Christmas 2013

  Gary and I had the opportunity to visit my family for Christmas again this year. Because Gary's company is part of the stock market, they cannot be closed for two or more consecutive days, so unfortunately he had to be back at work the next day. But he did enjoy the time off while he had it!

 We traveled to Bakersfield Christmas Eve and stayed the night. The next morning, the both of us got up early to shower and get ready, then enjoy a nice breakfast before opening gifts. I was able to get some really nice maternity clothes and cute sweaters, while Gary also got some nice clothes, books, and games. 

 After a nice nap and a small lunch, my brother Devonn, his wife Carla, and their kids came over to visit and open more presents. Gary and I opened our present from them and were nearly in tears from the gift (from laughing). Inside was a pretty sweet Target gift card (and not an actual animal-style water bottle and trough, though they did toss a water bottle in there).

Anyway, after a delicious dinner, we headed home for the night. It was definitely nice being able to visit family and be in the Christmas spirit! I'm looking forward to next year's Christmas when we have a little active 7 month old! :)

Gary's Work Christmas Party

Oh, how I love the holiday season! It's been busy, fun, and I'm definitely enjoying the second pregnancy trimester over the first! :)

Gary's work had a beautiful Christmas party last Saturday on the 7th of December. It was located at the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica and the party theme was Hollywood. It was right on the ocean and next to the Santa Monica pier. Everything was paid for and covered, and we definitely had a blast.

Gary in his navy suit before we left

Me in my navy gown before leaving. You can see my bump much better from the side ;) Hey, if you need a midsection slimming dress...

Us while at the hotel 

When we arrived at the hotel, we had valet parking already set up for us, so we went inside where I met his direct supervisor and a few other of his co-workers. We were there about 15-20 minutes before the actual dinner, so we hung out at the fancy bar area with them and chatted.

When we went into the banquet/dinner hall, I was able to meet the CEO and many of his employees and their spouses. We had an icebreaker game where we had to go around and ask questions to each other while filling out the answers on the paper sheets we were given. It was a nice way to break the ice for sure! We turned our papers in and sat down for dinner.

Dinner area and quartet (while everyone was still in the other room with the icebreaker game)

The dinner was delicious! Not only did we have a string quartet accompany us during it with Hollywood themed music, it was a four-course meal (we chose our foods a week prior to this). I got the Parmesan Risotto with wild mushroom sauce while Gary had the wild mushroom Agnolotti, herbs, and crumbled goat cheese (I had to Google some of the fancy menu items). After our appetizer, the CEO pulled out a random paper from our game earlier and read some of the answers- then gave a prize to the person's paper he pulled out.

For the salad, I had a Caesar salad with romaine, croutons, and anchovy dressing (it was much better than it sounds), while Gary had the mozzarella di Buffa (buffalo mozzarella) with cherry tomatoes and pesto.

After the salad, the CEO once again stood up, told us to look under our name tags (we had assigned seating), and see what color we had on them. He picked a color (we'll say blue), and the game was a trivia game. He'd ask a Hollywood related trivia question, and the first person who had a blue and raised their hand had an opportunity to answer. If they answered correctly, they received a blue-ray copy of the movie or an option of different movies from the actor or actress who was the correct answer. He did a few colors, then we went on with our main meal.

For the main course, I had Polenta with Portobello mushrooms, grilled asparagus, roasted peppers, and yellow squash. It was delicious! Seriously, I LOVE roasted vegetables and the meal was spot on. Everyone else at the table, including Gary, had lobster tail and filet Mignon, mashed potatoes, and french green beans. Salmon was another dinner option, but the lobster seemed the most popular.

After the main course, the color trivia game was finished. There was some extra blue-ray DVDs leftover, so he randomly drew a few numbers (our name tags also had numbers on them), and gave those away. Gary's number was chosen, so he picked Avatar since neither of us had seen it. Yay for a prize!

Then we enjoyed dessert, where we both had the warm chocolate truffle cake with hazelnut Gelato and chocolate sauce. I haven't really been craving chocolate since being pregnant, but it was yum! The other option was fruit cobbler and I'm not a cobbler fan, though it looked pretty delicious too.

After dessert, each employee was handed an envelope. Inside, there was a picture of three things- a movie, a famous actor, and a famous actress. Then there was an event kind of like the academy awards, where the option of "best movie", "best effects", "best actor", "best actress", etc was drawn. The drawing was random, so if anyone on your pictures was drawn, you'd win a gift to unwrap. Gary and I unfortunately weren't winners, but there were some amazing prizes given away- including a Samsung Smart TV, Xbox 360, a high def sound system, a Kindle Fire, a tablet (I think it was the Microsoft Surface or something, but I could be wrong), gift certificates, and other awesome things. Pretty neat! We were pretty excited to have a new movie though, which we enjoyed watching the next night.

Anyway, we had a blast! Everyone was SO friendly and kind and I just love his co-workers! They were also giving out free candy, so we filled a couple of candy bags. Yum! 

In other quick news...

Little Updates

Hey, everyone!

Things have been going pretty well in our home. Gary and I are always trying to find ways to spend more time with one another, which can be kind of hard sometimes, especially on the weekdays since he comes home late. But we manage! At least we have the blessing of having the weekends together, which is always a plus.

Our new shopping center opened up Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restaurant, so we decided to check it out. It was great! It worked well with my unique appetite too.

 We got to pick out our own meats and vegetables, and cook them at our table. The food was pretty delish and surprisingly light on the tummy.

Sometimes on the weekends, we like going out of town to do some shopping. We'll sometimes hit up some outlets, or we'll just find a mall somewhere and walk around. Good exercise, right? Other weekends we stay in and do nothing or keep it local, which is nice too.

We also decided we're probably going to move to the Studio City/Toluca Lake area. It's close to his job, close to a big city (Burbank), and has good neighborhoods. Now we just have to drive down there and check out apartments! I can't believe we'll be moving in just a few months already. One area we really like is Los Feliz, but a 3 bedroom home for 2.2 million is just a little over our budget ;) .

I'm also looking forward to permanently leaving my work so I can raise the little one after the birth. It's pretty neat how my due date falls around the last day of school. I plan on taking maternity leave, then using up all my vacation and sick days. I'm excited! The extra salary really has been great though. We've been able to throw money into our savings and it's building up rather quickly. Such a blessing.

As for my work, it's going well. I have a new schedule and a new permanent role. My hours are now 7:45-2:15, which is great. I love being off early and coming home to have the rest of the day to get things done (or nap, LOL). I'm also looking forward to getting the week of Thanksgiving off and two weeks of winter off. Yay! I'm definitely looking forward to the holidays- and this new weather is great!

Besides planning a move and planning for baby, there's not much else going on! Things area pretty awesome around here. 

Oh Yeah! The Big News!

Hey, everyone! All has been pretty well here in the Pollock home.

Megan reminded me of something last post- I totally forgot to update the big news!! I was so used to it being on my other blog and public other places that it seemed to have slipped my mind to mention it here.

So, as all you probably already know, Gary and I are expecting #1! We found out over the summer and we're definitely excited to be first time parents! So far it's been a little rough for me on the nausea and morning sickness aspect, but I'm still pretty happy about the little growing baby inside of me. I think the sickness is worse because of my job and commute everyday- usually the weekends are much easier because I get to sleep more hours and go around the town with Gary.

Anyway, there's that! We are due in May.

We're also going to be moving in January, which will be hard- but it's what's best for us and easiest on Gary. Where are we going? Yup, we're still not sure. We want to be closer to his job (which will be staying in LA, not moving closer like we thought it may have been), and not worry too much about being close to mine since I'll be leaving my job permanently before the little munchkin is born. We're also open to the idea of living walking distance from a subway station so he can do that.

I am also looking forward to the holiday season! Not only do I get 2 weeks off, it'll just be a nice time for us. First, we'll have Gary's work Christmas party in Santa Monica in a super beautiful hotel on the beach. Then a couple of days later, we'll hopefully find out the gender of the baby, depending on the participation. I'm also hoping by then the morning sickness will be gone so we can visit family without too many problems.

Yesterday, Gary took me out shopping in Sherman Oaks and also here in Valencia for my Christmas party attire. It's a dressy event, so he's going to be wearing a nice navy suit (or he might buy a tux if he changes his mind), and I'm going to be wearing a gorgeous navy gown. It's so beautiful! Gary actually found it while we were browsing and he was sure it was going to work on me. And it did! It will also work well with a bump.

We also went to DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) and bought some gorgeous heels to go with it. Another thing Gary picked out. He was just right on the dot yesterday! He was also being smart about the heels not being too high or too narrow because, "you're going to be more pregnant, your balance might be a little different, and your feet might be a little swollen". Good thinking! He did a good job because they look great on me and go well with the gown. Lastly, we hit up Brighton where he bought me a beautiful necklace and earrings to go with the outfit. I'm so spoiled ;) . I picked out the jewelry (we had the dress with us, so the sales associate was great with suggestions), but Gary was a big help too ;) .

Anyway, I'm excited!

Well, it's time to get ready for church and visit our new ward. We recently had a ward boundary change, so we're no longer in V2 (Valencia 2nd), we're in the Stevenson Ranch ward.

Bye folks!

Update on Us

I've gotta say- this is the first time I've updated a blog while eating whipped cream out of the can. Mmm. Okay, I should put this away now. But I'm definitely enjoying this beautiful cooler fall weather! I made some homemade pumpkin pie over the weekend (except I over-spiced it a bit), and there has been lots of reading and snuggling. When I'm not working, of course. But yay for fall!

I just want to mention how grateful I am for my family- my sweet husband especially! I can't believe this December will be our 7th wedding anniversary. Things can't be any better! Everything seems to be falling into place perfectly for us.

As for work, it's meh. Driving an hour and back to work everyday is tough. I'm no longer working at the behavioral academy as mentioned. So, I'm currently working at a few different schools, but mainly at an adult program (PALS- Pasadena Adult Learning Skills) which teaches higher functioning adults how to live independently. It's been fun. And no violence. We get to cook, take community trips so they can work jobs, and learn other adult skills.

Gary's job is going well too. The commute is hard on him too, so the move out of Santa Clarita is highly likely. Though, there's a high possibility his company will be moving much closer- so that would be awesome!

Anyway, Gary and I need more adventure. When we find it, we'll post it!

Now it's time for a nap. But I figured since it's been over a month since an update, I'd post something.

PS- Gary has trimmed his beard big time. He looks SO handsome, especially with all the weight he's lost- including his beard ;)

Some Days I'm Crazy; But I'm Still Alive

Hey, all. So some more updates. First of all, I apologize for the text background. I really don't know what's going on, but just go with it. You'll be okay. I promise.

My job can definitely be stressful at times. Most days are good, but others I'm dying to go home and forget about it. My biggest challenge? Going home and forgetting about it.
I recently read a book written by a special education teacher called "What Do I Do With These Kids? How to Teach Emotionally Disturbed and Behaviorally Disordered Students".  One of the key points mentioned in the book is having the ability to leave work at work. It's also important we don't treat our families like we treat our students (constantly using interventions, working on behaviors, etc).

When I learn the stories of these kids and talk to them about their trials, it's difficult to not think about it when I get home. When I see a student have a mental breakdown and find out the next day they're being institutionalized, it's hard not to think about it. When a kid comes to me crying because their drug-addicted parents never showed an ounce of interest in visiting them in the group home, it's hard to go home and forget about it. Some of these kids have lived in the streets, starving. Some of them have family members who have died in gang-related violence. They all have severe behavioral disturbances- but for some, it's just that. For others, it's mental illness that only medication and maybe therapy can help. Some days I feel useless, other days I feel like I had at least a little success.

On an average day, I hear screaming in the hallways as kids are being restrained and dragged to a room in the back of the building. Fights are a regular thing, sometimes big, sometimes small. Luckily I haven't had the chance to jump in and restrain. We're talking big high school boys here. Have I had to restrain? Yes. But never alone, and I've never been hurt.

Anyway, I've been switched to a different classroom and the students are much more behaved than the first classroom I was in. The teacher had requested a BI in his classroom, so I volunteered. The first time I was asked, I turned it down because I was enjoying my current students at the time. However, I eventually agreed and moved. Some of the kids from the previous class were actually upset with me, but after a long talk with them about my job and how I'm open to help all kids, not just the ones in my new classroom, they forgave me. So we're good.

I ran into my supervisor in the hallway last week, who mentioned the possibility of me making a decision to stay or go district-wide. She didn't force a response out of me, just casually mentioned we might talk about it. I sat down that evening and thought, "should I stay or go?" Yesterday, she ran into me again and told me I don't have too much longer at the school (I'm thinking next week is my last), and we have a major meeting this upcoming Monday where I will possibly receive my actual assignment.

However, I still had to sit down and think. Do I really want to stay? A part of me doesn't- heck, the job can be pretty stressful sometimes (I've been called every name in the book, insulted, sexually harassed, verbally attacked, and threatened on an average day), but at the same time, I'm learning so much- plus, let's not forget the bonds and bridges I've already built just in these first few weeks. Just for the record, I learned it's important to never take attacks personally. Most kids in this situation have been betrayed by an authoritative figure- so when they attack me, they're not making it personal. They're attacking my authority. That's why it's also important I not be a pushover. Anyway, that's a different topic.

Let's also not forget my experience revolves around developmentally disabled- not emotionally disturbed. I can use my skills being district-wide, all the skills I've learned in this field. Sometimes I feel helpless at this school and feel I can't fully do my "job". But again...

I over-analyze way too much. I think too much. I do my best to keep my emotions out of it (I'm doing a good job), but it's hard to just- forget about them. Can I actually make a difference and help? Or is it hopeless for these guys? I'm a white girl who grew up with a good, strong family, so it's also hard to relate. But again, that's on a personal level. I work with them on a professional level.

Okay, I'm done. I just thought I'd throw it out there. Now I can actually forget about it. The day is over, I can move on and worry about it later. When Gary comes home in a bit, I can talk about other things than my job.

Other things than my job: beach day tomorrow! We're going to Zuma with the ward. Should be fun! Speaking of fun, my new calling is going well (got called as the Primary secretary a couple months back). Lots of things to do, but it's all good. Gary and I are also getting over colds/something/whatever-the-heck-hit-us. Not fun. But good it's leaving our bodies!

Too lazy/tired to keep going. More uplifting post next time, promise! Bye!

Job Update and My Clumsiness

I survived the first week! So, how did it go? Here's the update/details.


Tuesday I went to an orientation/training day. There are 5 days of district training to teach us the ropes of how we operate within the district. We are also required to attend all 5 days of training. However, I started on the last day of training, meaning I still have 4 days I need to take.

My supervisor, who will be doing another 5-day training session, is waiting until a few more staff members are cleared through the district to start working (took me a week to clear- fingerprints, medical tests, etc). Then I am to attend the first 4 days since I already went to the 5th. Until then, I'm on a temporary assignment at an indoor educational academy in Altadena.

It's been- interesting, but not bad. I'm currently working with high school boys. The academy is a place for the severely emotionally disturbed and teaches elementary through high school. Most of these children come from group homes and have pretty traumatic lives/pasts. My goal during the week was to build a good rapport with the kids without too much intervention just yet. It takes time. But I have developed a good standing with them and I actually enjoy being around them. The teacher for the classroom is great.  Gary has expressed concerned for my safety (the first day a boy smashed a glass vase over his arm and the ambulance had to come), but I'm not concerned at all. There are many male aides and some male workers from the mental health department who regularly hang out and assist. I have another interventionist in the classroom with me as well. So nothing to worry about. I occasionally take the boys out of the classroom and chat with them (never completely alone- there are always people around), just to see how they are doing. This especially happens when they're feeling stressed and/or upset and need a break. But this assignment is definitely a new thing as my experience mostly revolves around developmental disorders, primarily autism- not so much ED (emotionally disturbed). I did have a regular ED case with my respite job, but he's young and it's mild since he has an amazing life with a great family, so it's not as bad.

Anyway, I have been assigned as a district-wide interventionist. This means that once the permanent staff to work at the academy are cleared to work and I finish the other 4 days of training, I'll be sent out to work at different schools. I will have 2-3 students at each school, and will provide 30-45 minute sessions with each student- including group exercises, 1:1 social building skills, consulting, Discrete Trial Training, etc-as well as tons of data collection. Between the travel and data collecting, I'll be filling in my 6 hours each day. Even if I don't fill in the 6 hours, I still get paid salary. Which is nice.

So, that's basically it for now, and it really has been great. Traffic to Altadena hasn't been all that bad- it only gets a little congested when there's been an accident. Otherwise, it takes me 30-40 minutes to get there.

Any more updates? Gary and I still haven't made a decision about where to move, but Glendale and Burbank are high on the list, including Studio City.  Also, Gary's job has still been going well and I'm super proud of all he does!

We also had a mini vacation and took a trip recently to Orange County. We visited Knotts Berry Farm, went to the Pirate's Dinner Adventure, and a couple weeks before took a trip to the Getty Villa. But that's a different post. Until then, enjoy this photo of my head injury. I was swimming in a friend's pool with a large rock waterfall/slide. Anyway, some of the rocks hover over the pool, forming a little cave. I had been swimming under them (didn't know I was that close), then came up for air- and SLAM. Luckily I didn't knock myself out, though I do believe I'm suffering from a minor concussion.