Fasten Your Seatbelts

Tired, but having fun. For every 5 times I have thought "I am freaking insane for thinking this was a good idea" there have been 10 more where I was blown away by what a great idea it was. The kids are having a wonderful time, taking in all that there is to take in here during the Xmas season. David has had his moments - it's what he does - but other than that, so far smooth with a few bumps...

5 Minutes Before Go Time

So, I'm sitting here with my coffee, enjoying the last few minutes of peace and silence I will have in almost a week, waiting for the brood to wake up. Of course, on this day, no one is in any hurry to get out of bed. Poor David, he has been saying "Go time!" every time we leave the house for the last 2 days. He doesn't even understand what Disneyland is, but he knows that Mickey and Poo will be there, so that is good enough for him.

I'm going to enjoy myself for 5 minutes and then get moving. We are hoping to get on the road by 7, but it's doubtful at this point.

Honestly, I don't know how I will ever fly anywhere. The sheer amount of luggage would necessitate a team of people helping us.

We're going to pile in the car and get ready for our 7 hour trip to Disneyland.

And from that point on, peace & silence will be but a distant memory.

Wine has been packed.

Good New, Bad News, Good News

So I think I briefly mentioned a very promising job opportunity that had arisen recently. I haven't posted about it as I haven't wanted to jinx it. I am still hesitant to go into detail about it.

Last week, I saw that a position had opened up for The Assistant to the Superintendent for the local school district where I live. The job paid well, sounded like a great opportunity and good fit. The best part? It is located exactly 6 blocks from my HOUSE. That's right. I drive by the school district headquarters every day on my way to work.

To apply, I needed to furnish a letter of introduction, my resume & a letter of reference. My boss was extremely busy, so I just wrote my own letter of recommendation (from her), then had her sign it. :) Fortunately, she is on board with my job search (she's more like family than a boss) so was happy to do it.

Last Monday, I was called by the personnel director to come in and test for the position.

I wasn't sure what to expect, only knowing that there would be a typing test involved. I am a fairly speedy typist so I wasn't too worried about that part. The rest was a mystery.

I arrived a little early and parked across the street. I didn't want them to see my car seats. It feels wrong to hide such a huge part of my identity, but in the early stages of being considered as a potential job candidate, being the mother to 3 small children can only be seen as a liability. Harsh, but true. I'd like them to judge me completely on my merit and experience.

It was a medium sized, older office. The equipment all looked very current and there were renderings of the middle school renovation that will be happening in the next few years. It felt comfortable there. Several people walked by while I was waiting and they all smiled and made small talk as they passed. The mood was jovial, I could hear them joking with each other. It put me at ease.

I was taken back to a conference room and given the English usage test. I have to say - the test was tricky, even for this English major! (Although, I am always quick to point out that my concentration was literature, which is quite different than the concentration in grammar). I found myself second guessing my answers quite a bit.

Next, came the typing test. I passed that, no problem.

The final part of the test had to with the department itself. I was given minimal situational information, then asked to write a thank you letter to a donor based on the information. Next, I was given a chart of all the department heads and asked a series of approximately 10 questions about whether I would a) interrupt the superintendent in a meeting or b) direct the issue to another person and if so, why that person?

I felt fairly confident, but you never know. When 2 days passed with no phone call, I was starting to think I must have made some egregious error on the test.

Then, today, I got the call. Good news? They wanted me to come in and interview.

Bad news? They wanted me to come in Monday. Next Monday. While I'm at Disneyland.

I asked if there was any way to come in on another day, that I was going to Los Angeles, yada yada. Apparently, this was the day they had scheduled for interviewing, so it was this or nothing.

I was so disappointed. The personnel director offered to ask if I could do a phone interview, but he didn't sound like it was likely. I didn't beg, but I let her know that I was very interested and if there was any way for me to change my plans, I would but that they were just unchangeable.

I went back to work and told my boss what was going on. She immediately said I should fly up for the interview on Monday. My immediate reaction was "Are you smoking crack?" (I don't think I used those words, but you get the idea)

There was no way I was leaving my vacation to fly up for an interview that was such an unknown. I know that there are employees within the department applying for the position. If I was unemployed or this was a 2nd or 3rd interview, I might consider flying up, but not under the present circumstances.

I'm not going to lie, I was feeling extremely frustrated. I mean, let's face it, I've been looking for a job since last January. I have only heard back from a handful of employers. Granted, I've been fairly selective in what I've applied for, but still, my self esteem has taken a beating. It's the first interview I've been genuinely excited about and it has to land on a day that I'm out of town? I never go anywhere!

That said, I honestly felt and continue to feel that if the job was meant for me, things would work themselves out.

So, about an hour later, I got the call that the superintendent had agreed to a phone interview!! GOOD NEWS! Granted, it's in the middle of my breakfast with Mickey, but I'll just have to be a little late for my waffle.

Now, in addition to getting ready to take my family of 5 to Disneyland for 5 days, I need to prepare for the most important interview I have had in over 10 years.

I know, such problem, right? VERY EXCITED.

To the Nines

So, after my diligent laundering and bed making yesteday, both boys spilled their entire sippies of water in their crib last night. Beauty.

We had our H1N1 shots today - well the kids did. The best part of this? I left work and met my husband at the pediatrician's office with the kids. I had helped Sofia get dressed in the morning, but was greeted by this outfit that I most definitely did not pick out.



Sofia in her full-on, dressed to the nines, Christmas dress. I bought it about a month ago at Kohl's. It's not very Christmasy, but figured we could get more use out of a less Yuletide looking frock. That said, I didn't plan on her wearing it so early in the season.

I will say that the headband did not come with it. My little fashionista added that touch herself. I'm not sure what bothered me more, the fact that she thought going to get a flu shot was something akin to a party OR the fact that my husband didn't think leaving the house in a party dress and Mary Janes to go to the doctor's office might be outside the realm of acceptability.

Her happy go lucky mood did not last long.

My tough as nails little girl, the girl who has never so much as batted an eye during the many shots of her life freaking *FLIPPED* out during her shot. Dropping to the ground, grabbing at her arm and trying to kick the nurse FLIPPING out.

And then it was over and she got a sticker and McDonald's.

I made Steve promise to get her out.of.that.dress as soon as they got home. I came home HOURS later and found the dress on the floor of the family room.

Deep breaths.

PDM - Pre Disney Mode

So, being the Type A freak that I am and today being the last day entire day I have free before we leave early Friday, I spent the day in pre-Disney mode.

5 loads of laundry have been done. Beds have been stripped and made. Lists have been made as well as {gasp} a spreadsheet itinerary. Bags are 80% packed, including snacks and wine. {Priorities, right?}

I'm feeling a lot better about the readiness for our "vacation," but also quite spent. Sofia has been "on" since about 6:30 a.m. and the boys have too. Steve went out to jam with his friends this afternoon, so I was on my own. At least the boys took a nap. Sofia was working my frayed last nerve all the way through.

Sofia spent most of the afternoon sorting her toys and grouping them together appropriately. A little OCD, perhaps? All the while sashing around in a princess bathing suits and sparkle princess shoes.



The dinos



The snake slithers toward the "man" doll



The Disney contingent



The soft, warm & fuzzy animals



The frogs & fish



The baby dolls








The boys "helping" clean





Sofia in her "castle"



And she's going down...

It's Time for the Tinkerbell Sticks

No, it's not a new Lady GaGa lyric.



Last April, about a week before we departed for Disneyland, I found an idea somewhere that seemed like it might be a win-win. The idea was to get a jar and motivate my daughter to display stellar behavior by earning little stars.

A star could be earned by brushing teeth, getting dressed, cleaning up toys, making the bed and whatever else I deemed starworthy. The reward for the stars happened the night before we left for Disneyland. "Tinkerbell" came and replaced the stars with dollar bills. The money was then used at Disneyland for anything she wanted (and fit in her budget). Last year, she earned 7 stars. It was incredibly gratifying to see the excitement on her face to know she had seven.whole.dollars to spend on anything she wanted!! She decided to spend the whole $7 on a massive Mickey Mouse balloon that wouldn't fit on the airplane for the return ride home, but that's neither here nor there. She wanted the balloon, it was her money, so she stood in a crowd of people to wrangle herself a balloon.

This year, I couldn't find stars, so we're using craft sticks. I was short on time and only had the dollar store to peruse, so figured that craft sticks are always good to have on hand. We're also including the boys in the game. I think they are more excited about the prospect of Tinkerbell being in the conversation than any reward.

Tonight, Sofia asked how Tinkerbell knows to come to our house.

"I emailed her," I said, matter of factly.

"Is she a real fairy OR a person *dressed up* as a fairy?"

She's such a buzzkill.

7 Quick Takes Friday - Binky, Orange!

Seven Quick Takes - 11/06/09

1. I took a test for a promising job yesterday. I know I passed the first portion of the test, I am not sure about the second portion. The job pays fairly well and is located exactly 7 blocks from my house, with the local school district. It would be a vast understatement to say that I want this job. Badly. Fingers and toes crossed.

2. I went to my local mother’s club board meeting last night and once again, volunteered for things. Why, oh why do I do this to myself? I am responsible for a whole slew of things, most before the end of the year, some before Thanksgiving. Oy! (who am I kidding, I love it!) I get a few glasses of wine in me and become willing to do everything! The group is really starting to gel and I feel much more comfortable in my role. I’m starting to feel very at home on the coast and with my new friends, looking forward to the holidays and several upcoming local events.

3. The kids pediatrician finally has H1N1 injectible vax for the kids. I called a few days ago and was told I would be called (we were on wait list). At the risk of seeming neurotic (what? Who, me?) I called the office this morning just to verify that they were on the list. I was put on hold for a loooooong time. When the receptionist returned, she told me that I was on the list, but it hadn’t been noted that the kids had asthma. Beautiful. They were very apologetic and we made an appointment for Monday. The boys will get thimiserol free and Sofia the regular injection. Now, I just need to keep them healthy over the weekend.

4. We are leaving for Disneyland exactly one week from today. I am excited and anxious. Excited to see my dear friend who is flying in from Austin to meet us and anxious about 5 solid days of Disney magic with 3 preschoolers. I love Disney, but not sure how the sleeping (or lack thereof) situation is going to shake down. To bring a stroller or not bring a stroller, that is another question. Such problems, I know. I’ll just shut the F up now.

5. I just found out that a few of the houses on my street are probably heading towards foreclosure, including a family we know fairly well. This makes me sad.

6. I just remembered that I have to attend a friend's 40th birthday party tomorrow. My husband actually reminded me of it, which is ironic beyond belief. I had written it on our dry erase board, then forgot about it. That's so me. She's having an all day open house where we come and help her create a scrapbook of pictures of her over the years. Should be fun. I was her maid of honor in her 2003 wedding (one month before mine). She is now divorced.

7. The boys were up at 3 a.m. and ready to rock and roll. Fortunately, this does not happen often, but boy - I was not ready to rock and roll. I awoke to cries of "Binky! Orange! Binky! Orange!" and could not find said orange binky anywhere. I had to console him and convince him that the blue binky really was the same, but he wasn't buying it. I guess having a binky issue is apropos considering the name of my blog...