My Apologies

Good Morning Everyone!
I must first beg your forgiveness for how long it has taken me to post. I am so sorry. My mom sends me an email anytime someone leaves a comment. When I checked my email this morning I found them, along with over 300 other emails that I hadn't checked in a while. I have no excuse. But allow me to explain what's been going on...

Two weeks ago I started a new job. It's part time, afternoons. I am working in the day care center of the YMCA. I am playing with babies! There are 4 rooms in the day care: infants, young toddlers, older toddlers and pre-school. I work in the infant room where the oldest child can only be 13 months old. I'm having a ball. And of course I have my favorites. But let me tell you, they're kicking my ass. At the end of the day...I'm whooped. On average we have nine babies/day. But there are days where we have eight and there are days when we have eleven. Since my clearances haven't come in yet, I'm not allowed to be left alone with any of the babies. That makes it hard when poor Cathy (my afternoon co-worker) has to use the rest room. We have to find someone to step in the room for her to leave even for just a few minutes. But, rules are rules. There's a baby named Ryan whom I just adore. He's eight months old. Unfortunately for me, his mom will soon be working part-time herself and will no longer need our services. Bully for her...but I'm devastated. He looks like the pictures I have of my Austin as a baby. So I hold him...a lot!! It's my way of playing with Austin as a baby. And he loves me. I know I will cry on his last day.

Another one of my favorites is a little girl named Alaya. She's 10 months old today, as a matter of fact. So in 3 months and a week she'll be moving to the young toddler group. But at least I'll still be able to see her everyday. She's absolutely adorable and I spoil her. The moment I walk in she lights up. She drops whatever she's doing and waddles over to hug my legs, look up at me and smile. She knows I will pick her up. She's my princess and I call her that. She doesn't get much love at home. I have never met her mother. I've met her father who picked her up once, her aunt who has picked her up a few times and her mother's boyfriend, the drug addict, who picks her up a lot. From what they have told me, her mother (just 19 herself, with another daughter in the older toddler group) doesn't pay too much attention to the girls. Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever heard?? So I try to make up for it. And if that means spoiling her, oh well. I could snatch her up and make her my own daughter in an instant!

Jesse went to Washington, D.C. with the school at the end of March. He had a great time. We bought a throw-away camera for him to take. I was going to give him my digital camera but I was afraid that he might lose it (he's famous for things like that.) And he wasn't too confident in that area anyway. I think he was relieved to take the throw-away. That way if he did lose it, no harm done. Well, in the first hour and a half he took 27 pictures and ran out. He had to buy another one down there. He was NONE too happy about that. The cost up here? $6.99. The cost in DC? $14.95. But now he has over 50 pictures of his trip. Priceless!!

One of the perks of working at the YMCA is that they give their employees a membership for free. I chose to upgrade and include my family on the membership for just $18/month. The boys are having a blast! They're playing things they couldn't possibly play outside: basketball, racket ball, volley ball. I tease them all of the time. But they're having fun and that's all that matters. They'll really enjoy the Y this summer when it's hot and they want to go swimming.

So that's what's been going on around here. I have no excuse for not posting or visiting other than now that my "blogger block" has passed due to my new job...I'm tired. And I know that's no excuse. I hope that everyone is doing well. I have never forgotten anyone . And I still pray for all of you. Please keep my family in your prayers and I love you all!