Cousin time

Here are a few pictures from last weekend. Evelyn and I drove up to Puyallup for a weekend with the cousins. Evelyn had great time playing with the girls. They really got into dress up and played "ballerina" and practiced their curtsies and bows. I was especially impressed with Evelyn's skill at walking around in high heels WITHOUT falling down, a miracle! I have a feeling the carpet had a lot to do with that. We also managed to squeeze in a "spa night" and then ended the weekend at NW Trek Sunday morning before we hit the road for Portland.
Thanks for a fun-filled weekend, Cousins!

View From The Top

Several weeks ago we were driving over the Ross Island bridge and looked up to see Oregon's biggest research hospital clustered on the top of one of Portland's hills. Oregon Health & Science University, OHSU, is a huge complex of 3 hospitals all connected. When we told Evelyn that our neighbor, Jaquie is a nurse and that's where she works Evelyn said, "Jacquie works up there! In that castle?" Now the great OHSU is referred to as Jacquie's hospital, or Jacquie's castle. Today we took Jacquie to work and rode the Portland Tram for the first time and went up to "Jacquie's hospital' to see where she works. The views were spectacular. We could see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood and Portland looked beautiful. It's not for those shy about heights.

We went up to the floor where Jacquie has a locker room Evelyn had looked out the window and when she turned back around, Jacquie had changed into her scrubs and Evelyn said, "Jacquie! You turned into a nurse!" Jacquie gave us the grand tour and when it was time to say good bye she gave Evelyn a nurses cap, rubber gloves and a mask. When we got home Evelyn went into full nurse mode and took good care of her poor stuffed animals and then quickly moved on to trying to take care of Scout. Scout remembers all too well what they do with those rubber gloves when he's at the Vets office and wasn't as into Evelyn's new game as she would have liked. I have a feeling Evelyn will take good care of Scout whether he wants it or not. Look out Nurse Jacquie, here comes Nurse Evelyn!

Overwhelmed

NEVER GIVE UP !!!!!

I must say, I am feeling a bit like this poor little guy at work right now. We have done some rearranging of staff and as a result, I am the only Speech Therapist left on my team. We have 101 families and 98 of them want services from me working a 4 day workweek. I am managing paperwork for 30 families on my own, where I have to meet with each family at least 2 times a year. I can't let myself think of these numbers however. I am trying to focus on one group at a time and thankfully they don't come in more than 10 at a time right now. We are working on getting me some more permanent help and just yesterday I was granted time from another speech therapist to help me run a speech group for some families who just couldn't adjust to the changes. It makes me wonder though, what is normal? These families threw a tantrum because they didn't want to change their speech times, and we cowered to their will. I have a family who informed me they are only available after 3:00pm, and one who insists we come out to their home at 8:0am when it takes us 40 mins to drive there. In what universe am I living?! I wouldn't kick and scream and insist that my dentist come to my house at 8:00am. It's so strange how people perceive that because they don't directly receive a bill for what we do that it's their right to have exactly what they want. Maybe I'm getting a small taste of how God feels? Maybe my next prayer should be a prayer of thanks rather than a prayer of request... :)

On the flip side: I love this job and wouldn't want to change it. I admire the attitude of service most of the people I work with operate under. Last Sunday the sermon was about the workplace and how 65% of workers hate what they do and are miserable at work, that Christian principles do not apply and everyone is out for themselves. I may work in the one place that the majority of people in the office truly love their job and would do it for free (if they didn't need the paycheck) and the main focus and motto of our agency is being "Dedicated to excellence through leadership and service." So, though I may be feeling overwhelmed, I am not feeling alone. My co-workers have my back and are cheering me on, and I am able to offer support to their groups and what they do in return. I'm just hoping I don't feel "caught in the birds beak" as in the picture, for too much longer.

First day of Preschool

Today was the first day of preschool for Evelyn. She didn't blink an eye, just walked into the classroom and was one of the "big kids" with a cubbie for her backpack and coat. She is in "teacher Marlene's" class. Teacher Marlene came and introduced herself and Evelyn said, "Hi, and I didn't know you had blackberries here teacher Marlene!"

I was the one blinking, how can she already be big enough for preschool? We stayed in the classroom long enough to fill out the registration papers and before we were done Evelyn came up to us and said, "ok bye Mom, I'll see you in a little bit." Andy said I had a dazed look on my face and ushered me out the door. He took me out to Sheri's restaurant for a breakfast cinnamon roll and coffee, then we went and got some groceries and went home and made a picnic lunch for Evelyn with plans to take her to a nearby park after school.

When we picked her up we had Scout in the car with us and Evelyn said, "Hi Scout! I came back from school! I missed you Scout!" Evelyn told our neighbor Jacquie, "I was at school for a long time, I was there for a couple of weeks." She can't wait to back again on Thursday.

Pizza Party

Our cousins came down to play for Labor Day and we had a first. For the first time since they moved to the NW from Tennessee (a little over 4 years ago) we had them over for dinner to our house. We've never had a house big enough. So Granny and Papa (Andy's folks), my mom, Scott and Deb plus their 3 girls came over. We had a great time. The kids made their own pizza's, the grown-ups did "take-n-bake" and we had ourselves a little pizza party.

"Everyone say PIZZA!!!"

...then the girls ate in style around the coffee table and Scout was on scrap duty. The floor has never been so clean! We're proud of our cousins for putting up with their "FUR cousin" being so focused on his job of clean up.

Miss Independence

Evelyn has come into the "NO! I can DO it MYSELF!!!!!" stage. If I was like many other bloggers I know (which I am not) I would have a corresponding musical playlist embedded into my blog and my music would be "Miss Independent" by Kelly Clarkson. But you'll just have to imagine it for yourself.
Evelyn, as you can see in the picture, is not always successful at her stubborn attempts at independence. It takes great patience to allow Evelyn to work it out (or not) on her own and I am thankful when we have the time to just let her work it out. There are those times however when there just isn't time and that's when the real test of parenting happens. I have heard that the "half" ages are more challenging, and it is ringing true for Evelyn. She is persistent and is making progress at all her new endeavors, but for now it continues to be a great challenge on all sides of the fence.