KRCRTV.COM
13
Jul 2009
They posted this little blurb on their site:
Economy Takes Toll on Daycares
Mon, 07/13/2009 – 16:40
The sluggish economy has caught up with Northstate daycare centers. As more parents struggle to make ends meet, their child care budget is shrinking, forcing providers to think outside the box. Heather Graham runs a play and home daycare in Chico. But these days, the number of kids she cares for is dwindling, and she is not alone. There are more than 245 family day cares in Chico, many of which are struggling to stay above water. For more on how the cash crunch affects daycares in the Chico area, tune in to KRCR News Channel 7 at 6:30 PM Monday night.
We will ignore the terrible grammar and instead be happy they spelled my name right! Yeah!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
I survived!!
13
Jul 2009
Reporter Lady is gone! Oh my Goodness, this was craziness!! So the Reporter Lady showed up a half hour late, and I think you all know I was pretty freaked out by then, not to mention I had some family stuff going on this morning, so by the time she pulled up I was pretty much in tears. Well, being the strong woman I am, I took a moment to gather myself, a few yoga breaths and I met her in the driveway full of confidence and poise and ready to OWN IT.
It was just her doing all the camera work and interviewing so we started with taking lots of shots of the kids playing inside, me playing with the kids, me playing with the kids outside (mind you it was 100 degrees outside, couldn’t we have done the interview portion BEFORE I ran around outside?!) and she took lots of shots of the daycare areas. Zane and Lila* (name changed to protect the adorable) were super cute and not at all camera shy like I thought they were going to be! Then we came back inside and she wanted to film me making lunch, now I had been super stressed all morning and hadn’t even really thought about what I was going to make for lunch, I planned on figuring that out after the lady left. So, I hurried around trying to make a nutritious lunch that I hoped would look good on TV while trying to keep the lady from filming the inside of my fridge. Remember,she did call me at 9 o’clock last night, I didn’t really have time to clean EVERYTHING in my house!
Also, I have never been more aware of my hands than I was while she was trying to film me making lunch. I felt like I was forgetting how to cut sandwiches in half. Nothing feels natural or normal with a camera over your shoulder. She also wanted footage of me on my computer looking at my ad on craigslist. Now, all of a sudden, I became very aware of all the windows I had open on my laptop and all my bookmarks. I was praying that there was nothing embarrassing showing! She also had me open my iphoto to show her some more pictures of the kids. I had to hurry to scroll past the pictures of when Rachel drew a Penis on my arm. Really hoping that one doesn’t make it on TV…
Let this be a lesson, the funny things you save in your picture file or on your desktop may not be as funny when someone is holding a camera over your shoulder.
Finally, while the kids were eating, she microphoned me up and began the interview. Now, this part would not of been so bad if Lila* (name changed to protect the not as adorable this time) would of just stopped telling me how much she didn’t want to take a nap later. The whole time I was being interviewed I heard this:
“Heather, Heather, I don’t want to take a nap! Heather why do I have to take a nap? Heather is my Dad here soon? i don’t want to take a nap Heather! Why do I have to take a nap Heather? Why? WHY?”
I can only hope that I was able to even make clear and understandable sentences while having that in my ear the whole time. Also, at that point I was sweaty and hot and hoping my hair was still frizz free and my make-up wasn’t running!
I am really not sure what to expect. The whole experience was pretty stressful and exhausting. Where was the glamour and excitement?! I can only hope that they edit it well and I don’t look like a total fool. I apologize in advance if you get second hand embarrassment watching it, hopefully I will be able to find a way to post it here later tonight. Oh, thats right, it airs tonight!!! Channel 7, KRCR, for those of you in the area. It is on at 5 (or 5:30) and they will also be showing clips at the 6 o’clock hour and at 11! My only hope is that I will appear desperate enough (yet still sane) that people will want to send their kids here! Maybe I will have to include that in my ads on Craigslist: Play & Grow Home Daycare: As seen on KRCR!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
I am so nervous!
13
Jul 2009
I am pretty sure I am going to throw up. What was I thinking?! Pregnant people should not be on the news. Our self esteem is low enough.
I am all dressed, my house is ready, the kids look cute. We are just waiting on the Reporter Lady. She said she would be here around 10:30, it is now 10:48. I am trying not to freak out, but part of me thinks maybe this was a really elaborate trick and I am totally being punked.
I am so glad that I am not a real famous person. Being on T.V. stresses me out!
Here are some pics of me getting ready!
Here is my silly face, and probably what I look like most of the time!
A slightly more serious one, or at least the most serious I am capable of!
And finally, one of me practicing my Ashley Olsen Pose. I know you probably though this was my Mary-Kate pose, but no, this is Ashley. Seriously, people….
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
I am Going to be on the News!!!
12
Jul 2009
OMG!
So, Ian and I were watching a movie tonight when our phone rang. I looked at the Caller ID and it said the local news station, so of course I answered it.
Me: Hello?
Reporter Lady: Hello, is this Heather?
Me: Yup.
Reporter Lady: Hi Heather! My name is Reporter Lady and I am doing a human interest piece on businesses that are being affected by the Economy. I saw your ad on craigslist and noticed that you were offering alternative hour care, weekend care…etc….and I was wondering if you have seen any changes in your daycare in the last few months due to the economy?
Me: Yes…..blah blah (insert really long conversation between Reporter Lady and me about my daycare, how I have been losing kids, how I have had to make changes to try and find kids, how hard it has been, etc etc…)
Reporter Lady: Wow. You sound really personable and I would LOVE TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE TOMORROW AND INTERVIEW YOU FOR THE NEWS!!!!!
Me: *mouth open* okay!
Soooo, the Reporter Lady is coming here, to my house, in the morning to interview me for the news! I am fuh-reaking out!! Couldn’t I have a little more notice, I need to clean my house more, what am I going to wear?!? Hopefully people will see my on the news and think, “that lady sure looks nice, I am going to send ALL my kids to her daycare and pay her three times her current rate because she is so gosh darn Awesome!!!”
I, of course, will let you all know ASAP how it goes…and there will possible be one or two more posts before then with me continuing to FREAK OUT!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
10 Mile Bike Ride!
12
Jul 2009
This is me and my trusty bike Husk! Ian and I went on a 10 mile bike ride today, which I am pretty darn proud of! Not bad for an almost 6 month pregnant lady! We didn’t even have to make any stops to rest! I will say though, riding a bike when your pregnant feels much different than when your not. I felt every single bump and pot hole we hit on the entire ride!
Ian did a great job keeping pace with me. Husk is a good bike, but he is not meant for riding fast, he is a leisure bike. He enjoys taking his sweet time. Ian is used to riding much faster than Husk would allow. No matter how fast I tried to peddle my little legs, Husk would always win. I guess that is what I get for riding a bike made for a 10 year old girl.
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Lowe’s Build & Grow
12
Jul 2009
On Saturday Zane and I headed over to Lowe’s for their Build & Grow Project. A couple times a month they offer a Free workshop for kids to come and build something. This was our first time attending so we didn’t really know what to expect. I woke up 30 minutes before we had to be there, and Ian decided to stay home and snooze, so Zane and I quickly got dressed and ran out the door!
When we got there I was really impressed! They had aprons and goggles for each of the kids, as well as a cool certificate and badge. We got our stuff and headed over to one of the tables that were set up with the projects. Today they were building a treasure chest. Each spot had a kit which contained nails and wood, a hammer and some stickers. We opened our supplies and pulled out our directions and at first I was a little nervous! I realized that no one was actually going to be helping us figure out how to build the treasure chest, we were pretty much on our own.
Here were our directions:
And Zane looking super cute, and I think slightly worried that we hadn’t brought his Dad along!
It ended up being fine though, the hardest part was being able to tell which piece of wood went where, but we got through it pretty easily! Zane did a great job hammering all the nails, and all I did was help hi figure out which piece of wood was which!
The finished project ended up being super cute! I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun Free project to do with their kids! Zane got to keep his apron and goggles, which was totally worth it all on its own!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
My other Child
9
Jul 2009
Me (singing alone in the kitchen): “WHoooooo Hoooooooo”
Neighbor Girl Carys (that pretty much lives here) Spontaneously singing back to me from the living room: ” Nobody knooooooowwwwssss ittttttttttt!”
I am almost positive I gave birth to this girl and just don’t remember.
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Happy Birthday Munchkin!
9
Jul 2009
Today is my little sister Whitney’s BIrthday!!! She is 22 years old!!!! She is a wonderful lady with a wonderful little son! She lives all the way in North Carolina and I miss her terribly everyday! Here are the Top 10 Reasons she Rocks!!
1. If you are mean to anyone in her family she WILL cut you.
2. She lets me call her Munchkin and only pretends to get mad about it.
3. She loves Chinese food as much as I do.
4. She has the best laugh ever and…
5. She thinks I am funny!
6. She cried at a Billy Gilman Concert.
7. Her teeth growing up. I will find pictures and scan them.
8. Her Pink Cowboy Boots she wore through Elementary School. Don’t worry Whitney, I won’t tell the story about the time you beat up that kid with them and almost got expelled…
9. What she did in the field behind out house. That is all I am allowed to say, but she knows what I am talking about 
10. When she lived with Ian and I and we would have game night and eat Carl’s Jr. everyday. That was a fun time!
Bonus #11-
She is beautiful and way smarter than she gives herself credit for. She is a strong woman that raises her son while her husband is serving our country as a Marine. She hates when people get their feelings hurt and even though she pretends to be tough, she is really a softie. I love her so much.
Extra Bonus #12-
She made this:
Happy Birthday Whitney! I hope you feel loved today, you deserve it!!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
To the Mother that keeps yelling to her kid during Gymnastics Practice
9
Jul 2009
Please Stop. You are annoying everyone. We understand that you want your child to do good, and you are feeling a little insecure since he is new to the team. He is doing fine. He would probably be doing better if he was able to hear the coach over your constant talking.
Also, please stop referring to my son as the “Little One”. He is not that little, he is just the youngest one on the team. Also, stop making excuses. All the kids are new on the team, they did not all have special training that put them ahead of your son. Your son is doing fine!
One more thing- we were on to you at the first practice when you yelled across the entire gym to your son, and then told the coach that you are not the type of parent that coaches their son from the sideline. You Lied.
Please Stop.
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Michael Jackson’s Children
8
Jul 2009
Does anyone else think its weird that the entire time Michael Jackson was alive he went to great lengths to cover his children up and now that he has died they are being paraded in the public eye? I remember always seeing his children’s heads covered in scarves and masks and now they are being allowed to be seen by the public in one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. It just doesn’t seem right.
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Zane hates blood.
8
Jul 2009
When Zane gets hurt he usually cries. He is not a big fan of pain. Now, when Zane gets hurt and there is ANY amount of blood involved, you would think he lost a limb. There is screaming, flailing around, tears, and he usually ends up in the fetal position gasping for air. It is not pretty.
This morning Zane and I were talking in the living room when, out of complete nowhere, my nose starts GUSHING blood. Like running down my face and chin and dripping onto my clothes. It was actually so much blood that I got a little woozy. Now this same thing happened when I was pregnant with Zane, so I was not overly worried. Zane, however, almost passed out. He just stared at me with this look of complete horror and sat down on the ground. The fact that he was not crying made me more worried than if he had been! I finally got myself all cleaned up and got the situation under control, and I walked back to the livingroom to see Zane laying with his blanket on the floor. He just stared at me before asking, “Mommy are you okay?”. He has been asking me that all morning now. I assured him that I was fine and sometimes people just get bloody noses. I am hoping I have not just traumatized him for life!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Pregnancy Brain Moment #789475438
7
Jul 2009
Waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom for the millionth time that night and realizing that you still have your bathing suit bottoms on….
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Redneck 4th of July
7
Jul 2009
Every year for 4th of July we hang out here in Chico and then head over to the Chico State Campus to watch the fireworks after the Baseball game! This year we had our whole day planned out, Chocolate Chip pancakes for breakfast, hanging out at One Mile in the morning, Lunch at home, Swimming in the afternoon, BBQ for dinner and then staking out our spot for fireworks and playing Yahtzee until it got dark. We have really been trying to save money until I get more daycare kids so this seemed like the perfect combo for a fun and cheap 4th of July! Plus, I was really looking forward to a day of family fun, it feels like we have all been so busy lately that we havn’t had much time to just hang out as a family.
Well on Friday night I was checking out the schedule online for the next days events when I saw that they were not having Fireworks after the Baseball Game this year!! NOOOO! This ruined our whole plan! It does not feel like 4th of July without Fireworks! I started looking for ideas, still trying to keep us in our budget which meant we couldn’t go far. I found out a neighboring town was having its first ever Heritage Days celebration, once I started reading the events, I knew this was right up our alley. There was a Miss Teen competition, Lawn Mower Races and, the final deciding factor that made it impossible for us to not attend, A Strong Man Competition!! And it was only $5! Needless to say we were VERY excited about this change of plans!
Now, I am not sure I am even going to be able to craft into words the EPIC-NESS that this 4th of July was. I am going to try. We arrived at the fairgrounds and found a full blown carnival, complete with rides and carnies. Now, Zane had done some chores to earn some extra money for the day, and of course he immediately wanted to play carnival games. I tried so hard to talk him out of it. In my opinion the games are over priced, the prizes suck and the carnies can be really really pushy. Zane would listen to none of my reasoning and I watched reluctantly as he handed over $5 of his hard earned dollars to try and throw a softball into a tub. I don’t think I need to tell you how that turned out. I did learn a valuable lesson though, sometimes it is best to just let your kids experience something themselves than trying to explain to them why it is going to suck.
Luckily there was no time for Zane to be too disappointed. We had a Miss Teen pageant to get too. Now online the pageant said it started at 4, turns out they were only off by 2 hours. We sat in there waiting for it to start while 3 local girls spent 2 hours taking turns singing every Taylor Swift song ever written! Don’t get me wrong, the girls had great voices, but a person can only take so much broken hearted teen girl music before they start to lose their minds. We decided to check out the rest of the exhibits while we waited for the real Pageant so start.
Now the flier advertising the event boasted 19 total booths. I must say they did not disappoint. I am not sure this counted as a booth, but Zane and Ian thought this Helicopter was pretty awesome. You could even sit inside while it gave a real flight simulation. This simulation involved an older man standing at the back of it and moving the tail up and down. It was pretty sweet.
After that we were able to view a Family Christian Band I can only describe as “Duggar-esque”. They sang about Jesus for 6 hours. I am pretty sure he was pleased! There was also some slip and sliding for the kids:
And Zane learned how to rope a calf made of Hay:
Here is a Pic of Ian and Rachel having a blast while Zane was slip and sliding!!
And them continuing the Party while Zane learned to Rope:
Those Two are Party Animals!!
Here’s one of me and Zane in a Wild Horse Race, it got pretty intense!
My horse was giving me trouble at the end, Zane was just able to squeak by!
Finally it was time for the Pageant to begin! Now we had already scoped out the competition and with help from the Event Program we each picked the girl we thought would take the crown. Now, this was a serious competition. There were 5 judges and the show opened with a song and dance number involving all the girls and patriotic hats. There was immediately a stand out girl, the only one smiling. Now I have never been in a pageant, but from the movies and TLC documentaries I have seen, I do believe the girls are supposed to look like they actually want to be there. Apparently only one of the girls was aware of that fact. Each girl gave a short speech on what being Miss Teen would mean to them. For some of the girls, it really did not mean much. The girls left the stage to change for the Talent Portion. This is when we met Mr. Ambassador 2009 ( We had already met Mr. Ambassador 2002 when he awkwardly grabbed the mic from one of the girls earlier and told us that even though it had been SIX YEARS since he was on that stage, the moment was still clear in his mind as one of his greatest moments EVER…..). Mr. Ambassador was introduced and we were told he would be gracing us with his AWARD WINNING Michael Jackson Montage Tribute Dance. Now, this guy knew he was the Shit. The only way I can describe his tribute was Napoleon Dynamite meets Middle School Talent Show. It was amazing, especially at the end when he dramatically jumped off the stage and landed in a sort of half kneeling pose. I really think he should of won the whole pageant.
The girls performed the usual pageant line-up of talents: A Cheerleading Routing, Sign Language to a Disney Song, Ballet Dance, Singing Over the Rainbow and Reciting a Poem. Yes, Reciting a Poem. Sadly, at this point we had to make the hardest decision of our lives. The Strong Man Competition was starting, which meant we had to leave the pageant early. Missing the Question and Answer portion, or Extemporaneous as it is called in the pageant world, was one of the hardest moments of my life, But I could not miss ridiculously muscly men moving tires. NO WAY.
The Strong Man competition was only part of the show, there was also Lawn Mower races. These were amazing! We saw lawn mowers doing wheelies, which is never a bad thing. The announcer was hilarious, constantly comparing the weight of the lifts the Strong Men were doing to the weight of his Ex-wives. When they reached 700 pounds, he stopped out of respect of course. Here is a picture of Zane after the underdog was able to carry something like 200 pounds 50 feet:
I think his expression pretty much sums up the entire day!
After the Competitions ended the fireworks show started and it was THE best fireworks show I have ever seen. The grand finale went on so long that I couldn’t even clap through the whole thing and had to take a break. The entire day was exactly what we needed. As I sat there snuggled in Ian’s arms and holding Zane’s hand watching the beautiful fireworks while Rocky kicked around my Uterus I was overcome with a feeling of gratitude for my growing little family and all the Love and Joy that they bring to me. I am grateful to live in a country that allows me to be Free to express my views and opinions. I am a very blessed woman.
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
I am a Robot that does the Robot
2
Jul 2009
Rachel and Zane made this video a while ago and it still makes me laugh every time!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
Knocked Up- Week 21
2
Jul 2009
Me celebrating the fact that I finally look pregnant! Go Rocky!
Posted in The Kitchen Sink
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