Magnet

Filmstrip Fun Magnet

Shop Shutterfly for beautiful Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Magnet

Filmstrip Fun Magnet

Invitations, announcements and Christmas cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

New School Year / Boot Camp

Zac's teacher finally called just before lunch on Monday.  Kaleb's teacher didn't call until nearly 2 in the afternoon.  This is the first year our school is calling parents instead of posting class lists.  The teacher found out who was in their class on Friday last week.  Some people were called over the weekend, I was not, I hate to wait.

Last night we met the teachers.  Found the classrooms and dropped off supplies.  Friday is the first day of school and I can't wait!

My first day of school is Monday.  I can't wait for that either.

************************************************************

I've been going to boot camp since August 1st.  I go twice a week and then walk 3 days a week with Sophie.  We walk for between an hour and an hour and a half.  The only downside is I have to get up at 4:30 every morning to do this.  I'm still trying to decide if I want to continue with the boot camp after September 1st.  I'd like to but it's a total money issue so we'll see after I complete bills at the end of the month.

Kim finally finished! Declutter/Clean/Make space

So I, uhm, Kim, finally finished contacting the neighbors on our street and submitted the info to the Neighborhood Association president.  Whew! It's about time.  But Kim is forgiven because she brought home some wine from one of the neighbors.

The boys and I spent most of today cleaning out closets and drawers in their rooms to get rid of some of the clothes they have.  I've never seen kids with so many clothes.  I don't buy them.  They are either gifts or hand me downs from my nephew.  By the time the clothes go through Zac to Kaleb there are just so many it's mind boggling. I went through my closet as well and all together we donated 3 bags of clothes to the local church closet.

Waiting....

So, this year the school district decided not to post class lists on the front of the schools and instead the teachers will call the families of the children in their class.  Sounds ok, right?

Wrong.

The teachers found out on Friday who they had in their class.  Some parents got calls on Saturday.  Some parents got calls on Sunday.  I haven't gotten any calls.

I hate to wait.

I hate surprises.

I don't even like not knowing what is in a wrapped gift for me.

This wait is killing me!

Especially since all my neighbors who have kids the same age as mine got their calls already.

Since we still haven't gotten a call, that narrows the field down to 2 possibilities for Kaleb and 4 for Zac.

Have I mentioned I H.A.T.E. waiting?!?

Tornado Dog?

So I was thinking when I took Sophie for a walk the other day that maybe she is a dog displaced from the tornadoes in May.  Her tail is docked, not normal for a true stray.  She is very, very well mannered.  Housebroken.  Walks on a leash very well.

When we got close to some sprinklers that were on Sophie did not like the sound.  If you think about it, the sprinklers sound like a storm, wind and rain.

So I started thinking about the paperwork we got with Sophie.  Her intake date at the shelter was 6/10/2013.  About 20 days after the tornado, well, one of them, about a week after the other one hit that area.  I really think she was either lost or ran away or her home was lost during the tornado.

I know the shelter posts animals brought into the shelter to attempt to find their owners before being put up for adoption.  I know the Moore Animal Shelter was packed with animals so it's conceivable that whoever found Sophie either was asked to take her to the OKC shelter or did just knowing Moore's was so full.

We adopted Sophie on 8/5/3013 so she had been at the shelter for just shy of 2 months.  I think she was just days away from being euthanized.  That's sad because she is such a loving dog.

It's only been a couple of days and Sophie is so attached to me.  She is always right next to me.  She still doesn't care for treats or toys, just wants to be loved.  She does enjoy her rawhide 'bones'. She will hide them several times a day, just moves it from one room to another.  When she goes in her crate at night she gnaws on it finally.

We did have some pretty strong thunderstorms last night and still not a peep from Sophie.  Doesn't mean she wasn't scared but she didn't make noise about it.

We also decided her birthday is May 5th.  The paperwork says she is 2 years 1 month at in-take so that makes it May...I don't know how they figure age but May 5th, 2011 is as good a day as any.

Sophie

Here is a better picture of Sophie.  She has been wonderful.  She slept all night in her crate without a peep.  She came for a fast walk with me for about 3 miles and did awesome.  She is still exploring the house and yard but did really good in her crate while I was running errands.  No mess, no accidents.  Now if the boys would just leave the poor dog alone for 3 seconds!

Back in school...

I'm now enrolled in school. My financial aid is back. I only go to classes on Monday and Wednesday. Unfortunately the last 8 weeks I have to go to a class on M/W from 8:15pm - 9:45pm...that's past my bedtime but my only other choice was M/W from 3pm-5:30pm during the 1st 8 weeks which created a problem of what to do with the boys. This is in addition to the classes I have from 8:30am-12:45pm.
The crazy thing is that 2 of the classes I'm taking I've had in the academy but because Norman PD just put "Norman Police Academy" and a block of hours I can't prove I've taken them.  Oh well, should be easy A's.

Things Happen for a Reason

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NOT super religious. Never have been. Organized religion never lines up with my beliefs so I do my own thing. Anyway, this post isn't really about that.

2 things in the last week which when going through it I thought "it's got to be happening for a reason but what reason?"

1.  The financial aid fiasco at school. I really want to take sign language but it's just not in the cards right now.  But I NEED to get a Bachelors degree.  So the financial aid stuff sort of forced me in that direction.  I'll find out today if it all works out...fingers crossed!

2.  Dog search.  Tried 2 more local shelters and ended up having to drive, literally across the city.  I kept thinking while driving how much gas we were using getting there. I'm cheap and don't like to waste things, like expensive gas.  We found the perfect dog.  Had someone been at the Mustang shelter or answered the phone at Pets and People we would have looked and maybe gotten a less perfect dog.  Sophie had been at the shelter for over a month, her time was short. I can't believe no one took her home before us. She is so exceptionally well behaved.

I know things happen for a reason, but I'd still like the fast forward  or sneak peak button to see why things are happening a certain way when they aren't working out how I think they should be.

Our New Family Member : Sophie

Sophie in the "get to know you room" at the shelter

Sophie finding a favorite spot to lay beneath my feet

Sophie taking it all in

Sophie is wore out!

It was almost spur of the moment...I've missed having a dog but didn't want a shedding, yappy, peeing in the house dog.

We first went to the Mustang Animal Shelter...no one was there.  Well, 4 other people wanting to go into the shelter were there but not employees. We waited about 30 minutes, no one came. We left.

Next I tried to call Pets and People in Yukon.  No answer. 

Ok, fine. I'll drive 30 minutes to the OKC shelter and have a look.

So we drove through the really bad area of town to come out on the other side at the shelter. I asked to see the dogs and the blue vs white card was explained to me.  And using the 'get to know you' rooms.  So we went in search of a dog.

First the boys saw a small white yappy dog. Male, 1 year old. It was a short hair chihuahua.  Very friendly.  But not quite what I was looking for.  So we continued.  Near the very back was a black and brindle medium size (though she actually fits into the large category somehow...I don't understand that since she is 25lbs, might get to 35lbs if we over feed her and I once had a dog that was 120lbs, that seems large...she seems more small to medium to me *shrugs*)

Her blue card said her name was Sophie.  She is 2 years old. Has been in the shelter since June and came in as a stray.  Another sheet was posted with her picture and some notes from the staff which said she was a favorite of the volunteers to walk, might be house broken.  She was also already spayed.  So we took Sophie to the 'get to know you room' and she didn't bark.  Didn't jump all over.  Came over for loving and gave kisses.  She did bark once when the yappy dog in the next room just.would.not.stop.

$30 later we brought her home. I walked her to the car and she jumped right in and sat down on the rear floorboard and that is where she stayed the whole ride, remember 25-30 minute ride.

Got her home and she explored the house and yard. I put water out for her and the boys and I went to Target to get food, bowls, leash, etc.  $88 later we came back home.  She stays very close to me.  Not sure if it's because I'm female or that I'm the one who took her out of the shelter and into the house.

Jerry got home and she was shy at first but eventually warmed up to him.  So we ate dinner and got her in the car to take her to PetSmart to get a harness and crate.  She did wonderful in the store.  Only barked once when a HUGE dog came suddenly around the corner. She was protecting us.  Got all her stuff plus a dog tag.  $120 Sophie should have everything she needs.

Zac saw the dog tag which has our last name on it and said "You're officially part of the family now."

Sophie sat nicely all the way home and sat with us in the living room as we were winding down for the night. I turned on the tv and she started looking for the sound...it dawned on me that she has never been in a house before.  

Sophie slept all night in her crate without a peep!

I took her for a walk this morning, around 3 miles. She did awesome!  She tried to protect us from our shadows when she looked behind us at one point.  It was hilarious.  We came home, she did her business outside and has been sleeping since.  

It's wonderful to not have to house train her.  She is such a good and sweet dog.  We did buy her a couple of toys but she has no real interest in them yet, she just wants love :)

Hi, my name isn't Kim

In May I went to the 1st Neighborhood Association meeting there had been in 3 years.  I got voted Vice President...still not totally sure how that came about.  "Kim" received an e-mail which asked her to get the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails of about a dozen neighbors on my street.  The person in charge wanted them by June 1st.  Well tornadoes, storms, baseball and life got in the way and it never got done.  Now the person in charge (I'd say president, but it's the president's wife who is bed ridden so she doesn't have a title but is very involved) sent me an e-mail reminding "Kim" to do this little task.  I e-mailed back, not correcting her about my name, I had in the past and she still calls me Kim, and told her I would get on it ASAP.  She replied that there was no hurry.  Well, Kim is quite the procrastinator...she still hasn't completed this task.  If Kelly had been asked I'm sure it would have been done by June 1st.  I keep telling Kim to get off her ass and do this but another week has gone by and it's still not done.

Boot Camp

Why?  Why on earth did I decide to buy the groupon to do this boot camp?!?  I am so sore and it's only day 2.  I feel good and accomplished that I finished 2 days in a row but holy cow I can't walk!

Going Back to School...Probably...

Right after Justin's wedding I decided I wanted to go back to school.  I mean the car ride home from the reception I had this idea.  So I enrolled in the Sign Language Interpreting Associates program at OSU-OKC, applied for financial aid and got my classes all lined up.  A PELL grant was awarded in June, enough to cover books and tuition; awesome!  I went back up to the financial aid office to decline the loans they also approved me for and asked if everything else was taken care of and set for the semester.  They said yes and that I just needed to wait until August 5th to charge books to my account.

This last Wednesday I get an e-mail from the school saying there is a problem with some paperwork and my financial aid may be suspended.  WTF?!?  The next day I get an e-mail that says my grant was in fact suspended and that I have to pay $1,000 for the classes I'm signed up for.

I went to the school today to find out what the heck is going on.  The financial aid office said I have too many hours but I can appeal that.  Fine.  She asked if I already had a degree and I said that yes I have 2 associates degrees.  She said I can't appeal then.  She did say that if I go for a Bachelors Degree I can have the grant money, so I asked if there was a bachelors degree that related to Sign Language Interpreting; Of course not.  The only one they offer is in Emergency Responder Administration.  So I asked if they had scholarships available.  She said I'd have to talk to the Department about that.  Fine.

I drive across campus to the department...the guy literally left for lunch 1 minute before I walked in.  Wonderful.  So I wait for an hour.  While waiting I picked up the degree information for the Bachelors Degree and it actually looked interesting.  I figured with the 2 degrees I have I should be able to get into the program.

The Advisor gets back and I explained to him about the grant being suspended.  I also said that I was interested in the Bachelors degree (he is an advisor for that degree as well).  He looked at my information and said that I needed an AAS in Police Science to get into the program.  Well, shit.  So he continues saying that it was designed for students who had completed the COPS program.  Well I did!  So I told him.  Apparently since I graduated 13 years ago, the COPS program is now an AAS, when I went through in the first class it was an AS.  So he looks at my transcripts and since I'm a certified officer he figured I'd just have to take a couple of classes to satisfy the AAS part and I could start the Bachelors.  As he was going through my AA/AS degrees he realized I'm done with the AAS as well.

So now I will have a 3rd Associates, all three in Police Science, and AA, AS and AAS.  I graduate with the AAS officially in summer 2013, yes, it's already passed.  Then I will enroll in the Bachelors program and be able to use the PELL grant and should start as planned in mid August.

I still really want to take sign language and I will when I'm done with the Bachelors.