Ayden's Birthday

We celebrated Ayden's 3rd Birthday this weekend. We had a small party at his Great Grandparents house. We just had the Garcia's (Minus Ana who is in Colombia so it was safe) and also Marcela and her gang. It was really nice, we had some food and cake and that was it. Ayden could hardly wait to open his presents, he was eyeing the pile all night long. We wanted to start the party around 4:00 pm but you know how that goes with the Garcia's. I called around 3:30 pm to let them know I was running a little behind and Paola laughed and said "Oh please Karen we are all here just starting to take showers." Needless to say we took are time and nothing really got going until at least 6:00p.m. but it was nice. We got home alot later for Ayden's bedtime, (10:30) so he went right out...and so did I. His mother had a going away party to go to so her night was just beginning. Today, we continued his Birthday and gave him presents from us which he enjoyed and better yet it kept him busy all day, so again he was pooped for bedtime.

We should have more weekends like this...sleep time is a dream!!!!

Why can't people just be nice?...it's not hard!

Work For me use to be "my World" I would go in around 7:oo am and I never left much before 5:00 p.m or longer. I always had so much work that the day would fly by plus I loved my job. I have grown so much in my job from Day 1. I broke my butt proving to my boss that I was worth promoting. I was promoted about 3 times since I have been there with the $$ to show it. I was happy there! I was the
"Teachers Pet" I knew that and so did everyone else. Denise thought I did no wrong and honestly it made my life at work easy and fun. All my office mates then new this and would tease me all the time. Never did anyone of them show me any kind of bad illness for this, we all got along. Then as the years go by we have had additions enter our department and some of them have been nice and others have just come and gone. These days the ones we have are just so "evil" that you can't understand how or why people treat people this way? I was brought up to respect people because you want the same respect in return, so for me the word Family means respect, the word friends mean respect and I thought the word co-workers meant respect but I was wrong. I now work with people who thrive on hurting other or just thrive on being "#1" no matter how they get there. For me I have tried to be friendly, just nice, or even ignoring these people but they just beat you down. I know I am very sensitive and I have been told that over and over again but for me I just can't understand why people can't just be nice? It boggles MY MIND. I have to work with these people day after day so it is the most stressful kind of pain because it just eats away at your stress level. I go to work each day saying to myself "I am going to ignore these people today and just get on with my day" but then it's 9:oo am and both people have either hurt me in some way or just "Set me off" in some way..It is so exhausting!
Maybe I am sensitive but seeing how I am treated and how others are treated at work by these people I would rather be "Supper Sensitive....any day!

We made a Deal

Well Cassandra and I had a real Heart to Heart talk this weekend. We both had something we wanted to talk to each other about. I told her that for many years I cleaned up after her and that was wrong.Cassandra is not a pig but she sure can become a "Tornado" coming through the house. Cassandra has a very bad habit of not picking up after herself until I Scream at her do it.
For a while she said she would help me clean up during the weekends but that didn't last long.

Cassandra wanted to talk to me about her discipline of Ayden. Cassandra asked if I would "Back off" and not put in my 2 cents, which I do. I can not stand there and Listen to him crying I am a talker and Cassandra is a Yeller. Ayden is very bright boy so he knows he can act up when I am caring for him.

So, the deal is she would take charge of her cleaning and I will "Butt out" We want to see how this works. We both need it to get along better. It's not that we don't get along but it will stop me from being angry all the time at her..I am NOT a clean freak but I like it to look ne. Believe me I know how hard it is to have 3 year old running around, but together we will Deal!

A new Start

I took this photo Yesterday, it's a photo of Marcela's son Jason home from the Navy. Jason looks fantastic and I on the other hand look FAT. Yes, I know I have gained weight but I never realized how much? Honestly it's mostly my outfit, I can say that because I know the shirt was big on me and that sometimes makes you look bigger but Yes I am Fat! Lately I just didn't care because it really didn't bother me. I have no one "Special to look good for which is a terrible way to be. If I was happy with the way I look I would be fine but after seeing this photo I realized how much I don't like the way I look. So, I am not going to go on and on about this I will just do something about it. I know I will never be "Twiggy" again but at least I will be doing it for me so I can Like myself because that is what is important. I don't want to hear from Anyone, "Oh Karen your not fat" because I don't need to have anyone make me feel better, only I have the power to do that for this subject anyway. Believe me having friends not only makes me feel better it makes me feel safe. I don't have a Whole bunch of friends like Cassandra does but I do have very "Faithful " Friends and ones I can always count on.

My day off is Over.....BIG TIME!

Well Cassandra went back to School tonight and I am back into "Nite Nite" Time. Cassandra said it would be alot easier tonight because she had to pick him up from daycare today because he had pink eye. One of the kids in his class had it a week ago so they believe that's how he got it. Cassandra picked up Ayden to take him to the Doctor just before nap time so she brought him home and never gave him a nap...did it work? The jury is still out. It's 8:40 and it's the first time I sat down since I got home. Cassandra left at 6:00 pm or so and asked me to set up her new cell phone so Ayden was playing on the back porch. I turned around after 10 minutes and my entire living room floor was covered with Sand from his Sand box, so it has taken me this long to sweep, get him ready for bed and finally relax..Last night he was up from 1:30 am until 4:15 am arguing with Cassandra in the hallway about everything under the sun, so I finally got up, yelled a little and everyone went back to bed. Needless to say I never went back to sleep but they did!
So, I am so glad that things are back to Normal.... (well my normal)

Part 2 of "Drama-Drama-Drama

As you saw in my previous post my daughter was so distraught about her classes/grades. Well today she calls me at work to tell me "it was all a big mistake mom" ....Yes, once again my daughter jumped no leaped into the wrong information regarding her school. It seems after she left School on Friday so upset the school tried to get back in touch with her to tell her that the exams were graded "in-Correctly "So all of her "DRAMA" on Friday was for nothing..The school called her cell and she lost her cell and the e-mail address she gave them was her e-mail from work, so all that worry for NOTHING!!!! So the happy face you see here is "Happy once again"Believe me life with Cassandra is never ever dull but I love her to death so the Drama that comes with her is just fine Sometimes)...........She is MY Drama Queen..

DRAMA-DRAMA-DRAMA-

I don't understand why this Generation of kids have so much "Drama" nothing is simple for these kids. Cassandra stayed home today from work because she has been sick for the last couple of days,a virus of some kind and she can't keep anything down. So coming home today I picked up Ayden from daycare (I brought him to daycare so Cassandra could sleep in)and on the way home I was thinking that she was home all day and the house would be a mess...MUCH TO MY SURPRISE Cassandra had cleaned the house top to bottom, swept the floors, washed the glass tables, did the dishes, cleaned both her and my bathrooms, Ayden and her room look immaculate (She knows not to touch my room, because it's always clean) and she started a load of laundry. I could not believe my eyes. I told her what a wonderful job she did and I was so proud of her. She said she could not just sit around even though she was sick she had to move around. Cassandra is so use to being "on the go" with her 9 hours of work each day and on top of that she has School 4 days a week from 7-10:30. So I was really impressed. She had to go to School tonight to take a exam she was not looking forward to taking. All seemed well, then the phone rang at 8:15pm a hysterical Cassandra called me crying that she had failed her test and the way she was acting was like the world was coming to a end. I told her ( I yelled) to come home and we could talk about it but to stop crying. Once she came home she told me that it was her Physic's class, the one class that she was not "Tops" in..O.K Let's Fix it..and we did. It turns out the only way to take the class over is to take 5 weeks off from work in January because this course is only in the day during the week. I told her it's the best time to take off, holidays are over and she gets a large check from the IRS Every year so that would cover her daycare bill, etc. She also has some PTO Accrued and by them more will have accrued..so see things work out when you attack it calmly. Yes we all get upset like that but it's never "ALWAYS" Drama Drama Drama.
Cassandra is a special girl and the love of my life BUT She is also the biggest Drama Queen we know..(Anne can attest to that) So one moment I want to hug her to death and the next I want to Shake her....DRAMA-DRAMA-DRAMA-.... This is My Life..

Enjoying a Night Off-

Tonight my daughter took a night off from school to study for her exams on Thursday & Friday. An unexpected night off from babysitting Ayden is so nice, not that I don't love him to death, but because I didn't have to fight with him at Bedtime. The person who enjoyed it was 'My Bailey" as you can see in the picture he is able to relax with me on my bed. He just loves being alone with me because Ayden just drives him crazy, pulling at him, screaming in his face, pushing him and much more... so we have had peace...of course Ayden went right sleep, for his "Mama"

of course...................

Happy Grandparents (Gigi) Day

Today I received a card and some gifts from my Grandson Ayden along with a big Hug for what he called "Gigi Day". This day is something that started around the time Cassandra was born and for me and Cassandra it was a very important day because I would not be here if wasn't for their help with Cassandra. My mom said once it was like raising another daughter and she was so right,she called them Grandma and Grandpa but Cassandra looked up to my dad as her dad and my mom as another mom. I know that their relationship was so special and that Cassandra would never be as loved as she was loved by them (Me as well). I hope I can help Cassandra with Ayden as well as they helped me with her. So, today Cassandra asked me what I wanted to do? Dinner, Lunch? I said "Peace and Quiet" She laughed and took Ayden to her boyfriends house to watch the Game...So right now I am going to clean up a little then take a nap and then get a nice cup of coffee and search the TV for something good- PEACE!

Looks like another Dudd

I know that the Hurricane changes it's mind by each day but from what I can see in the past 2 days is that this storm, IKE, is going further and further away from Florida. I feel sorry for the Gulf coast states because they have already been hit. Hopefully tomorrow it will be way out and we won't have any affects from this storm at all...I think my friends/family in New Jersey has had more effects from a Hurricane then we are....

There is light at the end of the Tunnel

Well it's Friday at 9:30 p.m and this is Cassandra's short night. Cassandra is on her way home and she should be here any moment...Yes, her son is still up but I will be off my shift for the weekend...and I am looking forward to it. Cassandra did go to the daycare and the teachers agreed that Ayden sleeps to long so they will only allow him to sleep 30-40 minutes a day instead of 2 hours. The teacher said Ayden was the first to fall asleep at 12:oo pm and the last one that wakes up at 2:30 p.m so Anne's idea really helped!!!

Now we have to start worrying about this Hurricane Ike, I don't pay much attention until they start getting close and this one is getting close--to us--. We were told today at work that we all had to stay in the hospital no more A-B Teams for Human Resources we all have to work. I told my boss if Cassandra and Ayden are coming to the Hospital then I have to stay with Bailey. We are not allowed to bring dogs to the hospital and I can not leave him alone. I use to have people I could count on but not anymore so Bailey is my responsiblilty and I won't leave him alone. If the storm is really bad I may have to take Bailey and pack up my car and head North. Scary huh?
My boss was not happy but she understood. So I guess we are on "storm watch" this weekend..
stay tuned....

Another night.....................

Well here it is 9:oopm and I have been back and forth with this child for 1 hour. He has no fear at all, no matter what I tell him he still gets up and laughs and runs around. I think Anne had a good idea about the napping. I will have Cassandra talk to the teacher tomorrow. On the weekends Cassandra does not really give him a nap anymore, he may fall asleep in the car for like 20-30 minutes or so. We have to do something because I don't have a life from Mon-Friday.
Joyce called me as I was walking in the door tonight and I have yet to call her back because of Ayden. If I dare get on the phone, Ayden is running around twice as much not letting me talk. Anne knows, it has happened many times with her. Now I just don't talk to people until after he is sleeping.. I have to. While typing this I have gotten up 4 times, it's really ridicules!!!

Being a Grandma is nice but sometimes it comes with a price....your sanity!!!!!

Worse Night ever...........Not kidding!

Well I am back to watching Ayden again after a nice 4 day weekend and he is back to his wild self big time..I have been trying to get him to sleep since 7:30 pm and it is now 10:00 pm and yes he is still awake. I thought he was sleeping around 9:15 pm because I did not hear anything for awhile but then my door opened and their was Ayden covered head to toe with Powder, I mean covered. I had been fighting with him for 2 hours and you would think he would be tired out...oh no the 3rd hour was worse then the 1st 2 hours. I feel my heart pounding because I can not understand why he is so full of energy at 10;00 p.m at night? It boggles my mind. It has been bad with him but now it's every night and I still have another 6 months of this..I really don't know what else to do? Any suggestions? Not that I haven't tried everything....I have!
Honestly I may have to re--think this situation..it's not good!