Chaos Chronicled!

I now have the answer to my previous post.  This is where I build up the hype, and keep everyone is suspense for as long as I can.  Ok, I’ve NEVER been able to do that.  I’m worse than a kid at Christmas who spoils the surprise for everyone else!  It looks like I’m getting the promotion.  I’m terrified and excited all rolled into one.  What if I don’t do a good job, what if I F-A-I-L, (said in a whisper) what if what if what if.  This is good, it means a definite raise, and possibly a second raise!  I think I can, I think I can, if I make it my mantra, will it work?  I was sure that I was once again going to be passed over.  The announcement has not yet been made company wide, as the other internal candidates have not yet been notified of the selection.  I know one woman is going to be less than thrilled.  She’s been less than polite (and until another co-worker told me, I did not know she had applied) but what else is new.  Anyways, that’s my big news.  I had to tell someone!!!!!

Ok, almost 3 weeks ago I interviewed for another job that is in my department.  The job I do now does bits and pieces of the job I applied for, so I thought I take a shot at this job, hoping it was not too much of a long shot.  The job I applied for pays more, and given our current circumstances, a larger paycheque is a plus.  It also means a more stressful workload and may mean more hours at quater and month end times.  So on Friday, my boss apologizes for not getting back to me yet regarding this, but says he can’t tell me anything at the moment (typical) but not to be worried, the news is good news.  Now I spent the weekend wondering what this meant, as we had talked earlier in the week about the change in title and pay he was planning to make to my present position.  To make things a bit more intriguing, I was asked to start training the temp we have presently in some of the things I do daily.  So, did I get the job or didn’t I?  I wish someone would just tell me already!!!!!!!!!!

So, with hubby returning to school, I will now be the only one of us earning an income.  I feel a fair bit of stress knowing this.  I’ve looked at our budget, and it’s shoe string tight, we may not even be able to afford vehicle repairs, and with two older, less reliable vehicles, car repairs are inevitable.  Part of trying to change this, is looking for a better paying job.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my job (most days), but when I took this job, it was a significant cut in pay compared to my last job.  My job changes frequently and really that does not bother me, it keeps it interesting.  But lately, I’ve found I’m not really as happy doing my job.  I think part of it is the knowing that I need to try and find more income for the emergency situation which you never get a warning about.  I applied for a job that came up in our department that pays more and is a step up from what I am doing now.  Actually it would be the next logical step for me, one I had intended to take at some point.  I’m really rather frustrated, because I applied for and was passed over the last time a job came up in our department.  I’m fairly certain that once again I’m being passed over.  I can’t help but get frustrated with this.  I’m not sure whether or not I want to scream or cry.  Should I be disappointed or angry?  I know part of it has to do with my education.  It needs to be upgraded, but hey, only one of us at a time can do it, and hubby is it!

 Prior to this job, I stayed at home with the kids.  It was nice, but I’m not sure I was really cut out for it.  So this must be the kind of pressure hubby felt.  It’s really not a nice feeling, and I’m not sure I can do this.  I get so frustrated as it is and now add the stress of KNOWING you are it, the only income for the family, and I get down right scared.  I feel scared, nervous, frustrated, and confused at times.

Ok, so since we are no longer eating, sleeping and breathing potty training, it’s time to focus on other wonderful changes in our household.  In March, my husband lost his job.  The company was in receivership, so there is no chance he will get called back.  Fast forward a few months, no luck finding work, and what there is out there pays peanuts.  My husband decides it’s time to re-educate.  I agree, we both honestly need to do this, but only one of us at a time can do this, and since I am working full time and carry our benefits, hubby is the most logical choice.

He decided on Electrical Engineering Technoligst, which at the local college is a three year course.  He’s applied for OSAP and he’s accepted to the college.  I think he is nervous, or anxious to go.  I have anxieties about this, all of which stem from my own issues.  I worry about sending him to a college full of girls who are younger, SLIMMER, and more energetic than me.  They don’t have 2 kids, a husband and a cat to take care of.  Do I really have a reason, maybe, maybe not.  What woman is not nervous about sending her man to a place full of young girls.  My friend told me not to worry, the girls all want the young hottie, who’s only goal is the find some girl to spend the night with!  Terrible, I know, but I hope she’s right.

So, back to school shopping is now for the kids AND hubby.  So what does a 35 yr old college student need anyway?

Well, a few weeks have gone by, and very few accidents, not accident free, but I’ll take it!  I think he has finally gotten the idea, and while we are not 100% there, I’d say 95% there.  I feel good, no, I feel great.  I can’t help but wonder why it seemed so much harder this time around.  With McKenna, she just decided that she was done with diapers, and BINGO, day and night trained in 5 days.  Colton was just not there I guess.  He had not made up his mind to be done with diapers yet.  Until he decides 100%, I guess I can honestly say we are not quite done!

So, do you take a child who has not quite gotten the hang of potty training camping and introduce him to the outhouse?  Well, guess what, we did it.  We took him  camping and since we tent it, we use the outhouse.  Our first experience, not that great!  It started off rocky, thanks to my 6 yr old daughter telling him that he was going to fall in to the hole.  Great, so now he is panicking and refuses to even go near the outhouse!

I finally get him inside, and his first response is “yuck, stinky”  He gets a look at the “toilet” and bolts towards the door.  Attempt number 1, complete failure.  Well, maybe not complete, he did “pee on a tree” rather than wet his pants.

 Attempt # 2, LEAVING 6 YR OLD AT CAMPSITE!!!!!!  Get him in the door, get PAST the smell, and guess what, he’s not tall enough to get it all in the hole.  Clean up the mess we leave when complete, result - almost a success!!!

 Attempt #3, LEAVING 6 YR OLD AT CAMPSITE, and BRINGING STEPSTOOL!!!  Get him in the door, get passed the smell, STAND on the stepstool, and we have success!!, oh but wait, the other side of the outhouse is being used and now instead of being repulsed by the idea, we want to know why we can hear the other person peeing.  How do you explain this??  Ok, explain, one hole, is large enought to make 2 bathrooms.  He accepts this, off we go!

 Attempt #4 - IT’S NIGHT, LEFT 6 YR OLD AT CAMPSITE, BRING STEPSTOOL BRING SMALL FLASHLIGHT one for him, one for me.  LOSE small flashlight down the “hole”.  The world is ending!!!!!  He wants me to go get it.  I DON’T THINK SO!!!!  Ok, calm down, go pee, and promise that the next day we will get a NEW flashlight! 

 So, he manages to accept that an outhouse is ok, but peeing on a tree is better!!!  I took him to the flush toilets by the pool where he had a bowel movement (YAY!!!) and we survive the weekend. 

We get home, and he is outside playing with a friend.  I go into the house, I come back out 20 seconds later, and he is peeing on a tree!  Ahhhh, now we have to start again

 Attempt #1 - bring child inside, show him toilet, show him toilet paper, and retrain.  No peeing on a tree at home!!

What a difference a few days can make.  In the last week, Colton moved from the preschool room to the Sr Preschool room, and the difference is night and day.  I don’t know if it is because the children in this room are all older, and there are no really young ones in this class, but all week we had no accidents and he has been having bowel movements on the toilet.  He is starting to fight the pull ups at night, but since he has only woke up once dry, I’m not really ready to let him go all night in underwear.  He does not wake me at night yet telling me he has to pee, so I think I will continue using the pull ups at night for a while longer yet.  I’m happy with this progress.  We are on vacation this week and this could cause him to regress, since he has no other children to “encourage” him.  We are camping, and last year he was not thrilled with the outhouse even though he was not required to use it as we stayed with the inlaws in their trailer.  This year he will have to use the outhouse as we will not have the luxury of the trailer.  This should be interesting……..

Today, Colton got the spend the whole day in the Sr Preschool room, and he loved it!!!  It was a splash day and he thoroughly enjoyed .  We had one accident, but I wonder if it was because it was not his usual place, with the usual people with the usual routine.

Yesterday he must have needed attention or something, because today was almost a 100% turn around!  goodness, what a difference 24 hrs makes.

Ok, I don’t understand it, someone, please, explain it to me.  He’s sitting there, playing with his cars, and watching TV in between, when he stops, opens his legs, and pees right there on the spot.  He stopped playing, and opened his legs, which tells me he KNEW he had to pee, the bathroom is about 15 steps away.  What is missing here?  Why on earth did he just pee on my floor (oh, and on dd’s hairbow, which I did not know he was sitting on!).  I’m so frustrated, and am this close to losing it!  What on earth am I doing wrong??????  I’m am so at a loss to explain what just happened.  Is it just plain laziness??  He just couldn’t be bothered?  Not listening to the cues of his body???  Didn’t think he could make it to the bathroom.  What am I doing wrong here???  This close to tears, had a crappy day at work, things at home are not going the way I had hoped, and I’m at my breaking point, yep, here are the tears………………

So getting dressed this morning he says “I want underwears”.  YAY!!!  Next question is will he actually use the potty?  He seems to be in “potty” mode, so I guess we’ll wait and see.  I am in desperate need of doing laundry and I hope he decides today to be in “potty” mode all day, or at least long enough that I can get him some clothes to wear if he pees in his pants.

 He made it through the day in underwear.  Very impressive.  We’ll just keep at it.  He went all day at daycare, and had only one accident.