Winter Update

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I don't get the chance to write much anymore! In October I started to feel like I needed to quit my very part time job at the radio station. I was only going in once a week and voicetracking the midday shift but for many reasons, I felt that needed to end. I gave my notice and said I would stay through the end of November. A couple of weeks after I gave my notice I started to get some freelance writing jobs. One of those jobs is writing book reviews on occasion for a publisher. I post the reviews on amazon and other websites and get paid. I love to read and I love to write so it was a great fit. The other job I got was writing web content for a website called The Content Authority. This is a great job for me. I go onto the website, and, once I was hired by them, I can see the list of articles they need. When I have time, I choose articles, write them, and get paid. If there is a day when I don't have time, I don't write, it's not big deal. It's a perfect set up for me. When Kaelyn sleeps in or naps, I write. On weekends if I have other things to do, I don't. I make as much money as I have time to make. Actually, I'm still working VERY part time, but I'm making about twice what I was at the very part time job in radio. And I get to write, so I love that. Plus I do it ALL from home. Or anywhere else I am that has a computer and the internet. It's been a really fun job for me. But that's partly why I haven't been writing as much lately. Because when I have time to write, I write for money! There are a few things I wanted to update on here, though.

It's winter now so our zoo visits have been very limited. We HAVE gone several times, though mostly in the afternoon after Kaelyn's nap. That's the only time it's semi-warm enough. Though one day last week, yes in DECEMBER, we went in the morning!! It was going to be above 50 that day and nice and sunny. It was a little chilly in the morning but with our coats and hats we did just fine. I figured we better go because it might be the last chance until spring, who knows.

Another place we have been enjoying is the children's museum. My sister gave us a season pass for an early Christmas present and we've already been a handful of times. We can also take visitors with us for free so that's nice too. Kaelyn has a lot of fun there but I do worry that she picks up illnesses from all the other kids. Last time I went, she threw up in the afternoon when we got home and two days later, I had the flu. So when we go again I'm going to try to be diligent about washing her hands often to try to fight that off. I know we'll keep going because it's a fun thing to do! I just don't want it to be un-fun later!! Right now they have a big area upstairs at the museum of outdoor play equipment. That's really nice because we can't really play outside much these days so it's nice to go somewhere and at least pretend!

Thanksgiving was very nice. We went to Lincoln and spent a few days at Sean's parents house. Kaelyn got used to their house and enjoyed the rocking horse they had in the basement. She also liked watching people play pool and pushing on a musical angel that was part of a plastic nativity scene. We spent Thanksgiving at Sean's aunt and uncle's house and I drove Kaelyn around in the car for her nap. That worked out fine and I didn't even get too lost! We came home at bedtime only to find we had no heat so that was a bummer. It was a long, cold night, but we survived. We got it fixed the next day and then headed to my parents house for the weekend. More turkey and eating, of course.

Just recently, within the last week or so, Kaelyn has started a new thing. I'm calling them fits.
They're really NO run at all and sometimes I don't even know why they start. She doesn't talk yet (though she does say "I do" and "bwah-ah") so I know she gets frustrated when she's trying to tell me something and I don't get it. And I know NO kid likes it when they don't get their way. But sometimes she just throws a fit for seemingly no reason. At least no reason that I can tell. And they're AWFUL. She will reach for my finger like she wants to take me somewhere and then push me away. I'll give her food or something to see if she's hungry. She throws it. I give her a toy to try to distract her. She pushes it away. Finally, I give up and set her on the couch and tell her to calm down and just let her cry for awhile. I'll sit across the room and read or email or whatever. Eventually she'll hop off the couch and come get me and play like nothing happened. This usually goes on for an hour or so. I'm at a loss. I guess there's not much else I can do but just let it run its course. Like I said, it seems like most of the time I don't even know what starts it. She just needs to cry, I guess. And it's full force screaming with sobs and real tears included. The other day, this one is a little funny looking back, she wanted to go to the basement. It was cold and dark so as we started down the stairs I flipped the light on. Apparently I wasn't supposed to turn the light on because she threw a HUGE fit. I turned it back off and she was fine. But it was dark and dangerous and I didn't want her going down the stairs without being able to see so I really felt like I needed to have it on. I turned it back on and the fit began full force for a whole hour. Um, Kaelyn, there are much bigger things to throw fits about than whether or not the light is on, girl! At least make it worth your while, sheesh!! So far, other than a short incident after church this week, she only does it at home. I'm sure one of these days I'll be that mom in the grocery store everyone is staring at. But right now, she's ALWAYS good when we're out places so we continue to be out as much as possible! :)

We seem to have come up with a new game. It's called chase Kaelyn around the circle in our house. It started with the bouncing Tiger and has moved on to include the hammer that makes noise and lights up. In the last few days, I think we've spent nearly every waking moment while we're home playing this game. It's funny, if we're home and NOT playing it, Kaelyn will grab the hammer or Tiger, hand it to me, and then push me away like, okay, go mama, go hide, then I'll find you and you can get me! It consists of me running around the circle and ducking in somewhere to hide. Kaelyn will catch me, I'll just out at her and she'll just SCREAM and SCREAM. Happy screams this time! Last night, she seemed to like it best if she SAW where I hid. Then she'd sneak up and I'd peek out of my hiding spot several times. This would start the giggling. Then when I'd finally attack with Tiger the scream of delight was SO loud I think I lost a little hearing after playing it for so many hours. We'd take a break here and there but inevitably KAelyn would get one of those toys, grab my finger, stand me up, hand me the toy, and give me a push off to start the game. She was having a blast. At least I know we were both getting our exercise!

Our interior of the house is painted with a bad, flat paint so I've gathered some paint samples and we've chosen some colors. Yesterday for our outing Kaelyn and I bought the paint for her bathroom. DId you know there is such a color as Rubber Duckie Yellow? Well, that bathroom is decorated in ducks so we HAD to have it! I did the first paint round yesterday while she napped. I have to admit, I'm not a good painter and I was rushing. So it will definitely need a second coat. But it's a nice bright color and it really brings out the ducks in the room! :)

I think our Christmas plans are in place now. I can't believe it's almost here already. I'll have to write after the holidays again so I remember some of the things about Christmas this year. Christmas last year is very hazy so I'm glad I wrote about it and we took lots of pictures. For now, Kaelyn seems to be sleeping in so I better get some writing for pay done! :)