Hello. Police?

As with most Sunday evenings between the months of September and May I got to hang out with my favorite five year old and favorite seven year old. 

However, tonight took a turn for the, well, um, worst. 

Take a look. I'll let you draw your own conclusions...

Rock Climbing!

I have spent this Friday and last rock climbing, and is has been AMAZING. I am blessed to have a new partner in crime to spend these fantastic evenings with. 

Last week was an introduction to the the gym for my partner in crime, and a reintroduction for myself. It has been about three years since I've hit the wall, and the first time climbing on my new shoulder. 

I felt like a freaking kid in a candy shop and by the look on Janet's face she felt the same way. We took it nice and easy the first night. I showed great restraint by staying on 5.8s and below (let's not blow the shoulder out on the first time...).

Tonight that went out the window. We hit the walls pretty hard. Janet learned to belay which greatly opened my world. I even flashed a 5.9 tonight! 

My last climb of the night was in the pit, I was about two thirds of the way up and my arms are like "Um, no. You want me to do what? I don't think so." Even now, my arms are totally spent. It feels so good though. 

As wonderful as it is to be back on the wall it is even more wonderful that I have someone to share it with. 

Here are pics of the first night out, and yes, we each got the memo...

Janet 

Ryanne 

Ice cream before dinner!?!

If there was any doubt before this picture, I have securely cemented myself as a favorite adult in the eyes of my favorite five year old and my favorite seven year old. We had ice cream before dinner...

Learning Curve

Have I mentioned that I LOVE my new car? No? Well I do. I figure I have a day or two more to fawn over my car. 

Anyways, there have been quite a learning curve with my fabulous new car. Of course much of the knowledge gleaned during the first drive home at 60 mph. So two days into being a new car owner I am getting a fair handle on things. 

Well, I thought so, until I ran into a friend at school. I was waiving frantically and finally she realized who I was (you know, new car, much longer hair, it was dark out).

And I couldn't figure out how to role down the window. 

Ryanne's got a new car!

Last week I spent most of my tax refund on my car on Wednesday. Friday I went out to start my car and it wouldn't. I was done. I called my grandma and asked if she would co-sign a loan for me and then I called Sue. 

Sue is a walking Consumer Reports report. So naturally she was my go to girl for the new car buying adventure. And an adventure it was. 

My only stipulation was no white! I drove a silver Buick, then a white Ford and then a white Sable. I wanted some variety in my life. 

The first car that I drove was a beautiful red Pontiac Vibe. I was so excited because, 1. It was the first car I have ever test driven and 2. It was NOT white! Thankfully Sue was there to save me from myself because I would have signed the papers right then and there.  

After the first dealership we ended up at Walser. After a bit of confusion and me standing up for myself (a snippy manager who was really mean, and I told her to go away. Nicely of course). We headed off for their reconditioning center to check out another Pontiac Vibe. On the way there I made the throw away comment of "wouldn't it be cool if it had a remote starter?"

We didn't know anything about this car. Allison, the wonderful saleswoman, went to find it in the lot at the recon center. She came back grinning and was like "it has a remote starter!" I asked what color it was and she paused to which I finished "it's white." 

Well, I drove it and immediately fell in love with it. It's cute, it fits a full size bike in the back seat, and it's got some serious power. 

So, yes, once again I am driving a white car, but it has a remote starter and I LOVE IT! 

You know you are a...

Some spam is clever, and witty and worth passing on. Some of it is just crap. The following is definitely the former.

Thanks Jessica for passing it on!

You Know You Are A Social Worker If...

1. You think $40,000 a year is 'really making it'.

2. You don't know what it's like to work with men.

3. You know all the latest lingo for drugs, where to get them, and how much they cost.

4. You've started a sentence with 'So what I hear you saying is...'

5. You've had 2 or more jobs at one time just to pay the bills.

6. You tell people what you do and they say 'that's so noble'

7. You have had to explain to people that not all social workers take away kids.

8. You use the words 'validate,' 'appropriate' and 'intervention' daily.

9. You spend more than half your day documenting and doing paperwork.

10. You think nothing of discussing child abuse over dinner.

11. People have said to you 'I don't know how you do what you do'.

12. You've never been on a business trip or had an expense account.

13. You know a lot of other social workers who have left the profession for another.

14. You're very familiar with the concept of entitlement.

15. Staying at a job for 2 years is 'a long time'.

16. Your phone number is unlisted for good reason.

17. Your professional newsletters always have articles about raising salaries...but you still haven't seen it.

18. You're very familiar with the term 'budget cut'.

19. You can't imagine working at a bank or crunching numbers all day.

20. You've had clients who liked you just a little too much.

21. Having lunch is a luxury many days.

22. You've been cursed at or threatened...and it doesn't bother you.

23. Your job orientation has included self defense.

24. You have the best stories at any cocktail party.

25. Your parents don't know half of the stuff that you've dealt with at your job.

26. You know all the excuses clients use for a failed a drug test by heart.

The Perpetual Motion Kitty

The last two weeks of vacation have been an eventful two weeks, especially for a little kitty named Gabe. 

Gabe, the perpetual motion kitty who never sits still for long has been sack out for the past five (yes 5!) hours. The events leading up to this odd behavior was a little under two solid weeks playing with his three cousins. 

My Mom's house is not large but it is very long so not only did the kitties chase each other back and for the entire length of the house on the main floor they also had the same runway in the basement. 

So two weeks chasing and being chased and wrestling with three willing kitties and with very little time to rest as they were always watching their backs has added up to a sacked out kitty. 

Gabe sleeping between the back of the couch and the wall, I've poked him a few times just to make sure he is still breathing. Now if the blanket gives way... well that will be another post.  

Process not product, process not product

That is my new mantra. Process not product. 

I consider myself to be a very artsy person. I think that I am pretty creative and my final products are pretty sweet. I am also a perfectionist. 

As of late I have been trying to be a better teacher. More patient, explaining things better (nope, repeating things louder and slower doesn't always do the trick), and most difficult of all, focusing more on the process. 

In order to do this I have enlisted the help of my favorite seven year old (such a willing and trusting soul). I've proposed a few special products for the two of us to work on, the projects are very detail orientated, take a fair amount of time and if not careful can blow up spectacularly. 

About a month ago while in the midst of making books for Christmas presents I thought it might be fun for my favorite seven year old to make one as well. She loves to write and is becoming quite the reader. 

I explained each section of the project as we got to it and then was completely hands off. She asked several questions and I explained to the best of my ability (only once using "Do you trust me" as an answer) and she was off again, a book sewing machine. 

When she choose the colors for the spine of the book and the cover they did not match at all. The pages were not sewn straight, the text block was a bit crooked but she was sooooo proud of herself. So proud that she shot out of bed during story time to place the book somewhere that her parents would have to trip over just to make sure they saw it. 

Today we spent the day at Como Zoo. She loves to use my camera when I have it out so I thought that it would be perfect to give her the camera for the day and let her take pictures of whatever she wanted. She had a blast! In about an hour and a half she had taken 75 pictures. I found myself trying to discourage her from taking some of the pictures, but managed to stop myself pretty quick. It is digital after all. 

After she shot to her heart's content we headed to a local coffee shop and downloaded all of her images and she chose the ones that she wanted to get printed. After that we went to an art store to buy mat board. 

She then laid out the pictures how she thought they would look best, we cut the mat board and mounted all of her pictures. She drew the lines and did most of the cutting so things were not perfect, but again she was so proud of herself. 

During each of these projects I would catch myself wanting to snatch what she was working on because she wasn't doing it "right." The colors didn't match, the lines weren't straight, the holes weren't perfectly inline. But she didn't care, she was having a blast. 

I got lost in the woods, hell, I didn't even know there were trees when I have tried to teach before. I'm not saying that I am perfect, but I am learning to focus on the learning, there is time for technique later.

Well, she's in charge...

If I didn't have my cats or the kids that I nanny I would have a whole lot to write about. So on that note here is another precious story about my favorite five year old and favorite seven year old. 

It is a common phrase said just about every time I am with my favorite kiddo as the parents walk out the door, "Remember Ryanne is in charge." And "Well, I'm not your mom" is said by me at least three times an evening in response to one of the kiddos protests. 

So one evening my favorite five year old asked if he could do something. Honestly I cannot remember what it was but it truly seemed harmless. 

 He comes running into the kitchen to grab something and my favorite seven year old say "But mommy and mama don't let you do that." 

My favorite five year old looks at me and without missing a beat looks at his sister and says

 "well, mommy and mama left her in charge."

Parents and Technology

Okay, so parents seriously should not be allowed to use modern technology if they cannot figure out how to use it. 

Tonight was the crowning glory of the technology experiences with my mother. Recently I upgraded to the iPhone which left me with a iPod Touch that needed a home. When I mentioned this to my mom she jumped on it. So I gave her my iPod Touch. 

My mother, who in general, is pretty computer savvy totally lost it with this new toy. I take partial responsibility for this as I was suppose to bring it home over Thanksgiving to give her a crash course and forgot it so the in person, crash course didn't happen. 

So, after overnighting it to Mom and Pam the "Parents and Technology" games began. After several phone calls and trouble shooting over the phone the crowing event happened this evening. 

I called my mom tonight to rag on her for the lack of baby pictures of me (seriously infant to 10 years old in 15 pics! Come on, I was an only child for 6 years!) and she was like "Oh I have a question about the iPod."

"Last Friday I was at the dentist and wanted to listen to Harry Potter. I put the headphones on but still couldn't hear it. I tried to turn in up but I couldn't figure out how. I went into the settings, and did this and did that and I couldn't figure it out. It really pissed me off" 

I asked her to get the iPod and hold it in her hands and turn it a quarter turn to the right so that the skinny side was facing her. And asked her to locate the skinny silver button that is about and inch long. Viola! There is your volume button. 

My mom couldn't believe it, she thought it was a place to put in a memory card or something. At this point I couldn't take it anymore and dissolved in fits of laughter. 

Seriously, parents and technology.

The Devil Kitty Incarnate part 2

Two words, accompanied by 2 photos:

Yesterday:

Today:

    

Today I built the kitties something to satisfy their crazy need to climb. Well, to satisfy one kitty's crazy need. 

Last night I went to Ikea with a friend to find something to entertain the kitties with. I didn't want to do traditional cat furniture, because lets face it, it is big and ugly and 80s carpeted. 

Ikea yielded some good inspiration and a Lack shelf. When I got home last night I pulled out the pieces to figure out the best way to configure something that would entail lots of jumping and eventually (haven't worked this part out yet) actual climbing.

This morning I spent a an hour wandering Home Depot gathering the appropriate hardware (and frustrating employees, you know sometimes you just need to be in my head, then this whole conversation would make sense). 

After several hours, a repainted wall, a box of screws and a dismantled Ikea shelf we now have a kitty catwalk. 

Libby checking out the new digs:

Learning the ropes:

The view from below, or above depending on your species:

The Devil Kitty Incarnate

So, as all of you know I have two cats. One is sweet and adorable and quite and really, the best kitty in the world. And then there is Gabe. 

Four days ago I stepped on the little guy's head with my brand new, really heavy hiking boots. The kitty retreated and of course, being a good mom, I panicked. Did I give him a concussion, crack his skull? So I dutifully tended to the not so normal acting Gabe. 

Well, yesterday he was just fine and felt the need to make up for lost time and became the kitty devil incarnate. He is again running laps around the apartment, getting into EVERYTHING, even things that were safe prior to his episode, today I could not deal with it so he had a nice long time out. 

So, hopefully to solve some of this I headed to Ikea. He needs a cat tree that he can climb to his hearts content (given that he broke his current climbing tower this morning). 

So, stay tuned for pictures of the kitty cat creation that will prevent Gabe from becoming homeless. 

Just incase you needed proof: