Kinslow Family

Summer of Milestones

2010-08-22T19:38:00.003-04:00

What a rough summer for a mom. It was a summer of firsts for Hazen. He failed the vision screening when we took him to the doctor for his kindergarten physical. This sent us to the eye doctor who confirmed he needed glasses. After trying on nearly every pair of kids frames, he chose blue ones. He has done an aweome job of taking care of them.

Also this summer, he learned to ride his bike without training wheels and swim without his life vest. The first 2 weeks of summer, we put him in swim lessons at Western. His first day, he got teary eyed and said he changed his mind about swim lessons. Once his friend Grayson showed up, the tears were gone. He practiced what he learned in our pool occasionally, but mostly swam with his vest. Then, one day his cousin Aubrey came over to swim and he wanted to be like her. I told him he could take off his vest and swim from one side to the other. The rest is history. He has since started doing flips underwater and picking up dive sticks.

Last but not least, he started kindergarten. His teacher is Mrs. Maurice. Hazen got to hear all about her because her daughter is one of Rett's good friends from band. He was mad because he didn't get to ride the bus the first day. We went with him the first day to meet the teacher and look around the school. He has been very tired at night because he is not used to going all day.

St. Augustine Beach 2010

2010-04-19T09:59:00.002-04:00

Below is a slideshow of some pictures from Spring Break. I tried to add the text to that post, but then the slideshow wouldn't load. I guess I need to work a little on my tech savyness (if that's even a word). We had a great time other than Matt ending up on crutches halfway through the week. Hazen loved the beach and I think he would have been happy spending all day every day there, but Rett got sunburned the first day. We really enjoyed our time there. It was not crowded at all like some beaches are on spring break. We could let Hazen run and not worry about losing him in a crowd. Of course, uncrowded beaches is a recipe for boredom in teenagers.

Monday, we got up early to watch the space shuttle launch and spent most of the day on the beach. Tuesday, Matt and Rett were sunburned so we spent most of the day at the outlet mall. By the end of the day, Matt could hardly walk because his foot was hurting so bad. Wednesday, I took Hazen to the beach while Matt and Rett lounged around the hotel. We had planned to go to Daytona so Rett could see the speedway, but decided Matt's foot needed looked at. After nearly 4 hours in the ER, he was release with an ankle brace, hard soled shoe, crutches and 2 prescriptions. Nothing broken....just sprained/strained. Thursday we made the trip to Daytona and took a tour of the track. On the way back to St. Augustine, we stopped at a few of the other beaches. We found a lot of good shells there! Friday....the dreaded day we have to head home. We made our way through the gardens at the Fountain of Youth discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513.

We arrived back home around 1000 Saturday morning. After talking to all my co-workers who left Saturday, we are really glad we decided to leave a day early. Most of them were stuck in traffice for several hours around Nashville.

We still didn't get to see all that we wanted to, but had a great time. Matt and I think we need to make another trip with just the two of us!

2010-04-19T09:49:00.001-04:00

Counting Down!

2010-03-22T10:30:00.002-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been kind of rough. Hazen has had bronchitis and now has an ear infection. I have been fighting a sinus infection as well. I think we are all ready for a good dose of sunshine. We will be leaving Saturday April 3 for St. Augustine Beach. We spent 2 nights there on our way to Disney in December. We really enjoyed it, but didn't feel like we got to see everything we wanted to. We are staying in the same hotel which is right on the beach. Only 11 days until we leave!!

Catching up

2010-02-13T11:16:00.002-05:00

Once again life has gotten busy and I haven't taken the time to post anything. Hazen started taking gymnastics again at Kokomo Flipsters. He goes for an hour every Thursday and he loves it. His favorite part is jumping into the big foam pit. Last Monday, Rett started Driver's Ed. We got his permit on Tuesday and he has been able to do some driving. He'll be in class the next 2 weeks. It's Monday-Thursday for 2 1/2 hours. I'll be glad when it is over. Then he'll have to schedule his 6 one hour driving sessions. With the new Indiana laws, he won't be able to get his license until 16 1/2 and won't be able to have passengers (unless there is an adult with him) until he is 17. That's our excitement for now.

Disney Vacation

2010-01-02T18:32:00.003-05:00

Rett had the wonderful opportunity to march in a Disneyworld parade on New Year' Day. Matt, Hazen and I drove down to watch. We left a couple of days earlier than the band and spent two days in St. Augustine. We definitely want to go back when we have more time to look around. It was sunny and cool (a little too cool to enjoy the beach). The town was decorated for Christmas and was beautiful. We took an evening tour in a horse drawn carriage. It was so much fun! From there we went to Disneyworld and stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort. It was so nice to be able to leave the van in the parking lot and ride the buses.

Our first day we spent at Magic Kingdom. There was so much to see. Hazen loved the rides and just couldn't get enough. We spent nearly 12 hours there and didn't even see half of it! The next day we decided (New Year's Eve) we decided to start the day off at Animal Kingdom. Hazen was still all about the rides and insisted on riding a BIG roller coaster. Mom was chicken and just sat and waited. Matt said about halfway through Hazen was ready to get off. From there we went to check out Epcot, but it was VERY crowded (one ride had an estimated wait time of 295 minutes). We decided to go to Hollywood Studios to see if we could catch up with Rett. We met up with him and watched a Christmas Light show that was awesome! We were able to get one picture of the boys together with Mater and Lightening McQueen.

We ended the day and rang in the New Year at Magic Kingdom. The fireworks were so much more than any other display I have seen. It was a very unforgettable experience. Hazen was so tired, he fell asleep on our way back to the resort.

The first day of the new year greeted us with cool temperatures, wind and pouring rain. We headed back to Magic Kingdom to watch Western Band march. After a couple of rain delays, they stepped off at 3:20. 3 of the 4 bands dropped out so our kids were the only ones for the pre-parade performance. Hazen was so tired, wet and cold that he gave us no fuss at all when we told him it was time to head home. So here I am....wrapped up in the blanket wishing I was still freezing in 54 degree weather in Florida!

15 Years Ago

2009-12-07T10:08:00.004-05:00

15 years ago today, I walked into Howard Community Hospital at 7 AM to have my baby. I was already 10 days over due, so I was more than ready! It wasn't too chilly when I got there, but as the hours passed, the temperatues dropped. By noon when Dr. Williams came in to break my water, it was pretty cold and beginning to snow. Mom and Erin were there for the duration. I walked the halls with Matt and Ryan. It seemed like everyone was as anxious as I was for this little one to arrive. Finally, at 7:43 PM Everett Levi Schroeder made his appearance weighing in at 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 inches long. He had lots of dark hair! What a beautiful baby boy! Thanks to all of my friends and family who have helped us through the years. The last 15 years have flown by. We've both learned and grown along the way, and I'm proud of the young man he is turning into. Happy Birthday Rett!

I'm a Slacker

2009-12-04T09:56:00.002-05:00

I have gotten really far behind on my blogging this year. I don't know what happened. I guess I've been spending too much time on Facebook! Marching band is over now (actually it has been for a month). Western was Class C State Champions for the second year in a row! The band is going to march in the Magical Music Days Parade at Disney World over Christmas vacation. We are going down to watch. Hazen is VERY excited. He keeps seeing commercials on TV about the fireworks there. It will be nice to get away! I just hope it is warmer there than it is here.

That's all for now. I will try to be better about posting updates. I need to get more pictures on here too, since the slideshow is from March!

It's That Time Again!

2009-09-19T09:09:00.002-04:00

Marching band has started already. Last weekend we were at Lafayette Jeff. Western took first place in Class C. They were also Grand Champions. They outscored all of the other bands including bigger bands from Class B and Class A. They're off to a great start. This year's show has a lot of pieces that are popular for bands and orchestras to perform, such as "O Fortuna", "Overture Candide", and "New World Symphony". The marching this year is extremely difficult as it is very fast. Today we are headed to Plainfield. Hopefully the results will be the same!

Yet Another Funny Quote From Hazen

2009-08-17T08:22:00.002-04:00

I took the boys out to eat at IHOP. Rett ordered orange juice, so Hazen thought he needed some too. He had never drank it with pulp in it. After the first drink, he said "Mom, this orange juice is nasty. It has feathers in it."

It's That Time Again!

2009-08-14T08:38:00.002-04:00

Wednesday the band had a hog roast and a sneak preview of the 2009 show. The theme this year is "Name that Tune". It has numerous songs that people have heard but not always known the name. Some of the more popular ones are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "The Bottle Song" from Fiddler on the Roof, and "Maria" from Westside Story. Hopefully they are as successful as they were last year. We're looking forward to another great year. They will play at the first home football game next Friday.

The kids trying to teach their parents how to march. I felt very uncoordinated and that was without even trying to play music. I have a great respect for all of these kids!

This is one of the warm up drills that they call "Running with Scissors". I don't know why they call it that. They march forward so many counts and then to the left so many counts and keep repeating that.

Cincinnati Vacation

2009-07-31T08:50:00.003-04:00

We decided on the spur of the moment to take a mini-vacation. We ventured toward the Cincinnati area. Our first stop was the Newport Aquarium on the Kentucky side of the river. The day started with a penguin parade where the kids got to see 3 penguins up close and learn a lot about them. The penguins were named Randy, Simon and Paula. The aquarium had an awesome jellyfish display. They were several different containers, each with a different colored light, in the display. Since the jellyfish are translucent, they turned the same color as the light. Very Cool!

Our next stop was the Freedom Center. It is a museum about the Underground Railroad. I wasn't sure how well Hazen would do here, but we were pleasantly suprised. When you buy your tickets, you are given a hand-held listening device. Each display has a number on it and you type that number into your device. A lot of the displays will give you a first-person account of what is happening from two different perspectives (like the slave's view and the slave owner's view).

Matt wanted to check out the fire museum. If any of you know Matt, you know he loves to read EVERYTHING in museums. The kids were ready to go way before he was. There was a wall of patches from other fire departments and we found patches from Kokomo Fire, Indian Heights, and Taylor Township. In the evening, the kids swam and Matt and I visited with his former youth sponsors who live in the area.

Our last day, we decided we would check out the Cincinnati Zoo. We woke up to rain and were debating on what we should do. We were driving around just sightseeing when the rain stopped. We decided to head on over to the zoo. No sooner than we had bought our tickets, it started raining again. It wasn't cold so we just stayed. The kids got to feed the giraffes. There was an area with a lot of birds and they each got to hold one. Rett's bird must have decided it was hungry because it kept pecking his nose and the corner of his mouth!

Lazy Summer?

2009-07-14T21:30:00.004-04:00

It's been almost a month since I've posted anything. I guess we're having what you would call a lazy summer. We've been doing lots of swimming and playing outside, but nothing really blog-worthy.

Matt and I celebrated our 8th anniversary last week with a day trip to Brown County. The years have flown. It was nice to get away for a few hours without the kids. Hazen was really glad to see his Grandma and Grandpa since they had been gone for 4 weeks.

Kelsey has had a very busy summer with 4-H. She completed projects in entomology, sewing, needlecraft, poultry and swine. Not to mention she was Miami County Princess. Rett also was in 4-H for the first time this year and he got a blue ribbon on his model. He has also been working part time with his dad. Both Rett and Kelsey also got to spend a week at church camp.

What can I say about Hazen? He hasn't been involved in all the activities that the older kids have (thank goodness), but he is always good for a few laughs. Today he said "I'm almost grown up because I can pee and poop in the pot all by myself. I think I'll start calling myself 'Big Daddy'." Where do kids come up with these things?

I did something today that I've never done before. My brother is helping my mom remodel her kitchen. It has turned into a much bigger job than they had planned with rotten sill plates and floor joists. Matt has been helping him, but today he had something to do at Russiaville Fire Dept. I told Tony I would help until Matt got back. I used the cordless circular saw and cut boards for him, went down into the crawl space to hold boards up and also used a pnuematic nail gun. Who knew power tools could be so fun?

So, I guess this is our summer in a nutshell. Our "lazy" days are quickly diminishing. Rett starts band camp the week of the 27th and I will be working during registration the week of Aug. 3rd.

Hanging at the Fire Station

2009-06-15T23:20:00.002-04:00

Saturday, Hazen and I went to hang out with Matt at the fire station. Of course we couldn't show up empty handed, so we stopped at Dariy Queen first and bought an assortment of Dilly Bars.

It was an educational trip. Hazen learned what not to do on a treadmill. One of the guys was sitting in a wheeled office chair....on the treadmill...with the speed maxed out. He was getting ready to ride it off and I had the camera ready to video it, but the Battallion Chief poked his head in. Then, Hazen learned how to play ping-pong...kind of.

After checking out all of the trucks, it was time to head for home. Hazen didn't want to leave his daddy though. Matt bribed him with a quarter.

Coyote Kids Time Again

2009-06-09T11:04:00.002-04:00

Hazen, Aubrey, and Wyatt are all running in Coyote Kids at Jackson Morrow Park this year. Wyatt runs 25 yards, Hazen runs 50 yards and Aubrey had to run a half-mile! They all did great and were rewarded with ribbons and popsicles!

Visiting With Good Friends

2009-06-09T10:55:00.002-04:00

What a great time visiting with high school friends. We don't get to see each other often enough, but when we get together it's just like old times. Only there's a lot more of us now. The kids all seemed to get along very well. We had hoped to cook out and spend time playing outside, but the weather didn't cooperate.

Catching Up!

2009-05-14T21:22:00.003-04:00

Rett and Hazen both took part in the Opening Day Parade for Russiaville Youth Baseball League. This was Hazen's first year and he was so excited to ride on the float and throw candy. This was Rett's first parade to march in. He has two more later this month. Including the Indianapolis 500 Parade on the 23rd.

Hazen playing short-stop in his first t-ball game. It was cold and windy that day, but he did a great job. No playing in the dirt this time!

Arlington Today

2009-04-20T09:15:00.002-04:00

Rett called at 1015 last night. They had just boarded the buses to head back to the hotel after the cruise on the Potomac River. He said it was "amazing". He said he got a little nervous with dancing on the boat because it sounded like the floor would cave in.

I forgot to look at the itenerary for today, but I know they are going to Arlington. They will get to see the changing of the guard. There was also an essay contest and the winner will get to place a wreath on the Tomb of the Unkowns. They will leave around 700 tonight to begin their journey home. I am supposed to pick him up at school between 630 and 700 tomorrow morning. I'm sure he'll be ready for his bed!

Sunday in D.C.

2009-04-19T10:12:00.002-04:00

Today's agenda includes the FDR Memorial, Vietnam and Korea Memorials and Ford Theater all before lunch. After lunch they will visit the World War II Memorial and the Holocaust Museum. They go back to the hotel to get spiffed up for their dinner and dance cruise on the Potomac River. I guess he is more comfortable or too busy because he didn't call at all yesterday :( I don't expect to hear from him today either with their schedule.

Saturday in D.C.

2009-04-17T21:53:00.002-04:00

Rett's schedule for today is going to be pretty busy. Of course every day is! They start out at the Newseum (history of news and freedom of press). From there they go to the Capitol for group pictures. After lunch, they have an appointment with somone from Dan Burton's office. They will also go to the Washington Monument and for a night tour of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Iwo Jima memorials as well as the Kennedy Center.

D.C. Bound

2009-04-17T10:47:00.002-04:00

Rett took off at 7:30 last night for the 8th grade class trip to Washington D.C. He was finally able to be excited about it after battling several days of nerves. Hazen got teary eyed when the bus left and had to wear a sticker with Rett's picture on it everywhere we went. He even wanted it on his pajamas.

Rett called at 9:30 last night to let me know they were stopping for their first restroom break and they were already in Ohio. He also called at 6:30 this morning to let me know they had arrived in Gaithersburg MD and were stopping for breakfast. They were also going to change clothes and freshen up for their first day of touring. He said he didn't sleep well on the bus. He was cold and it was bumpy.

Today they are going to the National Cathedral and I think Mt. Vernon. They are also going to get their souvenir shopping out of the way. I will post more updates and their itenerary later.

He's Done!

2009-04-13T14:11:00.003-04:00

Matt got his confirmation letter in the mail Saturday. He is officially done at Chrysler. Perfect timing, too as he just started his 4 days off from the fire department. I'll give him a little time to rest before breaking out the "honey do" list. We have to wait 45 business days for the buyout check and 60 business days for the car vouchers. I'm so ready for my new van!

Rett is leaving this Thursday evening for a 4-day trip to Washington D.C. Several members of the 8th grade class are going. I'm a little nervous about him going so far away without me, but he's growing up and I guess it's time to loosen the apron strings a little. He had a rough week before spring break. There is a girl he really liked and she said she liked him. He asked her out and she said yes only to break up with him at school the next day. I don't understand why kids have to be so mean.

Hazen is going to play t-ball this year. He has had 2 practices so far. He kept putting his mitt on the wrong hand and stepping with the wrong foot when he went to throw the ball. We borrowed a left handed mitt from my nephew to see if he did any better with it. He did. It looks like the weird kid will be playing ball left handed even though he writes right handed.

April 25 will be Russiaville's Opening Day parade and ceremony. Both boys will be in it this year. Rett will be marching with the band and Hazen will be riding on a float. He's excited because he gets to be a "candy man".

Matt's First Big Fire

2009-03-16T20:14:00.002-04:00

Matt got to go on his first big fire since joining Frankfort Fire Department. Check out the link below to see some pictures. He is up in the bucket of the ladder truck on the right side (if you're looking at them from the back). He is really enjoying his job so far. He is still working at Chrysler, but has another down week next week. From what he has heard from his union steward, his last day should be April 3.

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local_wlfi_frankfort_fireatfrankfortapartmentcomplex_200903161226

A Genius On Our Hands?

2009-02-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, Hazen had to go to Lebanon/Thorntown to take Grandma Ward to the doctor. While riding in the back seat with Grandma Alice, he was writing in a notebook. He made a bunch of letters and asked what he spelled. Alice said, "I don't know, what did you spell". To which he replied "orbit". She looked at the paper and sure enough there it was, only slightly misspelled (an O in place of the I). He has been all about phonics lately wanting to know which letter makes which sound. I won't be suprised if he's reading in the next 6 months.

Answered Prayers

2009-02-25T09:12:00.001-05:00

After 3 years of frustration, I think we have finally found some help for Rett at school. For those of you following this ongoing saga, the school finally completed their testing and we had a meeting with them yesterday morning. They all agreed they have never had a case quite like this one and they were unsure of what to do. Usually it is very cut and dry, either a student qualifies for special education, or they don't. Rett fell into a gray area. After sitting with them and discussing our concerns for over an hour, they decided to qualify him. He will now be in a study hall with a resource teacher that can give him a little extra help with his writing. He knows his material and can tell you when asked, but something gets lost in the translation when he puts it down on paper. I pray that this will be the boost he needed to start feeling successful in school. I appreciate everyone that has offered up a prayer on our behalf. God is good!

We do owe a special thanks to Brandie Oliver, the middle school guidance counselor. She did research online about dyslexia and also talked to all of Rett's teachers about his strengths and weaknesses. She was very familiar with Rett because of the peer mediation program he was a part of during 7th grade. She said she felt like he was honestly putting forth his best effort and truly wanted to do well in school. I think this conference would have turned out very different if not for her standing up for Rett.

Things are falling into place

2009-02-13T10:34:00.003-05:00

Things are beginning to look up for us. Matt turned in the paperwork to take the most recent buyout. The deadline is Feb. 25th so hopefully we'll find out when his last day is sometime soon. He has been working both jobs this week and it is getting old. Hazen is the only one who has seen him since Sunday. On a positive note, that's a little extra money coming in right now, and that is definitely something we can use! I also got a child support check for the first time this year, and it was a big one so he's caught up again. That gave us enough money to pay for the rest of Rett's class trip to Washington D.C.! And the final (I think) piece of good news...Rett's science book, that has been missing since November, reappeared! It was in another student's locker! I'm really glad we didn't pay for a new one!

Rett decided he was tired of his long hair and got it all cut off last night. He also decided to shave his peach fuzz with a razor and shaving cream. I guess he's growing up...actually there's this girl.... Oh well, I think he looks quite handsome. Hazen is pretty cute too!

Pep Band

2009-02-07T11:20:00.004-05:00

Rett has been playing in pep band at the Western basketball games. Matt is excited to have an excuse to go now. Hazen has really been getting into cheering and does amazingly well at following what is going on. Last week when Western lost to Caroll, he burst into tears!

Another funny quote by Hazen

2009-02-06T10:29:00.001-05:00

Hazen has decided that he wants a dog. It has to be black and white and he is going to name him......Cow.

Our weekend

2009-01-31T21:04:00.002-05:00

Friday, we were part of a cover up for a suprise birthday party. We ate dinner at Matt's parents' because they were having a "retirement" party for Earl. Just as we finished dinner, Jeff Stout came in to transport Alice's friend Nancy to her suprise party. He placed her on a stretcher and loaded her into the back of his van.

Matt took 2 weeks of vacation from Chrysler so he could start at the fire department. His current supervisor called him Friday to let him know that when he returns to work he will be on second shift. He said he explained to the new supervisor what was going on with the job at Frankfort and that Matt wanted to do both for a while in hopes of another buyout offer coming along. Matt had a message from the afternoon supervisor on the answering machine. She just wanted to let him know if there was anything he needed, such as a leave of absence, to let her know. She also said there is another buyout offer coming! We are praying Matt can last that long, as it will make our lives much easier.

Saturday, I went to Russiaville to sign Hazen up for t-ball. Then he had soccer at the church. He did very well as goalie. We think he is going to be better suited for football (or rugby). He has a bad habit of running full speed and mowing down other kids.

I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow. Rett's youth group is having a super bowl party. We've also been invited to one at another church.

It's Official!

2009-01-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

Matt was sworn in as a Firefighter/EMT at Frankfort Fire Department yesterday. The city building, referred to as "Old Stoney" is a neat old building. Everyone was very laid back. They had us wait in the Mayor's office for him to show up. Hazen was running around giving high fives and checking out the candy dish. The County Clerk popped her head in and said, "Oh I didn't know you were here yet, we can get started." Apparently one of the guys Hazen was high-fiving was the mayor of Frankfort! The whole "ceremony" took maybe a minute.

We went to Indianapolis for his uniforms and turnout gear. We were hoping to sneak in a little "date" time, too. That didn't work out so well. The list from the department was confusing to the sales rep. at the first uniform store. We spent 3 hours there to get basically 2 Class B uniforms (semi-dressy), 1 Class A uniform (Very dressy usually only used for funerals), and 2 coats. Then, we had to drive from downtown Indy to the northeast side for his turnout gear. That only took about a half an hour. We managed to squeeze in a bite to eat between the two. We got home in time to take Rett to a friend's house and head up to Maconaquah to watch Kelsey cheer at halfitme. I'll get those pictures on here soon.

More Turmoil

2009-01-20T18:31:00.002-05:00

I don't understand why everything has to be so difficult for us. Here we thought Matt had a great opportunity to pursue his dream just as the auto industry started to crumble. He got the phone call from the Chief today that all the paperwork was complete, he could start his shift as soon as I got home from work and he could be sworn in tomorrow. Then, he got another phone call from his friend who is also on Frankfort Fire Department. I guess there has been a little conflict regarding the fire department and the ambulance. The EMT'S are also firefighters, but the paramedics are civilians. There are 6 firefighters (2 per shift) devoted to the ambulance. I guess some of the firefighter/EMT'S are upset because the paramedics will only tech ALS runs even though that is their only job. Because of this, there has been talk about pulling the ambulances from the fire department. There was a county commissioners meeting last night about this issue. The fire department was there to state their case for keeping the ambulance with them, but they were not allowed to talk. In fact, they were escorted from the meeting by the sheriff's department. So now Matt is worried that he is not doing the right thing. He is afraid if he leaves Chrysler, the fire department will loose the ambulance and then they will not need the bottom 6 firefighters. He is going to try to do both jobs for a while, but I don't know how long he'll be able to keep that up.

Meanwhile, I got an e-mail from Rett's Science teacher. She said he is smart and his behavior is excellent, but he has been unprepared for quite some time. Apparently he has lost his Science book. I know it has to be at school because he NEVER brings anything home. He said he has looked for it, but it is nowhere to be found. So, she wants us to replace it. Like we have the money for that!!

And so are the Days of our Lives......

A little bit of everything

2009-01-19T15:05:00.002-05:00

Matt got a letter in the mail from Chrysler giving him another week off work. He is supposed to report on the 26th now. He is still waiting on paperwork from Frankfort Fire Department so he can start there.

Hazen is going to play soccer at the church again. We go next Saturday to meet his coaches and the rest of the team. He will also get his uniform. We also found out that he is old enough to play t-ball this year, so we've been watching the paper for sign-ups. Kelsey is going to cheer at the Western vs. Maconaquah game next Friday. For once, Rett doesn't have us running everywhere.

We have gone almost a week without a debit card. Hopefully it won't be too much longer. I guess it is better to be without the card than to have your account wiped out. It's funny how accustomed you get to using it, though.

Winter Days

2009-01-17T10:02:00.003-05:00

Since I have started scrapbooking, both of the boys have taken an interest, too. Rett has had his own scrapbook for quite some time, but never really did anything with it. Last Sunday, we spent all afternoon working on them. Hazen had to have his own, too. I just gave him a 3-ring binder with computer paper in it. I think we all sat there working for 2 hours. It was nice family time. Of course, I wasn't able to get much done on my scrapbook due to helping the boys.

Everytime Hazen even sees a snowflake, he asks if he can go sledding. Wednesday, we finally got enough for him to get his wish. Western released the kids early due to the weather, so Matt took the boys out to play. Unfortunately, I had to stay inside (nice and warm) at work. I think they had a good time. Rett actually made it all the way down the hill on his snowboard this year. I love this picture of him.

The Scrapbooking Bug has Bitten!

2009-01-10T21:51:00.003-05:00

I decided to start a scrapbook for Rett and his marching band years. Well, pulling all of that stuff out has inspired me to start our family scrapbook. I decided to start with 2008 and work my way back. I was very happy with how these two pages turned out and maybe that was all of the confidence building that I needed. Always before I would pull everything out, draw a blank on what to do with it and then just put it all away again. Today I did a total of 5 pages. I do owe a special thanks to mom because she let me "go shopping" in her remaining Creative Memories inventory.

An update to the update...

2009-01-07T17:36:00.003-05:00

Matt called me around 3:30 and said not all of the paperwork from his physical had been received by the fire dept, so they cannot officially give him a start date until it is. He went to the board meeting and was voted in this morning and has spent all day at the station. He did his mandatory 4 hour update and signed a waiver to ride with "his" crew. He said he should be coming home when the guys go to bed, so maybe around 9 or 10. I'll let you know more when we do.

A little update

2009-01-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

Matt started his first shift at Frankfort Fire Department today. He went straight from the Board of Works meeting to the station. He will be working 24 hour shifts. He works today, Friday, Sunday and then starts his 4 days off. This has all happened so fast. I am still really nervous, but it is out of my hands now. The people at the Union Hall just told him to show up to work when he can and after he misses so many days, he will get 30 days off as disciplinary action. Hopefully that can keep him in the system until another buy out offer comes. Continue to keep us in your prayers as this will be a difficult transition for all of us. Hazen is so used to Daddy tucking him in every night with the "daddy blanket", and Rett will have to act as man of the house in his absence. On that note, Rett threw a 40 lb. bag of salt on his shoulder the other night and carried it down to the basement like it was nothing. I was impressed.

I will post more and let you all know how we are adjusting.

He did it!

2009-01-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

Matt got a phone call from the cheif of Frankfort Fire Dept. He passed the physical. He goes tomorrow at one to fill out paperwork and returns Wednesday for the Board of Works meeting. They said he could start whenever he wanted after that. He is going to talk to someone at the Union tomorrow to see what his options are and if there is a possibility of another buy out offer coming anytime soon. We'll keep you posted.

My Favorite Christmas Present

2008-12-30T19:49:00.002-05:00

I'm such a bad mom. Hazen's backpack sat in the back of my Jeep for almost a week when I remembered that we had ordered him a preschool sweatshirt for Christmas. When I got the shirt out (after Christmas, of course), these two things were in there wrapped in tissue paper.

Being a mom is the best, isn't it??

Funny Hazen!

2008-12-29T16:28:00.002-05:00

We went to Indy today and on the way home we stopped at Uncle Bill's pet store in Noblesville. Hazen was looking at cats and told his dad, "I asked that kitty what his name was and he gave me the evil eye". It was a rather grumpy looking cat (maybe persian). He cracks me up!

Christmas is family time!

2008-12-25T21:11:00.002-05:00

After everyone had their fill of Matt's fried turkey, Tony's homemade rolls, and the rest of the fixin's we migrated to the living room to exchange gifts. Hazen had to tell Grandma Brewer how happy he was with the gift she got him.

I'm not sure who put who to sleep. There is nothing like a turkey induced coma!

Uncle Stan with his granddaughter Julienne. She was playing shy today, so this is about the only picture we got of her! She is only 2 days younger than Hazen. It was nice seeing Wesley and Andrea. He will be leaving for Guam in two days for a 4-6 month deployment.

Rett doing his cat impression?! Actually, I think he was passing out gifts.

I think every one had a good time today and got their fill to eat. I really enjoy spending time together. Matt was a big help in the kitchen today and I am very thankful for that. I know there aren't a lot of men out there who would do that.

Annual Christmas Cookie Baking

2008-12-20T12:23:00.002-05:00

Mom, Tony, Cherylyn and the kids came over Friday for our annual Christmas cookie baking. We made chocolate crinkles and sugar cookies.This year I made icing to decorate some of the cookies. Usually we just use colored sugar, red hots, chocolate sprinkles (known to our kids as "mouse turds"), and the little silver balls. They each enjoyed creating their own masterpieces. Of course, some of them are so full of sugar your teeth nearly crack with the first bite!

Wyatt even got in on the action with a little help from mom!

The kids were in heaven when they got to eat the cookie dough scraps (except for Hazen who didn't like it).

2008-12-18T19:43:00.002-05:00

I'm always amazed at how well Rett and Hazen can play together considering the 10 year age difference. First, they made a track of Hot Wheels for the monster trucks and had a competition. Right now, I am watching a concert of sorts. They have one of Rett's "mix" CD's playing (everything from Cinderalla to Bon Jovi to Hendrix). Rett is "playing" the guitar along with it and Hazen is dancing. The music is awesome and the visual that goes along with it is pretty entertaining. Rett is such a good big brother. I am so proud of him.

Almost there!

2008-12-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

Matt got a phone call yesterday evening to let him know that he was the finalist for the firefighter position at Frankfort. He has to go sometime this week for his psych evaluation and then Monday he goes to Indy for his PERF physical. It will take 4-6 weeks for the results (maybe a little longer with the holidays). Once he has passed, they are prepared to offer him employment. He was pretty excited.

Me, on the other hand, did not even get called for an interview at Western. I heard they had 15 applicants and interviewed 4. Oh well, it just isn't meant to be.

Merry Christmas?

2008-12-10T21:52:00.002-05:00

Matt had been hearing that his department would be on shut down starting this Friday until the second week in January. Today, they are talking about laying off 500. Before the latest round of buy-out offers, he had 700 people under him. Now, he's not so sure. There were more than 200 people who took buyouts, but he is not sure where they were seniority wise. If he doesn't get laid off, he will be bumped to second shift.

Steve took the buy out, and has a new job but obviously is not making the same wage. He wants to reduce support by $30 a week. It is a worrisome time for us. I get upset, but then I feel guilty because I know there a people out there with situations more difficult than ours. One of our friends is battling cancer. Another friend recently lost her father and her mother has required around the clock care for the last several months. I need to learn to be more thankful for what I have instead of focusing on what is not going our way. God has always provided.

Matt is pretty much a shoo in for Frankfort Fire Department. We just don't know when. They have a pool of 40 applicants that they will use to hire from for the next couple of years. Matt is in the top 3. They want to have a name for the board meeting on the 17th, so he should know by Monday or Tuesday. If he doesn't make it this time, they are planning to hire 2 more by August.

I still haven't heard anything from Western. I went into the administration building to make sure they had my application from the last time. They did, but said I needed to submit another letter of interest, so I did.

We have a pretty busy schedule for the next couple of weeks. Friday, Rett is playing in the Pep Band. Wednesday, Rett has a winter concert and Thursday is a parent meeting about graduation requirements and high school scheduling. Do you think if I skip they'll make Rett stay in Middle School?

In Search of the Perfect Tree and Christmas Pictures

2008-12-05T22:26:00.005-05:00

We made our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm in West Middleton tonight. Of course, this year we had to brave a single digit wind chill. Rett was really into picking out a tree, but I think Hazen and Kelsey were content just eating the snow. Rett showed off his upper body strength and sawed through the tree in record time. We carried it back to the truck and then went in to warm ourselves by the fire.

After setting the tree up in the stand, my husband the redneck, used the shopvac to get rid of the loose needles. We still ended up with them all over the floor. I place the angel a top the tree and strung the lights. I plugged them in and had large sections with no lights. I ended up having to take all of the lights off and start all over with different lights.

Finally, we got the tree decorated and got the kids in the football jerseys. I was hoping to get a quick picture for the Christmas card. YEAH RIGHT!! Here are a few that didn't make the cut.

I'm so frustrated with these pictures right now, but I'm too tired to mess with it. I tried to put the pictures after the text, but it won't work!

Keep your fingers crossed!

2008-12-04T21:23:00.002-05:00

Matt got a call tonight from Frankfort Fire Department. They have narrowed it down to three candidates and he is one of them. He has to visit all three fire stations on all three shifts before December 11, and then they will let him know. He is pretty optimistic about his chances since they are hiring three (one right away and two more before August). One of the guys who sat in on the interview told him more than once what a great interview it was. I have been pretty nervous about the pay cut, but with the UAW re-negotiating contracts there is a good chance he will have to take a pay cut at Chrysler, too. At least this way, he will be doing something he loves.

I applied at Western for the nurse position in the Intermediate building. The posting closes Friday, so hopefully I will hear something. They pay about $6000 a year more than what I am currently making. That would be AWESOME!

What the heck??

2008-12-04T14:55:00.003-05:00

Matt just told me last night that a guy he works with has his aunt listed as the beneficiary for his life insurance policy through Chrysler. She is also covered on his health insurance. She does not live with him, nor does he claim her on his taxes. She has been on his insurance for eight years with no questions asked. You wonder why the auto industry is in such bad shape.....they're a bunch of IDIOTS!!

OOPS!!

2008-12-03T08:47:00.001-05:00

Matt went to Frankfort Fire Department for his interview this morning. He just called....apparently they meant 8:30 PM!! So, he is going back tonight. He asked if me and the boys wanted to ride along so we can eat at Ponderosa (Rett's favorite restaurant). He said we could walk around Walmart while he's interviewing. I joked with him that it was pretty bad dropping the whole family off. (For those of you who haven't heard, over the summer a lady left her toddler son there because she could no longer take care of him)

2008-11-30T16:33:00.002-05:00

Wow, this 4-day weekend has gone fast! It is hard to believe that Christmas is less than a month away. Rett and I braved the crowds on black Friday. We waited in the check-out line at Walmart for 57 minutes. At least I can say I have officially started Christmas shopping, but I still have a long way to go.

We got our taxes re-done and faxed to Chrysler's benefits office. They said everything is okay now, so that is quite a relief.

Matt got a call from Frankfort Fire Department. He goes for an interview Wednesday at 8:30. I saw in the paper today that Western is hiring another school nurse. This time it is for the Intermiate building. I think I am going to apply again, especially since my building is closing and my future with Kokomo Schools is uncertain. I think they pay a little more and that doesn't hurt either!

I am so ready to put up my Christmas tree, but we are waiting until we have all 3 kids. I think we will try to do it this Friday. Hopefully the weather cooperates. Normally we do it the day after Thanksgiving, but that didn't work out this year.

More discouragement, but also good news.

2008-11-17T13:06:00.002-05:00

First the kind of bad news. I talked to the school psychologist a little bit ago. She said they changed the special education laws in August of this year, and they no longer look at the discrepancy between IQ and performance to diagnose a learning disability (therefore the test results from Dr. McClurg are not acceptable). She is sending me the consent form to complete so she can test him. I am so stinking frustrated. My biggest concern is that he will have trouble passing the essay portion of the GQE and not be able to graduate. I don't know what else to do. Matt said maybe we should talk to a lawyer. I thought schools would want every student to work to their potential.

Now, for the better news. We almost have the insurance issue settled. Steve and Amanda have to redo their taxes to take Rett off and we will redo ours, adding him. It is going to cost us, but not as much as it would have been to pay back the medical bills. Also, Matt tested and passed the written and agility tests for Frankfort Fire Department.

I feel like I don't have much to post about since band is over. Rett decided he is going to do pep band, so Matt is happy he'll have an excuse to go to the basketball games. Hazen was so funny yesterday. We were shopping in Walmart. He was riding in the cart and he looked at me and said "Mommy, you're a cutie". Oh, and one more thing. I can't believe I almost forgot to say Hazen is 99% potty trained!!!!!! He is wearing big boy pants all the time he is awake. He told us he would do it when he turned 4, so we told him that the diapers were GONE and if he peed or pooped in his pants HE was going to clean it up. He had to rinse out poopy pants one time and that was enough.

Nothing is Easy

2008-11-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

We got a letter from the school yesterday. They reviewed my request for testing Rett. After looking at his grades and ISTEP scores, they don't think he needs services. However, they do want to look at Dr. McClurg's report to see why he recommended testing. I am hoping they will do SOMETHING. I am so frustrated. I don't understand why they are so reluctant to help a child succeed.

State Champs!!

2008-11-01T22:22:00.002-04:00

Wow! That about sums it all up. We are home for a little bit, then we'll be heading to the school for a midnight reception for our State Champs! The kids sounded great today and their marching was spot on. Our biggest competition was supposed to be Gibson Southern. When they were announced as the 4th place band, I was REALLY nervous. I guess I shouldn't have been. One of the directors was stopped in the walkway as they were exiting the field and he was told, "I didn't see your band, but I can tell you did well by looking at your kids coming out." All their hard work finally paid off!

Maybe some good news...

2008-10-28T21:23:00.002-04:00

I talked to Earl and Alice's neighbor last night about our insurance dilemma. She was not very optimistic, but said she would pull up Matt's info and call Detroit today. She talked to Matt's dad this afternoon and said the person she talked to said all we needed was something with Rett's name and our address. She said something from the school would work great, so I copied his report card. Keep praying because it is working!

Band Nerds Gone Wild

2008-10-26T09:37:00.002-04:00

Thursday night the band parents hosted a party for the kids at Oak Brook Valley Park. There was plenty of food, a DJ and outdoor activities. There was even a football game, Drumline vs. Brassline. It seemed like they all had a good time. Hazen wanted to go, too and he had a blast. While the older kids werer outside playing, he had the dance floor to himself. A couple of Rett's friends were teaching him some new dance moves.

The highlight of the night were the awards that were handed out. Rett didn't get any and that is a good thing. There were awards for losing uniforms, not wearing black socks, putting a uniform in the bag completely upside down and things like that. One boy likes to sleep on the way home and his mouth is always open, so he got the "Fly in the Mouth" award.

Brithday Party

2008-10-26T09:26:00.003-04:00

Friday night we celebrated Kelsey and Hazen's birthdays. We had a houseful! I think everyone had a good time despite being confined to the house due to the weather. The kids had a costume contest and then made mummies out of each other. Personally I voted for Napoleon Dynamite (aka Johnny), but Hazen won.

State Finals Here We Come

2008-10-26T09:17:00.004-04:00

It was a blustery day at Pike High School Saturday. Our poor little piano player has tendonitis and on top of that her fingers were frozen, but after the first passage she still sounded magical. We had one other minor mishap...a flag got caught on a clarinet and sent it flying. Marching wise, their shapes were better and their steps more crisp. Music wise, this was not their best performance. Hopefully, next week they will put it all together! At least then we'll be inside and not have to sit in the cold for 5 hours waiting for results. It's hard to believe this time next week it will all be over.

Mixed emotions

2008-10-23T08:53:00.002-04:00

Well, I finally broke down and had Rett tested for ADHD. I talked to the counselor he has been seeing about his dyslexia, struggles in school and my concern that he is going to just give up. He said dyslexia and ADHD often co-exist. I never really felt like that was his problem, but I was told they could get him help at school if he did have ADHD. It breaks my heart because I know he is smart. I have resisted in the past because I've heard so many stories about how kids on medication become such little zombies.

I met with the doctor to go over the results last night. I won't bore you with all of the details, but the results showed he does NOT have ADHD (maybe mom isn't so dumb afterall). I was afraid that would be the case and I would be sent away once again with no more options to get him help. However, this doctor said the testing showed a significant discrepancy between his intelligence and his ability to spell (I wonder.....is that consistent with dyslexia?). The discrepancy was enough for the doctor to diagnose him with a learning disability in the area of written expression. That is what I have been telling everyone all along....the knowledge is there he just struggles getting it down on paper.

The doctor told me to request testing at school. He said any good school psychologist would come to the same conclusion. He said with his testing and the documentation from the Dyslexia Institute they would have a hard time denying him services. If they do, he said "Hang them out to dry".

I talked to the counselor this morning and got the ball rolling. I think the process take about 90 school days, but the doctor said it shouldn't take that long because they can use the test he did. God does answer prayers.

Not so good news...

2008-10-20T08:23:00.003-04:00

Matt's mom kind of filled her neighbor in on the insurance issues we are dealing with. She wants us to still come talk to her but said we could be in some trouble. The Cerberus Capital Group that took over Chrylser is going after every little thing they can find. She just dealt with a guy in the same situation and they went after him for about $10,000. She said they started taking it out of his check. We are either A. Going to have to switch Rett back and forth depending on who claims him on taxes or B. Get Steve to let us claim him every year. I called Steve this morning and he said he would work with us. So keep your fingers crossed for us...

Semi-State Bound!!!

2008-10-18T18:35:00.002-04:00

Western's band is AWESOME! Seriously, I never get tired of watching this show. Next week we'll be at Pike High School in Indy. Our directors say we shouldn't settle for anything less than a State Championship this year. I sure hope they win. Indiana Marching.com has us ranked third in the state according to their writers' poll.

Peace and Quiet

2008-10-17T22:07:00.002-04:00

Matt went out with a friend from high school tonight and the kids are in bed. The house is so quiet! I actually have the laptop and the remote at the same time. I usually have to give up one to get the other. Of course, I can't find a thing to watch. It is kind of hard to relax because I look around at all the things that need done. We're having a birthday party here next weekend and the house and yard are nowhere close to being ready.

We went out to dinner with Steve, Georgann, and Sandy tonight. Jay was supposed to join us, too, but he got called away. It was a nice dinner anyway. I joked about it being a family reunion because our cousin Wendy was there and our other cousin Sue's husband works there.

I really need to think about going to bed. Rett has to be at the school at 6:30 in the morning. YUCK! These early mornings are the one thing I won't miss when marching season is over. Only 2 more weeks to go!

More insurance drama

2008-10-14T21:22:00.003-04:00

The last we heard, I faxed the wrong part of our tax return and all I needed to do was fax the right part and everything would be okay. We got two different letters today from the insurance company. One said Rett was dropped as of 01-01-1800 (no, that is not a typo, the letter actually said 1800) because he is not eligible. The other was a packet of information on COBRA since Matt was supposedly laid off as of Sept. 30. What's funny is that if that were really the case, wouldn't the entire family be in the same boat? The benefits lady in the factory told him that ALL employees would have health insurance for 48 months once they were laid off. Another paper said he was insured from 01-2007 to 09-2008 and then coverage would pick up again 11-2008. I don't know what the heck they are doing. We have talked to 3 people and have been told 3 different things. Rett has an appointment tomorrow and I don't know whether to keep it or not. I don't want to get stuck paying for it. We tried calling the corporate office as soon as we opened the mail, but of course, they were closed. Can't wait to see what story they tell us tomorrow!

Stoney Creek Farm 2008

2008-10-12T21:48:00.003-04:00

We made our annual trip to Stoney Creek Farm to pick out our pumpkins. It was very warm for what was supposed to be a fall day. The pumpkins were very big and plentiful this year. Our rule is: we don't care how big the pumpkin is, as long as you are able to carry it. The kids had a hard time finding one they could carry. Of course the highlight of the trip for the kids is the big pile of hay that they can crawl all over.

On the way home, Hazen fell asleep listening to his I-pod. I tried to take his headphones off and he started saying "no, no, no". Rett decided he would rather spend the day at his dad's, but we had to promise to bring home a pumpkin for him, too.

Ben Davis Invitational

2008-10-11T21:46:00.003-04:00

They added some new elements to the show today...some dance steps during the marching and this lift at the end of the show. The result....another first place finish. We can listen to judges comments online and the they all agree that this has the potential to be a great show.

Next week we will be going to Lafayette Jeff for the Regional Competition. I truly believe we have a very amazing group of kids. They are so fun to watch!

Tomorrow we are going to try to go to the pumpkin patch in Noblesville. I'll post more pictures then.

I HATE INSURANCE!!!

2008-10-08T10:18:00.003-04:00

So, we just found out today Rett is being dropped from Matt's insurance. They changed dependent eligibility requirements in Jan. 0f 2008 to state they must be claimed on the current year's tax refund to qualifiy as a dependent. Nevermind the fact there is a court order stating that Steve gets to claim him every other year. The only course of action we have right now is to put him on Steve's insurance (which they assure me he still has even though he is laid off). Then after that, we can see if Steve will let us claim him all the time. My thing is.....they both work at Chrysler, so either way he is covered under Chrysler's policy!!! What difference should it make?!?!?! Not to mention the fact that Steve is so hard to get ahold of. Is he really going to get me the insurance card; he's on a different plan than we are, so are we going have to switch doctors? What about all the claims from Jan until now, are we going to have to pay?? I am SO frustrated right now, and so is Matt. He's already unhappy with his job and this is just the icing on the cake.

Sorry to vent, but this is just frustrating.

Addicted??

2008-10-07T20:28:00.003-04:00

I have spent way too much time these last 2 evenings messing with this silly blog. I liked the music on Erika's so much that I decided to copy and set it up on mine. It looked like it should be easy, but I kept ending up with rap songs (not exactly my taste in music). I FINALLY got it to work and then decided to tackle the slideshow. The pictures I put on that are from Hazen's first field trip. Chapel Hill Christian Preschool went to Farlow's Orchard. Matt was on shut down that week, so he got the privilige of going with him. Missing out on things like that is what I hate most about working!!

2008-10-04T21:37:00.000-04:00

AHHHH! It's good to finally be home. We have had a busy day today.

We started at 10:00 to cheer on the band as they left to go to Lewis Cass for their District competition. As soon as we were done there, we went to join the rest of the family at the Heart Walk. Michelle started a team to walk in memory of Dad. It's hard to believe he's been gone 2 years now. The kids had a good time and walked the whole way without complaining of being tired.

From the Heart Walk, we went to watch Rett perform at Lewis Cass. He had quite the cheering block today. His dad actually came to a performance. They got a gold rating and will go on to compete in the District contest at Lafayette Jeff in 2 weeks. The marching season has gone so fast! It's hard to believe he only has 1 more home game and 4 more contests. I have been so impressed with his musical ability. He seems to be able to play any instrument he picks up.

After we picked Rett up from school, we went to Matt's parent's for dinner. Their 15 year-old neighbor was staying with them while his parents were out of town, so they thought he might like to hang out with Rett. The boys (including Hazen) all played outside racing tricycles. We ate pizza and made S'mores. Then they broke out the old photo albums. It's amazing how much Hazen looks like Matt and Uncle Doug.

2008-10-02T20:59:00.000-04:00

HA! 2 posts in one day, I'm Superwoman! Here are a few pictures from the band's trip to Lucas Oil Stadium. It was a long day, but a lot of fun. I hope we'll be going back there Nov. 1st for the State Finals.

new haircut

2008-10-02T20:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I don't know why I even try to do something different. I picked out a style I liked and it was supposed to be somewhere around shoulder length. This is what I ended up with... I was in tears of couse my dear husband said "it will grow" (notice it was nothing like it's cute, I like it, etc.) I thought maybe if I washed it and styled it myself I would like it better, but no such luck. I cried even more, but you'll never believe what Rett did.....he said "it looks good mommy" and he started brushing it to try and help me. It's hard to cry when your teenager does something so sweet.

2008-09-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I haven't been real successful with this whole blog thing, but I am going to try again. You would have thought being home all summer I would have had plenty of time to get things up and running. Now that I am back to work full time and officially a marching band parent things are going to be difficult. Basically it looks like my life won't be my own again until sometime in November. Of course, that puts us smack dab in the middle of all the kids' birthdays and the holidays. I have a feeling the remainder of the year will fly.

Just getting started

2008-07-03T13:13:00.000-04:00

I have never tried doing anything like a blog, so this is just a trial and error type thing. I found out through the local newspaper that the school I have worked at for the last 7 years will be closing as of the 2009-2010 school year. I don't know what that really means as far as my employment goes. The Lead Nurse assured us at the end of the school year that the school board anticipates keeping all of the nurses. I am a little skeptical, though. I can't see them making cuts in every department except nursing. So, I am putting feelers out for a new job. The only problem is I've gotten spoiled working for the school corporation. I have weekends, holidays, and summers off. It is hard to find a job in the nursing field with those benefits.