Don't Cry, Don't Cry, Don't Cry...

Don't Cry, Don't Cry, Don't Cry. I keep telling myself that as I help my 3 little ones pack to leave me for a week. I'm not sure why this is so hard for me. I've known they were going for a while now. They are more than capable of doing this and having fun while they are gone but, but, but, but they are supposed to miss me and I just don't know if that will happen. You see Saturday morning I will put my 3 babies on a big ole airplane and let them trapse off across the countryside for the next week. Actually, 2 are going to Especially For Youth and the youngest is going to stay with a friend.But they are all flying to the same destination. I just don't think they should go, at least they should not want to leave me so easily. They seem so excited, they just can't seem to go fast enough. What if they need me while they are there, they'll be thousands, yes THOUSANDS, of miles away. I don't know maybe they should stay home. That won't happen because then my babies would morph back into 3 teenagers who would hate me forever. I just want them to be safe, have a great time, make some incredible memories and maybe, just maybe, miss mommy a little. OK so they haven't called me mommy in many years. But, it seems like they were all born yesterday. I know, I know, I am babbling so how's this. Girls I hope you have the best time. But, please, miss mom just a little while your gone.

Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, off to work I go..

Yeah for me!! I finally did it, with a little help. I have 2 needle holes in my arm, gave bodily fluids to a stranger and get to fight morning traffic again on Wednesday to have someone look at a hole in my skin. All this so I can go to work. Yeah!! I finally got a job. It is the job that I was hoping to get. I did my new hire paperwork today and had a drug test and a physical which included a TB test. It wasn't bad but the blood work area is really sore. I am glad the experience of trying to find a job is behind me. It seemed like it was never going to happen and then when you just about give up, everything falls into place. My hours aren't regular hours but they are still conducive to our family so that is a good thing. Thanks everyone for your encouragement through this difficult time. ;)

By the way, I've been going through my old pictures and posting the ones that I like the best. So, no the seaweed has nothing to do with the job. I don't think it does, anyway.

What happened to the Lazy Days...

Well, we are exactly one week into summer. By now I had planned to have slept late at least once or twice. OK honestly, more like all but one or two days. But, this is ridiculous. We have been back and forth across 3 counties almost every day this last week. Up at the crack of dawn and home later and later every day. And, I can't tell you where all the girls have been. I just know that the last couple of days I had one home, then today I had 2 but the last I won't see till sometime Monday afternoon. I just want to know what happened to the lazy days of summer. We seem to have a calendar that is brimming throughout the month of July and into August and it hasn't even got here yet. I think it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to pay more than 50 dollars to fill the van and then on top of that every time the van leaves the driveway it seems to drink down a 1/4 tank. Aargh, no wonder we always steal Liza's car every chance we get. Maybe we should ban the kids from anything that would require a car. That won't work, we have family in every county but our own. Oh well, it sounded nice.

It's TOO hot. OK, I know it's summer and all but this is ridiculous. We were driving home from one of our county hopping trips to support a cheerleader niece and it was 110 at 6 p.m. So, because it is so hot and I start my job in a week I decided to get my hair ever so slightly cut. So, I go into "cheap hair place" since as noted I start my job next week so I don't have the job funding yet, just the prospect that maybe in the future I can have funds in my wallet that don't jingle. Sorry, I am wandering. Anyway, went in to get my hair cut. Small place, near home, walk in and girl at counter is nice enough. Girl standing with her doesn't greet me or anything, that's fine, whatever. So, She says, Oh, this person will cut your hair. She take me back to her chair and I start to tell her what I want, 1/2 way through she says OK, OK, I got it. Let's go wash. And, that was the last thing she said to me, or anyone else for that matter. What happened to, how's your day, Man, it's hot. Or maybe even, Gee, it must be hot I think you stink. Geez, say something. I was worried at one point that maybe she was carving in the back of my hair. But, nothing, just clip, clip, clip, and then "there you go". OK, next time we bite the bullet and go to the nice place. The hair cut ended up getting revamped when I got home anyway. But, it will be better in a couple of weeks. After all, I just needed it to look a little better for the work badge picture on Monday, Thanks Lady. Oh well, I will look like I was on a tight budget before I started work and now I really appreciate my job.

So, basically it's really, really hot. My kids are wandering all over the county, state or country depending on who you are looking for and I get to start my new job soon. That my friends is my summer in a nut shell. I hope yours is just as fun!!

20 Wishes...

I recently read the Debbie Macomber book entitled, 20Wishes. It is a story about a group of women whose husbands have all recently passes away. They meet periodically to support each other in getting on with there lives. One day one of the women brings up the idea of starting a list of her 20 wishes. These can be as grand or minute as they wish them to be. Then through the course of the book they discuss their progress in working toward their wishes. Some require nothing more than going out and buying what you want, some require taking classes and some require a bit of divine intervention. But, what you gain from the book is that if you stay focused on what you really want it is entirely attainable. So, I have decided to work on a list of my wishes. I seem to be slightly mired with what my day to day needs are and how to go about fulfilling those wishes. But, with a little effort I will get my list done. I'm thinking of using a journal to keep the list and see how I do. Unfortunately, I am currently the supplier of wishes for 3 others right now so I think my wish list may be a little slow in the process. But, hopefully if I focus it will come about. I will focus and we'll see how I do.

Now for bigger and better news. I finally got a job. It is the first job that I applied for, it seems that some large companies take time. I was beginning to think that it was never going to happen but I tried to be patient and things have worked out very well. I will do paperwork and take a physical next week and then I will start after that. I am excited to start working so that I can put some of our debt behind us and change living from day to day to having a future. Things seem messy now but will hopefully get better as time moves forward. Now I need to focus on getting things ready for work. Clothes, the house, things of that nature.

We celebrated Grace's graduation and Mike's birthday this weekend. I think everyone had a good time. We barbecued on the birthday gift. That didn't go as smoothly as planned. I think we need to practice more before we barbecue for anyone else. Grace had a great time, she loved her graduation and enjoyed seeing family. I think everyone had a good time and there was a ton of food so if anyone went hungry it was there fault for not getting themselves something. Next party will be at someone else's house. I have hosted a couple now and would like to be the guest for a change. Besides my house isn't that big and always ends up busting at the seams.

Enjoy your week! Jen

Happy Father's Day!

Well, Father's Day is upon us and after being absent for the last 10 or so living far, far away in the mid west. I will finally get to spend Father's Day with my father. I hope we all can at least appreciate our father's today. So, is it Father, Dad, Daddy, Pop, Pa, Padre, Patriarch, Old Man, PaPa, or Poppy; Just what exactly do you call your father figure? I know as a little girl he was Daddy. Then, later he was Dad. And, pretty much that is who he is. He is someone who is always up for an adventure. As long as it no longer involves 20 below weather with sleet and snow. He is someone who enjoys a good dessert, good food, time with his girls and grand kids. He enjoys his toys, whether it's a car, a tool or a building block. He enjoys Fox News, why I don't know. And, a good nap in the chair. I hope this Father's day we all remember to appreciate our father's. I don't know about you but I know my dad is best. Love you Dad.

I hope you all have a great father's day.

Jen

Frustration is setting in...

So, we moved to Southern California 5 months ago. And, in that 5 months I have sent out what feels like 10,000 resumes, answered countless questions about my abilities and why I am here, I have had several call backs with a few additional interviews. Then there was that one time someone asked for my resume, had me fill out an application and told me it was a sure thing. Now 2 months later and that sure thing is still dangling around, undecided as of last week. Aargh!!I am so frustrated with looking for a job. I know that us being here costs more financially that where we were but I am beginning to feel like the emotional toll is more than I can handle. I get up in the morning and check all of the job boards on the computer. Then go searching through several large corporations and hospital and local governments that post jobs online. Then, a couple times a week I will go through the phone book calling local employment agencies. And so far this has used up an entire ream of paper, caused me go to through thousands of minutes on my phone, and depressed me beyond anything I thought I could sink to. OK so now what you ask. Well, we just get up in the morning and do it all over again hoping that none of my kids ever want to do anything this summer because at the rate of gas prices right now I am lucky if we can buy food when we need it. This really sucks right now.
Sorry for the depressing post but I do feel a little better now that I have vented.

The End Is Near!!

The end of the school year is upon us and I am sooo ready for it. We have spent the last month running in circles trying to get everyone to everything they are supposed to be at. All the time making sure that there is always a parent at each function where a parents face should be, with a smile.
This week, in particular, was like a parents final exam. We did O.K. but we did have one mistake so we don't finish our year off with an A, more like a B. We started on Monday attempting to get everything ready for the insane week. Grace finally had all of her classes straightened out from the move, not a minute too soon, after all there is only one week of school left. Tuesday Catie had an activity at church, Grace had her High School Band Parent Meeting, Eliza had her last choir concert of the year and Mike had meetings until about 10 at night in L.A. That meant that I was the solo parent and needed to be in 3 places at once. This is where I don't get an A. I got Catie a ride to church and went to the band parent meeting but I didn't get a chance to make it to the concert for Liza. And, Liza I am very sorry. I was planning on splitting my time that evening at the high school but this is our first high school band meeting ever and I had to go. Then there was Wednesday, another choir concert by Liza, I thought Mike was going but we didn't work out the logistics so no one went. I know, I know, Bad Mom. Then, Grace and Catie had to be at the theatre by 5 for the last band concert of the year. A movie themed concert where they played different songs from movies and played the movie on the theatre screen. It was very good. And, you got to have a popcorn and soda while you watched. Then, came Thursday. I had mistakenly volunteered to chaperon the Jr. High band at Disneyland for 12 hours. I will not make this mistake again, you only make this mistake once . I was one of several, and basically the kids were loose in the park for a few hours then took a workshop "backstage" for a couple of hours, they get a group pic. and a t-shirt, and then a few more hours in the park. Then, there was Friday, down the home stretch, the Jr High band played the National Anthem at the local minor league game. It was a blast! The kids did really great then stayed for the game sitting in a section all together. Several of my family members went and it was a lot of fun. Then Saturday my only real parent responsibility was to make sure that Liza made it to her SAT test. That only entailed making sure she was up and in her car on time and really I just rolled over asked Mike if he had it taken care of, which he replied yes to so I rolled over and got another hour of sleep. Whoosh. Like I said it was a long week and we are all tired but there are only 4 more days of school left and then Liza will be a Senior, on her last year of high school, the tears are forming; Grace will graduate from Jr High and officially be a Freshman; Catie will be on her last year of Jr High and her last year of school by herself. So now what are we going to do all summer. I hope I can just keep the kids from only having one thing to do at a time. Wish me luck.