just stopping in quick to say i'm still alive...i know you were all probably really worried. (ha!) i've been busy getting acclimated to my new job and new schedule. for the most part i am loving it...but the getting up an hour early not so much! i'm trying to slowly shift my bedtime earlier, which has been hard. the bf is a night owl and i am a "reformed" night owl. it's definitely a work in progress.
in other news, i have recently become a bona fide soccer mom. with the changes to my schedule as well as soccer practices and games for both kids we are busy busy busy. i will start school again in 2 weeks and that will only add to the chaos. here's to hoping i can handle it all and still retain my sanity. (whatever sanity i have left, that is!)
another change is that the bf's two boys are spending more time here for the summer. we are currently in the middle of a 12 day stint with them. it definitely shakes things up around here in both good and bad ways. for example, i came home today to heaps of wet clothes on my laundry room floor and two "good" bath towels that have mysterious dirt stains all over them. lol. but they also help with some household chores which is nice. i guess we just need to work on finding a good balance. and i'm sure we will.
6.18.2009
5.20.2009
bittersweet goodbyes
kyleigh, upon learning i am getting a new job:
"but you are going to miss your FRIENDS mom!"
young but wise, that one. young but wise.
"but you are going to miss your FRIENDS mom!"
young but wise, that one. young but wise.
5.19.2009
search and ye shall find
how sad is it that i turn up on the first page of results when someone types this:
employment law "pay decrease" minnesota
all i can say is: sigh.
employment law "pay decrease" minnesota
all i can say is: sigh.
2.5 days and counting...
in true company t fashion, there has been some confusion regarding who will be taking over my responsibilities when i leave. i was told one thing, and other people were told something else. gah!
yesterday i sat through an absolutely excruciating meeting with a very high strung girl from another company who is going to be helping out with my stuff while i am gone. the problem is, i was told she will be "helping out" and she was told she will be "taking over". i asked my manager to clarify last week and was given the "helping out" response. but she is gone this week on furlough and is unable to re-clarify. so i am stuck with ms. high strung and her: WHY? BUT WHY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND? BUT HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? WHERE DOES THAT GO? WHY? WHY? HOW COME? about every little thing. and i am not exaggerating. during our meeting i was dreaming up reasons to get the hell away, like faking a bathroom emergency. it would have been worth any embarrassment. trust me.
of course questions are good when you are learning something new. i'm okay with that. but this girl focuses in on the wrong things and totally freaks out. kind of gets angry, really. i am normally a pretty calm person, but i came very close to flipping my lid completely yesterday afternoon. to top it off, this girl has the most whiny, breathless voice i have ever heard from an adult human being. this is not an exaggeration either...everyone who meets her comments on how her voice is kind of like fingernails on a chalkboard. she almost gave me a panic attack. i've never had one before, but meeting with her was the closest i've ever come to one, i'm sure of it.
i was looking forward to a last week of packing, organizing and goodbyes. and now? well, now i'm dreaming up ways to escape even sooner. swine flu, anyone?
yesterday i sat through an absolutely excruciating meeting with a very high strung girl from another company who is going to be helping out with my stuff while i am gone. the problem is, i was told she will be "helping out" and she was told she will be "taking over". i asked my manager to clarify last week and was given the "helping out" response. but she is gone this week on furlough and is unable to re-clarify. so i am stuck with ms. high strung and her: WHY? BUT WHY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND? BUT HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? WHERE DOES THAT GO? WHY? WHY? HOW COME? about every little thing. and i am not exaggerating. during our meeting i was dreaming up reasons to get the hell away, like faking a bathroom emergency. it would have been worth any embarrassment. trust me.
of course questions are good when you are learning something new. i'm okay with that. but this girl focuses in on the wrong things and totally freaks out. kind of gets angry, really. i am normally a pretty calm person, but i came very close to flipping my lid completely yesterday afternoon. to top it off, this girl has the most whiny, breathless voice i have ever heard from an adult human being. this is not an exaggeration either...everyone who meets her comments on how her voice is kind of like fingernails on a chalkboard. she almost gave me a panic attack. i've never had one before, but meeting with her was the closest i've ever come to one, i'm sure of it.
i was looking forward to a last week of packing, organizing and goodbyes. and now? well, now i'm dreaming up ways to escape even sooner. swine flu, anyone?
5.18.2009
3.5 days and counting...
only 3.5 days left for me at company t! and of course, i am getting requests up the wazoo when all i really want to do is tidy and pack. it's funny how some people decide to bombard you at the last minute. ; )
i am soooo looking forward to having my week off in between jobs. it will probably be the last real time off i get for a while. i guess my starting a new job over the summer is kind of bad timing! it will suck not to really have any days off when the weather is nice. oh well, it's the price i have to pay.
employees at our parent company were told on friday that they are getting a temporary pay decrease for june and july that is equivalent to a week off unpaid. they can take 5 days off during june and july in return. it just adds fuel to the fire for me and makes me even more glad i am leaving. as i was cleaning out my emails i found more than 50 notices of plant closings and layoffs within our corporation from the last year and a half. probably kind of morbid for me to have saved them, but again...more fuel for the fire!
i know things are rough pretty much everywhere, but i stopped respecting the leadership at company t a long time ago, and it feels really good to know i will soon be free of it all. i just wish i could take all of my friends along with me!
i am soooo looking forward to having my week off in between jobs. it will probably be the last real time off i get for a while. i guess my starting a new job over the summer is kind of bad timing! it will suck not to really have any days off when the weather is nice. oh well, it's the price i have to pay.
employees at our parent company were told on friday that they are getting a temporary pay decrease for june and july that is equivalent to a week off unpaid. they can take 5 days off during june and july in return. it just adds fuel to the fire for me and makes me even more glad i am leaving. as i was cleaning out my emails i found more than 50 notices of plant closings and layoffs within our corporation from the last year and a half. probably kind of morbid for me to have saved them, but again...more fuel for the fire!
i know things are rough pretty much everywhere, but i stopped respecting the leadership at company t a long time ago, and it feels really good to know i will soon be free of it all. i just wish i could take all of my friends along with me!
vacation!
four days from now the bf and i will be heading to the airport, ready for a little weekend vacation here:
i can't wait! what a way to kick off my departure from company t!!!
i can't wait! what a way to kick off my departure from company t!!!
5.15.2009
fingers crossed!
today my brother-in-law is interviewing for a job with my new employer. they still have two positions to fill for another catalog and i think he would be perfect for the job. keep your fingers crossed for him!
i don't know if i ever ran down the list of hoops i had to go through in order to get this position...but here is a (long, long) list.
1. contacted by recruiter on linkedin
2. phone interview with recruiter
3. interview in minneapolis with recruiter
4. complete assessment tests and 6 interview questions (excel and word)
5. interview in edina with my soon to be manager
6. interviews in owatonna:
a. other manager
b. creative dept (2 people)
c. procurement dept (2 people)
d. category managers (2 people)
7. assessment tests on computer (same day as owatonna interviews)
8. psychological evaluation / assessment testing in downtown minneapolis
9. interview with president of the company in edina.
and these were only the physical things i had to do. there was also calling of my references, background checks and more!
so yeah....there is no doubt that i earned this one. it was a pain in the arse during the process, but it sure feels good now!
i don't know if i ever ran down the list of hoops i had to go through in order to get this position...but here is a (long, long) list.
1. contacted by recruiter on linkedin
2. phone interview with recruiter
3. interview in minneapolis with recruiter
4. complete assessment tests and 6 interview questions (excel and word)
5. interview in edina with my soon to be manager
6. interviews in owatonna:
a. other manager
b. creative dept (2 people)
c. procurement dept (2 people)
d. category managers (2 people)
7. assessment tests on computer (same day as owatonna interviews)
8. psychological evaluation / assessment testing in downtown minneapolis
9. interview with president of the company in edina.
and these were only the physical things i had to do. there was also calling of my references, background checks and more!
so yeah....there is no doubt that i earned this one. it was a pain in the arse during the process, but it sure feels good now!
5.13.2009
a welcome "basket"
okay, so i am posting this all over the place, but i'm so excited!!! i came home to this today:
definitely makes me feel that all the hoops i had to jump through to get this job were very well worth it. what company does this??? none i have worked for, that's for sure! what a great way to make a new employee feel welcome. i am impressed and even more excited to start my new position june 1st!!
definitely makes me feel that all the hoops i had to jump through to get this job were very well worth it. what company does this??? none i have worked for, that's for sure! what a great way to make a new employee feel welcome. i am impressed and even more excited to start my new position june 1st!!
5.12.2009
I got a new job!! Starting June 1st, I will be working as a Category Manager on this line: Play with a Purpose
My last day of my current job is Thursday, May 21. On May 22 the bf and I fly to Chicago for a little weekend getaway. The following week I have off, and then will start the new job on Monday, June 1st.
We have started to get our townhouse ready to try and sell it. Putting up shelving in the garage, sheet rock and shelving in the laundry room, painting and redoing the downstairs bathroom. We want to move to a bigger house that is closer to the kids' school. It won't be any closer to my new job (45 minutes away) but it would still save driving time since I wouldn't have to travel 15 minutes every morning just to get the kids dropped off.
I'm not sure how well the selling will go, there are a lot of homes exactly like ours and the value has gone down. But ours will have some special "perks" that the others don't. Hopefully it won't take more than 6 months to sell, but even if it takes that long or longer, we'll make it work somehow!!!
My last day of my current job is Thursday, May 21. On May 22 the bf and I fly to Chicago for a little weekend getaway. The following week I have off, and then will start the new job on Monday, June 1st.
We have started to get our townhouse ready to try and sell it. Putting up shelving in the garage, sheet rock and shelving in the laundry room, painting and redoing the downstairs bathroom. We want to move to a bigger house that is closer to the kids' school. It won't be any closer to my new job (45 minutes away) but it would still save driving time since I wouldn't have to travel 15 minutes every morning just to get the kids dropped off.
I'm not sure how well the selling will go, there are a lot of homes exactly like ours and the value has gone down. But ours will have some special "perks" that the others don't. Hopefully it won't take more than 6 months to sell, but even if it takes that long or longer, we'll make it work somehow!!!
5.06.2009
cinco de mayo from a 7 year old's perspective
last night my kids were talking about cinco de mayo at the dinner table. i listened in as my 7 year old described the holiday to her younger brother. pretty cute and not too far off, either!
"cinco de mayo is celebrated in mexico because the mexicans fought the french. i think it was because the french said that mexico owed them some money. and the french were busy building the statue of liberty. and then the mexicans and the french fought a battle in mexico because the french wanted money. and the mexicans won. so that is why they celebrate cinco de mayo."
not too shabby! the statue of liberty part was funny, and it was pretty cute listening to her lecturing tone while she was explaining this to her brother. : )
"cinco de mayo is celebrated in mexico because the mexicans fought the french. i think it was because the french said that mexico owed them some money. and the french were busy building the statue of liberty. and then the mexicans and the french fought a battle in mexico because the french wanted money. and the mexicans won. so that is why they celebrate cinco de mayo."
not too shabby! the statue of liberty part was funny, and it was pretty cute listening to her lecturing tone while she was explaining this to her brother. : )
5.04.2009
toothless wonder!
my baby boy lost his two front teeth yesterday! they were both loose, but not quite ready to come out...until the boys started wrestling around yesterday afternoon and one of them rolled over poor kolby's head! he came upstairs bleeding and crying with teeth even more loose than they were before. it took some work on the part of the bf and some bravery on the part of my poor boy, but both teeth came out. after the initial shock, my boy was so proud of those two teeth!
kolby was even more excited this morning when he looked under his pillow and found a prize from the tooth fairy. he woke me up this morning by standing in front of me holding his loot. it's so fun to see the kids get so excited!
kolby was even more excited this morning when he looked under his pillow and found a prize from the tooth fairy. he woke me up this morning by standing in front of me holding his loot. it's so fun to see the kids get so excited!
4.29.2009
Pioneer Woman Rolls = YUM!!!!
I made these last night and they were SOOO goooood!!!
(Image from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)
The recipe came from The Pioneer Woman and you can find it here.
Mine were a little different, I used cream cheese frosting because I do not care for maple. Also, I cut the recipe in half. It STILL made five round pans full of gooey luscious cinnamon rolls! I dropped some off for my sis and her family on the way to work this morning. I left some for the "day care ladies" at my son's daycare center. I brought some to share at work. I left a pan full at home. Cinnamon rolls everywhere! Death by cinnamon rolls...doesn't sound too bad!
(Image from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)
The recipe came from The Pioneer Woman and you can find it here.
Mine were a little different, I used cream cheese frosting because I do not care for maple. Also, I cut the recipe in half. It STILL made five round pans full of gooey luscious cinnamon rolls! I dropped some off for my sis and her family on the way to work this morning. I left some for the "day care ladies" at my son's daycare center. I brought some to share at work. I left a pan full at home. Cinnamon rolls everywhere! Death by cinnamon rolls...doesn't sound too bad!
4.28.2009
fortune
I opened this fortune from a yummy little fortune cookie today:
"Your present plans are going to succeed."
If this is true, my friends, then I am destined to be a very happy girl indeed!
"Your present plans are going to succeed."
If this is true, my friends, then I am destined to be a very happy girl indeed!
just a little (but much needed) vaca...
today i finalized the plans and reservations for a little memorial weekend trip to chicago for the bf and i. we will take the day off work that friday and fly out from the twin cities at 11:30. (should give us time to get the kids dropped off at school/daycare and then head for the airport.) we will fly back in to mn around 8:00 on sunday night...which will give us monday to recover before heading back to work on tuesday.
it's been too long since the bf and i had a nice little vacation together. and this one is CHEAP. i LOVE LOVE LOVE that southwest has started flying out of the twin cities. round trip to chicago for about $120!!! can't beat it!!
the bf's sister lives in chicago too, so we will definitely spend some time with her. the bf has never been to chicago and i've only been there for a business trip, so it should be fun. it's always nice to just get away though, no matter what we do!
does anyone have any tips on "must see" or "must do" while we are there for the weekend?
it's been too long since the bf and i had a nice little vacation together. and this one is CHEAP. i LOVE LOVE LOVE that southwest has started flying out of the twin cities. round trip to chicago for about $120!!! can't beat it!!
the bf's sister lives in chicago too, so we will definitely spend some time with her. the bf has never been to chicago and i've only been there for a business trip, so it should be fun. it's always nice to just get away though, no matter what we do!
does anyone have any tips on "must see" or "must do" while we are there for the weekend?
4.21.2009
too funny not to share!
This is courtesy of my sister tonight while she was trying to explain her genealogy to my Niece B:
Sis: "So I'm 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 German, 1/4 Norwegian, and 1/4 English."
Niece M: "And I'm 1/2 Chinese!"
Nephew E: "And I'll have macaroni and chicken!"
*honestly? i nearly peed my pants over this.
Sis: "So I'm 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 German, 1/4 Norwegian, and 1/4 English."
Niece M: "And I'm 1/2 Chinese!"
Nephew E: "And I'll have macaroni and chicken!"
*honestly? i nearly peed my pants over this.
growing up
yet another sign this morning of how fast my kids are growing up. this heard in the back seat on the way to school and work this morning:
"raise your hand if you HATE dora the explorer!"
(two hands go up)
guess it's time to pack away the dora umbrella and other lingering dora items of yesteryear. sigh...
"raise your hand if you HATE dora the explorer!"
(two hands go up)
guess it's time to pack away the dora umbrella and other lingering dora items of yesteryear. sigh...
4.16.2009
mixed emotions
i am trying to write an email to kolby's current daycare telling them that he will be leaving there in june to attend daycare at the elementary school with his sister. since he is going into kindergarten in the fall, he is eligible to go to the same daycare as kyleigh, and this is what he wants to do. believe me, i've asked repeatedly. because even though it will be more convenient having them together, it makes me so SAD that he is leaving GH!
kolby has been at his current daycare (GH) since he was just under two...about four years ago now! we have had a few minor rough patches but overall it has been a wonderful place for the kids! (kyleigh went there for a couple of years too.)
so i am seriously tearing up writing the email. moving kolby out of GH daycare is just another sign of how fast the kids are growing up. that and the fact that i now have to literally chase kolby down for a hug when i drop him off in the mornings. (this from the kid who would kiss my cheek just a few months ago.) they will have preschool graduation in a month or so too, and i shudder to think of the wreck i will be on that day. i may just have to wear sunglasses.
there are so many things in life that i manage to NOT get emotional about. but when it comes to my kids i can be reduced to a big puddle of mush. now...i suppose i should get back to that email. sigh. *sob*
kolby has been at his current daycare (GH) since he was just under two...about four years ago now! we have had a few minor rough patches but overall it has been a wonderful place for the kids! (kyleigh went there for a couple of years too.)
so i am seriously tearing up writing the email. moving kolby out of GH daycare is just another sign of how fast the kids are growing up. that and the fact that i now have to literally chase kolby down for a hug when i drop him off in the mornings. (this from the kid who would kiss my cheek just a few months ago.) they will have preschool graduation in a month or so too, and i shudder to think of the wreck i will be on that day. i may just have to wear sunglasses.
there are so many things in life that i manage to NOT get emotional about. but when it comes to my kids i can be reduced to a big puddle of mush. now...i suppose i should get back to that email. sigh. *sob*
4.15.2009
don't you just hate it when...
don't you just hate it when you are paying for your food at subway...and you pick up your change only to notice that you have dropped a pantyliner from your purse onto the counter while putting said change away? and then the poor guy at the cash register looks at you like you have two heads?
not that i know what this feels like, of course...
not that i know what this feels like, of course...
4.10.2009
things heard (and seen) while watching 5 kids...
yesterday i had the day off work to watch three of my sister's kids as well as my own two. we went to their house at 8:00 and were scheduled to be there till 5:00. let me start by saying i love these kids. all of them. my nieces and nephews all have their own wonderful personalities and traits, as do my own children. the ages of the kids i had yesterday were 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. do you know how LOUD that can get? just checkin. and also pretty funny. i loved the moments of "raise your hand if you want to eat dessert pizza every day!" or "i had to come inside and go potty cuz i was starting to do the potty dance outside." i also got a pretty good chuckle out of catching my 4 year old nephew in the wide open spaces of the neighbor's yard with his pants down around his ankles, ready to relive himself in front of God and everybody. oh, the stories we will have to tell these kids when they get older!
as much as i enjoyed my time with the kiddos, i have to admit to being somewhat relieved to be back to the grind today. i am one of those people who would go nuts staying home with the kids every day. kudos to those of you who do!
as much as i enjoyed my time with the kiddos, i have to admit to being somewhat relieved to be back to the grind today. i am one of those people who would go nuts staying home with the kids every day. kudos to those of you who do!
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