Monday, March 7, 2011

It's official.

SIGH...sigh...

Lost my full time income today.  Noelle had an awful day it was REALLY bad.  So bad that I was told I could finish out the month without bringing her with me or be done today.  I said I would start packing my stuff.  Chapter closed, I'm done with it.  It's for the better for myself and my entire family.

I will still work 2-3 days per week for the other 2 families I work for.  But the money isn't enough in the long run to help sustain us.




So when Noelle is in a good mood she is VERY, VERY well behaved and helpful, great to be around.  When she is in a bad mood you better watch out!  Screaming, growling, spitting, scratching.  usually she will also hit and kick when in these moods.  I was so thankful that the worst she did today was scratch and try to pinch (I was holding her on a chair for time out at the time).  It's like a whole different person!  And nothing we do can bring her out of it...unless we are just going to let her have her way always and expect nothing out of her.  Obviously we are not willing to do such, then she would be a terror 100% of the time.  I'm just so frustrated with the behavior.  Back in October or so we had 3 visits with Children's Hospital's Psychiatry department.  It went no where.  The lady didn't know how to help Noelle, but was more than happy to tell us how to parent.  The thing is that I truly believe we are okay parents.  We try very hard to be consistent with her and parent to her strong willed personality (we took a seminar on the strong willed child).  I also think there is something in her we just don't get.  I need Children's help in figuring out what is going on with her when she goes into these rages.  Anyway, I went ahead and left a message for the lady we saw before so that we can get her transferred to the main campus and hopefully see someone who can actually help us.  I really hope to hear back from them tomorrow and also hope they can see her ASAP.


I am going to try really hard to enjoy the rest of my week and get some things done around the house that haven't been done because of working FT.  I also need to keep up on some sort of routine to our days at home. Thank goodness Noelle's preschool is already paid through the end of the school year so she will continue going 3 days a week for 3 hours each day.  I'll need that time to get a plan in action and just to relax a little.


Hoping for a better tomorrow!!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Early Spring?!


The weather last week was amazingly beautiful!!  We took advantage of it by going to the park M, T, W, and Th.  I take Noelle's bike with me to work during the week so she can ride it anytime we go for a walk and to the park.  She has been building up some great leg muscles the last few weeks, especially last week!

The neighborhood I work in has a great park and also a pond and lake.  Here we are looking out over the pond/river that eventually leads into the lake and a mile or so away into Aurora Reservoir.

She insisted on this exact picture!  LOL!

Such a cutie.  She LOVES to go down the slide with Anna in her lap.

Such a big kid now.  No baby or toddler left anywhere on her.  :(

Noelle's 4th Birthday


M-I-C-K-E-Y  M-O-U-S-E

We had a party at home the weekend before her birthday to celebrate with all our friends and family.  We had at least 30 people in our tiny house!  Noelle had a great time and wasn't at all shy this time!!

I made her this shirt.  She LOVES it and wants to wear it all the time!

Patiently waiting to open her gifts.

Daddy made her this great Mickey ears cake.  He took the cream out of Oreos and crushed it for the topping.  It was very yummy!

Mommy decorated the cupcakes.  Noelle chose the sprinkles and decoration.


On her actual birthday we celebrated at Chuck E Cheese.  The Threlkeld family joined us and we all had a great time!!

Noelle and Audrey.  Noelle misses her friend so much and they were incredibly happy to see each other.

More of the story....

I had hinted at some "problems" last time I wrote.  Now that it is official I figured I should write about it and get it out of my head a little more.

In about a months time, maybe less or more, I will lose my FT income.  My FT job had been not going very well in the month of February.  A lot of tension in the house, especially after I was told, at the beginning of February, that I needed to get better control over Noelle at their house.  Unfortunately the mom I work for was out of town for 3 weeks in February and it just wasn't possible to have a meeting with everyone  We were finally able to sit down last Tuesday and talk.  I was told that they are pursuing other childcare options for Anna since our parenting styles do not fit well together.  The gist of it is that since I am not able to get Noelle to follow directions 100% of the time I am losing my job.  Pretty crappy really.  They think I am too CALM when dealing with her during a tantrum.  I would just love to know how they want me to react!  It is extremely hard to discipline my own child in my bosses house when the dad is there all day.  I'm pretty sure that if I were shouting, yelling, or spanking her in front of them that they wouldn't like it.  Believe me when I say that "calm" and "Noelle" rarely go together when she is losing it, which usually only happens with me about once a week or less.  (It happens far more frequently anytime her Daddy has to take care of her instead of me.) At home I yell.  At home I shout.  At home she may get a swat on the butt.

I was careful to ask if there was anything they wanted me to do different with ANNA in the month or so I have left with her.  Should I do more of anything, maybe less of something?  NO!!!  They say I am a great nanny and love everything I have done and do for Anna every day.

So I am an amazing nanny, but since my own child can act out and not follow directions I can no longer care for their child.  SO FRUSTRATING!!

Despite my frustration with the whole situation, I actually do think this is for the better.  I am seriously considering taking a CNA course and going to work for PASCO.  They do home health care.  I think I would really enjoy it and would be very good at it.  The mom in a family I have worked for for almost 4 years now works for them.  She says it is a great company to work for and thinks I would be great at it.

Lots of decision making in my near future.  Plus, I think it's time we do some consolidating of J's student loan bills.  Ugh!  I don't look forward to it, but it really would help us out to not be paying so many different bills each month.  Maybe I will take the plunge and drop Wells*Fargo while I am at it (HATE THEM!!).

I'm looking forward to a nice normal March and especially to our vacation to New Jersey in a few weeks!!  Can't wait to go relax with some of my very favorite people.  The kids, and cousins, are all so excited!  This will be our first trip out there since they moved before Noelle was even born.