As my daughter likes to say, "Whew-fta!"

Now we have located our camera battery, only to find the charger has gone missing! As Kaisa likes to say, "It's disappeared!" Everything lately, from her stuffed doggy to Olivia, has "disappeared." Oh, woe is me! I guess I will just have to be descriptive to draw the picture that I am unable to take.

My three-year-old and I have taken to tea parties every afternoon. And we have fun. We send the last school girl out the door at 11:10a.m., potty the dogs, tuck the baby in for a nap, and we settle in for a candle light, fancy ol' tea party in the kitchen...minus the tea...and minus the fancy, actually. Except for today there was green tea for me. On the menu today was, green tea for me, apple cranberry juice for her, buttered wheat toast, and steamed fiesta vegetables. I liked it. She was a little leery about the veggies. First, she was keenly interested when she saw the kidney beans and thought they were jelly beans. Then she tasted them. Then gave em to me! Needless to say, with such of a skimpy tea, we had to add more food within a few minutes of its completion. For me, a 3 Muskateers bar. For her, peanut butter/honey on potato bread toast, and more juice. For this week our house has become exceptionally messy. What we do then, to escape having to look at it, we avoid the dining room table. We clear this old butcher block cupboard we have in the middle of the kitchen for a center island (for now. We move it back and forth, for variety's sake, as it so moves us, from under the bay window in the kitchen to the center of the kitchen as a center island), wipe it shiny-clean, and lay out our spread. It usually takes about 1.5 minutes and we're set! I've taken to drawing lately (I've been blessed with too many inspirations lately..first the home care business, then the ideas for a kids' book finally materializing after years of bubbling on the back burner of my mind...I even had the title, just wasn't sure of how I was going to write it...now suddenly I've rediscovered my passion for drawing and would love to illustrate my own book...which, I might add, will probably take me years to actually complete, and I'm perfectly content for it to be that way). Kaisa tells me to draw friends for her (poor deprived girl...she has to be by herself with no siblings to fight with for a couple hours every day) and we chat and chat and chat! I've discovered that she is a very, very tenderhearted little girl, despite the fact she has been driving me insane since the baby was born with her sudden demanding ways. I've really come to enjoy her and her very, very good sense of humor and bubbly belly laugh! We ignore the phone (unless it's Joni, my hubby Eric, or Becky...or my sister Kaisa or friend Eija...maybe, maybe if it's someone else...for the most part we let it go). We ignore the dogs...we usually have one at each doorway, staring at us eating as dogs tend to do. And Kaisa has learned to ask for "dinner" along with our tea party.

So has been our life in our busy little household of 8 people, 2 dogs and a telephone (to connect with those that we aren't already tripping over)!

And now, off to "window shop" into other people's blogs to catch up!

I'm having withdrawals!!!

I am so missing my camera! I went to use it a couple weeks ago to find that the battery was gone from the camera! I think that the girls were using it and the battery died so they put the battery charging. I found the charger but no battery!?!?! I have had many potential pictures I have wanted to put on here!

Finally got out a few times for marketing our business. We are first trying to use all free marketing (flyers, internet) since we really have no timeline that we have to be started by. Of course we want to get going but we don't have any big expenses yet, so we don't at least have huge pressures of getting going. If anyone has any ideas of how to get our name out to people, especially the families of Senior Citizens, let me know! We've met with a couple people too to get our name "out there". One was at a Senior Center, and we set up a couple hours in March where we will meet with people to answer any questions and maybe even set up some clients for service if they are interested. Then one lady we met with is from Senior Outreach. She will just refer people to us if their needs meet our service.

Baby has finally started to take official naps, though not every day does she take a true nap (like a couple hours) but many cat naps that usually end right about the time I decide to put her down. She is a lot happier than she used to be. We started her on Zantac about 1 1/2 weeks ago, I think. I'm pretty sure that's been helping her. Just to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence and she didn't just reach that point where she was turning the corner on her own, I will probably take her off of it for a few days after she's been on it for about a month or so and see how she does.

If anything else interesting has happened, I've since forgotten! I'm finally cleaning my basement since I went on bedrest in September!!! Yippee!!! Now that's true excitement!

Gotta Love Good Sales!

I am just so pleased to announce that I actually went shopping!!! I mean, honest to goodness shopping at a shopping mall that I used to frequent quite frequently many years ago. A shopping mall that has been updated considerably since my last visit there, which I didn't think was that long ago.

My oldest daughter and I had been talking for quite some time about going shopping and buying her clothes that she actually likes and that actually fit her. With her money. And we went.

First, I must say, we stopped at Goodwill (second hand/thrift store). It's actually one of those stores (in case this is just a MN store) where people donate clothes, toys, furniture, etc...like Salvation Army....a place that I regularily donate our clothes that are still decent and just don't fit anyone or just not anyone's style. This Goodwill was one I hadn't ever even been to to donate. We needed to find a dress for my daughter to dress up in as Harriet Tubman. We found a darling Harriet Tubman dress for $4.99, so I was pleased we found it so quickly for pretty cheap. Holli decided that she wanted to quickly walk around and just see what was there before we continued on to the mall. We immediately found tennis shoes, SKETCHERS, I might add, that were still brand new, for...*drumroll*....$4.99!!!!! Holli did not have tennis shoes and the only shoes she had were my $0.50 hand-me-downs from a garage sale that were cute but had cracks in the bottom. We were SO delighted! I had worried that she wouldn't find any tennis shoes on sale and of course I wouldn't have been able to make her pay for them anyway since I feel that the basics, such as tennis shoes, are our responsibility to buy as they are needed.

On to the mall. Did I mention that this is something that we never do? We proceeded to find 75% off sales throughout JCPenney's...on to the name brand stores (I never buy name brand stuff except for 75-90% off from the outlet mall a couple miles from our house). She found some very good deals from Abercrombie, Wet Seal, and lastly, Aripostle! From there, she found pants and sweatshirts for $5.99 each. I noticed the two sweatshirts (one of which I bought for myself) were $40 and $60 regular price. I was quite proud because she conducted herself beautifully, drooling over some things but putting them back for only one or two items from the drastically reduced tables. She did chose to pay more than I would have for one shirt but it still wasn't that much and she loves it and it looks very nice on her. I told her that it's her money and she can chose how to spend it. I did, of course, give her little reminders (because she is 11 and doesn't shop very often at all) like, "Remember, if you buy that shirt for $17...you could buy 3 of this kind for about $18-19 total from this 75% off rack...but one really good piece is worth more than 3 cheap ones that you may not wear...so you chose how you want to do this!" and she did well! She came home with 2 pairs of pants, 3 tank tops (for layering under shirts), a sweatshirt, and 3 other shirts for about $60, so about 9 items that averaged for about $6.67 apiece. Not bad!!!! She still had $20 she could have spent. She desparately needed this stuff. She's grown out of all the stuff I did get her for the start of school, which wasn't much, and she otherwise has hand-me-downs from a neighbor girl and her cousin that she's recently outgrown. It's really nice stuff but she's outgrown it...so it was time for us to go shopping!!! We had so much fun! Then, even at Walmart, where things are typically pretty cheap, she even looked and compared prices until she got the best price for two little lip glosses.

Well, back to work!

The Week In Review

Chug-chug-chugging along! Amid flyers getting mailed (having to run to Wal-Mart for envelopes, a local grocery store to have them weighed and stamped), phone issues still being ironed out, forms needing tweeking, cover letter needing to be done, business cards needing to be created (notice how I'm saying needing to be.. meaning, not done yet)...I've taken back my earlier statement that I don't feel like this business will necessarily show up in the condition of my home. It has, not as much as I thought before I began but more than I thought last week. But more so, I notice that as fast as my brain is churning up all these ideas and making mental checklists for "when I get a chance to sit down" or "when the kids go to bed" it's been very difficult this week to sit down and put my ideas to computer. I had a lot of the forms done already before we hit this busy streak but some of them need tweeking and it just ain't gettin' done!!! I finally sit down at the end of the day, sit there trying for a bit, and end up falling asleep sitting up....or with my head down on the table, to wake up in a pool of drool and wondering, truly and sincerely wondering, where am I??? Once this start up stuff is done, I really think that it may be pretty busy but more in physical doing, not so much creating.

On an Isabella note: had her 4 month well-child (or "wild child" as we typically call it) check today. I've been very concerned with her "spitting up" or more accurately "gushing". She, however, has put some of my concerns to rest. She has grown in height from 50%-ile (non-corrected to her due date age) to the 90th%-ile. In weight, she went from 50th%-ile down to 30th%-ile but so much of her calories went into height and she still has her rolls and padding so the Nurse Practitioner wasn't too concerned. Then we briefly talked Zantac but from what I understand and she confirmed, Zantac more controls acid but not vomiting. I told her that despite the fact that she can be pretty crabby still, although much better moods than before, the crabbiness doesn't seem to correlate at all with her spitting up. As we spoke, Isabella gave a fountain of spit up, smiling lovingly through it all. We both laughed and concluded that it wasn't bugging her that she's spitting up!!! So, all in all, she received a clean bill of health!!!! We like that!

Could continue on with updates on the others, the funnies that come up during the day, etc. but am at work and my client isn't feeling good so is needing a little more than normal tonight. Maybe later!

One More Step Forward!

We got our phone system up and running! It took half the day...actually, Joni started the hookup process already last week but finally today, after many phone calls to the phone company, trial calls to the business phone, it was finally set up. Our little tricky piece now is, with Joni in her seven-child household and me in my six-child household, and having the official office for now, at Joni's with the backup phone answerer being me, we may have a little difficult time sounding professional. We already have it planned that if a kid lets out a war-whoop or "MOM!" in the middle of a phone call, we will laugh and say, "Sorry, I'm working out of my home office today!" (....and every day....) We just want to make sure that we aren't starting in over our heads with costs. Then, when we get so busy that we need to start hiring outside help, we actually have a hand full of people that want to work for us when we get to that point. Then about the time that we need to start thinking about hiring people we don't know, we will have to have some office sites picked out to look into leasing.

One thing though that we both want to make sure is that we don't let our business come in front of our families. Actually the reason we decided to go ahead and get into it now is to hopefully get to the point we can get our husbands home full time and then hire good enough office staff that we can just be in and out, doing marketing, opening clients, and then working some out of the main office and lots out of our home offices. It will be interesting to see how it really goes though. I'm pretty sure we are realistic in thinking that it will become very busy at some point because I know that the need is there. Just to see though how it unfolds will be interesting.

Another thing we've decided is that our kids and husbands will always be as much a part of this endeavor as possible and as much as they want to be. My oldest daughter already has designed one of our flyers...I have to say, it's pretty cute and we've already put some of them up, along with ours. We will have them help with tasks such as stuffing envelopes, putting labels on envelopes and folders, printing and copying things, stamping envelopes, etc. Even tasks such as running down to the office and turning the printer/copier on to warm up or carrying the laptop to the office for Mom has been a high-esteemed job to them. It makes them feel a part of it all from the start and makes them feel important. That's how we hope to have it!

Well, on to business!

It's Official!

We're official! I guess, we were official before, but now our agency is officially listed and registered with the MN Department of Health as a home care agency. Tomorrow we will be pounding the pavement with flyers and our mouths, visiting senior high rise apartments and grocery stores, coffee shops, etc., letting everyone know we have arrived!!! Well, we will probably be a little more low-keyed than that, but we will do a little dry run, leaving flyers here and there and see what kind of response we get. We also got ourselves cheap laptops (and I say that quite gleefully..about being cheap, I mean) that are pretty darn good laptops at that, so now we need to shop for a printer/copier/fax machine. We're trying to keep our overhead down to as low as possible but those were purchases that were unavoidable...and so fun! Next week on Tuesday (btw, Joni..:), my husband is going to take the day off so we can then go visit more senior residences and hope to talk to some of the office people, just to put our faces to our name.

One thing I have found amazing through all this whirlwind of activity that has accompanied this new venture, I don't feel like it's been so overwhelming, only stimulating. And I don't feel like my household has slid any farther than it usually does! Now, that could mean one of several things. It could mean that this new adventure has kick-started a new level of energy and focus that can keep me going at an even higher level than usual to be able to keep up with the needs and wants of a family our size as well as all that comes with trying to start up a business. That one is the flattering thought. Or, it could mean that before this, in any spare moments of opportunity I had to spent getting my house in order (that are now used towards starting this business) were instead spend staring blankly at the the nearest wall, on the internet (updating my blog, for instance), or drinking coffee and talking on the phone. I actually think that it's some of both. Probably equally so. I can tell that every day, I get up and my brain starts (slowly at first until that first cup/pot of coffee, then picks up speed) prioritizing different activities into slots of most important to least, involving both research, phone calls, and the like pertaining to the business or my household, and I start hitting it! It sure has been an interesting process though, and we are both, along with our husbands, so excited to get this going. The best part of it all is, I've always thought that someday I/we will have our own business, and have brainstormed many times, what would it be. Home care seemed the natural thing for me but I always before this just thought it would be too much. My sister has simplified the whole thing so it isn't too much. Now when we have decided to go ahead with this, I know that this is one that I could always have a passion for and truly have fun doing! That's the best part!!! It also is a type of business that shouldn't, once it's off the ground and running, take too much from our families. We both hope to get to the point that our husbands could quit their jobs and be at home with the kids during the day and with the nature of this business, we can be in and out during the day, home every evening, weekend and holiday, cover for each other if vacations need to be taken, and work around our families' schedules. I am one to stay up late into the night if need be and get paperwork or housework done. I can be more productive that way anyway, with no one else in the house up. Surprising, I know! ;) I'm sure you all can relate!
Well, it's time to go and google area senior apartments/condos and stores/coffee shops, etc. Time to route tomorrow's drive to make the most of our outing. More again later!

Okay, Here's the BIG NEWS...

My sister and I decided to open a home care agency!!! Years ago it started with my sister saying that we should open a home care agency (shortly after I began working as a nurse...maybe even after I had begun as a nurse case manager) and I thought, "Oh, no...it is a huge headache!" (all the paperwork, compliance, etc.) Since then, there have been a kajillion times that my husband has said that with all the years I have been in home care and having experienced nearly aspect of home care possible, AND with the booming need for home care with all the baby boomers getting up there, I really should consider opening my own agency. Well, one day my sister and I were just chatting and she brought up the home care agency idea and somehow it just took! By that night we had our first business meeting, since then we've done hours and hours of research, poured over names for days, came up with a name that we both just said, "That's it! That's our name!", checked it out in the home care directory and business directory for our state...the name wasn't yet taken.. and we've since tweeked and jiggled it, have pulled together all of our dreams and visions, and I think we are really onto something. All we are waiting on now is approval from the Department of Health, which should be middle to end of next week.
I have worked in home care since 1991. All along I have just kind of quietly observed and observed from one agency to the next, noticing some really good things and then noticing things that I would feel are a glich or gap in the system. It's a terribly remote, fragmented job. It's difficult to truly supervise those that are out working with these vulnerable people. Because of the huge need, between seniors starting to need minor assistance to remain safe and independent in their home, to young children with special needs, to young adults with debilitating disabilities...many agencies grow so big so fast they suffer huge "growing pains". Inevitably the clients and staff begin to feel neglected...Well, adding all the factors together, we decided that we would do everyone the most justice to just focus on one area and specialize in it. I feel strongly about catering to the needs of Seniors. They have worked hard all their lives and deserve to be treated with much respect and dignity. The first link that starts to break down are the simple tasks that become too hard for them to safely perform on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, we have decided to service the Seniors with light housekeeping, laundry, light meal prep, and grocery shopping. Those are the areas that,with arthritis, overall increasing weakness, balance issues, etc. (and not to mention Minnesota ice in the winter) make it begin to be difficult to stay safe and independent in their own homes. Oh, I could go on and on about this but would probably fill this whole page with such information and not be finished, so suffice it to say we are extremely excited, have some essential people very excited for us (our husbands and kids, a banker-we went in without a business plan and just asked him what he would like to see from us in terms of numbers and business plan and we left with him backing us already without a business plan), and truly feel like we will make a go of this, having the hayday of our lives providing high quality services to those that deserve it the most, our Seniors!!! I will keep you posted! :)