Qualified Part 2

Well I didn't come in my sweatpants, but I guess whatever vibe I gave off was good enough for a one-on-one interview.  So an interview was scheduled quite quickly today and I will be ironing my best sweats for 2:30 tomorrow (Tuesday).  Okay so maybe I'll pull out the black pants, but either way it's going down tomorrow afternoon.  I pray that God has His hand over my interview and all the other ones taking place, and I can be content with whatever the outcome may bring.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!

Qualified?

Can you rock out the tight sweatpants such as this girl?

Then good news!  You're qualified to come to an invitation only event for those interested in working with Bright Horizons!

Confused yet?

Don't worry, Thursday night I was confused as well and was left wondering if I was at the right place.

Let me explain....

Thursday night I went to an invitation only event because they are opening a new Bright Horizons in my neighborhood!  Yes, if you were wondering I would desperately LOVE to get this job.  Although, I have found myself saying this about jobs before.  This event was to give out information about this new location and meet people/gather documents to start the selection process.  Aka step one of getting this job.  I'm about the 5th person to arrive out of almost 40, so I was able to sit, wait, and watch the fellow people I need to "beat out" (not that i'm competitive or anything).  As I watch I obviously am interested in how others are dressed to present themselves.  I was rocking out black pants and this pink sweater type shirt with a black collared shirt underneath.  I see some people dressed similar to myself.  Then I found myself taking a second glance.  There were people coming in with jeans on.  Ummm did I miss the casual memo?  I was surprised a little, but I think there always has to be one.  But then,  I found myself taking a second glance, rubbing my eyes, and taking a third and fourth glance.  Could it be?  Yes, a girl walks in with black tight sweatpants on and was obviously wearing a thong underneath...guess she had nothing to hide.  Where am I was all I could think. Only a week previously you could have found me basically crying and having a break down in New York & Company because I couldn't find anything I liked. I was having a serious emotional breakdown of how young I look.  And this girl was walking in with sweatpants?!!!!!!! May I please at least get to the next stage of callbacks?

As January finds this home pretty darn quiet, I have found myself with nothing to blog about.  I hope this story is fuel for a little laughter in your heart as it has now become the new running joke in our home when either of us puts on sweatpants.

P.S. I have something exciting to blog about but can't until it becomes official.  Look for a blog on Feb 8th at about 5:15. And no, I'm not pregnant.

The Lady Who Wrote my Life...

Nancy Poydar....I'm pretty sure she has written a book about me.  I haven't read it yet, but from the description and by the picture on the front it's got to be about me!

Sam is getting nervous. The BIG TEST is coming. The older kids claim the BIG TEST booklet is as huge as a telephone book. They say when it’s over, you have to put your arm in a sling. They tell Sam that nobody ever finishes the test.

This will be my fate come tomorrow afternoon.  And, I might even come home with a sling.

Dear MTLE social studies and science,
         I love you.  Can we please part ways after the test tomorrow?
Sincereley, with all the brain power I have,
Amanda

I swear after I finally pass this test I WILL be buying this book and if it holds up to it's title, I will read it to every student I'm blessed with.  If there is any teacher out there who's got sympathy for a kid taking a test it's this one!

Roller coasters

I never have liked them very much.  Not sure if it's the long, torturous time it takes to go up the clanking rail (that I'm sure is about to fall apart any minute) or if it's the going down where my stomach and all other organs in my body suddenly end up in my mouth, but I usually can only handle those baby roller coasters. Pepsi coaster at camp snoopy anyone?

Life is a lot like a roller coaster.  Up and down.  Down and up.  It always seems to be one or another.

Up - Going home at Christmas
Down - Coming back and having to buy groceries...seriously we have tax on our groceries here!!! Ugh

Up - Getting a job at Huntington in 24 hours
Down - A month later they "don't have a job for me" after having not gotten one minute of work (No you didn't miss anything. I never posted about this because I was too upset.)

Up - Notre Dame getting into the National Championship game
Down - If they lose tonight

Up - Getting everything in order to take the MTLE...again (Jan 18th)
Down - Having to pay the registration fee on top of the test fee once again because it only lasts for a year

Up - Starting to knit myself a sweater
Down - Making a mistake and realizing exactly how long this is going to take!

I recently have had a few other Ups happen.  Upon our return I found out about a new Bright Horizons that is opening right here in Hyde Park. I found where to apply and quickly sent in my application.  You may remember me applying here before.  I had a first stage phone interview that went great, but the location just didn't need me.  That same person I had an interview with invited me to an invitation only event for people interested in working at this new location.  I GOT IN! Jan 24th I'll be putting my best foot forward in hopes for a job with them.  The second up was another opening that I stumbled upon. It is for the same very first position I applied for in June.  A teaching assistant.     

Both of these Up's in my roller coaster ride have me hopeful for more work once again.  I'm not begging for your prayers (even though they are so so so greatly appreciated), but instead am resting in the fact that it's all in God's hands.  If either one of these Up's are leading to a Down in the near future, then it wasn't meant to be.

Hope your own roller coaster is treating you well!!!

Christmas Craze

Well another Christmas has come and gone.  Although Christmas always seems special and fun and my favorite holiday, this Christmas held special moments and new traditions as we learned how to be married and celebrate with everyone at the same time.  Was I nervous for how everything would pan out?  Maybe.  Did I have anything to be nervous about?  NOPE!  We got to see everyone on Christmas day and eat more than I can believe.  Pretty perfect if you ask me. We celebrated the day with Patrick's family, my family, and even our beloved Jaeger family.

Poor Lady...The boys wrapped up a treat and she couldn't get it.

Mom opening some dishcloths I made her

The huge box would have been more exciting if he didn't already know what was inside.

Matthew at the start of his scavenger hunt to get his new hockey bag.

Getting the clue out of Lady's dog house.

Christmas was a little overwhelming for poor Lady

Mom's beautiful Christmas dinner table

Bennet and I found some time for snuggles admist his hard day of tears.

Lakin opening our gift of 1000 stickers!!  Yes that's a lot of little stickers for Mom and Dad to find around the house!

She was soo happy!

Showing off her tutu from "Lady."  She had two red tutus on at this point.  Girl can never get enough tutus

 In Shupert fashion we also spent our fair share of time at the hockey rinks all across Minnesota as well.  The team won 4 of the 5 games we were home for and Matthew kept up his scoring streak.  Can't ask for much more!

Patrick and I went to his best friend's gig to kick off the new year.  It was quite an interesting crowd but with the help of Patrick's brother we made the best of it!

Take notice...Hot new boots!!  Thanks mom and dad!

So now it's January 2nd (almost 3rd) and we have made it back to the land of Chicago where there is NO SNOW!  Not a drop people!  Although it was really hard leaving everyone once again, driving back, and unpacking, the routine must start again sometime! We were so blessed to have a perfect first Christmas.  Here's to hoping 2013 brings fun new surprises and challenges no bigger than we can handle.

Writing...Hesitantly

I hemmed and hawed about writing this down.  On one hand I don't want to be a downer on anyone's day on the other hand I view this blog as one way to keep memories and this has got to be in the books and I also value any prayers that may come as a result of this blog (boy does this girl need them!).

I wrote a little while ago about "The Beast" aka our radiator.  It bangs...all day...all night...ever...so...LOUDLY!!!!  It causes us to not sleep.  When I say not sleep I don't mean one night of lousy sleep.  I mean up all night long for multiple nights in a row.  When do we sleep?  We finally sleep when we have not slept so many nights in a row and are finally so exhausted that we are able to sleep through it. I'm pretty sure the L(train) could come through our bedroom and I would sleep through it. I am actually thankful that I don't have a full time job because I don't know how I would be able to do it.  On the days I have to work, it's not until later in the day and it's only for a few hours.

Speaking of work...I said (a long time ago) I got hired at Hunting Learning Center.  I still haven't had any hours in the books with them.  Why you might ask? Good question I'm still trying to figure it out for myself.  I have called and called and they have had a serious lack of calling back.  I have been promised a phone call each day this week from them and have not had a single one.  They are having problems getting everything scheduled with the schools I guess but that is the complete extent of information I know.  With all their lack of information I am also nervous how many hours a week I'm actually going to get from them.  This obviously leads to financial worry that I try EVER SO HARD to not have as I know it's in God's hands.  UGH!

Speaking of hands...maybe some people on our floor are missing them because every time I go to do laundry people have their laundry just sitting in the washer or dryer for hours on end.  Okay I know a pretty sad complaint.  But when you have all this stuff piling up, it's the little things that make you pop.

I cannot wait for the day we are able to look back at this blog entry and say, "CAN YOU BELIEVE WE SURVIVED"...okay actually I just hope we do survive.  We heard a message on Sunday about how Christmas makes your highs higher and your lows lower.  Even though Patrick and I have a huge high as it is our FIRST Christmas sharing together, we have so many lows I'm trying to push away.

So there is my downer for the night.  I know there are people that have it worse than us.  I know we have an endless amount of things to be thankful for.  But sometimes...just sometimes your heart can get pretty heavy and you can feel like everything is falling apart.  Tonight is just one of those nights.  I guess it probably can only go up from here though right?

We're trying to set a record here!

Everyone from "back home" (aka Rochester and St. Cloud) are posting their snow pictures.  Well I figured I should post mine except....it hasn't exactly gotten cold enough to snow.  So...you're left with rainy day pics. If it doesn't snow by tomorrow we will have set a new record for days without snowfall.  So am I cheering for snow or the new record?  I think it's obvious.  Bring on the rain!

The next picture is mostly for mom.  She bought us our first ornament for our tree when they were here and I totally forgot about it till the other day!  It's the Chicago skyline of course :)

So with the gloomy rain outside it's a snuggle up on the couch, take a nap, and relax sort of Sunday.  Enjoy the snow and try to stay out of the ditches you Minnesotans!!!