First two days of work and preschool

Wow, I'm officially a working mom! Yesterday, Mark and I took Alex to his first day of preschool at La Petite. Sunday night we read "What to Expect at Preschool" which proved to be VERY beneficial in preparing Alex for his first day. When we kissed him goodnight he had the biggest grin on his face, he told us how excited he was to go to preschool in the morning, and that he couldn't wait to be a preschooler. I woke him up Monday morning and got him ready for school, and Mark and I took him in around 8:00. When we arrived, the kids were outside playing on the playground. It took him a while to remove himself from my leg, but eventually he went to play with the other kids. Surprisingly enough, I was emotionally stable. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did, and I was fine. I was so excited for the both of us that I didn't have a chance to be sad. Poor Mark, I think he might have covered the emotions for the both of us. I could tell pretty soon after we arrived that it was going to be tough on him. It was touching to see this emotional side of him. Alex did great on his first day, he never cried for us...and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that to be perfectly honest!

My job is great, I didn't realize how much I missed the working world...imagine that! I'm really enjoying my job and can't wait to dive in and learn all about this company and the work they do. I am one of two drafters in the office, so we're talking a small business, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to learning Microstation! I feel so lucky to have this opportunity! I have to cut this short, my tooth is SCREAMING at me and I really need to go lay down.

Cypress Valley Canopy Tour

Mark's first Zip

Scarier than it looks!

It's a looong way down

Standing on the platform in a 600 year old Cypress looking down

Leaning back over the edge...Jamie has trust, seeeeee! (pay no attention to my nervous hands)

ME

What a showoff!

Tarzan Zipping once again

October 16th

Today is our 6th anniversary. :) It's hard to believe how fast the time goes by, Ashley was 3 year old, Alex was not even thought of, and Mark and I were starting our new life together. Through these years we've endured a lot of change together, but one thing that has stayed constant is our love for each other. I've had my best friend by my side all this time.

Nana came to spend the night on Friday, so that she could come see the kids games. Alex scored 2 goals for Nana, and Ashley served for SEVERAL points and returned a few serves as well. My little show offs. :) After the games Nana took the kids back to their house to stay the night. Mark took us straight to Cypress Creek Canopy Tours. It was AMAZING! I have a slight fear of heights...but yesterday I learned that I don't really have a fear of heights, it's just a fear of falling. ;) This place was amazing, I have never experienced anything like it, and can't wait to do it again. Basically, it's a zip line tour through the Cypress Trees. We were way up in the canopy of the trees zipping from tree to tree, just like a bunch of monkeys. The first zip took my breath away, but after that, it was smooth sailing. I will post pictures tonight when I get the chance. I hope the pictures are as beautiful as I remember it being out there.

Dud Update

Well, we're pretty sure the Dud is going to be ok. This morning they did a stool sample, and some blood work. His stool sample was primarily blood. :( Scared the daylights out of me! They're not exactly sure what's wrong with him, but the vet says he has some gastrointestinal bacteria, which is causing all of his insides to be upset. Anything from emotional stress to feeding him table food can cause it. The biggest fear with this is dehydration, and he was not doing bad at all in that department, thank goodness. The vet wanted to keep him overnight, so they could try to push the fluids and see if they could get him to eat, while dosing him with something to coat his tummy. They called back at 5:30 and said he's doing great! He's eating, drinking and taking his meds just fine. This is a major relief, I was so worried that we were going to get bad news, like Parvo, or something awful like that. Dudley has been such a wonderful addition to our family and I just can't imagine our lives without him. He's a pretty special guy.

My boys watching TV together



Alex riding his horse

I have ink!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I truly have the sweetest husband on the face of earth. He knows exactly what to do to make me smile. Yesterday, he walked in the door with a gift and a card to congratulate me on getting the job. I've been walking on cloud nine since I got the offer, and him coming home with that, in a way justified my excitement. He got me one of those fancy pens that really important people use. lol I felt like a total moron when it took me a few minutes to figure out how to use it. I twisted and pushed and pulled, and Mark just bit his tongue and watched me. Finally, after making a complete fool of myself I realized that the cap unscrewed. Anyway, I just love it, and can't wait to use it at my new job. :)

The Dud

I'm worried about the Dud. He hasn't eaten in two days. Two days ago I came home from a playgroup and when I opened the door, the smell of my house almost knocked me on my rear. I'm not even sure if he's drinking, it's so hard to tell with two dogs using the same bowl, and me being as busy as I have been the past few days. I think it's been long enough though, I'm calling the Vet. as soon as they open, which is in about 15 minutes. I'm so worried about him. He's just so lethargic and weak. He looks at us with pouty eyes, and I can tell he's hurting. I really hope this is just a virus or something and the Vet. can put our minds at ease and his pain at bay.

Job hunt update

I got a phone call at 9:30 this morning...I GOT THE JOB, it's official! Mark and I had worked up numbers so I could negotiate, but it turns out that they offered what I asked for. :) I start Monday morning at 9am. Wow, just 5 days ago I thought my entire world was crashing down, but today I feel like a million bucks. My new job is 2.4 miles from our drive way, and Alex's school is only 2. 8. Had we picked Stepping Stone it would have been right on the way, but I think I can handle the 4/10 of a mile extra for a school that I feel more comfortable with. :)

The job front

Well, yesterday I sent out my first resume, and if that wasn't nerve racking enough, getting an interview two hours later certaily was. The interview went well, I'm almost certain he'll be calling me back tomorrow with an offer. Unfortunately, the job is too far, and the working environment is not for me. Stark white walls, narrow white hallways, nothing but white. It just looked very institutional, and while the pay would be good, I'm just not interested. From there I went to pick up Alex from Mollie's, who was gracious enough to keep both kids at a moments notice. What a friend! :) From there we went to Stepping Stone School to tour their facility. My first impression was positive, but the longer I was there, the more I wanted to leave. The classroom was way too small for that many children, and it just didn't feel "warm". Otherwise, it was great, big playground, lots of learning centers, a great cirriculum, etc.
Today proved to be a MUCH better day. We had an appointment with La Petite Academy this morning. I was aprehensive, because it seems like all I hear is negativity towards La Petite...but never specifics. The director was so warm with Alex and the other children. I saw her trying to coax a shy little girl to go play and she was gently rubbing her leg talking softly to her. Stepping Stone did not have anyone visibly as "warm". The rooms are all open, plenty of space, in fact a LOT of space. I was very impressed with their program and attention to detail. The place isn't nearly as new and sparkly as S.S. but it got my vote! Ironically enough, when we left, Alex looked up at me (before I ever said a word) and said "momma, I think I like this place better". :) Need I look further?

So this morning I decided I would call a local surveying company and see if they were hiring. They didn't have an ad posted anywhere, but what the heck, I figured it couldn't hurt to call. I called at 7:50 am hoping to catch the owner early before he got to busy. He was very glad to speak with me and wanted to me to send a resume' asap. I promptly emailed him my resume and within the hour he replied that he wanted to meet with me. Yahoo! So I went in today at 2:00 and met with him, his wife (co-owner) and their right hand man, Johnny. What a great place! I was impressed from the get go. This was the most professional surveyor I've ever run across. The interview lasted a full hour and we covered everything under the sun. As it turns out this position was somehow created just for me. :) When he asked me if I "had" to work 40 hours a week, I knew that this was going to work out. It turns out they are not in need of an 8-5er, they're in need of someone that can work maybe a little less as needed. How perfect! Chuck told me that he thought me coming in was meant to be, and that this sounds like the ideal situation. I couldn't agree more. He didn't offer me the job, but he did tell me that he thought I'd work out great and that they'd call me in a day or two after they had talked to tell me some specifics about when, how much etc. I'm just thrilled! This place is less than 3 miles from home and I never even have to get on the main road. I can drive through the neighborhood to get there, heck I could ride my bike! I will update when I hear more. :)

Sweet Berry Farm

My boys

I have no idea what this face is all about.

My two favorite kids on the hayride

Photo compliments of Miss Ashley

We made a family trip to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls today. www.sweetberryfarm.com Marble Falls is about 45 minutes West of Leander down 1431. What a gorgeous day for a trip through the Hill Counry! The high was 85, and there was not a cloud to be seen. They had all sorts of activities for the family...you could stuff a scarecrow, paint pumpkins, shuck corn with and old time metal crank shucker (I guess that's what it's called), they had scarecrow stuffing, hay rides, a kiddie maze through corn-like fields. They had goats and horses, homemade icecream, and plenty of photo ops. We kept it simple and took a hayride and painted pumpkins. The kids had such a great time, I think we might have to work this in every year and start a family tradition.

All good things must come to an end

I can't believe I'm already having to type this entry. Two years shy of what I thought was the end, I'm going to have to quit my role as stay at home mom. My heart aches and the lump in the back of my throat isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I keep telling myself that I'm such a lucky wife, such a lucky mom, look how far we've come, we have our health, we have each other. Then I'm reminded of everything we're going to miss, and just how much my perfect life is about to change and everything else gets fogged over. I just want time to stand still, even for just a little while. I look at the time I've spent studying during the day and cleaning the house, and I just want to take it all back, I want to close my books, put the mop down and play and dance and sing and cuddle.

Day 7 of the sickies, and La Maestra #2

Alex is now on day 7 of this stinking virus, and I am sooo ready to get my boy back to normal. He came down with a fever on Friday just before we went camping, and had a fever between 100 and 104 up until yesterday. :( He doesn't want to do anything but lay on the couch and watch TV. I took him to storytime today, since his fever has been gone for a day or so, that was a mistake! He didn't pay attention to any of the stories, he just wanted to lay on the ground and act up like a 2 year old. :( It's naptime right now, and he's laying on the couch just snoring away. At the library I found a Laurie Berkner CD, (Alex and I just love her!) so I put it on when we got home thinking that might perk him up, but he ended up falling asleep to it while I danced around the living room. Poor guy. I miss him.

Tomorrow is Spanish class number 2! I'm really looking forward to it, and hoping I can start memorizing some of the students names now that I'm a little more relaxed. Today I met a lady at the library who is a volunteer Spanish teacher also. She teaches Kindergarteners at another school in our district, but our program is exactly the same. We shared some ideas and talked a little about our first class, she was just as nervous as I was, and told me about how difficult it was for her to sleep the night before. I was secretly happy to hear that! Shhh! After talking to all the Spanish teachers at our school I was beginning to think that I was the only one feeling the first class jitters. I talked to several teachers who all told me "oh, they're just first graders, they won't bite!" Well DUH! Anyway, it was just nice to talk to someone who understood. She and I are the only teachers that I know of who are not fluent Spanish speakers, so that was a little comforting as well. I 've been wondering if I'm depriving the kids of the extra knowledge of a fluent teacher, and if they are missing out on too much, but the more I think, the more I realize that these kids are lucky, (and I AM just a volunteer). I'm teaching them the basics of Spanish, and my kiddos should go in to the 2nd grade with the same knowledge of Spanish that the next class has. Strangely enough I never even introduced myself to the lady, and I never got her name, how silly! Luckily, she takes her 3 year old to storytime on Thursdays also, so I'm sure we'll exchange names and numbers in the future.

My first day teaching

I'm only 5 days late updating on my first day of teaching Spanish. My days are completely full, as I knew they would be when I took on all that I have. So I'm taking a break from studying to update on last Friday.

For starters I showed up an hour early at 10:50 instead of 11:50. Fortunately I checked the schedule when I arrived and realized my mistake BEFORE walking in to the class an hour early and completely embarassing myself. As it turns out the hour was just what I needed to calm my nerves, soak up the school environment, and get in to teacher mode. I was able to study my lesson a little longer, lower my heart rate, and focus on relaxing a little more. The first two minutes or so of class is a blurr. I was scared out of my mind (of what, I'm not sure), but those sweet little first graders had a way of putting my nerves at ease and making me feel like I was at home. Within a few minutes, I was at ease, as if I were at home teaching Alex. The kids were attentive, excited and very well behaved. Their interest in learning Spanish made my job so much fun. They are really are cute little people. I hope that I am able to remember all of their names though, my goodness, there are so many names! Luckily a few have the same name so that increases my odds just a bit.
My next class is the day after tomorrow, and this time around I'm not at all nervous, in fact I'm anxious to get back in there and have some more fun. :)

Spanish tomorrow!

Well, this is it, I just went over the lessons I will be teaching tomorrow, for the last time. It's late, I'm tired, and I don't see me improving anymore tonight. Tomorrow is the big test. It will be my first time ever to teach. Yes, I'm nervous, but more anxious than anything. I'm so ready to see if I can do this without cracking!!! I have no idea how hard this is going to be, but I keep reminding myself that these are only first graders and that it doesn't matter how perfect I come across, all that matters is that I teach these kids some Spanish and have some fun.

Lesson 1: Introduction, Why it's important to learn Spanish, where Spanish is spoken, Similarities of Spanish to English, Como te llamas, me llamo, Read Say Hola to Spanish book. Alphabeto, colores. Phew! I hope I fill up the entire 30 minutes. I'm anxious to report back on how it goes, but it probably won't be until Sunday that I get a chance to get back online. I'm checking Ashley out of school early and we're leaving for Inks Lake to go camping shortly after I finish my class tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day, but I will surely reap the rewards while I lounge in the beautiful weather that is heading our way this weekend. I think the high this weekend is in the 80's. A huge change from the 108+ temps we've had the past week.

Rita is on her way

We woke up this morning, got ready for school, and just as we were about to leave I check my email and find out that school has been cancelled. Apparently, all the schools South of us are packed with evacuees, and they will be needing the Elementary schools as well. It was so fun to stop the kids that were riding their bikes and walking to school to tell them there is no school today. One boy didn't beleive me, he says "you're pulling my leg, right?" I said nope, I'm serious, go check it out for yourself, the parking lot is empty. That's all he needed to hear, he and his buddy screamed at the top of their lungs and turned around to go home. I think it's great that they are opening up the schools for shelters, what perfect sense that makes! It's a good thing Rita is hitting over the weekend, maybe the kids will be able to return to school on Monday.
So this morning in celebration of no school we went out to breakfast with Angie, Aubree and Jared. The girls really wanted Day Light Donughts, so we made a quick stop and picked some up, then we headed to an "adult" restaurant as we called it. There's a little mom and pop barbeque place over on 1431 that serves all kinds of yummy breakfast plates, so we decided to check it out. We were able to get a table on the back patio and let the kids run free, while we ate our breakfasts. It was so nice, and the girls were just thrilled to be on this little adventure during school hours.

How annoying~

I just typed up a Looong post about Hurrican Rita, and it got lost. What a friggin bummer, that took me 20 minutes!!! I will summarize...Mark is out of town, Rita was expected to hit us hard, no flashlight, went to walmart, empty shelves, crazy people, bought in to the chaos, freaked out a bit, didn't sleep lastnight, missed my husband, forgot picture day, the gas stations were out of gas, missed my husband, it's now bed time, we're safe, the storm is not going to hit us, I have no reason to not sleep well tonight but I betcha I don't...still miss my husband.

Espanol

Well, I did it. I officially committed myself to teaching Spanish. I haven't decided if I've completely lost my mind or not, but I'm sure I'll know on day 1 of classes. I'm not sure why a class of first graders frightens me as much as it does...more than likely because I only know basic Spanish and I have not been given any curriculum info. as of yet. So yeah, I'm a little nervous. lol What I do know is that I will be teaching 1st graders for 30 minutes one day per week. I'm trying to focus on what Mark told me the other day "You could do anything for 30 minutes, shoot, you could be a trapeze artist for 30 minutes a week." He's right, I can do this, and that's why I volunteered. I think it will be really good for me, and if anything, it will freshen up some of my Spanish, and that's always a good thing when you live in Texas.
I have to admit, I am a little aprehensive about the program though. It's strictly a volunteer program, and like most volunteer programs, there is a shortage of volunteers. The program only has enough people to teach Kinder through 2nd grade...the same problem they had last year. I am concerned that the Spanish we teach will be lost after the 2nd grade. The next Spanish they are REQUIRED to have is in High School, and they could wait until their Jounior year to take it. That is a HUGE gap! If we were teaching 3rd - 5th only, as opposed to the lower grades, the children would be more likely to choose Spanish as an elective in Middle School, since the material would be so fresh. I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too much about this, maybe exposing them to a foreign language at such a young age will open their mind to something as simple as realizing that the world is bigger than Leander, Texas, and this will allow their minds to grow in ways I can't even really comprehend. Whatever the case may be, I'm excited and anxious to get started in a few weeks. How am I ever going to remember 20 kids names!!?

Labor Day weekend

We had such a wonderful weekend at dads, it was really one of the best times we've had out there all summer. Most of the weekend was spent soaking up the sun and cruising the boat up and down the lake. Ashely sure has improved with her wakeboarding, she can now go over the wake! Next summer I just know she'll be jumping like a pro! ;) It doesn't seem like that long ago when miss Ash wouldn't do anything that didn't allow her to have two feet firmly planted on the ground. Now there's nothing that she won't at least try. We are so proud of our girl! Mr. Alex has been watching Sissy very closely. He's so lucky that he has such a talented big sister to look up to. After begging to wakeboard all summer, Nana broke out the kiddie skis for Alex. I didn't expect much, in fact I expected Alex to chicken out and not even attempt it, but much to my surprise, our bitty three year old skied this weekend. Nana stayed in the water with him, giving him detailed instructions, while Mark, Ashley and I rode in the boat. Momma driving the boat was definitely not the best idea. Once I pulled him up, I don't think I looked forward at all! Thank goodness nothing was in my way (or was there, haha). Every bone in my body was shaking thinking about what could possibly happen to such a little guy. He's a big boy though, he does fine in a life vest and can now even swim without one. Alex stayed in a semi-squatting position the whole time, with water slashing up in his face. He would turn his head to take a breath and then look back forward again. He was absolutely adorable! Once he'd had enough he signaled me with a thumbs down. This was the first time I think I'd ever seen him give a thumbs down! He's been riding on the back of the boat in a float with Ashley all summer and the only hand signals he's given is a thumbs up to go faster. So I slowed the boat down, with Alex gradually lowering in to the water (along with my heart rate). We were all so proud of him, even the lady across the lake was yelling for him. :) There's no such thing as a skiing toddler, I think that's pretty much an oxymoron, so it's official, we have a big boy now. I'm not sure how I feel about that one!

Hurricane Katrina

Mark and I avoided facing the reality of the hurricane as long as we could. Wednesday night we finally agreed to watch some media coverage, for the first time. It was just as we suspected, horrific and devastating. We both felt an overwhelming desire to help, as I'm sure all Americans have. We have no money to give, so we have decided to open up our home. We are well aware of the risks and will take every measure necessary to ensure that our family is safe. We are nervous, yet anxious to do what we can to help. The devastation is just awful. It's so, so sad. A couple from New Orleans just left dads, they came to talk to them about keeping their dogs until they get settled in a rental with a back yard. The dogs are currently at a kennel. Dad and Ruthie offered up the apartment to them. It was so sad to hear all that they have been through, the wife had a hard time composing herself when she spoke about all they had been through. They've stayed at 6 different hotels in the past week, and were almost in to an apartment, when they backed out. The apartment personel knew their situation and still they demanded 3 months of rent UP FRONT, IN CASH. That REALLY ticks me off. Those people need to be reported. Anyway, they couple will be calling sometime tomorrow to let dad and Ruthie know what they decide to do. I'm trying to stay away from all the news reports and articles, it's just too much to absorb right now.

Pictures From Ashley's Birthday Party

Lyndsy, Kelcey, Kelly, Ashley, Aubree and Savannah (Ciara is off hiding somewhere)

Ashley's Birthday Bash

My sweet baby turned 9 years old yesterday. It's hard to believe it's been 9 years since we first met. 9 years since I held that precious baby in my arms for the first time. She was the beginning of this beautiful chapter of my life, that continues to flourish every day.

We had her birthday party at The Embassy Suites Hotel this weekend. I told her she could invite 5 friends, but somehow we ended up with 6. :) Here's the invitation I made:

As soon as we arrived at the Embassy, we got changed and jumped in the pool for a bit. Grandma wasn't scheduled to pick up Alex for a few hours, so we had 7 girls, and 3 year old Alex, who just learned to swim a few months ago. Whew, what was I thinking!? 9 year old girls are at the stage where they love their independance, yet still thrive on adult approval to some extent. This equates to 7 girls clear across the pool yelling "MRS. JAMIE, MRS. JAMIE, WATCH THIS, WATCH THIS!!", which would normally be fine if I didn't have a 3 year old who's swimming abilities out weigh his intelligence. The girls had a blast, momma came close to loosing her mind. Thankfully, our pizza arrived and we had an excuse to leave. After cake, pizza, and presents Grams and Pops took Alex home with them for the night THANKYOUVERYMUCH, and we headed off to the mall. I didn't tell the girls what we had planned, it was a complete surprise. We arrived at the food court and I handed each girl an envelope with their name written on the outside. Inside each person had a name tag:

a Scavenger Hunt Sheet. (I'll add that on to the end of this entry) Ashley's envelope had some money for a few of the items on the list, and a map of the mall. We decided that they should all stick together as opposed to splitting up in to teams because girls this age can be a little over competitive, and the last thing we needed was for them to be divided. That turned out to be an AWESOME decision. They worked so well together, no one was left out and everyone participated. It really turned out to be a great time for the girls. Mark and I tagged along behind them keeping our mouths shut as much as possible.
From there we went to Wendy's and ordered 9 Frosty's. What a time we had a Wendy's! Thankfully, the place was empty, had it not been, it would have been shortly after our arrival. Mark and I really let loose and let the girls have fun, which is not typical of us. Normally, we're the semi-uptight-stressed-to-the-max parents telling the kids to keep their voices down, mind their manners, and to wipe their chins, so for us, this was a pretty big deal. I have some great pictures from Wendy's, I'll post those later. Ok, so by now it's around 9:00 PM, so we head back to the hotel, where Mark proceeds to fall face first in to the pillow. Poor guy was beat! He played hard with the girls. At one point he had 4-5 girls hanging off him as he walked across the Wendy's parking lot. As Ruthie put it..he really shined that night. :) I was proud. Back to the room...the girls sat in a circle and did a craft where they decorated door knob hangars with foam letters and shapes, while pigging out on popcorn and yes, more junk. Oh man, those poor parents who actually sent toothbrushes, haha, I'm just crossing my fingers that I'm not the cause of any emergency dental work over the next week. We had cookies, gummy worms, chocolate, pop rocks, wax bottles, chewy sweet tarts and even more junk. It was heavenly.
After the sugar rushes peaked we did mud masks and nails. By the time we were done it was 11:30 and believe it or not the girls were ASKING to go to bed. NO, that's really no joke, they were ALL exhausted. We've found the secret to NOT staying up all night, WEAR THEM OUT and give them wayyyy too much sugar! We were in bed and sleeping by midnight. I never even saw the end of Saturday Night Live.

The next morning we did the free full made to order breakfast, where the girls pigged out on everything their little hearts desired...including soda...but shhh, don't tell. We ended the party by letting the girls run a muck in the hotel, they went from elavator to elevator, and floor to floor reaking havoc on the other hotel guests, which was fine by me, I wasn't with them. Muaaahaaahaa!!! We were packed up and on the road by 11:30, on the way back to sweet freedom. Ash had an awesome time, no fights, surprisingly everyone got along and made the best of it. I'm not sure if it was the closed quarters that forced them to get along, or the fact that I threatened their lives before we ever left the house. I told them that I would send anyone home that made fun of, left out, or caused trouble with any of the other girls. Poor Ash, I'm sure she LOVED hearing that speech. :) I will post pictures tomorrow, it's way late and I'm running on empty.

Ashley’s Birthday Scavenger Hunt

*Work together as a team to solve each clue to find out what items you need to complete this birthday mission. You may need to refer to a map of the mall to find your way. A $ next to the clue means you will need money, honey! You won’t have much, so shop wisely.

1. All young girls love to shop here and not just one or TOO of you. Go in this store and ask for a bag to carry your loot.

2. I am a plastic eating implement consisting of a small shallow bowl with a relatively long handle.

3. I am flat and round and you will find me where food is sold. You eat off of me and throw me away when I get old.

4. I am on all clothes when they are new, but discarded before worn.

5. I am born of a bud in the spring. In autumn, I turn brown and fall to the ground.

6. $ Shiny and round am I. 4 of me make a dollar.

7. I am made from paper and square, not round. When you are done with me, you flush me down.

8. $ I am chewed, but not swallowed. I am always sweet and sometimes hollow. You can find me in a machine.

9. $ You love me with milk when mom cooks me right. Bring me back without any bites. Make sure to get one of me for each person on your team!

10. You will find me at the bookstore waiting to hold your place. You slide me in your novels and I don’t take up much space. You can sometimes find me free if you ask, but in case you need to buy me, take some cash.