Full-Time Mommy

At the moment, I work a full-time job. I'm a hotel receptionist, working on the midnight shifts. When school starts next month, I will be cutting down to just two nights a week. I can't see how it's fair to get my daughter out at almost 11:00 at night to take me to work, and getting her up at 5:30 in the mornings to pick me up. And Adam's job is more important than mine right now! Am I nervous that we'll be able to make it? Of course! But am I excited to be (pretty much) a stay-at-home mommy? Of course!

The only bad side of this is that I love money! The GOOD side is that I'll be home to take care of my daughter, and get stuff done around the house. It's been two years since we moved into our home, and in those two years, I never really got to put the house how I wanted it. Now I'll have time to sort through all the boxes, separate yardsale items from storage items, give everything a good scrubbing, and maybe even finally work on some of my crafts! It would totally rock my socks to finally have a booth some time at a craft fair, like I always wanted to do! Maybe get a bundle of stuff made up, and sell them on my online store? That would be cool :-D

I'm most excited about spending more time with my daughter, though. Instead of spending my evenings sleeping for work, I'll be able to be up with her, helping her with her homework, taking her out to play, or giving her a bath for school the next day. I also want to do something really fun every night, like have a game night, or a pretend night, a makeup night, a spa night, a movie night, a date night, whatever I can think of to make sure we get as many great memories in as possible, because these years are just flying by too fast! And a couple of years from now when she starts making more and more friends, she's going to want to have them over instead of doing stuff with me, so I better make the most of my time with her while I can. ♥

First Letter From School

We got a letter in the mail the other day. It's Tricity's first letter from school! (Oh joy... lol) She will be starting kindergarten this year (sniffTEARSsniff!) so the letter was just her new teacher writing to us, introducing herself. She also made sure to include a school supply list and an information letter about the bus schedule, just to tell us that she doesn't really know ANYTHING about the bus schedule... but she included the number to call, so that I can find out the who/what/when/where/why/hows about Tricity riding the bus to and from school.

Personally, if I had MY way, she wouldn't even take the bus. Horrible memories come flooding back to me when I remember riding the bus as a kid.... Being punched in the stomach so hard I couldn't breathe, mean seniors acting like they owned the bus, kids with bad attitudes pulling out my hair, getting an accidental black eye, mean bus drivers, the deafening noise... But anyway, if I had my way, I'd just take her to school and pick her up myself. I guess that's what I get, though, for never getting my license, and we wouldn't have an extra vehicle for it, anyway... I'm just so nervous for her, because I want the best for her. Not what I had... I'm not saying my childhood was bad, but I just don't want her to have to deal with the same crap. It's my natural instinct to want the best for her, and want to protect her from this twisted, warped world we live in...

At least I get to be there on her first day of school. I'm going to bawl like a baby! I'm not ready for this! I want my best little buddy at home with ME! I want to home school her so bad, but I also want her to be able to have that social interaction, too, and I know that's the one thing I can't give her... I can teach her everything in the world, but I can't give her that. I want her to have FRIENDS! Not just the kids of OUR friends. I mean real friends. I'm willing to give the school a chance. However, if she's miserable, or if they mistreat her, you can bet your butt I'll be homeschooling her. If you can't already tell, I'm not really a fan of public schools. They already pissed me off enough at registration... Yeah, it has it's ups, but these days? There are mostly downs... My own niece got in big trouble at school for talking in the bathroom. Seriously? Talking in the bathroom? That's what counts as being punishable these days?

Anyway, we've been getting her new school clothes here and there, slowly building up our supply. We even got her a Monster High shirt! She was so excited. And a Monster High backpack! We're talking about one thrilled little girl! lol And of course the basics, like panties and socks... Now we just have to get school supplies. By the looks of this list, we are in for an expensive shopping trip...

To sum it up, I think I can honestly say - this year is going to change everything... Nothing will ever be the same after this. When she starts school, life is really going to get crazy. I want to be there for her every step of the way. Field trips, teacher meetings, sleepovers, sports, clubs and organizations, concerts and shows, school dances, everything... EVERYTHING.

RIP Phantom, July 10, 2011

I have some bad news for our family today...

His name was Phantom, and he had adrenal disease... He didn't lose all of his fur, but most of it from his neck to his stomach had fallen off, and his tail was getting bare... The bulge in his stomach was so huge, and you could tell he didn't feel well at all... He slept almost all the time, except when he got up to eat or go to the bathroom, and even then, he slumped around as if it hurt him to move up and down his cage. There was really nothing that could be done, and we expected him to pass away any day, but it was depressing that it had actually happened...

I walked past his cage and bumped it, and saw that he didn't wake up and give me "that look" that he usually gives when I've disturbed his sleep. Of course that made me stop in my tracks and tap on the cage. No movement. I shook it a little.... Still no movement. I opened it up and reached inside to give him a gentle pet, and he was cold... So cold :-( I was heartbroken. I even tried to think - maybe he's just in a dead sleep, as they call it, when a ferret has a hard time waking up, but then Adam pointed out that if he was, he wouldn't be cold. I was crushed...

Tricity has moments where she cries and says she misses him, and she'll bring up memories, saying "Remember when he was playing in the box and stealing stuff and hiding it?" And then she'll weep (because she doesn't really cry, she weeps) and then the next thing you know, she's running around, laughing, and playing... Her attention is everywhere... I think I'm taking it harder than she is.

Adam always acts so tough, but I could tell he was upset about it. He said "No more, that's it, I'm done!" And I said "What? You mean no more ferrets?" to which he said "I'm not going through this again." Of course that's just what he thinks... We're still going to get one, just not right away. This time, we'll get it from a pet store, and we'll get a young one. Phantom was already a few years old, so he was halfway, if not more than, done with his life anyway, and we had bought him from some woman who had to get rid of him. I think we'll get a female this time, too. I sure did love my little boy, but I want to see what it's like having a female next time.

I sure will miss him :-(

He always licked us, always loved us, and he was just the sweetest pet we EVER had. Better than ANY dog or cat! He was cute and cuddly, and he always made us giggle. We'll be LUCKY to ever find a pet as well tempered as him... May he finally be free of pain, and at rest...

♥ ♥ ♥ BEST FERRET EVER!!! ♥ ♥ ♥