Read this everyday.

Good morning loves. Or I should say afternoon, now.

I told myself last night, that today, I was going to get up early. I was not going to shower just yet, because, lucky me, I am greasy and dirty looking a couple hours after I shower, and I have sheet to do tonight and things to look cute for. It's my bangs that get me. In turn, I was going to get cute, without being clean (hard to do sometimes) and go find myself a job. I have a few ideas-- I'm going to try liquor stores, since I'm already familiar with selling spirits, kind of; coffee shops, which would take me back to my time there in high school, which is a happy feeling; and Barnes & Noble, dun dun dunnn. My entire paycheck would probably go back to that place. Then again, the library has been spoiling me lately so I think I could have some self control there. But of course, it's already 11:15 and Joel and I have just recently gotten up, have put some coffee on and I stepped outside to take the trash out. Woooahhh, it is far too nice out to go find a job today. So, now I'm torn. I know the responsible route, but that's not fun when you have mountain land to explore, bike routes that you've only explored half way and more DIY projects that entail being outside instead of inside, inhaling fumes. My life is so complicated. Kidding. 

Another girl transferred to my center this week. She feels exactly the same way that I did when I first started. We are so short staffed right now that our cook doesn't have time to do the dishes by the end of her shift and the kitchen, is horrendous by the end of the day, it's like nothing you've ever seen. Like, if inspection were to come, we would fail. I get that it's tight, but this should never be. This has been one of the hardest adjustments for me, I think. Back at my previous center, our cook left, with snack prepared for the afternoon, and someone would come in for their afternoon shift, would eventually put snack away, clean the kitchen, get it ready for the next morning. Sometimes, this was management. Management was willing to do dishes and help out in the kitchen. My new management, I have never seen in the kitchen. And I am convinced that, last night, if Alyssa and I wouldn't have been in there cleaning, and scrambling to get the dishes done, our boss would have left the center at 6:15 when all the kids were gone, instead of working on the kitchen until 6:35. I told her that our cook is going to feel like it's Christmas morning when she walks in there on Monday. I don't think anyone, besides myself, has ever tried to get the dishes done for her at the end of the night. Which is so sad. I am just crossing my fingers that it gets better when we hire more people. 

I am kind of bumming about the holidays. Sounds silly, but it's only because we are most likely going to be without our close friends and family. We definitely will not be going home for Thanksgiving. I can't believe it is already next week! I took work off to go home, back to Wisconsin over Christmas, but after talking with Joel more about it, we feel like, financially, we probably shouldn't try and pull it off this year. Realistically, we just got here, I don't have a second job yet (and at this rate of weather, I won't have the want to go find myself one) and by the time we get back, rent would be due within 3 days of getting back and money would be tight. Maybe we should start a "Bring Joel & Kelsey home fund." Who's with us??? ;) On a good note, we are excited to start some of our own holiday traditions, as we start our life here together. Thank you, Pinterest! I'm sorry to those, who we've told that we are coming back, it's only been a few of you, we tried to keep it to a minimum in case things changed, and they have :( But we hope to make it back as soon as we can make it happen. 

After Thanksgiving next weekend, we have friends coming to visit and we could not be more excited. I have a friend from High school that lives down in Colorado Springs, who's family will be in town for Turkey Day. In the last year, I've become good friends with his brother, back home. I am excited to hang out with both of them at the same time. I am going to be one happy girl. 

..... as usual. 

 

High five to today!

Today gets an A+, whoop whoop, no head ache! My prayers to god via blog yesterday did the trick! 

I love today because my babies were less insane, I worked more on my room-- putting things together for my boards, I got done working at 4:30 instead of 6:30, and Joel and I stocked our fridge. Gosh, that all feels wonderful!

Cheers! 

Another thing, I am so glad I'm not dealing with snow right now. Looks like you all got some back home. Should have moved to Colorado with me! ;) 

 Here are some wise words because I love wise words. 

Chow, friends!  

 

It's only Monday.

Is it Friday yet? 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I came home on my break today and told Joel that I wished it was Thursday so tomorrow could be Friday. Monday, Monday... 5 more days till another fun day. 

I have been getting migraines again. E v e r y d a y y y y. 

This is me every day for the last two weeks. Almost. 

Why? Probably because I have the most needy group of babies at work, who scream constantly. They rarely have tears, they just yell. Unfortunately I have mothers that whip their boob out every time their child cries at home. A few of my moms have admitted this to us. Their children are pretty much attached to the boob at all times. Some, even sleep with mom. This gets me no where. I also had a new baby start last week, who is 6 months old and still adjusting, who cries all day long. Have you ever listened to crying/screaming every day for 8 hours straight? It's death. This is where my migraines come in. So, times have been tough. Last week was awful. I have never once in my life, not been able to soothe crying babies and I had some pissed off babies allll weeeeek looongg. Please god, let the rest of this week run smoothly.

Joel and I had an awesome weekend. Saturday we drove to the beautiful Estes Park, which is like 35 minutes from us. Aside from not dressing appropriately whatsoever, it was beautiful. We got to Rocky Mountain National Park and were informed that it was free entry all weekend due to Veterans Day. We saw a ton of elk, took way too many pictures and videos and stayed in the nice warm truck. Outside was freeezzingggg. We will eventually buy a season pass which is only $40 and once it gets warmer, we will most likely be living there on the weekends. I could not be more excited. I am craving camping. I want all my friends to come visit so badly. 

Saturday night, we went out in Fort Collins. Through Joel's open mics that he's been going to, he's been meeting a lot of other musicians. One played at the bar we were at on Saturday and he was awesome. He knew a ton of cover songs and was able to play every song that was requested. Super upbeat, fun energy. Because Joel has been going to open mics there, he introduced me to a few girls that work there that are all super friendly. Being there and seeing all the groups of girlfriends ripping it up on the dance floor and being super funny, made me terribly miss my girlfriends back home. 

Like I said, today has been a day, and I so badly wish it was the end of the week already. Joel and I are both realizing that we need to get jobs. A job for him and a second job for me. Which is fine, it being cold and almost winter, we won't be doing as much outdoor exploring on the weekends, as we would be if it were summer. But where to apply? This weekend, it's go time. Time to find a second income.

As for now, my book is calling. I have to go.

I am loving the idea of "30 Days of Thanksgiving" --Whoever started this on Facebook is a genius. Each day of this month, you are supposed to put something you are thankful for on your status. What a wonderful way to remind you just how lovely your life is. On the third day, today, I was planning to put "I am thankful for days I get to sleep in." But, as you may have noticed, it is 7:31 am. Given that this is the time I am up, starting my day, 3 days a week, I should have known I wouldn't sleep much longer. Sleeping in for me, on weekends, means no later than 8:00 am. It has been this way for awhile. So, I'm going to rephrase what I am thankful for. I am thankful for mornings that I get to wake up, without an alarm, and do whatever I please for however long I please to do those things. And on these past few weekends, that is been: drinking an insane amount of coffee, reading my book, catching up on the blogs I love, exploring Pinterest, and sometimes, blogging myself. What wonderful mornings! It's mornings like this that I want to be a stay at home mom... or no, lets rephrase that, also; a stay at home wife. Hmm, that doesn't even sound the way I want it to yet. Stay at home girlfriend? There, that's better. 

This week has been absolutely wonderful. Given that it is the first week, it is exactly how I pictured living with Joel. He got here on Monday night, a little bit before I was done working, so he took time to run some errands around town and explore a little bit. This girl came home to flowers and champagne. And kisses of course! Joel is not the most tidy or organized person, but I thought to myself and then later told him, that it's all his guitars and stuff laying around that makes our house feel more homey. It feels just the way it should with him being here. Now, I'm hoping that doesn't mean he can say that later when I've commented on how our place is a mess and that he never cleans up. I can hear it now. I have to say, I am loving the fact that dinner has been ready most nights as I have gotten home from work and I even came home for lunch yesterday with a plate made for me. I am loving my stay at home boyfriend. Even though, the roles should be reversed ;) Joel has spent his days making contacts and visiting places that he will eventually be playing shows at. I am understanding that it doesn't happen over night, and it all takes time. You have to prove to bars and restaurants just how talented you are, to get consistent gigs. I have no doubt in my mind that every place and everyone will love him. 

Work is going very well! I am thoroughly enjoying my co-worker's company and I have had some good laughs. I actually spent some time with the Twos on Thursday for the last half an hour of the day and it brought me back to when I was the lead teacher in that room back in Wisconsin. The twos are hilarious. I think I had more fun out on the playground than they did. 

As for this weekend, we had planned on going to IKEA to get a few things for the house. Jasen, our friend who lives in Denver, informed us of the Lumberjack Pub Crawl in the city today. I immediately loved this idea and thought that our IKEA trip was going to have to be postponed. Now, I am realizing that I have no flannel and would have to buy whatever it is that I'll be wearing, and that I would much rather put money into our place. So, who knows what the day will bring! Also, the last time I was in Denver, I drank wayy too much and had a terrible end of the night and next day. It has to be the altitude difference that got to me, because I felt like I didn't drink more than I usually do. Well, no, that's a lie, I was taking pulls out of a bottle of Jack, which I don't think I've ever done in my life. I was probably just going all out because I now live in Colorado. That is definitely it. So, I'm hesitant. I do not want to feel that way again. 

I also got to vote on Tuesday! I could not be more happy that I wasn't too late. I'm anxious and a little nervous to see how this one pans out. 

I have one more thing! One of my best friends is pregnant. I hate knowing something so exciting and not being about to announce it over social media. She has finally made it public and I want to scream from the mountain tops how excited I am for her! And I intend to. We have seen so many girls have babies these past few years and I am speaking for my entire group of girlfriends, how excited we are to have a baby in our group. Times are going to be fun, on a different level come April. Annother April baby! Of course, me who loves rubbing pregnant bellies, has to find about weeks before I move away, but it's okay, only because it has to be. I, at least get to watch through Facebook and texts, how her belly is growing cuter and cuter by the week. I could not be more happy for her. Look at how adorable she is: 

 

You two are going to have one cute baby. 

 

28 Days Later.

"Some periods of our growth are so confusing that we don’t even recognize that growth is happening…Those long periods when something inside ourselves seems to be waiting, holding its breath, unsure about what the next step should be, eventually become the periods we wait for, for it is in those periods that we realize that we are being prepared for the next phase of our life and that, in all probability, a new level of the personality is about to be revealed."

I don’t know if I could find a way of explaining my first two weeks of work more perfectly than that. It’s probably a good thing that I’ve waited, and didn’t blog after the first couple days of work because it would have been straight trash talk and that’s just not nice! The first week at my new center was very hard. Driving home from work on my second day, I cried. I was so stressed and thinking to myself, “Holy moly, what have I done??” And the tears just welled. So, okay, I didn’t full on cry, but I was close. Coming from such a new, well-run center, where everyone was a team, and got along so great and going to a center that is pretty much in shambles, worried the crap out of me. That night, I thought about it and readied myself for an intense talk with my boss the next day. On my third day, I walked right into my new boss’s office and told her I didn’t think I could do it. I was so torn because I knew when I interviewed with her; she was someone that I definitely wanted to work for. But working at a center like this, was not “me” and would be very challenging. I can’t describe it any other way than calling it one big mess of a center. She stressed to me that she knew that it was a disaster and began to tell me that I am the kind of person that she eventually wants in every room and that she has to start somewhere. She didn’t want it to discourage me and she wants me to stick it out with her. The first week I was texting the girls I worked with at Hudson and was reassured by all that if I just continue to do what I was trained to do and be the best teacher that I know how to be, things will be okay and people will eventually follow suit. But I, at the same time, think that is not my job. I never had to do this at Hudson. Everyone loved their jobs, worked together to help one another and I was the happiest person at work and I loved my job. I thought to myself that life is far too short to leave work frustrated every day and there is no way that I will have a job that I don’t look forward to going to every morning. I also thought, if I keep this job, I need to get a second job at a liquor store again to get that discount on all the wine that I will be drinking. 

After my second week, things are turning around. A couple girls were hired around the time that I was, who I get along very well with. The girl I have been working alongside, was also a previous KinderCare employee and came back after going back to school for a few years. She also cannot believe the changes in the center from when she was there last, to now. We both follow policies and are doing our best to get things put back together and organized, at least in our infant rooms. I’m happy that I spend the days with her. We are pretty much in our own world. Which, I understand, isn’t a great thing, but until the rest of the center is at our level, I’m cool with it. I get along great with everyone else I work with, but there’s a lazy trend at the center that I just can’t get over. I have a problem with people who don’t thoroughly finish the jobs they start. Things can only get better and that I am sure of. 

I had an absolutely wonderful Friday this week. A few of the babies were gone so we had only 5 infants. In Colorado, the teacher to infant ratio is 1:5. Our Director let us stay together to get things organized so it was a pretty chill day. On my lunch break I got the news that my mom’s oncologist had told her that after almost a decade of fighting cancer, that she was cancer free. My god, did I want to drive across the high way, drive up the Rockies and shout from the mountain tops how frickin excited I was. I seriously thought about it. But, having to be back to work in a half hour was not going to allow me to do so.  So we’ll save that for a later date, because it is definitely possible. Gosh, I haven’t said one thing about those mountains! Driving to and from work every day along the mountains is pretty surreal. Those snow caps get me every day and every day it’s like I’m seeing them for the first time. My first week, driving to work, I thought to myself, “Is this really worth it? My job is frustrating and sucks, but I get to see mountains every day. Do they weigh each other out? Can I have a shitty job but be okay with it because I’m here in Colorado?” At that point, it was 50/50. 

I also got news yesterday that I wasn’t too late to vote. I have been seriously worrying because I am no longer a Wisconsin resident, but haven’t been here long enough to be a Colorado resident. I Googled “Wisconsin Absentee Ballot” and literally printed off 5 forms, filled them all out, mailed them in and hoped with crossed fingers that at least one of them was the right form and that that form would be in before deadline. I received a voice mail yesterday from a lady saying, “Hi Kelsey, I have a few forms here from you but I’m a little confused as to your intentions.” At that point I laughed out loud, called her back and explained that I was just trying to get every possible form in, in hopes that one was the one she needed. Luckily, they don’t often turn people away, so I can go in right away tomorrow morning and vote! I could not be more excited. I will be sporting my, “I voted” sticker all day long. Chalk that to the awesome list from Friday.  

The one thing that is not on the awesome list: Joel is still not here. We were hoping he would be here by Wednesday this past week, but he’s working on paving his parent’s driveway, with pavers… single bricks… that need to be laid individually, and he was set back a bit with the rain and little bit of snow we got back in Minnesota earlier this week. So hopefully by late tomorrow night! I am so ready for him to be here. Yes, I enjoy my own company, and I’ve gone longer without seeing him but I want to be in ‘our’ new place together already! And it’s been 28 days since I’ve gotten kisses.

Just to name a few.

To my friends, in hopes that you hop on the Colorado band wagon.. ;) 

Some things that I particularly love about Loveland: 

First and foremost, mountains! You can't see them from my house, but drive 2 blocks onto main street and there they are! I get to see them as I drive home from work every day-- or in my rear view mirror as I drive to work everyday. How delightful! 

Second, the gas is cheaper! It's only $3.61-- sad. I remember when I filled my gas tank with $25.

Third, there are Sonics. Not that I love Sonic, I've only eaten there once, but Sonic commercials are hilarious and they are all I think about when I drive by them. This is one of my favorites..

 

Fourth, the micro breweries! They are everyyyywhere and I plan on visiting all of them. We are known as the Napa Valley of breweries. How fun is that? 

Fifth, Loveland is one of the top places in the Nation for music & art. Awesome, for Joel especially, but for me too! :)

Sixth, my house is 2 blocks from the library-- and everything for that matter. Joel's uncle told me the other day that our house is very centralized. We are also 3 streets over from main street, full of bars and boutiques that I will most likely love the second I walk in them. 

Seventh, since we are speaking location, I am about an hour from Rocky Mountain National Park, and main street takes you right there. Although, an hour is like 15 minutes here because the amazing scenery makes time irrelevant when you are driving. 

Eighth, I forgot to mention when I brought up the crazy amounts of micro breweries, that every liquor store here, has a drive-thru. Interesting, and practical, I guess, if you know exactly what you want. 

Ninth, I clearly have Duck Dynasty on my mind, but there have been a number of people that have reminded me of that show and have made me want to watch it then and there. For example, we were in Wal-mart yesterday. 3 guys in Camo passed me. Immediately, Duck Dynasty. 10 minutes later, another in camo, a nice long, grey beard, but this one had a.... wait for it... duck call. That yes, he was using in Wal-mart. I need a marathon, daily, to get my fix on that show- I cannot get enough. 

 hilarious.

Tenth, I'll make it an even ten. The weather is amazingggg. It was in the low thirties when we woke up this morning, probably got somewhere in the fifties mid day and Sunday and Monday it is supposed to be in the high seventies. I am going to love this and will probably embrace snowfall here, simply because the sun is always shinning and because it melts fast :) I could not be more excited!

.......................

Today was wonderful. I visited my new center and left there being even more excited to start work there on Monday. My new director cleaned out my room for me and I am completely starting fresh in the older Infant room next week. I will have 3-5 babies over the week, some part time. Monday, my babies won't actually be in my room with me, because I'll be doing more cleaning, organizing and getting it ready to be livable, since it hasn't been open since March. I am happy that my boss is just as excited for me to start as I am. I drove home on Cloud 9, towards the mountains. I think I'll stay here forever.