Just sneaking in some blogging time while everyone is watching wrestling (soap operas for guys)! Anyways it has been a tough last couple of days between work and the kids!
Heather has pulled her spelling grades and attitude out of their slump. She passed her last spelling test with flying colors! Yeah! She was doing it to earn back her Nintendo so she had lots of motivation. She has been working on her attitude and fighting with Hunter but the last couple of days they have both been going at it. She has been also having bits of sudden crying fits and two minutes later, she is over it! SO it looks like she is on the same CYCLE as me. This is also the time when I get "a little grumpy". Great what will Heath and Hunter do now.
I also got to answer two VERY important questions tonight, one per kid. The first was asked by Hunter and is the type of question most little boys ask or at least, think, and was of a private matter. I did tell Heath though so that he could also talk to Hunter about it, you know, man to boy! The other was asked by Heather and it involved that "special" time of the month. She had originally asked her dad but he QUICKLY told her to go talk to her mom! She was like "I have been hearing about it everywhere!" I think it was something that she was being left out of!
Work is going good, still loving it. Next week we will be done with training and moving into the next six weeks of transition. I am excited to go out and take real calls but at the same time I am really nervous! It is not so much the customer...everyone knows I like to talk...it is the fact that we will have our calls monitored to ensure proper customer service.
We just released a new calling plan and it is amazing! UNLIMITED MINUTES! No more watching your minutes!
The phones here are so nifty! I just downloaded an ESPN fishing application and it tells me the weather in Anchor Point including humidity and barometer reading. It also tells me the next weeks temps for AP and a lot, lot more!
I have now synced my email to my mobile phone and have all of my hotmail messages sent right to my phone! If you call my phone you will hear music playing instead of ringing which some people have thought was strange and have hung up.
I have been enjoying my phone and have even got Heath into texting! Nothing makes my day like him saying hi during class!
Well I am heading to bed because I can barely keep my eyes open! (oh yeah working out has been going better I have been going every morning along with eating better - we will see how it goes in a couple of weeks!)

So here are my latest pictures and while they are not of the best quality, they are breath taking! These pictures really do it no justice!
Heath and the kids got to watch the shadow first cover the moon. By the time I made it out with the camera and the tripod the moon was covered but was this deep purple/red. I snapped as many shots as my nearly frozen fingers would let me, then I headed inside to download them. I was impatient as my computer finished running its UPDATES and was unable to post the first pictures until after I had captured the second batch. Thank you Sarah for sitting on the phone with me while I uploaded them to blogger.
Well here they are and it has been pretty to see!

Yes Stan, we got your Valentine's wishes and THANK YOU!!

Well it is finally Saturday and man this week has just gone by so fast.
Last Saturday Heath and I went to the movies and saw Strange Wilderness, which had its moments but was almost ruined by the kids sitting behind us. I know this means I am definitely I am getting old but why would you spend the money to get in and buy popcorn/soda and then talk through the whole movie? I know I did not pay that much to have a bunch of kids sit and talk crap. What really made me mad was the kid behind me who had his feet on the back of the seat next to me (where my popcorn was) and dumped a whole bunch of dirt in my popcorn. When I looked to see that my popcorn was covered in dirt he just laughed. I so wanted to throw my popcorn at him but refrained, I was there to watch a movie with Heath which does not happen very often so I wasn't going to let them ruin it! So kids aside we had a good night and plan to do it more often, although not every weekend.
The kids had fun at school this week and both are doing well. Heather had some issues with her spelling so was grounded form her Nintendo DS for this entire week. Her attitude has also been getting worse so she also had to improve that. I met with her teacher on Tuesday and found that while she has failed the last two spelling tests she is doing exceptionally well at school. Her teacher was impressed because she was thrown into the middle of this lesson and is grasping everything. I can't wait for them to start the new lessons so she can be right with everyone else.
Hunter's teacher did not schedule a conference because she felt he was to new. he is doing well and brought home only good grades last week. This really did not set well with Heather because he could play the DS and she couldn't!
We have made a deal with Heather if she keeps doing well with school and her attitude improves (which it HAS gotten a lot better) she will be getting her own cell phone.
Last Saturday Heather and I had a mother daughter day and walked the malls. I got my hair dyed again and she got hers cut. It looks really cute on her!
*****break*****
Well I stopped there for a break and while I was on break we decided to go to the movies! The kids picked out The Spiderwick Chronicles. It was a very entertaining movie for adults and children both! The kids really enjoyed it and it even kept Hunter sitting quietly in his seat until the end when he got scared a couple of times! I learned that when you buy a soda there is no refills, you have to purchase an entirely new soda. Since the sodas we had originally purchased for the kids came in a combo deal I could not get new sodas in that size, unless I wanted to purchase another combo pack, and had to buy the next size up, a small. I ordered two thinking that it shouldn't cost that much. After the lady charged me SIX DOLLARS for two small sodas I about flipped! I asked why no refills and she told me that people will actually dig them out of the trash cans and get refills. I was not happy about the six dollars for the two small sodas...hmmm...does not seem right! Oh well the kids enjoyed it and it was a good movie but after the prices and the DISGUSTING bathrooms we might have to check out an different theater!
Well this time I will actually post this!

Now I have not been one for PETA and some of their advertising "habits" but I watched this on a friends page and was horrified. I am not naive and I am by no means a vegetarian. I know that in order for me to eat the steak I enjoy that a cow or two must die. I know that no matter what they lives end in death. I just feel that it shouldn't end this way and that the path to that end should not be so foul and horrific.
There was another video much worse on the site save the sheep
but I chose not to post it due the EXTREME graphic content.

Learn more at SaveTheSheep.com

So here is the high light of my week.
As my kids grow I constantly wonder what kind of people they will become and how will they treat others.
The story starts a couple of days ago when we awoke to find that a light mist had fallen and then frozen all over town. Everything was covered in a slick sheet of ice. That same morning Heather was kept home due to a cough and while Heath stayed home with her, my Grandma and Hunter walked to school. A few blocks from the house my grandma who had a little while back undergone hip surgery, slid and almost fell. Hunter reached for her hand and very seriously said "Grandma, now you wait right here. I am going to go home and grab Dad. Are you going to be ok?" My Grandma said he was so sweet and caring. He was such a gentleman. He then ran home and got Heath.
When this story was retold to me, I smiled and knew he was turning out OK.
Well I received my first paycheck and as a celebration I took my uncle, Heath and the kids to dinner. The waitress was a blond with a deep southern accent and blue eyes. Well Hunter took to her right away as it seems he has a thing for blonds. She was really nice and when she would walk buy she would give Hunter a high five. Hunter thought this was especially cool so he asked Heath and I if he could give her a tip! We thought this was cute so we said sure and we sipped our coffee as Hunter waited for her to come back by.
When she finally did he held up his five dollars and told her "Get yourself something nice." We were all so shocked that we did not know what to say, all we could do was laugh. We explained to the waitress that we did NOT tell him to say that and we had no clue where he had gotten it from! He then adds "I'm big daddy, that's why!" The waitress took it really well, saying she had a little boy of her own so she understood. It could have only been worse if he slapped her on the butt and called her toots! Hunter said she was beautiful but that he did not want to marry her. Heather told him that he should at least buy her chocolates and flowers!
Ahhhhh....kids!

So it is Wednesday! Yeah! The week so far has blown by and a few interesting things have happened.
My kids experienced a first today. Their school was canceled today due to snow. Now when I say snow I will add that the amount of snow was not what I , as an ex Alaskan, would call a lot. It is however I guess by Nebraska standards. There were over four hundred accidents in the Lincoln area alone and some of them resulting in death! The few thoughts that I had were this: Do not move to Alaska and Slow The HELL Down! While I did not find the accidents and deaths amusing in the least I did find a little humor in watching the people try to leave our work parking lot yesterday.
My coworkers have nick named me Alaska and I always get really weird questions that I honestly did not think I would get. It is really strange for life long Lincolnites to hear the stories of the wilderness known as a Alaska. Even though there are a few differences (I am not a college football fan is the biggest) they have all made me feel right at home. Our class is small and I really enjoy everyone in it even though we range drastically in age and lifestyles. I have begun to wonder if they put something in the water because of how happy everyone is to go to work. At first I thought it was just because we were new and that eventually it would wear off. Looking at it closer though even the people who have been working there for years seem genuinely happy. That is something I am not used to.
I have begun my healthy "lifestyle change" this week and have really begun to explore alternative foods (for me). I have really begun to like squash and even our grill at work will make me a grilled chicken breast with steamed onions and mushrooms for under three bucks! YUM!
I have begun to snack on celery and strawberries with a few almonds thrown in. I have also changed over to Skim milk which is surprisingly good. So now I have bumped up my exercise routine and do 20 mins on the elliptical machine, 20 mins on abs and then during lunch I throw in exercises for my knee which were hand picked by my instructor and two rotations of strength for my arms and shoulders. All in all I have not lost any weight, it is too early,but I have started feeling less tired and have more energy during the day. I know this is also all the water I am drinking! I have not given up the coffee though I just alternate it with water!
I also scheduled the kids for all their dentist and eye appointments! Who would have ever thought that the first question I would have to ask is if they are excepting any new patients! I am also taking them to the same doctor that I saw for my knee because I liked the office and he was nice. It is time for them to go in for a check up.
Well I am heading to bed it is way past my bedtime! Good Night All!

This is kind of a whiny post readers beware!
I HURT!
I am in such pain it is driving me nuts!
I have done everything the doctor told me to do but the pain just keeps building! I did not sleep very much last night and even went to bed early because of the pain. I know it will take time but being the person I am I want results now! I am having troubles going up or down stairs which just keeps getting worse. It sucks because the only bathroom is upstairs. My damn knee keeps buckling from underneath me which is new.
Ah I am heading for the Aleeve bottle, AGAIN!

Update:
I am getting OLD!
SO I was able to get into the doctors today and happily I was misdiagnosed by the doctor I saw last night!
I do have fluid on my knee and the beginning signs of arthritis. I also have an issue with the outer portion of my thigh muscle being stronger than the inside so the outer one is pulling my knee cap up and over causing irritation and friction. The only solution is building the strength in my inner muscle, resting and elevating my knee and a "lovely" brace that will keep my knee cap in position. He said that it could take anywhere from three to six months and even wrote a prescription to my personal trainer for the exercises I should do. COOL!!
I was thinking surgery and I was scared! Knee surgery is rough and painful not something I would want to do!
Well got to go for now!

Good morning all! Well I had a few moments to blog before it was time to hit the road so here I am with coffee in hand, blogging.
So yesterday was still cold but not as cold or windy as the day before. My coworkers or teammates as I like to call them keep laughing at me when I say it is cold, but I tell them that I did not like Alaska's cold either!
I signed up for your gym's biggest winner contest yesterday! I am so very excited! I am going now three times a week but starting next week I will have to be going four times a week! It feels good I am keeping up finally with all the sit ups and I can already FEEL a difference. So starting Monday I will be on a completely different eating plan and exercise plan to loose some weight! Although now my knee has chosen to quit bugging me and start harassing me so a trip to the doctors yesterday was scheduled and I was referred to another doctor where I will get an MRI. The doctor I saw yesterday thinks it is cartilidge damage and I am supposed to rest, elevate and Aleeve it until I get into the other doctor. So I will have to have them make an exercise routine without the running! Oh well I am sure I will have to do more sit ups!
Oh also last Monday I donated blood for the first time and I did OK! I have been meaning to but the fear of needles has caused me to stay away! Not anymore!
Yesterday we took the DISC test which is a way to learn how to adapt our behavior to those around us to better work and communicate with them. I would be excited to see what Heath ranked and how I could better our communication because of it. It has definitely made me more aware of how my behavior affects others who do not share the same behavior classification. Like someone who is classified as a C, a person who needs rules, regulations and guidelines, may not like my way of lacking guidelines or strict rules and out of the box thinking. This is teaching me ways to tone down my behavior to better work with all types and also showing them how to work with me.
I had little faith in the test when we took it because we only had to answer a little over twenty questions. When I got the results though I was shocked! They had me to a T! Some things I liked but of course there are things that I didn't and now I have to work on them!
Well time to head to work for another fun filled day! I really feel guilty about going because I have so much fun...naaaah!