I've been so productive today that I'm wondering if I have been replaced by an extraterrestrial anamatronic Katie.

I got up before 8 this morning. That alone is enough to cause alarm! I don't know exactly what compelled my to get up but I was awake so I showered.

Since I was awake and functioning and it was still business hours (this is very rare) I called MSN to find out what I needed to do to migrate my account. See we made the mistake of signing a 2 year contract with them to get a $200 'shopping spree' at Best Buy. It wasn't the worst deal ever, we like MSN, it's just it's for dial-up and we soon got DSL through Verizon and couldn't make ourselves go back to dial-up. So we've been paying double for our MSN. Then we found out that MSN and Verizon partnered up and we could get out of the contract by having Verizon. We've known this for a while now and have just never gotten around to calling them and getting it transferred. But today I, being productive, did. So that will save me $21.95 a month. YIPEE!!

Since I was up and on the phone I called the Child Support people too. See, back in December when Shawn got fired I called Doug, our newest Child Support Enforcement guy, and explained that paying the usual $400 a month was going to be really hard without a job. He agreed and said he would contact Ohio and get the paperwork done to request an administrative review. We got those papers and filled them out. The review was held the 18th of February and effective the first of March our support order was lowered by about $50. But the amount Washington was taking out of his unemployment checks didn't change. I figured that it just takes a while to get paperwork rolling so I gave them some time. Plus each time I would think to call Doug again I couldn't find the number.

But today I found it and I called him. He said they hadn't heard anything from Ohio AT ALL! And he was pissed. He said he would call Ohio. I mentioned to him also that our balance according to Washington and our balance according to Ohio differed by about $3000. Apparently Ohio has been getting out taxes each year but not bothering to tell Washington so they have no record of it. His exact words were "Oh, don't even tell me they're doing that and not telling us!" I LOVE Doug. He's the nicest Support enforcement person I've ever met, not to mention the first that doesn't treat us like criminals for having to pay child support. So I was extra glad I talked to him today.

We cleaned the living room. (See anamatronic!)

The Jehovah's Witnesses came over after that for a little bible study. I wish the alternate form of me that took over my body for the day had been a more assertive one than the regular me and had been able to say no. It's not a hard thing to say. Why, oh why, am I such a wuss. I guess I just don't like hurting people's feelings.

I went to the bank and deposited Shawn's two most recent unemployment checks, then drove to Richland and got insurance on the car I finally finished buying from my dad. It was the last day of the month so I needed to get it today. I had priced Geico and they said $66 a month. Which I thought was pretty good. Then I called Farmers (where the car has been insured by my dad, and where I had always had insurance before.) I wasn't sure they would still want to insure me since last time we had insurance from them we let it lapse and lost it. But he said they would be happy to have us back and for only $33 a month! WOO HOO!!

After that I took my kids and a neighbor to the children's museum. We were the only ones there for most of the time. We weren't there for very long before we had to leave but Kathrynn didn't throw a fit AT ALL!!! It was nice (and probably a first). It sure made my day nicer!

I dropped Aiden and the neighbor off at home and took Kathrynn to her follow up dentist appointment. They said she looked like she was healing well. I already knew that but hey, the state's paying for the visit so I'll let them. Kathrynn got a tie dyed pencil for a prize. She was thrilled.

Stopped at the bank again. I went inside this time since I only had one kid with me instead of three. I love my bank. They know me, they know my name and my account number, they know my husband and my kids. I love that. I went in and the lady had my account up on her computer screen before I even stepped in the door (she saw me in the parking lot). I got a cashiers check to pay the rent and then Kathrynn and I read a very cool pop up book in the lobby before we left.

When we got to the managers office Kathrynn wanted to go in and pay the rent by herself. So I handed her the check and reminded her to wait her turn if there was someone else already in there. She was taking a while and kept peeking out the window at me so I finally got up and went in too. The manager (Nancy) was talking to another tenant who was moving out. After she left Kathrynn walked up and gave the Nancy our check and waited for the receipt. Nancy told me that Kathrynn had said "I'm my mom's daughter, and I have to wait my turn to pay the rent" :)

We came home and Shawn told me that a place he's been trying to get a job since January called and he has an interview on the 6th! YEAH!! If he gets thins job we will be moving to Richland which will make me REALLY happy!

Ahhh life is good!