of study. I'm extremely interested in the one that I found a couple days ago for the Head Start in a nearby town. Here are the requirements for the job:

Job Title: Assistant Teacher Head Start

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Assist in implementing the NTCAC Head Start plans pertaining to the teaching staff.

2. Be prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of the Teacher in the event of absences.

3. Arrive at the classroom well enough in advance to have the room prepared for the children's arrival - no later than one hour before the children's arrival.

4. Assist the teacher in providing an environment conducive to the positive social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth and development of the children.

5. Assist in preparing written plans two weeks in advance of implementation.

6. Participate in all required training and meetings as requested, including on-the-job training.

7. Provide input into the monthly newsletter.

8. Prepare breakfast menus, and submit them one month in advance. Shop for groceries to comply with prepared menus.

9. Assist the teacher in completing the developmental profiles on all children.

10. Observe and record each child's behavior twice weekly.

11. Assist in performing a detailed inventory at the end of each school year.

12. Attend the second local Patent Center Committee meeting of the year and explain the education component with the teacher.

13. Make an initial home visit and at least one or more additional home visits to all children with the teacher.

Wish me luck. I talked to the teacher that held this position previously and she told me that I have a good shot at the job because Head Start hires those with more education, no matter if someone from within with more experience applies as well. I am 1 of 3 people that have applied for this position so far and I have the most education. I REALLY need this job so that I can provide for my children. They are the ones suffering...

Stay tuned for more...

Oh, Come on now...

2007-11-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

Is Amie the only friend I got that is actually reading this thing???

Does Anyone Have...

2007-11-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

...a good apple crisp recipe? I have been really craving a nice, warm bowl of this for quite some time now....especially since the weather is turning colder. I haven't had any since before my step-mother, Linda, passed away. She couldn't make much (without burning it), but apple crisp (and fudge) was a different story. So, if you have a recipe for this (that's fairly simple...seeing as how I'm a first-time maker of this) that you wouldn't mind sharing, please let me know. I'll be eternally grateful!!!

The kids are doing pretty well in school. They love it. Hannah is now able to count to 10 and say her ABC's up to G. This is NOvember 6th and they've only been going 3 days a week since October 1st, so I think that's a HUGE improvement on her part. Jacob is really trying. He is still talking with somewhat of a lisp when it comes to his "S" sounds (sissy is thithy). He's trying to count out loud when Hannah does, but he misses a number here or there, but even that is a major improvement for him. Dan's mother is worried that Jacob is going to feel inferior that Hannah is learning at a quicker pace than he is. I don't feel that way. I work with them both when they get home from school. I show no favortism towards one or the other. They both know that I love them as EQUALS!!!

Dan is really liking his job. He's learning some new parts to it today, which he was pretty excited about.

Me? I'm still in school and looking for work. I start my 5th term of college tomorrow. That's a good thing because I get bored when the kids are in school and I have nothing to do. You can only do so much housework or play so much Pogo, ya know? I have 3 more terms to complete and then I will have my Associate's. Time can NOT go fast enough.

Stay tuned for more...

Who Knew...

2007-11-03T19:07:00.001-04:00

....that I had married a Daniel Boone? Today, Dan went out hunting and came home with 2 grouse. He shot them with a 20 gauge. Although this was not his first grouse kill, he said that they come very few and far between.

He jumped 4 more after this, but you are only allowed to get 2 per day. He said he also saw a turkey and a 4 point buck, but not one sign of a squirrel, which is what he was looking for. He's looking for another black squirrel to replace the one that he got a few years ago and his nephew's dog chewed up. He was so upset over that.

Not much other news to talk about today. The kids and I just stayed home and played games and read books today. Hannah watched some of "The Backyardigans" and Jacob watched some "Dora the Explorer" and "Bob the Builder".

As for me, I'm just patiently waiting for Wednesday to get here to start the next term of my schooling. I have 3 more terms left and then I'll have my Associate's degree. The long term for it is Associate of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Educational Paraprofessional Emphasis. It basically means that I will be a "highly qualified" teacher's aide, which is what the new laws of "No Child Left Behind of 2001" require. Then I'll have to go to an actual on-site school to obtain my Bachelor's degree so that I can be a teacher. I think that I am going to teach 2nd grade. Time will tell.

Stayed tuned for more...

Can You Hear Me Now?

2007-11-02T14:01:00.000-04:00

Well, today I had to take Jacob & Hannah to Dr. Campbell's to get their ears checked. Their primary doctor thought that might have had something to do with their speech delay. Dr. Campbell put one of the children with the nurse and had me go in the sound proof room with the other child. First, we took in Jacob. He sat on my lap while Dr. Bob gave him a sheet of paper with some different pictures on it. He had to point at the pictures that Dr. Bob asked him to. Then, Dr. Bob put some earphones on Jacob and shut us in the sound proof room. He sat outside the room, but Jacob could still see him out the window. He asked Jacob to point at the pictures through the headphones to see if he could hear with them on. Then, we had to switch chairs in the sound proof room. There were 2 speakers on each side of us. On top of each speaker, there was a toy that made noise. Dr. Bob would play a toy on the left to see if Jacob would look left. Then, he'd play the toy on the right to see if he'd look in that direction. The last procedure he did with us in the booth was to make this 35 decibel sound. It sounded kind of like static on the TV when the channel goes off late at night. Maybe just a bit louder though. He let me know when he was going to do it so that I didn't jump out of my skin. Jacob jumped a bit when he made the sound, but didn't cry. Now, Hannah...that's another story. She named all the pictures perfectly and did great with the earphones. She liked the toys going off on either side of her, but when he did the static sound, she went NUTS!!!

After the sound proof room, we had to go into another part of the office. Here is where Dr. Bob looked inside their ears to check their ear drums. He said Jacob's was sucked in a bit in the right ear, but it was because that Jacob is a bit under the weather. Hannah's ears had a bit of a drainage and we're going to keep an eye on that. Dr. Bob said that could be why Hannah is always tugging on her ear and poking at it. The drainage could be making her ears itchy. We've been lucky so far (knock on wood) that neither Hannah nor Jacob have EVER had an ear infection, so I don't want to start it now. I hope her drainage is due to her just getting over a sinus infection and getting off of antibiotics. Dr. Bob said that could be it.

For anyone that doesn't know, we had to take our minivan off the road for legal reasons, so we put our old gray station wagon back on the road. We had it inspected while Dan and I were taking the kids out trick-or-treating and it was stickered when we were done. I get in the car and it's ticking like a time bomb!!! I asked Dan what that noise was and he said, "The oil pump is going bad, but as long as it keeps ticking, we're okay. It's when the ticking stops that we have to worry." So, the trip to Coudy was quite hair-raising this morning, to say the least. When the motor was cold, the oil was running at about 60psi, but as the motor warmed up, the psi got less and less. By the time I pulled into Dr. Bob's, we weren't registering anything on the meter at all. Talk about biting my nails. Here it is 40º weather and I'm hoping that I don't break down with two 3-year-old toddlers!!!

Stayed tuned for more...

Maiden Voyage

2007-11-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I have decided to jump on the band wagon known as blogger. I had not started before this due to the fact that my life is such a routine day after day, that I thought that I wouldn't have anything new to write about on a regular basis. Now that Hannah & Jacob have started preschool, I think I'll be able to come up with something! Here's a picture, from October 1st, of their 1st day:I'll admit that the majority of these posts will be about the twins as they are my entire world.

Last night was quite an adventure. We took Jacob & Hannah out trick or treating for the very first time. They really had a lot of fun. Jacob was dressed as Superman and Hannah was a Dronkey (from Shrek 3). We tried to get them to say "trick or treat" at the houses, but all they could manage to get out was "treat", which the people thought was hilarious, and usually gave them extra candy for it. But I did make sure to have them say "thank you" to every single person. It was funny though....every time Jacob would tell the people "thank you", Hannah would answer him with "you're kell-come" which is her version of you're welcome. Here are their costumes:

Well, I hope that you enjoyed the maiden voyage of "Going off on a rant".

Stayed tuned for more...