Summer Fun!!

So I've been working for the YMCA for the summer... not sure if I will continue on through the school year or not. When you are working for 1/2 pay, it's a hard decision to make! Plus when you get that job and that dis-qualifies your family for WIC (Women Infants and Children) program, and NEST- the local mom's group in Ottumwa that you can earn points for going to doctors appointments, participating in PAT (Parents as Teachers) and going to weekly meetings. Those points can then be used to buy diapers, and other things my child needs at the NEST store.

I haven't been able to go to these things, and miss going to the library every Friday for story time to talk with other moms!

It's not that I'm working for 1/2 pay, it's that I'm only taking 1/2 of my actual paycheck home because of daycare costs! I miss being home with my son.... and I think truthfully my husband misses me being home with our son as well! Sure, he's fine at the YMCA Child Development Center, but I like to get an update of cute things he did during the day, what he's done that was naughty, etc. I don't get that there, and I don't know how his day is going because I'm usually not even in the same building.

Christopher at the YMCA holding a worm- with the 'big kids' at the YMCA... we had a worm farm this summer!

McKena and Christopher on the alter at Youth Camp 2010- she's wearing his hat... does that mean anything when you are 2?

Last week Christopher and I took a little mini-vacation by ourselves and went to church camp with the youth for part of the week. I'm kind of the camp's webmaster, so I needed to take photos, and we did have fun! Now I have a lot of work ahead of me to upload photos, get other people's photos, and creating a place on the website.

I have one more week working at the YMCA... then Roy and I are needing to look at our expenses, my income and if it's worth it or not for me to work or stay home with our son. I miss teaching him his ABCs and getting all that together... right now he thinks every color is either pink or green- so we need to work on that... and he's right on the verge of actually wanting to be potty trained. Why do boys have to be so hard to do that?

So I have a lot of goals for myself and for Christopher, and it's hard to implement them if I'm only here with him half days (he naps before I go to work when school is back in session.) So we shall see, what becomes of the job.

Logically, I need to stop working otherwise I'll have to re-name this blog! LOL

Hope your summer was a great one. Here's some of the things that I was able to do:

Go to a St. Paul Saints Game with family

Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul

Como Zoo in St. Paul with family :)

Mall of America

Youth Camp 2010 at Inspiration Acres

Vacation Bible School teacher at Zion Community Church of God

Big Bang 2010

Jordan Creek Shopping Center

Iowa City to see family

Wapello County Fair

The Beach Ottumwa (several times)

Albia Pool (loved it!)

Rollerskating

Knoxville Sprint Car Museum

Pioneer Ridge Nature Center

Nelson Pioneer Farm

Toured Ottumwa Airport

Toured Al-jon Mfg.

Created a library for the YMCA Summer Safari

I've been blessed this summer and yes, I have photos from almost everyone of these events- some of them I can not show you because they 'belong' to the YMCA. But, my goodness- I've been a busy lady! Hope your summer was as good as mine was!