Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

#MMM Working Woman

I am now a working woman! Well, I will be as of July 2. I am SO excited about this! I only graduated officially 2.5 weeks ago and I already have secured a full-time position. That does mean, however, that Fuss will have to go to a sitter for at least a little while during the day. Fortunately, my next door neighbor is willing to take her for a while and it won't be too expensive.

This week was definitely one for the record books for crazy things happening. In one day, we had computer software issues (that took all day to fix), Beast got out of the underground fence and refused to come back in, AND our air conditioner stopped working on a 70+ degree night! We were extremely lucky to find a repairman for the A/C willing to come out on short notice. He came out before lunch time Friday morning. Plus, it was an easy fix of simply adding coolant to the system.

Operation New Home is just starting to get underway as well. We aren't quite sure what area we will be interested in yet as some other developments have come up recently that I can't discuss yet, but it is exciting nonetheless.

I think that's it for this Manic Mommy Monday!

Wordless Wednesday

#MMM Falling Into Place

I'm joining in on a blog hop with The Gnome's Mom to share a little bit about the life I lead here. The Gnome's Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow on a regular basis as well. If you're a blogger and would like to link up, feel free! And add us on Twitter with the hashtag #MMM

I am very excited to announce that I have graduated my Transcription program with High Honors and have already tested for a company. Not sure how long I'll have to wait to find out how I did on the pre-employment test, but I am very hopeful. Granted, going to work 40 hours a week after "only" being a SAHM for 2 years is going to take some getting used to!


We did, however, get some bad news. Well, not bad per se...just disappointing. Our renovation estimate was $100,000! Seriously, in this area, it makes more sense to move than to put on a $100k addition! That means we're probably going to be moving in the near future...or at least the next couple of years. I don't mind. We bought our current home as a starter home. We have made improvements and have grown as a family within it's walls. It may simply be time to move on.

Not only that, but it just feels like we're on the "right path" at the moment. Like we're headed where we need to go and things will turn out fine. I know that as long as Hubby and I are in it together, nothing can stop us!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who has supported me through good times and bad. We have had many trials throughout our lives together, but we always come through the other side stronger than ever. I am so glad that he is Fuss's Daddy. I know I couldn't have asked for a better man to be her role model for what a husband and Daddy should be.

I am also lucky enough to have my own Dad (whom Fuss has recently started calling "Poppa"), a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He entered the Army at 18 because working 2, sometimes 3, jobs wasn't enough to provide for his daughter. He and my mom split, but he left for the Army to take care of me in the best way he knew how. He and I haven't had the best relationship in the past. Many outside forces were involved in that, but we are now working on being closer and have really bonded since the birth of Fuss.

I have my Step-Dad, an oil rig worker. He and Mom have only been married 4 years, but he fits our craziness well! LOL. He loves Fuss as much as if she were his own and he takes care of Mom through all the insanity. Fuss loves her "Papaw" and talks about him constantly...when he's not around. Anytime he's near, she clams up! She loves to tease him and picks relentlessly, even if he sometimes doesn't get it and thinks she is afraid of him.

And, finally, there's my father-in-law. A little crazy in his own right, but he accepted me into his own family with open arms and has always treated me like one of the family. Fuss definitely enjoys her time spent with "Paja" despite her shyness with him. He definitely has a special place in his heart for our little Fuss.

We are so lucky that we have all these wonderful people in our lives every day. Not to mention, all our grandfathers and even our friends. So many wonderful role models for us to emulate. I can only hope Fuss sees the love that each one of these people has for her and is able to appreciate it as she grows up. 

#Review of Fred's Swim Academy Swimtrainer

photo from ThanksMama.com

 
ThanksMama.com provided me with the Fred's Swim Academy Swimtrainer to review. I chose Stage 1 but could have used Stage 2 just as easily (they were out of Stage 2) for Fuss's weight range. She is around 30 pounds based on her weight at her 2-year checkup. The sizes range from 13 all the way to 80 pounds! There are 3 stages based on your child's weight and abilities:

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Red

• Approximately 13-40 lbs
• Helps a little one get comfortable in the water
• Helps teach correct leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Orange 

• Approximately 33-65 lbs
• Helps teach correct arm and leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Yellow 

• Approximately 45-80 lbs
• Helps transition a child to swimming without any floatation device

Fuss in her Swimtrainer

Back View

In the Water

As you can see, it fits very well on her and is actually VERY adjustable due to the inflatable side supports. This is what makes this product unique as well. It is also easy to store. Just flatten it after deflation and fold it into the box again. (Sorry for the poor quality pictures. My camera was left at home and we were at a hotel for the weekend of Hubby's Grandma's funeral.)

Here, you can see the Swimtrainer in action! At first, Fuss was hesitant to wear it at all, but as soon as she jumped into the pool, the struggle was all forgotten! She LOVED it! My SIL was also there with 2 of her 3 kids, "The King" who is 7 and "Queen Elizabeth" who is 4. Of course, The King couldn't try it out for us...he is too big and already knows how to swim. However, Queen Elizabeth was at the upper end of the weight range (40 pounds)  for the Swimtrainer, so we decided to try it on her as well. Naturally, it was snug and the inner chambers needed to be deflated more than for Fuss. However, it fit and Q.E. was able to enjoy swimming in it as well!

Q.E. enjoying the swimtrainer.

The Swimtrainer is very durable and easy to put on with the "quick clip" in the back. The clip also has a clear protector over top to keep it from being accidentally unbuckled should your child happen to run into something (or another kid trying to undo it). Honestly, the clip is kind of hard to get open when you're struggling with a twisting toddler, but I'd rather have that than have it popping open all the time!

For Fuss, being able to have freedom in the pool was great. She swam for over an hour the first night. Then, when we went home and went to our local pool, she swam for almost 2 hours straight! She is really beginning to get the hang of kicking correctly and moves very quickly through the water. She now even tries to put it on herself! Since this one has worked out so well for us, I will probably be purchasing Step 2 by next summer to help her learn arm strokes more easily. The only caveat to this trainer is that if the kiddos happen to flip upside down, they can't right themselves. They are still head above water, but it is important to note. There is a reason that it tells you not to leave a child unattended (DUH!).

I want to thank ThanksMama.com for sending me this Swimtrainer to review! It will definitely be used for a long time to come! (Even passing it down to friends and a future baby is within the realm of possibility.)

P.S. Here is a video of Fuss's first time swimming in the Swimtrainer.

Wordless Wednesday

From my Fuss

#MMM More Manic by the Day

I'm joining in on a blog hop with The Gnome's Mom to share a little bit about the life I lead here. The Gnome's Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow on a regular basis as well. If you're a blogger and would like to link up, feel free! And add us on Twitter with the hashtag #MMM

We have been absolutely crazy lately! Seriously, I feel like I don't have the time to just sit and do anything right now. Summary of the last couple weeks: I did a retake on my transcription test and this time I passed with high honors! I am waiting for my graduation certificate as we speak. As a reward, Hubby bought me a Kindle! Now, I'm working on my resume and getting ready to get a "real" job.

We are also getting estimates for adding a second story to our house. We aren't able to build out due to the right-of-way that the City has through our yard. However, we can also build a garage in the back corner of our lot. Hubby is very excited about finally being able to have a garage where he can work on our own vehicles as well as a place to store his motorcycle for the winter. I'm excited about the prospect because it means his tools will be stored somewhere other than in the basement! LOL. Seriously, though, I am excited. We really hope to get 2 bedrooms (for kids) and a bath plus a master suite with a walk-in closet and private bath. After that, our next project will be remodeling our kitchen...and probably 98% of the main floor as well. Of course, that may take a few years to deal with.

In addition to the addition - um, really there was no pun intended there - we're probably going to be purchasing a HUGE playset for Fuss. She loves to climb and swing and all we have for her right now is a Step2 playset that has a slide. It is great, but she's not all that interested in it since she has played on my friend's playset that is 3 stories tall with a rock wall and swings. No competition.

Hopefully, we will begin our TTC journey again. Hopefully it doesn't take a year like it did with Fuss! But we are definitely moving forward. Some days are little steps and others are big strides...just taking it all one day at a time.

9 at 9 Interview at Acting Balanced

Check out my interview with Heather at Acting Balanced! I am very pleased to have worked with her and hope to work with her more in the future.

http://www.actingbalanced.com/2012/06/9-at-9-interview-with_09.html

Winner of the DivaCup Is...

Vannicea Bigelow

Congratulations, Vannicea! I hope you enjoy your DivaCup!