We're Okies now!

It's official, we're finally Okies. Yesterday we got our OK drivers licenses and got plates for the jeep. For those of you paying attention, we already did the van about two weeks ago or so, as the first step in getting drivers licenses.

We also took Sam and Awyn to see WALL*E or however you type that. It was loved by both, Sam especially. Awyn sat on my lap, because she was scared the seat would close up on her. I think there were boosters available that prevent that, but I doubt she would have been willing to sit on one of those; she won't sit on one in a restaurant. Eric carefully explained to the kids both before and after the movie why it wasn't available on instant replay. I think Sam understood.

We've been keeping busy around the house. I've got flower planters going on the porch, and some herbs. I bought some tomato plants and strawberries. I'm not sure where I really want them; I should have bought a couple more planters. So I put them in the garden to keep safe with the idea of transplanting them to better locations - certainly I don't want the strawberries in the garden. There's a fence around the garden, and we've been trying to put the gate back up. To shorten this story up, I went out to water them this morning (and the carrots that haven't popped up - old seeds, not sure if they'll come up) and something has dug up two strawberry plants and one tomato plant. They've been plucked cleanly from their holes, root balls and all. Whatever it was went under the fence, or over - it did so with enough force to pull the barbed wire holding the top edge of the chicken wire down 2 feet, wire clips and all, and pull it up from the bottom. The chicken wire is torn, and I'll have to replace it. My mistake was in assuming that the wire was partially buried. It was not. So I'll have to see about getting some cinder blocks to go along the bottom of the fencing. The silly part is that the gate isn't in right, and whatever it was could have gone through the gate. There are possibilities as to what it was; armadillo, raccoon, wild hog, turtle (unlikeliest). My personal guess would be armadillo, but it's rather a lot of destruction, and usually they content themselves to digging little holes around the pecan trees.

We also took the kids to the doctor for their annual well-child check-ups. Sam's right in the middle of the road, Awyn's at around the 75th percentile. Both seem healthy. Sam only needed a varicella booster to be caught up for school in the fall. Awyn didn't get any shots this time; she'll get a few more when she turns 4. Sam cooperated with the doctor, Awyn was not as thrilled. She did open up and eventually let him listen to her heart, but there wasn't any way she was letting him look in her ears. He teased her about needing to see if there were bunnies in her ears, so now she's happily talking about the bunnies in her ears. She doesn't want the doctor to get them.

We're finding the internet dial-up to be incredibly frustrating. We don't know if we can afford to upgrade to satellite; we're still waiting to see how our monthly finances settle out. I don't have a job, and other than substitute teaching, there aren't any real prospects thus far. I'll apply with Pauls Valley, but again, there aren't that many openings in the state for assistant SLP's. The School of the Deaf only needs housemothers right now, Sulphur isn't interested because I'm not local, and Wynnewood can't afford to hire me as anything other than a sub. (and that only pays $45/day!) I could go work for Walmart, Braums, or some other Joe-job, but they don't pay enough to be worth putting Awyn in daycare, that is if I can find a daycare for her. I know there's a head-start in Sulphur, for low-income kids, and another for Chickasaws that does occasionally take 'minorities' in. At this point I think we can't afford the gas for me driving the kids to and from schools at 15 miles each way a few times a day, so Sam will take the bus to Wynnewood. Also, the Sulphur K classes are nearly as crowded as the Wynnewood classes, so it's not really that much 'better'.