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.