The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 3

[itdjbw]

Hello, my DDA family! Things are looking up here in sickville, USA. Mary had a fever when she woke up, but it is going away on it's own. Hooray! Now, DH is down with it, but I made him stay home from work so that he could get some rest and hopefully heal! The kids all have colds, but that I can deal with. It's high fevers that are really scary!

It's really cold today here, too, Deb. I feel your pain. However, I do think that you are still A LOT colder than we are. I am so ready for spring!!!!! The twins were born on the first day of spring, so the rest of the kids are counting down the days!

My daughter Katie auditioned for her school's storytelling festival yesterday. She will find out today if she is chosen from her grade level. The ones chosen from the grade level perform in front of professional storytellers for the chance to do their story at our local Storytelling Festival in the summer. It's a huge thing! Storytellers from all over the world show up and spend a week telling stories and holding workshops. It's a pretty big deal. Katie really wants to do it. I was worried because she's really shy, but she's trying so hard to overcome it! I worry about her losing it, but she's doing really well! If you have any pixie dust to spare, Katie could use it!

for Katie

 

[itdjbw]

Congrats Amy Kevin Alyssa and Mathew

 

[itdjbw]

We just got home. He did very well. The new meds seem to be really helping. He's resting and watching Disney channel right now. We go Thursday to see the Pediatric specialist to determine if he is or isn't on the Autism spectrum. He's still having a tough time, but is better. I'm not around much as I'm trying to focus on the kids and DH.

Glad to hear Rees did good and I hope things settle down there, hope you are all doing well and we miss you here on the dis!!

 

[itdjbw]

Katie just came skipping through the door. Apparently, 3 students were chosen out of each grade level to perform their stories in front of the whole school. Katie was one of the 3 chosen from the 3rd grade. She is so excited! This has done so much to boost her self-esteem! Thanks for all your pixie dust and good wishes! I feel like I've been through the whole competition myself. I just worry so much that she'll do well, and that people will like her, etc., etc. Normal "mom" worries. Now, on to the school wide competition! We don't know when it will be, so she has to keep practicing.

Well done Katie

 

[tinker1bell]

Congrats Amy

 

[itdjbw]

So I am having my own little catching up party here, had to catch up on the cruise board too and also on our cruisecritic boards from our 1.5 year ago cruise and our upcoming one. Also managed to walk when I got home from work twice in a row!!!
DD is a gym, DH took DS to a golf lesson and then to pick her up so it is quiet around here and I'm off to sort out baseball uniforms for the team so I can get names put on them this week.

 

[legalslave]

Okay, Tammi, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you.

Some people are going to go berserk now with a lot of "I knew it...blah, blah, blah!"

Boy!!!!

His name is Matthew Bryant.

Amy

Congratulations Amy, Kevin and Alyssa! That's the way I had my family - girl then boy.

 

[bethbuchall]

Okay, Tammi, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you.

Some people are going to go berserk now with a lot of "I knew it...blah, blah, blah!"

Boy!!!!

His name is Matthew Bryant.

Amy

Congratulations to you all!! Matthew is a terrific name! It seems like just yesterday I had a two year old and another on the way...what a great time in my life! Not to say that it's not great now. We have had a lot of wonderful times.

CONGRATS!

Beth

 

[legalslave]

to everyone not feeling well. Denise, I hope that everything turns out well for Rees. How are the other two doing? Kate, what have Julia and Nick been up to lately? I do so enjoy the stories about the cute things they do.

It looks like I'm going to get to go to Virginia to see my son and grandson (by the way, Amy, my grandson's name is Matthew) in April but it's going to be a real whirlwind trip. I'll leave my office at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 13th and drive down, then have to turn around and drive back on Sunday the 16th. They're letting me take Good Friday as my floating holiday, but it doesn't look like I'll get Monday off. It's going to be exhausting (it's about a 9 hour drive each way), but I'm determined to see them!

June

 

[bethbuchall]

We just got home. He did very well. The new meds seem to be really helping. He's resting and watching Disney channel right now. We go Thursday to see the Pediatric specialist to determine if he is or isn't on the Autism spectrum. He's still having a tough time, but is better. I'm not around much as I'm trying to focus on the kids and DH.

I'm so happy to hear that Rees is doing better. Continued prayers and pixie dust for your family!

Beth

 

[marcij]

Amy, Kevin & Alyssa --
Congratulations on Matthew! What a great name, and so glad to hear everything is going well with the pregnancy.

Denise -- thanks for the update on Rees. I'm glad it went well and hope you get good advice on Thursday.

Glynis --congrats to Katie!!

 

[marcij]

Clare -- thanks for the info. You did answer my question. Besides the 30 vacation days, plus bank holidays, how many sick/personal days do most people get, or do those factor in to the 30 days?

I know the numbers vary greatly, but it seems like on the average, a person in the US working at a full-time job has to have at least 5 or 10 years in the same company to get 21 days of vacation time. There are a lot of variables, depending on what kind of position/job you have, where you live in the country, what kind of business you work for, etc.

The company I run gives 10 days of vacation, until you get up to 10 years of employment, then you get 15 days. We get 10 sick/personal days, plus the business is closed between Christmas and New Year's. We also get MLK Day, Good Friday, Memorial, July 4th, Labor, Thanksgiving and the day after.

We have a consultant (not employee) in Singapore (who is actually an Australian citizen) and she takes around 30 - 40 days a year, and implied that is pretty routine over in Asia Pacific, so it made me start wondering about other parts of the world.

Thanks for the info! Another great lesson from my friend in the UK!

 

[Steamboat Marti]

We didn't wager $20! I guess I have to stomach a Dole Whip now, though!

Amy

OK - so you don't owe me $20 -- and I'll even let you pass on the Dole Whip. I'd hate to have a pregnant woman eat something she doesn't like!

 

[Steffy]

Denise.... great news about Rees!

Gylnis... great news about Katie!

To all the soon to be grandmas! YAY!..

To all who need

And to all with good news. YAY!

I'm going to bed. Nite, nite.

 

[Eeyorecln]

I was so far behind I skimmed pretty quick hopefully I didn't leave anyone out Theresa I hope your mom's biopsy goes well.
Glynis for Katie I hope the whole family is feeling better.
Kristine good luck finding a car for your teen
Amy and Kevin Congratulations I hope you and Alyssa are feeling better
Tammi Hope Nicholas is feeling better and noone else gets it.
Deb sounds like a rough day Hope the rest of the process goes easier.
Elin glad to hear work is getting back to normal
Kristin Hope Kyle is on the mend
Becky I hope your Girl Scouts cookie sale goes well and make sure to get some rest in among all that work.
Denise glad Reese's surgery went well and that the school he'll be going to is working to help him. for his Dr. appt.
Tia the pics look cute. for DH I know it must be hard for Terra to understand I hope he's able to find some meds that work for him. My mom was bipolar when I was growing up but we didn't know and she wasn't on meds, it was a very dysfunctional childhood. It may help to explain to Terra that daddy's sad and it's not her. for you and DD
for anyone I missed my memory isn't what it used to be.

 

[Eeyorecln]

I just saw HS Musical tonight. I have to agree with Kate it is amazing. I can see why she has a folder on Zac.

 

[rosiejo]

Clare -- thanks for the info. You did answer my question. Besides the 30 vacation days, plus bank holidays, how many sick/personal days do most people get, or do those factor in to the 30 days?

I know the numbers vary greatly, but it seems like on the average, a person in the US working at a full-time job has to have at least 5 or 10 years in the same company to get 21 days of vacation time. There are a lot of variables, depending on what kind of position/job you have, where you live in the country, what kind of business you work for, etc.

The company I run gives 10 days of vacation, until you get up to 10 years of employment, then you get 15 days. We get 10 sick/personal days, plus the business is closed between Christmas and New Year's. We also get MLK Day, Good Friday, Memorial, July 4th, Labor, Thanksgiving and the day after.

We have a consultant (not employee) in Singapore (who is actually an Australian citizen) and she takes around 30 - 40 days a year, and implied that is pretty routine over in Asia Pacific, so it made me start wondering about other parts of the world.

Thanks for the info! Another great lesson from my friend in the UK!

Hi Marci - we currently get 8 bank holidays (public holidays) in England. These are in January, Easter, May, August and Christmas.

The law in England says everyone must have a minimum of 20 days holiday - it's currently up to the employer whether that is 20 days plus the 8 bank holidays or 20 days including, although they are trying to make it the law that you get the 8 in addition.

No sick/personal days in my company. You do get paid for being sick, depending on how long you've been in the company your sick pay lasts a certain amount of time, I think I could be off for six months before they start docking my wages. They don't say - you have 12 sick days for example - because then people would add them onto their hoiday allowance and think that they had to take them. If you're sick you're sick and you stay at home and if you're well you come to work!

Hope that all makes sense - it's interesting to hear how it works in the States too.

 

[rosiejo]

Anyone see Donald Duck in this rock formation?

It's from the lion's rock on the safari at AK.

 

[bethbuchall]

Hi Marci - we currently get 8 bank holidays (public holidays) in England. These are in January, Easter, May, August and Christmas.

The law in England says everyone must have a minimum of 20 days holiday - it's currently up to the employer whether that is 20 days plus the 8 bank holidays or 20 days including, although they are trying to make it the law that you get the 8 in addition.

No sick/personal days in my company. You do get paid for being sick, depending on how long you've been in the company your sick pay lasts a certain amount of time, I think I could be off for six months before they start docking my wages. They don't say - you have 12 sick days for example - because then people would add them onto their hoiday allowance and think that they had to take them. If you're sick you're sick and you stay at home and if you're well you come to work!

Hope that all makes sense - it's interesting to hear how it works in the States too.

This is very interesting to learn the differences. In the States, it varies greatly by company. Dh has worked up to 20 days of vacation which is where his company tops out. He started at 10 days right away. I don't remember when he got the extra days...maybe 5 more at 5 years and 5 more at 10 years. He also gets 12 holidays a year. Most of those holidays are set by the company to coincide with national holidays. One or two a year may be personal choice depending on how the holidays fall. Vacation must be used in the year that it is given or it is lost. His company does not do sick time either. I think that they have up to 26 weeks paid if needed. After a certain number of days off, they need a physician's note.

I used to work for a company that had you earn your vacation and sick time. For the first 6 months I had neither. Then it went up to 10 days a year of each. After 5 years, vacation time went to 15 days. Vacation time could carry over for at least a couple of years if not used, and they paid for unused vacation time (but not sick time) when you left the company.

Beth

 

[bethbuchall]

Anyone see Donald Duck in this rock formation?

It's from the lion's rock on the safari at AK.

That top rock sure does look like Donald's hat, but I'm having a tough time visualizing anything else. I'll work at it some more.

Beth