we don't SAY that.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Just when I thought it was easy
It all went down the tubes, again. I should be getting used to this by now. Just when I think everything is buttoned up and taken care of, that all the work and running and stress and whatever is over and finished, something always pops up. Always.Something popped up when we got married- a few weeks before our wedding, which was planned- our ceremony and reception location (was the same place) cancelled on us. We had to find a new location for 80 people in two weeks. We had to reconfigure our menu, cancel the cake, send out a change of plans note. It was chaos. At the end of the day, though, it was perfect, and we all had a better time where we ended up than we would have had at the original place. For the best. But still, hectic.
Then there was that whole baby thing... there was the IVF, which threw us. There was the diagnosis, which threw us. There was the c-section, which threw us.
There was the second surprise pregnancy, which was a surprise. Hence the 'surprise pregnancy' bit.
So, at this point, I should really, really, really not be surprised when the shit hits the fan, when things go askew, when what I think is happening no longer does.
Yesterday I dropped off the remaining papers for Noel's preschool. He was supposed to start today. I was ushered into the director's office after there was some uncomfortable paper shuffling by the receptionist.
(because I'm smart, I knew why- the 'blue form' (immunization record) was a different blue form- our vaccine exemption paper)
They told me that they were very sorry, but their committee voted to not accept exemptions. Except it's state law, and they CANNOT discriminate against Noel for being non-vaccinated. Even though they are a church. Doesn't change the fact that Noel's not in school, doesn't change the fact that now I will not put him there if they say anything other than, 'Oh, we're sorry, didn't realize'. If we have to push the issue to have him enrolled, that opens him up to being treated like Typhoid Mary. I won't do that.
What I will do, however, is go and check out the Montessori preschool across town as a backup. I imagine, if they have space, we'd start in the fall. So much for getting a jump on it this year.
What I will also do is make sure the school is fully aware of the laws that do pertain to them, even as a church school. That there are two statutes that they have to abide by, regardless of their funding. I will take this to as many people as I need to until the administration and the committee accept the fact that they cannot vote away laws. It will not benefit us, Noel will not be attending the school if I think that he will be treated differently by the staff for his vaccination status. The next family, though, that wants to go to this preschool, which is supposed to be fabulous, won't have as hard of a time with an exemption.
Hopefully.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Quickly, here's what the latest is down here.
It's summer. I said so, yesterday, when we went to our local neighborhood ice cream joint, when asked what their hours were. I said, "In the summer, they're open until 11". Not thinking that in all the rest of the country, it's barely spring. Sorry about that.
I got a wonky scrip for my contact lenses. The left one, the worst eye, is actually spot on. It's the right, my dominant eye, the one that I use to focus my camera with that won't work right. I've tried waiting to see if it got better, and it hasn't. I have to carve out more time to sit in an optometrists waiting room to sort it out. This is awesome.
That picture of Noel? It's cute. I love it. The focus is off. It bothers me immensely.
The postcards I did for the baby expo last week didn't really bring a lot more traffic to my website. I have gotten several emails from other vendors at the expo, trying to sell their own stuff. One plus, though (and it's a big one)- is that I've been offered a spot with a 3d/4d ultrasound maternity spa kind of place as a 'by appointment' maternity photographer. Pretty cool, and they would like to take 10%. Now I have to go read up on what's the usual and customary when you're in a sort of rental kind of business attachment.
But first I have to sort out these damn contacts, because I can't see for shit.
It's summer. I said so, yesterday, when we went to our local neighborhood ice cream joint, when asked what their hours were. I said, "In the summer, they're open until 11". Not thinking that in all the rest of the country, it's barely spring. Sorry about that.
I got a wonky scrip for my contact lenses. The left one, the worst eye, is actually spot on. It's the right, my dominant eye, the one that I use to focus my camera with that won't work right. I've tried waiting to see if it got better, and it hasn't. I have to carve out more time to sit in an optometrists waiting room to sort it out. This is awesome.
That picture of Noel? It's cute. I love it. The focus is off. It bothers me immensely.
The postcards I did for the baby expo last week didn't really bring a lot more traffic to my website. I have gotten several emails from other vendors at the expo, trying to sell their own stuff. One plus, though (and it's a big one)- is that I've been offered a spot with a 3d/4d ultrasound maternity spa kind of place as a 'by appointment' maternity photographer. Pretty cool, and they would like to take 10%. Now I have to go read up on what's the usual and customary when you're in a sort of rental kind of business attachment.
But first I have to sort out these damn contacts, because I can't see for shit.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Because you asked, Jen:
One of the eggs got the innards blown out, and the shell is sitting above our stove. I don't know exactly what to do with that, but thought I should keep one.Here's what happened to two of the eggs: scrambled, with oatmeal muffins and a yogurt smoothie. (and note, yeah, we let him eat wherever. We're not very meal-structured)
(and also, yeah, that's a purple striped shirt he's wearing. Um, not very gender-specific around here, either. And also, happy World Down syndrome Day, and also, yeah, I voted for him, but that was a stupid thing to say, Mr President. And also, I was happy to see this on the front page of the paper this morning:
Obama's bowling quip prompts challenge.)
Friday, March 20, 2009
finally!
We have eggs! I gave the girls a special treat of salad greens for all the effort.
Man, I love the camera phone.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
funny story
So, the husband and a couple of kid-less friends and I were at a music festival thing a couple of weeks ago. We're at a county fairgrounds.I say, "hey, look, that rock is shiny". I pick it up, because that's what I do. It's weird, but I pick up rocks. It's like I'm a seven year old boy or something.
Anyway. I'm doing laundry once we got back. Find said rock. Here she is, in all her glory:
I totally missed the glitter and paint at the time. Just saw a shiny thing and put it in my pocket.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Gah. Just gah.
We did our morning sit in at Noel's new school. It was great.Noel didn't even notice when I left to handle the paperwork end of it- deposit checks and the forms and whatnot. He was happily sitting in a little chair, listening to a story, while the three (yeah, three- for eleven kids) teachers in the room washed up hands from outside play. He's not too sure about the other (eleven, did I mention eleven?) kids, as even when we're at playgroup, it's generally four or five other little people. He's never been around such unbridled toddlerhood before.
But he likes to play outside, he likes to pretend play in the kitchen, he was mostly ok with the singing at circle time (again, it was the mass toddler-ness of the whole group that spooked him, I think), and while he didn't eat his snack, he was content to sit at the table while everyone else ate their animal crackers and drank their apple juice.
I'd say 'he didn't touch his snack', except it would be a lie. He picked up one animal cracker, tentatively, and licked the corner of it. Then he put it back on the napkin with all the other crackers, and that was it.
On the one hand, the placement is excellent- he fits right in with the class, as far as abilities go. On the other, it's kind of breaking my heart that he's in the one year old class. Granted, it's the end of the year, and some of these 'one year olds' are actually almost 2, and the reason we're doing it this way is to get Noel acclimated at the end of this year so he can officially start with the same kids in the two year old class in the fall. That doesn't seem so much of a spread, really, and doesn't sting as much, and it's just a technicality, just semantics, because it's the same kids and the same age difference. But ouch.
And then the regular mom stuff of leaving your kid with someone else, depending on them to take care and notice and protect the only thing your heart cares about for a few hours, twice a week. There's that thing, too.
But he will love it, and he will gain much from it. No question about that, and so I will suck it up.
Apart from the earth-shaking kids growing up information (news flash: moms cry about first day of school), we had an escapee chicken, again. The same one, too. This time I just let her wander around the backyard until we made our capture (monofilament line tied to the door of a dog crate) rather than actively chase- much less stress. The chasing doesn't work and you look stupid chasing a chicken, anyhow.
The starter in my car went kaput, and we rented one for a couple of days to keep up with life. LATCH system? That's awesome. I'd probably know about that if we ever bought new(er) cars.
We bought a new washer and dryer with some of our tax return moolah. Switched from electric to gas on the dryer. As it turns out, the dryer we bought had been converted to a different type of gas than what we have, unbeknownst to us, the salesguy, or the store, and we had a fireball of epic proportions inside the dryer. Melted clothes, diapers. We're now on week two of a 'loaner' dryer, after three weeks of playing roundy-round with the repair guy. At least we have a working dryer, and I don't really care that the washer is a different color than the dryer. In fact, if we don't have to schedule yet ANOTHER three hour window for a repair person or delivery person or other random dryer related person to come to the house, I'd keep the mis-matched set to save the hassle.
And in business related news, I bought a new-to-me backdrop (it's pretty, sheer, and shimmery, sort of, while being totally earth-toned neutral), a new backdrop stand and black muslin just got delivered, and I have some cutey-cute parasols for props coming in the next day or two. I am ready for the onslaught, please. T-minus five days to the first push of my marketing plan.
But. He's going to start school.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ABLE act: call your congresspersons and representatives. Now.
On February 26 and 27th, Senators Casey (D-PA), Hatch (R-UT), Dodd (D-CT), Kennedy (D-MA), Brownback (R-KS), and Burr (R-NC) and Representatives Crenshaw (R-FL), Meek (D-FL), Kennedy (D-RI), and McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) introduced the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S 493/HR 1205). This bill was formerly known as Financial Security Accounts for Individuals with Disabilities (FSAID).If this bill becomes law, it will allow an account to be held in the name of the individual with a disability. This is important because currently $2000 is the asset limit for individuals receiving benefits under important federal programs such as Medicaid and SSI. Medicaid is the primary source of funding for long-term support services for adults with disabilities. The legislation's intent is to supplement rather than to replace benefits provided by other sources. In addition, money earned on the principal of the trust would not be taxable which means that it can grow tax free.
The accounts have a contribution limit of $500,000. These accounts will give families another tool to use in estate planning along with other mechanisms such as a special needs trust.
I guess the joke's on me, she said
Isn't it funny how everything works out?Ok, I really just wanted to use both lines of the NIN song,just because. I don't think I'm the butt of a joke. It really IS funny, though, how things turn out. For serious.
Someone that I did a shoot for offered to take my business cards to a baby-centric expo next weekend. Wouldn't you know it, just in the past two days I've been trying to figure out a way to work a Mother's Day promo. Yesterday I figured out how to do a mock up for a postcard, and also got some of my wholesale inventory (photo bags and a charm w/ necklace) worked out with a better pricing structure. I had intentions of doing a bulk mail- not super awesome returns, but I had no idea it was so inexpensive to buy addresses. Go figure.
I'm looking into a very localized name-recognition push, because this economy sucks and I'm not getting any business just sitting around. Anyway.
So I'm reading these marketing books that I checked out from the library. I'm dinking around with all the edges and filters and frames and brushes and whatnot that I don't really use in Photoshop and making them work to build an advertising postcard that doesn't look like I made it with crayons and paste. I'm doing all this stuff, rather than just spin my wheels doing nothing (which doesn't cost anything, at least, but doesn't pay, either)- and then I get an offer to pass out my stuff to a boatload of pregnant chicks. How awesome is that?
Timing. I'm glad I started thinking about putting something together before today! I'd kick myself if the offer was made and I had nothing but business cards- but even that's something. Yay for hoping this will net some gigs!
Monday, March 09, 2009
special bonus: astigmatism
So, I've noticed that some of my shots have been in soft focus lately. Things seem good, then once they're all uploaded and on my computer screen... not so much.I went to the eye doctor today.
I have had perfect vision for my entire life, and now I don't. Apparently my left eye is totally falling down on the job and sucks, and the right eye is a little bad but is overcompensating. Of course the prescription I need had to be special ordered, and so now I'm waiting for contacts. Whee! I am enjoying getting old!
Also I had to hold down Noel for his annual bloodwork today, and they stuck him in both arms.
Still catching up from taking ten days off for the plague. Maybe tomorrow I will be done returning phone calls. In any case, we went out of town for part of the weekend, and this is how much fun we had:
Monday, March 02, 2009
On the mend
Well, after being thoroughly beaten down by a virus, I seem to be getting better. Yay! Just ick all around. It took me longer to get over the flu than anyone else around here, mostly because I take care of those yo-yos. I don't take the same care with myself, especially when I was on my own with the two kids and all I wanted was to crawl back under my comforter. I didn't have any energy to make myself chicken soup and dole out the extra vitamins and whatnot. So. Next time I just don't get sick, then. Now that that's settled...The girl. She turned one. I had intentions of making her a little chocolate cupcake, and doing the obligatory kid eating cake photos, but see above re: no energy. The kids will probably be sharing a birthday party in the next few weeks, with the most ultra cute teddy bear cake with cakelets you ever did see (note: I need to learn how to make fondant), but until then, I guess this will have to do, no?
I'm a terrible mother for letting this be the singular note of her actual birth day, but really, it was all I could do to manage this. She got a doll from one gramma, a check from the other, and a couple of sweet cards. She's happy, regardless, I think. And cute, but here, look for yourself:
