It was recently pointed out to me that I haven't updated my blog since January. And TOMORROW is April. How did that happen?
So what has been keeping me so busy that I can't find time to update my blog?
This one has a lot to do with it. Until he can be a little more self-sufficient, it is almost impossible to get anything done. I hardly have time or energy to get to the laundry, dishes, and other cleaning, much less update my blog. When he is sleeping, I try to catch up on aforementioned chores. When he is awake, he pretty much always requires two-handed attention. But he sure is cute. He: can hold onto his bottle to keep it in his mouth, roll over front to back and back to front, smiles when you talk to him, and has begun giggling, though we haven't found a sure trigger.
Here is what we have been up to in the last little while:
We do a significant amount of sleeping when we can:
Since the weather has gotten warmer, we go on walks as frequently as we can. We all love getting out of the house, feeling the warmth of the sunshine, and getting some fresh air. Mom gave us this little bear snow suit and I think Charlie looks so cute in it! I put him in it as often as I could.
Chad has been giving Charlie piggy-back rides. It is especially entertaining when Charlie drools all over Chad's head.
Meeting Uncle Christian:
A while ago we had a wind storm that knocked down our street sign. We stole it before someone else could (don't worry, it is now safely home) and took the opportunity to take our picture with it. And if any of you internet stalkers are out there - be warned that we have a security system complete with surveillance camera, so don't get any ideas.
Charlie meeting his Grandpa Dickerson whom he shares his middle name with.
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In the meantime, mom came out for the month of January, Dad came out for the baby blessing at the beginning of February (of which I seem to have no pictures - they are all on Dad's camera), then Chad's mom was here for February, and by March, we were on our own. I finished basketball season with the Pep Band (Thank GOODNESS!) and have found myself an intern to take over the children's choir I teach. Right now she is doing one song with each of the choirs, but if I find myself needing a sub, she takes over, and that has been extremely helpful. We have had 2 band concerts. Our most recent concert (beginning of March) was really great. The kids did well, but not as well as they or I would have wanted. My percussion ensemble - that was impossible at the beginning of the year - was awesome. I would post a video, but it doesn't look like much on film - they performed a novelty piece with blacklight and fluorescent PVC pipe. They memorized it and performed without a conductor. They really did an awesome job. I was so proud! School has been good. I will be glad to have one year under my belt come this May. They say the first year is the worst. This one wasn't too bad, but I'm looking forward to things being even better in the future.
I continue to work in the Young Women's organization at church, but it sounds like my time will be over by the end of the year. I will have only been in for 2 years at that point, which seems really short to me, but that's what they're saying. I'm trying to soak up my time with them - I will miss it.
In other news, Chad officially quit his job at Porter's on March 12th. They "graciously" offered him a demotion and a 33% pay cut if he wanted to stay. He is making more on unemployment and not paying a babysitter than he would working for them. After spending pretty much our entire married life working for them, I feel like they really screwed him over. The owner wouldn't even return his phone call or e-mail. Before he got transferred (and promoted) to the Idaho Falls store, the owner asked for at least a 2 year commitment. It seemed like a worthwhile deal, so Chad took it, we bought a house, I got a job, we had a baby, etc. We bought a car in January, having no reason to believe his job was at risk. Two years was up this month, and they let him go, just like that. No real explanation or anything. Thanks for nothing! Now I know why I (seemingly randomly) got a job (2 jobs if you count the children's choir) at the last minute before school started last fall when I thought I would be staying home waiting for Charlie to come. At least someone was looking out for us, and for that, we are grateful.
This week has been my Spring Break. I was thinking I would have a week to spend lazing around the house with nothing to do, but since Chad isn't working, we were able to go do some things. I have to thank mom and dad for sending us some early birthday money to fund our outings. We tried to plan something for every day so we didn't get crazy sitting around at home. Chad is finding out what it feels like to stay home with children. By the time I get home from work, he is begging to get out of the house.
On Monday we went over to the high school and watched a movie on my projector. Tuesday we went to the Potato Museum in Blackfoot.
Giant potato "crisp":
Like mother:
Like son:
On our way home, we ate at A&W (we don't have one in Idaho Falls) where it was $.99 Coney Day! How lucky are we?!
We also stopped at the Blackfoot rest stop and walked a trail through Hell's Half-Acre - a field of lava that oozed out of the earth 4100 years ago. (See what I learned?!)
Then on Wednesday, we pretty much stayed home. We did laundry, dishes, and rearranged our furniture. It is very different from what we had before, but we like it.
On Thursday, we went up to Rexburg to see Stephen, and get a BYU-I sweatshirt. I never got one when I was in school, and I finally found one I liked, AND it was on SALE! I picked it out and stashed it on the stroller while we finished shopping. Then we went outside to check out the new amphitheater they built into the quad. Then we went back inside where I realized I had gone outside for a good 10 minutes without having paid for my sweatshirt. Ooops. I thought of you, Erin. (I'm telling you, the whole stroller/car seat thing makes it too easy to accidentally steal things. I forgot to pay for something at Walmart because it had slid under the car seat in the cart and I didn't see it until I got outside and put the baby in the car.) We went bowling at the campus bowling alley, and ate lunch. It was a fun day.
Charlie watched from the sidelines:
Not too shabby - I broke 100 in both games! I wouldn't have been able to say that before I took that bowling class 3 years ago. :o)
On Friday we went to Pocatello for the Spring Fair - a home, garden and RV Expo held at ISU. We went mostly for the food. I told Chad it was nice of him to arrange a fair just for my birthday so I could gorge myself on fried foods in celebration. We had corn dogs and curly fries. I would have had a funnel cake, but there were none to be found. On Friday night we went out to dinner for my birthday. Thanks again mom and dad! We went to Yummy House (where we went last year) and it was, indeed, Yummy, once again.
With that, I think we are ready to celebrate my birthday.
First, I got a package from Erin:
Then I got a package from Mom and Dad:
And then I got my birthday honey-baked ham:
(Just kidding, the ham is for Easter - except we are eating it tomorrow because we will be at Erin's for Easter)
And everything is wrapped and placed under the birthday tree (At some point, I think I have already explained how this came to be):
At this rate, I'll see you in... August?
