House Project

So I have been busy this past week with a project for the house. I have been changing the inside doors from the mid-western brown (or as I call it, the sick baby poop color) to what is technically called Parchment Paper (or commonly called cream). I also painted the walls in the hallway a beautiful tan color. I did one door as a test project to see if we would like it, and we did! I had originally planned to do just the upstairs doors, but Nathan liked them so much that he asked if I would also do the downstairs doors where his room is. So when I finish the upstairs (a total of 5 doors, one of which was the test project), then I will work on the downstairs - with the kids help, of course! Michael has been a tremendous help with this project. He sanded down 4 of the door jams and door trim for me so I could come and paint it quickly. It took him 1/2 a day to sand all the trim and jams. It tool me one whole day to paint the trim and door jams. Tomorrow, we will tackle the doors. Below you will find pictures of what the doors currently look like, the halfway point, and the finished project.The last thing I will do is change the brass door knobs to something a bit more modern.

Currently what the doors look like (sick baby poop brown)

Trim and door jams painted

Finished project!!! Pretty, pretty!

School Starting

As the school start date approaches, we find ourselves emerged in school sports. Nathan is now the proud owner of a driver's license so he drives himself to and from practice. That is a HUGE relief for me. He made the varsity soccer team this year so he practices later and longer than the other teams.....4-6 pm. The fact that he can take care of himself is a huge weight off my shoulders. His first game is in 2 days! I am looking forward to watching him play and improve his skills this year. I have a feeling the coach is going to use him as a forward (offense) this year because of his speed. He will not like it, but that is the price you pay when you are the fastest kid on the team. :) 

Michael decided to mix it up and joined the cross country team this year. His      practice is at 7:30 am. Yep, you read that right, 7:30 AM! He is up by 6, 6:30 at the latest so his body can wake up. He hates it when he runs poorly because he is not awake. He is doing a decent job of keeping up with the high schoolers       during practice and timed runs. They had a 3 mile timed run today and he ran it in 21+ minutes. Not bad for an 8th grader with only 4 weeks of summer            training. He was so excited that he beat 3 high school students! His goal is to make it on the JV team by the end of the season. I am sure he can do it if he keeps practicing as hard as he has been. It will be exciting to watch him run!

Christmas in July

I know it is only July, but I cannot help it, I am starting to think of Christmas presents! I know what we are giving the husband's dad and 2 of his brothers. They are getting blankets that I will make out of fleece and windbreaker material. I made a one last year to keep me warm at soccer games and track meets. Michael liked my blanket so much, he wanted one for himself for track meets. This spring was very cold! To cold to be standing around waiting to run in shorts so I made him one that he took everywhere. He was the hit of the team because his blanket was the warm one. I think the ones I make for Barry's dad and brothers will have quilt batting in the middle to make them even warmer.

For the rest of the husband's adult family, I think I might do a breakfast basket of mixes - pancake mix, muffin mix, and waffle mix. I make all of these from scratch at my house so throwing the ingredients in a pretty jar would be easy and inexpensive. (Always a plus in my world!!) The nephews are a problem. They hate homemade stuff and I refuse to spend money on store bought stuff for them. The store bought stuff always seems to fall apart or break on Christmas so I feel it was a waste of money. I will have to think about it and search online for some great kid present ideas. If you know any great ideas please share!

That leaves Barry's Nanny. She is 93. What do you give to a women who has everything? Last year I made macrame hanging plant holders. The year before it was a homemade fleece blanket. The year before that it was pictures of the kids. I don't remember what it was before that. I will have to search for an idea for her also.

As you can see, I need to start thinking about Christmas in July because there is so much to do. I prefer to just give the kids stuff, but his family isn't like that. If I even suggested it......... well, I will leave that to your imagination.

A Little Manual Labor

To work out some of my frustrations, Barry and I tore out the floor trim in the living/dinning room today. It was this old, ugly, dark mid-western stain that was the color of baby poop. I kid you not. Baby poop when he/she is sick. Really a yucky color. This stuff is all through out the house and I HATE it. I have since we moved in. I have been planning to rip it out and replace it since we bought the house; time, money, and energy have kept me from doing so until today. I knew what I wanted. It is white, wider at the bottom than the top, and modern looking - nice clean lines! We replaced the trim in the bathroom and computer room years ago so it was about time to do the this room. It only took about an hour to tear it up and replace it with the nice stuff once all the furniture was moved out of the way. Moving the furniture was a good excuse to clean behind and under it. Boy was there a lot of dust - it was a wonder that Michael and I could breathe!!! As it was, we have sneezed the rest of the day. I digress so back to my trim. It is in. We have to do touch up paint tomorrow but it looks WONDERFUL. I am a happy camper. :-) Here are some photos of our handy work.......                                         

The wall by the table. The walls are still grey, I just took the pictures at night.

We plan to replace the white vent cover with a built in wood one.

Just a well needed rant!!

I refuse to believe my lack of employment status is due to me, perhaps that is part of my problem! I have a stellar resume, (please tell me if you see anything that needs to change!!!)

a good cover letter that I customize to each school or district, and 3 awesome letters of recommendation. I have done everything possible on my part - except begging - to get a job. I have searched school employment sites so much everyday that I feel like a stalker! I have filled out over 200 hundred applications, written dozens of short essays to questions on applications, and used up every ounce of patience I have waiting for someone, anyone to interview me! Yet nothing. In 200 applications I have had a whopping 3 interviews. That is a 1% return. That is TERRIBLE! Each time I was their second choice (or so they say). I feel like the districts I sub in do not want to loose me as a sub, so they won't even give me a chance. Every teacher that has seen me teach or worked with me, tells me I rock, and none of them can believe I have not found a job yet. I am hearing from my fellow classmates (many of whom I tutored to get through college!) they have found jobs, and I am frustrated. Why can't that be me?! I am not ready to throw in the towel here in MN, but that is mostly because I know I have to stay for Nathan to finish school. 2 more years in this place is a waste of my time. 2 more years of what is my personal hell. I really wish I could just pick up and leave, but I can't. I absolutely HATE subbing and that is all I have to look forward to next school year. :-( If one more person tells that that subbing or taking a para job are good ways to get my foot in the door, I think I will burst into tears. I did them (am doing them). I have experience with kids, teaching, coaching, and tutoring. What in the world is going on that I cannot get a job!

"Mini" Vacation

We are back from Wisconsin Dells a little worse for wear. I am sun burnt on my upper back, Michael is burnt on his face, and Nathan is burnt on his back. We took the kids to Noah's Ark Water park and they had a BLAST! I have never seen the kids have so much fun that they collapse and take a nap at 5 in the afternoon. Our mini vacation started on Monday.....

Late Monday afternoon, or early evening, Nathan had a  soccer game in Le Crescent. It was a 2.5 hour drive to get there to have the kids play in 100 degree heat and humidity. The game was shortened by 20 minutes and they allowed extra water breaks for the kids to avoid heat issues so instead of playing 1.5 hours, they played 1 hour 10 minutes. The heat affected the kids brains. Nathan says when it gets that hot, he has trouble thinking. I did not see it in his play this time, but his teammates seemed to be playing in slow motion!

After the game, we continued on to the Dells. It was a quick hour drive to the hotel, a little TV to relax, then off to bed because we had an early day planned. After waking the kids, an effort in its self, we had breakfast followed by a quick trip to Walmart to pick up a watch. We were letting the kids do their own thing at the park while Barry and I stayed poolside and rode the gentler rides. We established a meeting time and place, then let the kids run off to the extreme water rides. After two hours of fun in the sun, we meet up to feed the ravenous beasts we call children, then back to the rides and fun. We had to drag Michael out of the pool, and away from the girls he made friends with, when it was time to leave the park. The rest of us were plumb exhausted! A quick treat at DQ, then back to the hotel for a quick nap, showers, and make a plan for dinner.

We wanted to be back in town for the 4th, so the next morning we packed up, hit the road, and made it home safe and sound. 

Must be the Army Wife in me....

It must be the Army wife in me, but I want to move. We have been in MN for the last 4.5 years and in that time I graduated college, we bought and fixed up a house, developed both kids into excellent scholars and athletes, and learned all about life in the mid west. Now, Barry, Michael, and I are ready to move on, while Nathan wants to stay. One thing keeping us here is my lack of a job anywhere else. If I found one, we would be gone in a New York minute! Let me explain.......

When one becomes an Army wife (or brat) you move. A lot. Usually every 2-3 years you find yourself in a new part of the country, or world, experiencing a new culture, people, food, and travel. It is fun and exciting to experience this unique cultural way of the military. Let me be clear, I LOVE IT! I love moving. I love getting to see a different part of the world. I love making new friends. I love the challenge of learning a new post/town/city. The only time I did not feel the need to move on was Germany. I felt like I finally found home. Now, Nathan feels that same way about MN and I hate to take it away from him because I know how much difficulty he will have in adjusting to a new place. It is the same amount of trouble I have adjusting (still adjusting?) to MN.

Nathan fits in here. He has a pack of friends, is accepted by his peers, and is extremely active in school. I don't want to take that from him. He had such a miserable time as a child that I like seeing him happy. I however, am not. Living abroad changed me. I feel like an outsider in my own country. Perhaps it is because I live in the mid west and they are not accepting of new comers; Or perhaps it is because I am an introvert and prefer to do many things by myself and on my own; Or perhaps, it is because  I do not like it here and tend to be a little cranky. Whatever the reason, I don't feel welcome or wanted in this town. It's like that old saying about guests, on the third day they start to stink.....well, I feel we have worn out our welcome and need to go home. But that is the problem, where is home? Is home AZ where I grew up? Is it KY where I loved the people and countryside? Is it Germany where I felt the most wanted and accepted? Is it where my kids or Barry want to live? I don't know how to answer that question and make everyone happy at the same time because we all have different wants and needs right now, and I have this overwhelming need for change. I crave the challenges of setting up a new life in a different part of the country (or world?) right now, where I can be anonymous and yet known at the same time. That is the beauty of the Army, when you move, no one knows who you are but you still share many similarities with the people around you. You are different, yet similar because you are all on big military family. Living in the civilian world, away from all things military, I miss my family. I miss the way we talk and live. I miss how everything is familiar, yet suited for that post. I miss how I can walk across the road, knock on the door to introduce myself and have the family immediately understand that I need a friend, or plates to eat off of, or a cup of sugar because our stuff isn't here yet and have them just give it to me because they were in my shoes a few weeks, months, or years ago.

More Soccer

Soccer season is in full swing. Nathan had practice last night, Michael has a game tonight, both kids have a game on Thursday, and Nathan has another game on Friday. I am happy that the kids are busy this summer instead of sleeping all day and playing video games all night. I just wish Nathan had his license so he could drive himself around to practice and home games, and Michael to practice. It would be nice to have a break every once in a while.

I am glad to keep busy this summer. If I sat around twitteling my thumbs, I would fret about Barry leaving in a few months. He has orders for Alaska and the kids and I are staying here so Nathan can graduate from the high school that he started in. If it were just Michael and myself, we would drop everything and move with Barry. However,  I feel like I robbed Nathan of being a kid so I want him to experience normalcy for once in his life and if that means I have to sacrifice my wants and needs, then so be it. It is a constant balancing act between what is best for him, Michael, and Barry. My needs hardly ever enter into my decisions any more. But this is the life of a parent! If I were to sit still all summer, I can only imagine what my brain will fret about and tie myself into knots over things out of my control. One of my hopes is to be employed in the fall so I can keep my mind occupied.

I get it that Alaska is way LESS DANGEROUS than Iraq or Afghanistan. The logical part of my brain says that he will not be shot at so he is safe. Then the illogical part of my brain reminds me that he could be eaten by a bear or freeze to death in the Alaskan winter. One again, the logical part of my brain reminds me that these are silly fears that will not come to pass. I guess that I have an over active imagination  of the negative kind. Here's hoping I will be employed in the fall!

Busy Weekend

Whew! What a weekend. Michael had a soccer tournament - enough said. For those of you who have never experienced a competitive soccer tournament I will describe it for you.

Day One
Wake up at 4am - check
Take shower and get dressed - check
Pack mid morning breakfast/lunch - check
Make breakfast - check
Wake up child participating in said tournament - check
Feed child - check
While child is eating, pack car with tent, food, directions, soccer ball, my backpack, child's bag of soccer supplies, pillow, and blanket - check
       * pillow and blanket are for the child to sleep on the way to the
          tournament because it is, 4 am!
Have child dress in uniform - check
Get in car, turn on GPS and program destination - check
Leave home for the next 14 hours - check
Pick up team mate number one - check
Pick up team mate number two - check
Drive 1.5 hours to tournament, make sure you get lost once or twice to make things exciting - check 
Get to tournament fields - check
Children spill out of the car, gathering their equipment - check
Unpack chair, camera, and book, oh wait did you remember to pack book, chair and camera?, yes, yes you did, whew! - check
Wander aimlessly until you find your field - check
Set up chair, open book, take off shoes because they are now soaking wet after walking past 12 fields on wet grass - check
Try to read book - check
Greet other crazy parents for getting up so early to bring their kid to a soccer tournament - check
Try reading book - check
Catch stray soccer balls that come your way - check
Try reading book again - check
Put up umbrella to keep dry, oh no, did you bring it from the car? yes! another save - check
Try reading book again, in the rain - check
Wait for coach to show up and warm up kids - check
Still wait for coach - check
Waiting still, stand up, will you have to go warm them up? - check
Sit back down, another parent is going to warm them up - check
Try reading said book again - check
Greet more arriving parents, this time from the other team - check
Try reading that darn book again, you brought it for a reason, while holding up the umbrella - check
Give one of the three children the car keys because they forgot their water, cleats, uniform, head, etc in the car - check
Try reading the book again - check
Coach arrives and gathers parents for a chat about tournament rules - check
Sit down in chair and look at book - check
Give up reading the book - check
Watch both teams warm up, do ref checks, and captains meeting - check
Game starts, watch game - check
Take out camera to take pictures of child in game - check
Cheer, yell, scream, and congratulate other parents like their child is the best player in the world - check
Keep umbrella up because it is pouring on you - check
Half time - check
Repeat cheer, yell, scream, and congratulations - check
Pack up soccer gear and bring back to the car - check
Gather tent, blankets, pillows, food, and soccer bags to bring to field - check
Set up tent in the pouring rain, you are now soaking wet - check
Rain stops - check
Watch other soccer teams, particularly the girls because you are chaperoning boys - check
Listen to said boys flirt with girls on the field - check
Watch boys ask girls for their numbers - check
Go back to watching soccer game - check
Game over, move camp to next field where you will play afternoon game - check
Humidity level rises from unbearable to  deathly - check
Move tent a second time because the sun moved and you are now getting sunburned - check
Watch more soccer games - check
Boys start to warm up for second soccer game - check
Game changes fields so move tent and all camping materials - check
Set up new camp - check
Watch second game - check
Repeat cheer, yell, scream, congratulations for first half
Half time - check
Repeat cheer, yell, scream, congratulations 
Take down camp, pack up all supplies take to car and repack in car - check
Get kids to car - check
Pack all kids gear in the over stuffed trunk - check
Pile into car, set GPS for food, leave for food - check
Get lost once before you stop for food - check
Stop for food - check
Pile back into the car, set GPS for home, leave for home - check
Listen to boys text to girls from earlier soccer games - check
Watch 2 of the three children in your car fall asleep 12 hours after you got up - check
Drop off child number 3 - check
Drop off child number 2 - check
Drive home, carry in all clothes from today in to wash - check
Run to the bathroom because you only made it to the port-a-potty once all day and you are about to pee your pants - check
Wash uniform to remove all mud from today's games - check
Collapse into bed at 7 pm - check
Go to sleep, wake up, and repeat for day two
Did you remember to actually take pictures when you had the camera out? no. well, there is always tomorrow!

There you go. Now you have experienced a soccer tournament.

Busy Spring

We are at it again. Summer soccer has started and we are busier than ever. Both kids decided to try the school track team this spring so they were doing track and soccer at the same time. Track finally ended for both kids yesterday. Whew! Nathan lettered in track; had a fantastic final meet where he was top 3 in all of his events! He ran sprints, relays, and jumped the long jump. Great job Nate! Michael was on the jr high track team and he loved it. He tried running distance and sprints, high jump and long jump. He was the best 7th grade long jumper on the team - winning every meet he participated in. Way to go Mike!! I believe he will one day be a fabulous middle to long distance runner. Now that track is over, we can concentrate on summer soccer.

No Job Yet :(

I know I should feel grateful for all the blessings I have in my life - a fabulous husband and kids, food on the table, a place to live, clothes to wear........  and I am, but I feel like a total failure in spite of all my good fortune! I feel like the last 3 1/2 years of school was a waste of my time. I never dreamed it would be this hard to find a job. The more places I apply, the more rejection letters roll in. It is a vicious cycle, apply and get rejected or don't apply, don't get rejected but have no chance of getting hired.

I've come to realize that I take rejection very personally. It's hard when people won't even give you a chance. I think it is even harder when they interview you, then reject you for someone "more qualified", and wish you "good luck in your endeavors". I feel like I will never find a job.   

Dear Stupid Driver...

Dear Stupid Driver that was Honking at me,

Hey idiot! I cannot make my turn when there are cars coming! I do not wish to be flat as a pancake just because you are in a hurry. No, I will not make my turn any faster with you laying on your horn. Yes, because you were rude, I will now wait for the light to turn green before I go. I don't care that you are yelling at me from your window to "Move my a** out of the way" because you want to go. It does not matter how close you get to my bumper, I will NOT go any faster AND because you keep honking at me I am now going to slow down to below the speed limit. I do not care that you are in a hurry. You need to learn some manners AND good driving edict. There are plenty of other roads that lead in this direction - take one of them.

Sincerely,

The vindictive lady in front of you

Rejection Hurts

Boy does rejection hurt! I realize the odds of getting a job as a first year teacher right out of college with only subbing experience are pretty low. That knowledge does nothing to lessen the sting when yet another reject email/letter shows up. It is always the same, "Thank you for your interest in Joe Schmo School District. Unfortunately you did not get the job. Please try again next year." GRRRR...

Doing the math, I only have 27 more rejection letters to go!

Generosity of Strangers

It never ceases to amaze me the generosity of strangers. Barry and I went out to eat at our FAVORITE mom-and-pop restaurant for lunch. We love this place because of its homey feel, great service, and even better food! It's kind of hard to find if you don't know what you are looking for. It is tucked into the old town strip of buildings with a sign that just says Wagon Wheel - it doesn't even identify its self as a restaurant! Barry was coming from work so he was in uniform and I was wearing my favorite jeans looking like a bum. Anyway, we went in for lunch today - which was fabulous, they never disappoint!! - and when we were ready to leave, somebody paid our bill!! They were paying because Barry was in uniform! I am never more surprised and flabbergasted than when this happens. It has happened several times since we moved back to the States, and every time I wonder who is/are this generous person/people. I would like to thank them, but they always remain anonymous.

So, to all you generous people that pick up the tab for an unsuspecting service member and their family THANK YOU!!

Job Search

I have been subbing in the local school district since I received my license in the mail last month. I have discovered on days I do not sub, I am bored out of my mind! During my student teaching, I was used to being on the go all the time. Every minute of the school day was planned out in detail. The time before and after school was filled with planning and prepping the classroom for that day or the next. As my student-teaching time grew shorter, my thoughts turned to what I would do after it was over. I made a plan. For those of you who know me you are thinking - Go Figure! She has a plan for everything! - My plan included volunteering and subbing in various classrooms of past teachers of my kids. I diligently sent out emails to all the teachers I knew telling them I had finally graduated and explaining that I was inquiring about volunteering in their classroom. I was willing to come in for projects, working one-on-one or small groups of students, making copies, running a station, etc. I had no idea most teachers dislike volunteers! Only 2 responed to my email so my plan quickly went out the door. Now, I am looking to find something to do on my days off or increase the amount of days I sub. The only problem is finding more sub jobs! You have to know somebody that wants you to sub for them. Grrrrr...I feel like the new kid in school again where I don't know anybody!

Being a college graduate used to mean you could find a job quickly after graduation. Not so in today's job market. I have applied to every school district within a 30 minute drive around the town where I live. I have applied across the country in both directions for next school year. Being unemployed is a job in its self! I believe it is more work searching for a job than actually working. With that said, hopefully something permanent will show up soon!

Old Habits

I know the saying is cliche but it is true - old habits die hard! I was sitting at the stop light the other night going to pick up one of the kids from practice, waiting to make a right turn. There was no cross traffic - but I waited until the light turned green to go! Now to most of my friends, this seems really silly and can't figure out what I mean by old habits, but my European friends completely understand what I mean; in Europe, you cannot take a right on a red light! Having spent the last (almost) 4 years back in the U.S., one would think that I broke this habit a long time ago - not so! I find when I do not pay attention, my European driving habits and rules are fully in effect in my head. So if you are at a red light, waiting to make a right turn, and the crazy woman in the car ahead of you is sitting there not even looking at cross traffic - not moving, it is probably me!! Give her some slack and realize she is not acclimated to U.S. driving customs yet!

Christmas letter for 2011

I didn't realize that I had neglected my blog this long! I apologize to all my faithful (if you still exist) readers! To catch you up on the past year, read on for our annual Christmas letter.

Happy Holidays Friends and Family!
We are still in the very (un)wintery state of Minnesota! This winter we are experiencing a lack of that frozen white stuff on the ground - much to my liking!! As I sit here trying to remember all the fun, exciting things that we did this year, I can only concentrate on wondering what adventures the new year will bring. As I contemplate the new adventures, here's a recap of what last year brought us.

Michael
Michael graduated 6th grade in May. He started junior high in the fall! Boy do I feel old! He played soccer all summer long and then decided to join the soccer team at his school in the fall. This winter, he decided to join the ski team. The junior high students play on the high school sports teams so he is playing against much older kids. He manages to hold his own against the older kids and we can see major improvements in his play. He is thinking of joining the track team in the spring. I am really trying to encourage this because I love to run!

Nathan
Nathan finished his freshman year of high school in the spring. He also played soccer all summer long. He started his sophomore year this fall and played on the varsity soccer team. We were pretty impressed at how well he adjusted to varsity level play because he has always been the kid who disliked the pressure of really competitive sports and only played for fun. Once again he swims on the school swim team. He has already made a new PR in his favorite stroke - breaststroke - and is hopping to make it to the state swim meet this year. He is planning on concentrating on his classes in the spring so he will not play any sports.

Barry
Barry completed yet another year of recruiting and continues to do well at his job. This summer he took the kids on a camping trip to South Dakota in the middle of a heat wave! They had fun camping, swimming in the lake, and jet skiing with the Uncles while Barry relaxed in the shade or in the water. He is counting down the months (18) until he can submit his retirement paperwork and become a stay-at-home dad.

Vicki
I started the year out with my last semester of classes before student teaching. All the hard work studying payed off because I made the Dean's list (again) my last semester. I played chauffeur in the summer taking the kids to their soccer games and helped coach Michael's soccer team. In the fall I student-taught in a First Grade classroom. I had the best time teaching first graders to read, write, and understand math. Then in December, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education! The new year finds me job hunting!

We trust everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday break! We hope the new year brings you good fortune, delightful memories, and plenty of fun!