Do you Freecycle? I hope so. If you don't know what it is, look it up and consider joining. It's fabulous! Get rid of the stuff you no longer need or want and get other people's stuff that you do. Although there are hard and fast rules to Freecycling, there is plenty left up to the individual and some of my fellow free cyclers' way of doing things can be irksome. (Anytime I hear/read/use any form of "irk" I hear the line from Bolt - "You irk me, professor. I am irked." hehehe)
Freecyclers decide who will get their items in different ways: to the very 1st person who asks; to the person who can pick it up soonest; only to a person who offers frequently themselves; or to the person with the best story. I understand and have done all of these, myself. But my pet peeve involves those Freecyclers who do not posting their "TAKEN" message soon enough.
I understand that "no shows" occur and you want to have backups. But once you get a few or several responses throughout the day you post an item, chances are at least one of those fellow Freecyclers is going to come get your stuff. So please post a "TAKEN" message. It benefits you and me - you don't get any more emails in your inbox and I don't pine away for something, wondering if I'm going to get it or not, and checking my email every 15 minutes to see if I got it and need to go get it now. Because I will come get it that day. If both the offerer and I are online at the same time, I've even picked something up in less than 30 minutes of it being posted. But some people have to wait days or a week until the weekend or until they can borrow or rent a truck to pick something up and the offerer refuses to post a "TAKEN" message until the item is literally picked up. That annoys me. Lets not leave each other hanging, people!
So, I want to hear from you - do you have a Freecycle pet peeve?
Living on a prayer with love, laughter, faith and food.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Big Changes 'Round Here
Out of the 9 years since B was born, I have been a SAHM (stay at home mom) for all but 16 months. When B was 14 months old, I went back to work. Unfortunately, he had some health issues that forced his daycare to kick him out and his care requirements were even too much for his grandparents to deal with, so I had to quit my job and stay home with him. It's been hard on us, having only one income. The hubs is not like most hubs in this area. He is not an computer geek, making 6 figures in the high tech world. He performs necessary, but unheralded work, to keep Americans safe and bad guys at bay. But B has gotten stronger every year and has been mostly fine since the age of 6. Although we don't have everything we would want, we have everything we need and we are happy. However, we would never be homeowners again if something didn't change.
So, four weeks ago, I went back to work full-time. I had been looking for some time for something that would accommodate our circumstances. Since we homeschool, I could not work a normal 9-5 job; no daycare was going to watch a 9 yr old during school hours. After looking for something to fit our schedule for the 1st 9 months of 2011, I decided to sit down and pray to God for the answer we needed. Three days later, His answer came. A company that I had worked for before (the company where the hubs and I met) posted a position with late afternoon and evening hours. It was something I had done before, so I applied, and got it!
What an upheaval this has been to our life! We have been homeschooling since June 2010, so B and I have been together all day, every day. The hubs works from 6am - 2pm so he can spend at least half of every day with us. Since November 28th, our weekdays have been this:
4:45am - the hubs leaves for work
5:00am - I get up, shower and dress
5:30am - wake B up, he gets dressed and we both go down for breakfast and make lunches
6:15am - we leave the house and head to my parents' house, who have graciously offered to watch B for the 7 weeks I am in training (8am-5pm)
2:15pm - the hubs picks B up from my parents' house
6:20/6:30pm - I get home from work b/c traffic is unbelievable
8pm - B and the hubs go to bed.
Like I said - upheaval. I miss all my time with my mens! But as hard as it is for me, I can deal with it. I have a goal; I have my eye on the prize. The hubs and I have decided I will work towards saving for a house for the next year and a half, and we'll buy something when our lease is up in July 2013. The hubs has been a-ma-zing, picking up all the cooking and house cleaning since I've been at work. My parents are not only watching B for us, but are also homeschooling him! This has turned out to be a blessing for all of us. Ben is not missing 7 weeks of school and my parents are so happy to be involved in his schooling. Teaching him, they've gain firsthand experience and confidence in their grandson's education. They love the curriculum we've selected and have divided his subjects up between them according to their preferences. My dad is a history buff, so he teaches B social studies and geography. My mom, like me, is an English natural, in additional to being a retired x-ray technician, so she teaches B his Language Arts and Science. B does Art at home with the hubs.
Once I'm done with training on January 13th, I'll start my regular work schedule - Sunday through Friday, 2:30pm to 11:30pm, with one, rotating weekday off. Other than my 2 days off a week, the hubs and I will only see each other for the few minutes we exchange B in the parking garage of my work 5 days a week. But we will muddle through. Once again, we have a goal in mind. B is an emotional soul (just like his mama) and we've seen the toll these changes have taken on him. But I believe it will get better once I am on my regular work shift and it is just the hubs and I with B each day. As wonderfully indulgent as grandparents can be, children's fundamental needs for structure, order, discipline and love can only be met by their parents.
I've truly loved these past 3 days off to just spend with B and the hubs. I don't care if the house is a mess, whether the laundry gets done or not, or if I make a home cooked meal or we eat out. We're together, we're laughing and loving, and that's all that matters.
My friend, The Persian Homeschooling Mom, begged of me that when I went back to work, I had to give her at least 1 blog post a week. I'm sorry I have been so remiss in my responsibilities. ;o) I'll try harder to balance my family, my home, my job and my fans from now on.
So, four weeks ago, I went back to work full-time. I had been looking for some time for something that would accommodate our circumstances. Since we homeschool, I could not work a normal 9-5 job; no daycare was going to watch a 9 yr old during school hours. After looking for something to fit our schedule for the 1st 9 months of 2011, I decided to sit down and pray to God for the answer we needed. Three days later, His answer came. A company that I had worked for before (the company where the hubs and I met) posted a position with late afternoon and evening hours. It was something I had done before, so I applied, and got it!
What an upheaval this has been to our life! We have been homeschooling since June 2010, so B and I have been together all day, every day. The hubs works from 6am - 2pm so he can spend at least half of every day with us. Since November 28th, our weekdays have been this:
4:45am - the hubs leaves for work
5:00am - I get up, shower and dress
5:30am - wake B up, he gets dressed and we both go down for breakfast and make lunches
6:15am - we leave the house and head to my parents' house, who have graciously offered to watch B for the 7 weeks I am in training (8am-5pm)
2:15pm - the hubs picks B up from my parents' house
6:20/6:30pm - I get home from work b/c traffic is unbelievable
8pm - B and the hubs go to bed.
Like I said - upheaval. I miss all my time with my mens! But as hard as it is for me, I can deal with it. I have a goal; I have my eye on the prize. The hubs and I have decided I will work towards saving for a house for the next year and a half, and we'll buy something when our lease is up in July 2013. The hubs has been a-ma-zing, picking up all the cooking and house cleaning since I've been at work. My parents are not only watching B for us, but are also homeschooling him! This has turned out to be a blessing for all of us. Ben is not missing 7 weeks of school and my parents are so happy to be involved in his schooling. Teaching him, they've gain firsthand experience and confidence in their grandson's education. They love the curriculum we've selected and have divided his subjects up between them according to their preferences. My dad is a history buff, so he teaches B social studies and geography. My mom, like me, is an English natural, in additional to being a retired x-ray technician, so she teaches B his Language Arts and Science. B does Art at home with the hubs.
Once I'm done with training on January 13th, I'll start my regular work schedule - Sunday through Friday, 2:30pm to 11:30pm, with one, rotating weekday off. Other than my 2 days off a week, the hubs and I will only see each other for the few minutes we exchange B in the parking garage of my work 5 days a week. But we will muddle through. Once again, we have a goal in mind. B is an emotional soul (just like his mama) and we've seen the toll these changes have taken on him. But I believe it will get better once I am on my regular work shift and it is just the hubs and I with B each day. As wonderfully indulgent as grandparents can be, children's fundamental needs for structure, order, discipline and love can only be met by their parents.
I've truly loved these past 3 days off to just spend with B and the hubs. I don't care if the house is a mess, whether the laundry gets done or not, or if I make a home cooked meal or we eat out. We're together, we're laughing and loving, and that's all that matters.
My friend, The Persian Homeschooling Mom, begged of me that when I went back to work, I had to give her at least 1 blog post a week. I'm sorry I have been so remiss in my responsibilities. ;o) I'll try harder to balance my family, my home, my job and my fans from now on.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
I'm STILL Fuming
 |
| B and I had pizza for lunch on our afternoon out |
I miss my B! It's been him and me, most hours in the day, for quite some time. And since we started homeschooling in September 2010, it's been even more together time. I have completed 1.5 weeks of 7 weeks of training for my new job. I am in training from 8:30am - 5pm, M-F. Due to the location of my home and my job, I awake at 5am and return home at 6:30pm. I wake B between 5:30-5:45am, drive to my parents' house, drop off B and go to work. Today I needed to run some errands to get some Christmas presents and supplies to make some Christmas presents and B decided to go with me. We were both excited to spend more time together!
We were out for 5 1/2 hours and so enjoyed our time together. Our 1st stop was to a friend of mine who owns Macy Girl Bowtique to buy a few hair bows. While shopping for the little girl loves of my life, B asked if he could have a bow, too. Since the hubs and I are those kinds of parents who refuse to go along with the double standards that girls can wear and do anything they want to do but boys have to adhere to specific colors, sports and preferences that society feels is acceptable, I let him pick out a hair accessory. It was a hair clip with a ribbon Christmas tree on it, and B put it in his hair.
One of the stops we made later was to a local Joann Fabric and Craft Store. I was purchasing fabric to make Christmas presents for those little girl loves of my life. When it was my turn at the fabric cutting counter, I placed my bolts on the counter and let the employee know how much I needed of each. As I did that, B was adjusted the Christmas tree bow in his hair. The employee assisting us watched B doing this and then turned to me, pointed at B and said, with a disdainful look on her face, "Is it a boy or a girl?" Taken aback by her boldness and the fact that she called my child an "IT", I merely said, "He's a boy." I have always wished I could immediately think of appropriate/snappy/witty comebacks to people who are rude or ignorant but, alas, I am so shocked by what some people have the nerve to say out loud that I am unable to respond in kind until I am no longer in their company.
The Joann's employee cut the rest of my fabric and B and I headed to another aisle to select more items on our list. Finally, B asked me, "Why did that lady ask if I was a boy or a girl?" And here lies the title of my blog post, b/c as I type this, I start shaking and tearing up with anger all over again. I took a deep breath and explained to B that she asked that question b/c she is one of those ignorant people who think that boys are only allowed to wear/think/act a certain way. Therefore she believes that a boy should not wear a Christmas tree in his hair and instead of having the balls to say to a stranger and a customer at her place of work that she disproves of a boy wearing a bow in his hair, she asked what sex he was. I also told B that although I wanted to say something to her, there was no point in trying to get through such an ignorant and closed mind as hers so I didn't even attempt it. I asked him if she hurt his feelings. "No," he said, so I dropped the subject. I did not want to make it a big deal to him.
But I really didn't dropped the subject. I contemplated asking to speak with a manager, but decided against it. I am a crier. I cry when I'm happy, I cry when I'm frustrated and I cry when I'm mad. I did not want what this employee did to be discounted b/c I was emotional while speaking with the store manager. So, instead, I came home and emailed headquarters about the experience I had at their store. I'll update you if I ever here back...
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