Stuff about me!

I haven't really mentioned it too much but most of you know that I've been watching a baby the last few months. He was about 2 months when he started coming to me and was almost 5 months on our last day. His parents are both teachers, so are home in the summer. I'm looking forward to having just my two kids again this summer.  It was pretty crazy at times. There were times that I had crying in "surround sound" as Debbie called it- all three crying at once. We got into a good rhythm after a while though.  Grant was fun to have around, and taught Alex and Claire a lot about having a baby around, but it is certainly easier to go out with just the two of them. Claire is too much of a helpy helper and Alex is jealous at times. I'm still considering whether or not I will watch Grant next school year. His mama is pregnant again, so it would be until about Jan/Feb, than she would be on maternity leave for a while, than I guess it would pick back up again with both of them. I'm really not sure about that. Having a 3 year old, an almost 2 year old, a 1 year old, and a newborn. I would definitely never leave during the day, except for maybe playgroup. That just makes things difficult. 

I also have a new job. I'm working for a place called Leapforce. It's basically a "search engine improvement" company. It contracts for a very large search engine company that you have all heard of and that has become a noun recently. I look at search terms and the results that came up and decide if it was a helpful result or not. It's actually pretty great. The pay is nice ($13.5 an hour), and I can work whenever I want for as long as I want. I just log in and take on "tasks". Sometimes, there aren't any (supposedly, but I haven't encountered that yet). I am excited because I can replace my Grant income by working about an hour every day of the week. (actually I would make more if I worked an hour or so a day. So far, I have ended up working longer than an hour a day. I take on a number of tasks and go until they are complete- usually they are 15-20 minute blocks of tasks.) (I was not watching Grant to get rich, mostly to help out a fellow mommy.) So far, I am doing good at it. I've only worked two days, but I've already learned another rating program (other than the first one I had to learn to pass the test and get hired) and now I can do two kinds of tasks instead of just one. They only pay once a month and it's by paper check in the mail. That's the only downside. You would think that the way they operate, using direct deposit would be easier, but whatever. (All independent contractors- no taxes, no employees, no benefits, just straight up work and get paid.) They suggest that you create your invoice (using their software) as you go, and it totals up how much your invoice is worth, so it is pretty motivating to see exactly how much you are going to make. I've always known how much I make an hour, but this makes it very clear and very concrete. There is a definite connection between work and money with this. I'm hoping I can stick with it and be good enough that they don't fire me. They can if my work isn't up to par. So far though, I am rating okay.

I'm also trying to get myself into shape and get healthy. I've started the Couch to 5k running program. I'm on week 2. I think I'm going to try week 3 this week. I seem to prefer the treadmill. I can watch TV on my laptop and it keeps me a little more honest. I push the button to up the speed and have to keep up or fall off. Outside is so muggy now too. Some mornings are okay, but some are just like a sauna. Not okay with that. So the treadmill in the air conditioned basement with a fan on it is quite a bit more appealing. I'm hoping to lose the rest of the baby weight before my friend's wedding in July. It's just an easy goal to keep in mind. I've got about 10-15 pounds to go. I'm running and watching what I eat. Alann wants to do P90X, so we might do some of that together. I'm really focusing more on the "getting fit" part of my goal than the "losing weight". Would I be happy to lose the weight? Obviously. It doesn't bother me too much. But what really bothers me is that I can't go up the staircase without getting winded. It's gotten better than when we first moved in (and since I've lost about 10 pounds) but I still end up not out of breath but definitely breathing harder. And when I end up going up and down several times in a row thanks to children or laundry or whatever, it's difficult. So that's my focus. Getting healthy, being able to go from basement to top floor at a good pace without breathing hard, and hopefully losing the rest of the baby weight.