I love the place that pays me as much as the next person, but Why didn't someone tell me that Monday was a holiday, and I won't have to pick cotton until Tuesday?
Had I known this, I would have made plans to go skiing/snowboarding on our long weekend.
DARN!!
Posted by Margaret
8:21 PM
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I have been homebound for the last 2 days. In the last week, I've been to the place that pays me only 1 day (Tueday).
During our semi weekly trip to the commissary Tuesday afternoon, P informed me that her 'teacher' at the daycare let them go out and play in the snow (it snowed about 4 inches ALL day on Tuesday), and her nose and hands were cold, and her pants and shoes/feet were wet. Had I been informed that they were going out in the snow, I would have taken the snow boots, the REAL mittens, and her ski bibs to school for her to change into.
Needless to say Wednesday morning about 2AM P woke with a terrible cough, fever, runny nose, and overall 'my-teacher-let-me-outside-in-the-snow' cooties. So we stayed home Wednesday. And Thursday.
Also, it has continued to snow here for the last 48 hours. The roads are so bad that Uncle LeRoys folks announced that if you are not mission essential at the place that pays you, just stay home. And that I did!! My street has not been plowed, so 6 inches of snow is now 3 inches of packed snow/ice.
Even though she's sick, P is still an eating machine. Today, she woke from a Children's Tylenol Cold induced nap, I asked her if she was ready for lunch, and she said no (watching dvds she received for Christmas was more important). A few hours later it was dinner time (1830~6:30pm for you civilians), then bed time and that's when the trouble began:
Me: You need to take a bath so you can get in bed on time.
P: I can't go to bed yet.
Me: Why?
P: Because I didn't eat dinner yet.
Me: We had chicken soup for dinner. *homemade, thankyouverymuch!*
P: That wasn't dinner, that was lunch.
I know you are wondering...yes, I made her 'dinner' (salmon, mac 'n cheese, and green beans)before she went to bed at 2030 (8:30pm for you civilians) , and she ate every bit of it.
I will make an honest attempt to go to the place that pays me tomorrow (Friday) only becuase we need to go to the commissary...again.
Posted by Margaret
10:18 PM
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I hope everyone's Christmas was great, and you got what you wanted. Our Christmas was fun, to say the least. It was good to have 4 days off with no real plans.
P opened her presents in record time. When P opened the presents Mary sent her, she was convinced the first package was a headlesss Barbie, when it really is an extra set of clothes for Barbie. She asked me why Mary kept Barbie's head: 
Once she opened the second package, she finally figured it out and before I knew it, Barbie was nekkid (along with the other 4). They still are. Just like P, they have all the clothes in the world, but would rather run around the house in their birthday suits.
Here is a picture of P and Crazy Dog Christmas morning. He puts up with so much from P. While she was opening her gifts, she put the bows on him, and he was covered head to tail in bows.
Posted by Margaret
9:12 PM
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Happy holidays to everyone! 
P and Crazy Dog
Posted by Margaret
10:58 AM
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Operation Christmas Package has successfully come to a close with the arrival of both packages full of P's gift. Most of the gifts are wrapped and the others are hiding from P at the place that pays me. Every morning P takes inventory of what's under the Christmas tree.
We also received a package from Mary yesterday. It contained presents for BOTH of us. Thanks SO much Mary!! P wanted to open the gifts she sent, but I told her that she had to wait until Sunday morning, so they are under the tree, along with the rest of her loot.
Thanks, again, Mary!!
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All last weekend, P was complaining about her ears hurting 'inside at the bottom'. I checked her temperature, but she did not have even the slightest fever. Monday morning I called her doctor (who's in the Chair Force), and she told me that she could have an ear infection even without a fever, and to give her Motrin AND Tylenol for the pain.
Monday night, while assisting P in the brushing of her meat hooks, I realized why she was having 'ear pain'. She's getting 2 new teeth WAY in the back on the bottom...her first molars, the ones she's NOT supposed to get until 6 or 7 years old (she'll be 5 in February).
The Tylenol seems to be helping for P's discomfort, but the Tooth Doc still wants to see her and make sure everythig is ok with the new meat hooks.
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Just 2 more days pickin' cotton, and the long weekend begins (I might even take off from work on Tuesday)!
Posted by Margaret
9:28 PM
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My last day of school was on Thursday, where I had to present my portion of a group project. I got a B in the class, and I'm so happy to be done with my degree! I have my Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management. The University has only one graduation ceremony a year, in May, and I don't think we'll be here when the time comes.
Now the big question...what to get myself for a graduation present?
Uncle Victor's reps have already questioning me about starting the Masters in Information Systems program. My first answer is to take some time off, but when I think about it, the last time I 'took some time off', it turned into a 6 year hiatus. Maybe once we get settled in the States I'll get started on it.
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Saturday morning, we made Christmas cookies. We had plans to make 4 different kinds, but once the first batch was finished and I realized how many each batch made, we each picked out one kind. I picked chocolate chip with pecan and P wanted to make sugar cookies.
Being that P is 110% girl, she chose to decorate her cookies in pastel colors. Here she is, hard at work:
Some of the finished cookies:
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Christmas package update...there is NOTHING to report. I still have only one of the packages I mailed from the US before we left. Wednesday will be the deadline...if the others have not arrived by then, I'll dip into the retirement fund and head to the nearest Toys R Us. I have no idea what to get because EVERYTHING she wanted is in in the packages somewhere between here and New York.
This week will be a short work week, capped off with a long weekend!!
Posted by Margaret
7:51 PM
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For those playing along at home, I've mentioned before that P, Crazy Dog and I will be moving back to the US within the next year or so. Although I don't have to, I've been looking for a new place to pick cotton, and I've applied for a few jobs in the last month. sidenote: for those of you who know about Uncle LeRoy's process, you know how crazy it is.
Today I was notified that I was referred for one of the positions that I applied for...in Los Angeles.
When I first found out, I wasn't very happy...until I found out how much my pay would increase (along with at promotion), then I got happy. This is basically the first step in the selection process. I also applied for 2 positions in Washington state, and I would be REALLY happy if I was referred for those positions.
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In the What Was I Thinking category...I did ALL my Christmas shopping for P while we were in the States. I packed everything in 3 GIGANTE boxes and mailed them from VA. What's the problem you ask? I totally forgot how slow mail moves this time of the year. Today I picked up the smallest of the boxes from the mail room, and was told that the other 2 might not make it here before 1 January.
While in the VA, I bought the new iPod Video. I bought a Nano first, then I realized that for just $50 more, I can have 6,500 more songs, pictures AND video!! So I returned the Nano, paid the restocking fee and price difference, and bought a black iPod Video. It's NICE!!!
P has now claimed my pink iPod mini as her own. She calls it her MyPod. Maybe I'll wrap it and put it under the Christmas tree for her.
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Thursday night is the LAST class of the LAST class that I need for my Bachelor's Degree. I just have to finish my portion of a group project, and it's OVAHHHHH!! It's been a LONG 3 years. I started school again (after 7 year break) in January 2003. My goal was to finish by December 2005. Mission accomplished!!
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The tooth-es fairy left P $10 for both teeth. She wanted to buy a $15 DVD. I told her that she needed $5 more. She asked me to 'borrow' it to her, and said she'd pay me back when her other teeth come out and the teeth-es fairy leaves more money.
Posted by Margaret
10:11 PM
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Last night P and I were discussing how to put an end to Crazy Dog's 'stinky air' (breath).
Today P just wanted to follow up the conversation:P: Did you get the meat soda for Crazy Dog?
P gave me a look of disappointment, then I realized what she was talking about: Yesterday I told her that maybe we could use baking soda to brush Crazy Dog's teeth. She thought I said bacon soda, and turned it into meat soda.
Me: What are you talking about?
P: The meat soda to brush his teeth with.
Me: I have no idea what you are talking about.
P: You said you were going to get some meat soda to brush his teeth with because he has stinky air.
Me: I'm sooo sorry, I don't know what that is.Baking soda=bacon soda=meat soda.
The only excuse that I can come up with is that she IS related to TimeTard, and she DID crawl early!
Posted by Margaret
10:49 PM
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We left the US on Tuesday at 2230 (10:30pm for you civilians) and arrived home at 1900 (7pm for you civilians). Considering the 6 hour time difference, checking in 3.5 hours early for the international flight, the short but festive layover in Paris, we traveled for about 18 hours over 2 days. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Neither P or I was jet lagged once we landed on either side of the pond. I went back to work and P went to school the next day.
For those at home placing bets, I must announce that TimeTard was LATE picking us up from the airport in DC. Yep, late, with no excuse!!
For Thanksgiving we went to my sister's house near Camp Lejeune where for the first time in 22 years we were all under one roof (minus my youngest brother). A good time was had by all, and P really enjoyed herself hanging out with my nieces (one is 5 months older than P and the other is 15 months younger than P).
I did so much shopping on Black Friday!! It's been a long time since I did that much damage to the retirement fund in one day. It cost me $185 to mail everything back to Germany. I attempted to post pictures, but I think Blogger is upset that I haven't updated in over 2 weeks, so it is not being nice.
Now that we are back home, I must unpack (in a week or seven).
Overall, we had a great time in the States. It was nice to see Girly-man, Pimpalicious, Nurse Ratchette, and TimeTard again (my brothers and sisters). I will admit that it was great not running into the Killer-of-All-Dreams, the Gypsy, and the Half-Centry Pimp better known as the Ex-Stepmonster, the lady standing between me and my inheritance (my dad's mystery wife), and my dad.
While in the States, it REALLY hit me that we would be moving back soon. I have soooo many questions...Which cable company? Which cellphone company? Is Geico REALLY for me? Paper or plastic? Public, private or charter school? I think I'll need a class to help me adjust to living in the States for the first time in 7 years.
On another note, P has lost another tooth (she says teeth-es). She doesn't want to put them under her pillow. Is it ok for the teeth-es fairy to still leave something for her?
Posted by Margaret
8:38 PM
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