Six WHOLE Years!

Happy Birthday to Nathan!

What a wonderful day we spent celebrating the 6th year of a miracle that was given to us on Oct 24th, 2006!

Nathan enjoyed his special day at school surrounded by friends and teachers that just adore him. No one can love him more then his family though! I left work early, headed over to his school and Nathan's classmates and I showered him with kind words, a birthday song and some yummy cupcakes. That evening at Nathan's request, we went to the Cheesecake Factory to indulge in some rich foods and conversation.

Nathan's birth history somehow came up and for the first time, Trevor and Jackson shared some of their memories about that time. Trevor was only 3 yrs old and Jackson was only 15 months old. As hard as it was to hear Trevor trying to put words together that appropriately expressed how he felt then, it was very interesting to hear what he remembers about that difficult time in all of our lives. He remembers Nathan being in the hospital the first time (when he was born and in the NICU), he remembers when Nathan had to be brought back to the hospital just a few weeks after we had just finally been able to bring him home since birth and he remembers the first time he got to hold Nathan. Jackson just kind of tandem Trevor's memories. :-)

I'm glad our kids feel comfortable talking about those years and those specific trying times. I'm really glad Nathan asks questions as they come to him. Usually the questions revolve around his scars.

At age 6 you're usually just barely figuring out what you're good at and your parents sign you up for just about anything because you're exploring your gifts and talents and your possible interests. Shoot, I'm still trying to figure that stuff out myself! Not for Nathan! This kid has talents that are so crystal clear to me and since day 1 has always been very unique. Nathan has such a passion for cooking, baking, acting, designing and his attention to minute detail is unreal! He thinks of extremely deep questions and thoughts that just blow my mind and often make me think twice, 3x or more before I can get an age appropriate answer for him.

I can't say these 6 years have flown by, but I can say that I very much have enjoyed watching Nathan grow into a healthy young boy. He has so much to offer in any friendship and it's an honor to be his mom. I am privileged and blessed to have such a delightful and important role in his life.

Trevor is on a roll!

Sitting at dinner table, getting organized...

Trevor: Mommy, may I have butter on my roll?
Me: Sure
Trevor: Thanks. I like to upgrade my rolls by adding butter.


In the living room casually putting together a 550 pc puzzle...

Me: Wow guys! I finally did it, I got two pieces together!
Trevor: You did?! Good job!
Jackson: WOW! That's really good mommy!
Me: Ya, I'm averaging about 2 pieces for every 10 min.
Jackson: Ya, that's true
Me: But, at least I'm not giving up
Trevor: Ya because you're one of those people!
Me (laughing): I'm one of those people???
Trevor: Ya, you don't give up.

That last great comment made my heart happy. So glad my kids are aware that I'm not a quitter!

Back to School

Let's just go down the line...

Trevor: (4th grade) Quite the adjustment from lower elementary, to upper elementary. Thankfully, still no homework on the weekends...that's required at least. Although, his teacher has already attempted to do so. Nope! Not gonna happen in this household...at least for this year and hopefully next.

Math and the need for high organizational skills seem to be a lot tougher this year already. "Unfair" (naughty word in our home!) kickball teams seem to be most of Trevor's complaints. I'll take it. ;-) The highlight over the last 2.5 weeks of school has been the celebration of Trevor's birthday on a school day. This is the first! Trevor was THRILLED to have his brothers and I bring cold treats for all to share and a ride home in the family car vs. the daily school bus routine. Another highlight I nearly forgot to write, is that Trevor will be in the school orchestra and has been approved to play the trumpet! Lord help us all... :-)

Trevor is still adjusting to all the changes and it'll be a process.

Jackson: (2nd grade) LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his new school! It's amazing how many families we know there at Valley Pres. School (VPS) and yet we had no idea so many of them attended that school. We've seen families we know back from our Awana days, our own church (!), baseball and MET2 (musical the boys were in last year). Jackson sits near the front of the class and has 2 teachers majority of the week. He really enjoys all his own personal school supplies vs. the generic (but nice!) supplies he received in public school.

That leads me to my next thought. Public school vs. Private school; DANG! MAJOR DIFFERENCES! Quality of teachers so far seems comparable. However, the VPS teachers seem to have more patience and don't seem burned out or exhausted. I know it's only been a couple of days back in school but still, this is already a huge noticeable difference for us. The office staff is calm and seem to have a very good handle on all incoming and outgoing systems, families, info, etc. This is also a major difference for us. The Principal isn't running around looking like she's ready to pull her hair out...another major difference. Another difference worth mentioning is the quality of the school work. Pages aren't coming home looking like they've been photo copied about 1,000 times, it's all very related to character building and seems like work with a purpose (of course major subjects are all like that at any school, but the "fluff" assignments seem all very purposeful, not work to kill time)

Jackson is really enjoying this change, the change that he was so against for a while. He's now adjusting to the uniform policy (solid collar shirt w/ twill pants/shorts).

Nathan: (1st grade) The little man of so little words when discussing his feelings about change or something new. Wait, I think that's most men! ;-)

Nathan LOVES his very own pencil box that is the home of his very own instant hand sanitizer where he can remain as clean and germ free that he'd like (within reason, I've already had to have a discussion with his teacher about this...big brothers were present and they were classic peanut galleries about this topic as well)! Nathan loves that everything is personalized for him and his classmates; i.e. his very own coat/backpack hook with his name, desk with his name, labeled school supplies, his name on all school books, sticker chart with his name and the list could go on...

Nathan LOVES having Jackson at school with him because A.) he loves his brothers B.) this means he doesn't have to make any friends...something else I've already discussed with the teacher.

A BIG change for Nathan (and myself) is no IEP this year for Nathan. He still has one through LAUSD, but since we've switched to Private school it doesn't transfer without a legal fight and a whole lot of money for that fight. Since Nathan has done so well in school and in his previous areas of need, LAUSD and I had agreed on pulling many of his services for the 2012-2013 school year anyhow. Leaving primarily speech therapy as Nathan's main area of need. Nathan hasn't had speech therapy since the beginning of June and I've seen a little set back, but Nathan has been so happy to not have all these appointments and the hard work that goes into these therapies. So, assuming nothing major will change, we're taking this school year off from special ed services and see how Nathan does completely unassisted.

VPS also has a music program (for an additional fee of course) and Nathan couldn't be happier about the possibilities of playing the violin! So I guess our neighbors and ourselves will be hearing a whole lot of trumpet, violin and piano (Trevor and Jackson) practicing around our home. YIKES!



*Let me explain the yellow tape around the playground. It's a brand new playground that was put in over the summer. The kids couldn't play on it until the school went over the rules (which they did shortly after the 1st day of school started).

Clever Quotes From The Kiddos

Trevor: Mommy, I think I have almost $50.00
Me: Great job!
Jackson: How much does a ladybug kit cost?
Me: About $19.99
Nathan: Trevor, I know what I want you to buy me for my birthday
Trevor: What?
Nathan: Well since you have so much money, I would like you to buy me an ant farm for my birthday.
Trevor: Nathan! I'm just a kid, I don't buy gifts that cost that much with my own money! Mommy, daddy, friends or other family members can buy that for you.
Nathan: Oh, OK.


Me: David, I need to get new bras and the store is right over here. Let's do that before dinner.
David: OK
*We arrive to the store; kids whining
Jackson to David (after seeing store window): See, there are boobs. I don't need to go into the boob store, I don't need boobs.

A Foolish Woman - ME!

Lately I've been in the thick of it as a mom, wife, employee, friend, etc...mostly the mom, wife and employee role. I've been faced with another season of challenges that I am still in the midst of sorting through, looking for God and His will in all of it and praying what to make of any and all of it. This seems to be a far too often trend that happens in my life. One of my sisters have pointed this out as well, things will be calm for a bit and then a big 'ol chain of challenges occur all at one time. I am grateful for the calm times and resist but then always grateful once I seem to be exiting out of the challenging time or situation, the gratitude part is what I've learned through that storm. It's growing pains really. What I've learned as an adult and certainly in the time as a mom, is that we never really do finish growing up or learning until He takes us to our final home..His home. It's amazing the responsibility as a parent we hold, when yet God is still having to parent us through this rough, dark and difficult world.

See, through my recent challenges, I have found myself doubting if I should be away from my home...working, as an employee. Even while I doubt, I continue to remind myself how strong the conviction was to be working and how for certain, without a doubt that God placed this job practically in my lap...He handed it to me; everything lined up perfectly. He answered my prayers that day when I was crying in my car to my mom about our needs and no direction for those needs...at that time. After hanging up with my mom that day, I prayed. I cried out to the Lord (see old blog post about all that), practically begging! Even when friends or family doubted my decision on working, I held tight with what I thought/is (pretty darn certain!) His will for my family and went through with it. I STEPPED OUT IN PURE FAITH!

Fast forward a few months and I have found myself miserable at my job more often than not. I'm surrounded by people who believe the clear opposite of my political believes (thank God for 2 people who shares the same political believes...for the most part), haven't yet spoken to a Christian...that I know of, bored as all heck 95% of the time, blah, blah, blah... Throughout all this, I have fires to put out at home (thankfully, not literally!), the need for regrouping is huge, and getting some answers to a long list of questions is finally starting to happen. It's been killing me to be leaving my family every morning as we're all going through this. With all this going on and with my negative behavior, I've really lost sight of God's GIFT  of a job. A solution to some of our needs.

The Holy Spirit totally and completely spoke through my Pastor today during his sermon at church this morning. I realized I was/am pulling a Peter in Matthew 14:27-32!!! Ha! You see, Peter initially had so much faith and through that faith he started walking on water, towards Jesus until he started doubting and became afraid, then he started sinking and cried out "Lord, save me"! Matthew 14:30 What did Jesus do??? Did He leave him? Did He just stand there and watch? NO! He had grace and mercy on Peter! Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31

Today's sermon, the Lord's lesson to me today was stop being a doubter! He's got this; He's got ME! Let go, let God!

My Pastor said something that I actually never knew before or I guess it never really registered the way it has today. Pastor Tim said that even when it's God's will, it doesn't mean it's always going to be easy or smooth. When it does start getting rough, satan will plant thoughts of doubt in our minds and spirit because he doesn't want us to be living out God's will for us, that would mean that he (satan) is losing the battle!

Thankfully I have tools for this battle. I have prayer, my bible, prayerful friends and best of all, the Lord as my warrior. I need to take up my cross with shields of armor and continue in this battle staying focused and unweary of God's plan. I'm doing everything I can for my families' needs and I need to continue to be in prayer for that. None of this means I'll be working forever, this means that God has me exactly where He wants me right now. I cannot look backwards or side to side. Power forward with His strength, guidance and decernment.

Fave quote today:

"Ministry is always dealing with the impossible" - Pastor Tim

Not Packing Our Bags Quite Yet...

...BUT...hopefully sometime soon...or ever. Last Fall thru the end of the year, last year, I felt led and a desire was placed in my heart to go on a missions trip and possibly quite a few. I've prayed about it and talked to David about it and felt the Lord telling me to get our passports, but I haven't done so. YIKES! The New Year began and I got swept up with everyday life and then before I knew it, I started working full time so my heart has been at bay with that topic with the whirlwind of life filling all my thoughts. Over the last month God has been knocking on my heart and speaking a little louder this time. I feel privilleged that God has approached me about this yet a 2nd time and hasn't just moved on and that I missed out on a really cool blessing, to bless others and show obedience to Christ.

My first step was on Saturday. On our way to lunch, we were approaching a Post Office (yes, they still have them!) and last minute, I asked David to pull over so I could run inside real quick. I ran inside and grabbed 5 passport applications. This is the first step in my obedience and quite a huge one if you ask me! :-)

David, Trevor and Jackson are on board for a missions trip and have been for a while. Nathan? The jury is still out on his thoughts. :-) Not sure if David has a specific place in mind, but we both have agreed that Haiti sounds pretty perfect to start. Trevor wants to go to India, Jackson is a die hard fan of Haiti. Haiti was all that Jackson could talk about for about a month!

I am walking out in faith on this. We don't have the money for a missions trip (don't even know how that works) and time off work would be difficult for both David and I. HOWEVER, I'm talking about God here! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR OUR GOD. He would have never placed this desire and speak so clear to me about this if it weren't possible. My attitude is, we will apply for passports and go through that process so that way, when God says 'GO', we're ready and we're going with our passports.

Just So Thankful!

In the spirit of feeling the need to stay positive even during challenging times; I must say, I am so thankful for the understanding and compassion that people in the community continue to show my family and I while I am now a working mom.

Being as though it's summer time, now is the time that I like to make special appointments for the boys such as the dentist, eye Dr, with Trevor and Jackson's birthdays' falling in the summer, this also includes their annual physical. Well, Tammy has taken the boys to the dentist (this was a new dentist to us so I had already filled out the paper work ahead of time and faxed in our insurance info) and then just today, Trevor to the eye Dr (who sees him/us all the time so no biggie) and I have got say, our professionals are SO CARING AND KIND!!! They both have called me after to explain everything and give me their professional opinions and game plans. This is just AMAZING to me and clearly a whole lot of grace! Big bummer that I cannot be there myself to comfort my kids (if needed) during the appointment but we do discuss it before I leave for work and then we go over any questions they have then too. But to be able to hear 1st hand from the Dr's right after the appointments is just so appreciated! The other cool thing is that their Pediatrician's office is open on Saturdays so I can/have make/made their physicals on a Saturday which is just so awesome so that way I can attend w/out taking time off work and be able to get my questions answered in person...and most importantly, be there for my little men during their Dr appointment.

My heart is filled with gratitude.

Mommy for President!

Me: Sorry Nathan I was late, but the President is staying near my work while he's in town so they closed all the gates to my work so we couldn't leave.
Nathan: Well, that's not nice.
Me: You're right and it's a waste of the time I get with you guys.
Nathan: My teacher said that the President makes the rules but soon we will be deciding who we want as our President next to make all the rules.
Me: Your teacher is right.
Nathan: Well since you make all the rules, I think you should be the next President so you can change the rules!
Me (laughing): I think you're right!

It's A Balancing Act

I think I've hit my 90ish day mark as a working mom. To say it's hard, exhausting, frustrating and depressing is an understatement. The 9-6, M-F job itself isn't hard. It's the balancing act of work merging with my personal life, lane; That's the hard part...

The best way to describe my job is like this...

Shark Tank (TV show) meets Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter Is Dead (movie from the early 90's) meets my original hectic and organized chaotic life (my reality)!

The juggling act is never ending but with no mystery, we manage to get by, by God's grace. I'm always asked by people in my personal life and in my work environment, which is harder; being a stay at home mom or a working mom. My answer is always, "it's about the same, but for different reasons". I really think it is. In both roles, there are the classic perks and challenges that come with any circumstance or "job". Hands down being a stay-at-home mom is my career choice because what I consider perks in that role, are the biggest challenges I face in the working mom role. This change though has certainly brought shifts in the dynamic of our household, mostly for the positive.

Shout Out To Perry!

Ha! Never in my wildest dreams would I have considered writing anything about our dog...let alone entire blog entry about our four legged friend. :-)

However, props must be given to Perry! This dog has only endured 2 weeks of pet training and yet, you/we can notice a huge difference in the way he carries himself and with his overall behavior. If just 2 classes of training can do THIS much for a pet, I am a full believer and do recommend it to anyone and everyone who has a dog!

Perry can now sit, lay down and stand (from laying down or sitting position) on verbal and hand ques (with or without treats!). This week we're working on "no jumping". Seriously, Perry has caught on quickly and loves all the praises he receives for his obedience. 

The whole family is involved too! The trainer is soooo patient and works really well with all of us. The kids can get Perry to do all these commands as well. It's so awesome watching them get empowered to help train and bring up Perry in the appropriate way.

Funny Quote From Jackson Today

Me: Good morning Jackson.
Jackson: Good morning mommy.
Me: Breakfast is on the table. There's sausage, eggs and fruit ready for ya.
Jackson: Sounds good, but what's my main dish?
Me (laughing): Main dish?! All of that IS your main dish.
Jackson: Those are my sides, I need a main dish like cereal with it.
Me: Well OK, if you eat all that I've already served you, then you can have cereal too.
Jackson: OK, I will

Sure enough! Jackson ate all that I originally made for him and then he tackled a bowl of cereal too! I cannot imagine what and how much they'll be eating as pre-teens thru teenage years! Yikes... ;-)

So Many Thoughts, So Little Time...So Little Direction

I created this blog to partially have a place as my dumping ground for all my wild, creative, deep and at times, short lived thoughts. I wanted to have this blog as a central place to refer back to sweet memories, document celebratory times in my life and in the life of my children. Those are just a few of the reasons for this forum.

Lately though, I've been finding myself extremely consumed with the amount of responsibility I have. MANY of my responsibilities are character building and enjoyable, while others are a drag and just part of being an adult; a responsible adult. Sometimes the extreme challenges that I go through with my responsibilities I honestly don't really want to write somewhere because at times I think I don't want to remember these difficult and trying times, sometimes I think when I'm old, I just want to be in complete denial and remember only the best of times with my family and never remember all the struggles I've dealt with, with schools, work, difficult conversations, battle with overeating, the reality of an unjust world and being a control freak at times.

Seriously. I am so sick and tired of being a responsible adult and be surrounded (my children too) by a group and/or a community where half of the adults are completely irresponsible! I am exhausted from having to point out the most obvious safety efforts that should and need to be in place by such a powerful school district. There are several present and past employees (the past still affect my position a bit) who get/have gotten paid for not even doing their job. Parents of kids at my children's school who are completely uninvolved and do not display an ounce of care about their child's behavior or the community and education within their child's school. This week I heard from a school district employee "well that's not in my pay bracket" when I asked him to give a message to a specific person there in the same office. I JUST ABOUT LOST IT!!! I had to refrain from acting out my thoughts for many reasons, but 1 in particular is that I was in my freaking cubical at work finishing up my lunch break! To the best of my ability at the time I said that there are a lot of things that I do that aren't in my pay bracket...good and bad...but I'm a team player, I get paid and I have good work ethics (as I'm having this conversation at work ;-) ) so I do a lot of things that I don't get paid to do, but that's life. Oh man I was furious!!!!

More and more lately the very harsh reality that we live (and am raising my children in) in a VERY.UNJUST. WORLD. My children's generation is being robbed of important life skills. Self control. Honesty. Work Ethics. Responsible Citizen. Pay Taxes (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)...just to name a few. TRUST ME...MY KIDS ARE NO SAINTS AND THEY NEVER WILL BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, they are being raised in an environment that supports, pushes and physically works hard to build the community around them to be safe, team effort, leaders and honesty. At the end of each day, I go to bed knowing that I have given my best, I love my children with every ounce of my heart and soul (and not showing love with donuts, soda, Twinkies and endless amount of TV) and the rest, I hand over to God and ask Him to protect and handle it. :-)

Life is hard. I want so badly for my kids to grow up in a world that is filled with responsible, honest, mature people who own their short comings. Not robots, or people who are perfect,  just people who are pro-active, who care and give their very best every.single.day.

My birthday is next month and for the last nearly 4 years, I get really "real" with myself and emotional as my birthday approaches. Not sure why but I do. I feel like all my ranting above just ages me like crazy! I'm certain people in their 80's are looking at my generation and below and they must just shake their heads at us with disappointment.

So that's some of my thoughts and feelings over the last month or so... I'll move on now...

• Looking at a private school for 2 of our 3 boys for next school year
• Looking for more responsibility at work (heck, if I'm gonna be there and away from my kids for 10 hrs/day, keep me busy and let me handle the areas that need more support)
• Starting a new bible study at church...and boy oh boy do I need it! It's about changing yourself through the tools that God has given you. Clearly I need a heart makeover this 5 min! lol
• Baseball season is sooooo close to being done
• Started our family in dog training classes with Perry. David and Perry are doing GREAT! The rest of us are trying so hard but it's not coming as easily as it has been for David.
• Loving my health insurance at work! Total God sent...
• In love with my church and all that it offers to support and help me and my children's relationship with the Lord grow bigger and stronger
• Constantly writing letters and making calls to schools and school district regarding bullying involving Jackson and Nathan (thankfully they're not the bullies)
• Signed another year's lease in our current house
• Recently got a ton of work done on David's car (few minor things left to handle) and we are SO grateful that we actually had money to pay for it all!
• David extremely busy and focused at work
• Fundraiser chair person for Trevor's school, David is the new Treasurer for next year...poor guy...He did not want to do it, but like I said above, no one else in our mighty program stepping up to get involved and be a team player.
• Boys were baptized last Sunday! :-) :-)
• Still struggling with motivation and a routine for working out since I've starting working. IT'S HARD finding a balance!!!
• My skin is breaking out (I have NEVER had to deal with this issue before!). I know my mom will say it's because I'm not taking care of myself...and you know what, she's right! :-/
• Looking for a spiritual based book on raising boys. Trevor is reaching an age and new territory that I think is only specific to boys and I need some major spiritual direction as to how best navigate and direct this age.
• Working on making peace in my heart that the work around this house that is incomplete, that the landlord says semi-regularly they will handle. They will not handle it and so I'm working on making peace with that since we wouldn't move either way.
• We have the BEST NANNY IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING...I hope she's still interested and in the position to help when I have grandkids! No joke!!! :-)

Amazing. I feel a lot better after spewing all this junk (and good stuff too!) out. Phew...

Quote from Nathan

Nathan and I's conversation tonight at bedtime...

Nathan (with a big lump in his throat and watery eyes): Mommy, I don't want to go to college.
Me: What? Why?
Nathan: Because I don't want a job and I don't want to work.
Me (chuckling): Well, you're not living here for free and you can't buy things without money that you get from a job. Where is all this coming from?
Nathan (holding back his tears): Well, I just want to learn spanish so I can understand people's conversation.
Me: Ohhhhhh...I see. Well me too. Great news is, is that in high school and in college there are spanish classes you can take to learn how to speak, read and write in spanish.
Nathan: Really?
Me: Yes! Maybe you can go to college in Spain so you learn spanish even faster.
Nathan: YA! That's what I want to do!
Jackson: Ya and then you can teach me, I want to learn too.

Update - Nathan

My ever sweet, unpredictable, loving, challenging, curious, wise beyond his years, playful, energy filled, boundary testing, detail orientated 5 1/2 year old who acts like he's going on 2 years old OR 42 years old Nathan has certainly been keeping me on my knees in prayer for his precious life filled with all those things mentioned for the last 2 months...OK, last 5 1/2 years!

LOTS of changes (too many!), both good and difficult, have come about for Nathan over the last couple of months. It explains a lot about his decision making with friends, tantrums, disobedience and occasional lie.

Nathan has learned how to meditate from a classmate at school (who was explaining to him how Chinese kids calm themselves! You can imagine how nuts I went over this one!) so then we discussed how Jesus brings us calmness and peace anytime we call unto Him for it. I suggested he now tell his "friend" about how we calm ourselves, by prayer. For the next several days at school, Nathan had prayed with not only the 1 friend, but like 6-7 friends! Nathan shared that he taught them how to bow their heads, close their eyes, fold their hands and talk out loud to the Lord. He said they prayed that the whole class would be calm, good, "stay on green" (best behavior cards...green being best), that they'll all get to visit the treasure box (their reward at the end of the week for consistant good behaviour throughout the week) on Friday and that everyone will play nicely together. WHAT A SWEETHEART! Nathan always wants to be a leader and I shared with him that on those days, he was being a leader for Jesus. That really made him feel good. :-)

Baseball...Nathan definitely prefers to be a fan vs. an actual player on the field. He complains he never gets the ball, he strongly dislikes wearing his glove and batting helmet and often spends his fielding twirling, singing, building dirt castles and complaining that it's boring or hot. SOOOO...needless to say, we are NOT going to put any of us through this kind of torture for another season...we'll stick with Musicals for this kiddo! For now, forget any chance of learning some skill at the game, we're just enforcing the ever so important life lesson of finishing what you start, about commitment, about supporting your teammates and giving your best at all times...even if we don't want to.

School...besides prayer and meditation...Nathan has been doing an OUTSTANDING job in Kindergarten!!! So much so, many of his school resources for math, reading, etc are being pulled early this year (I 100% agree and supported that decision). Nathan gets 100% on math (about 15-20 questions) and spelling (5 spelling words a week), and has only missed 1-2 questions on reading tests (10-15 questions), but is already at a 1st grade reading & comprehession level (has been since Jan or Feb). After a TON of prayer, grilling his teacher (she is SO in support of him going to 1st), special ed peeps, looking at Jackson's 1st grade curriculm, listening to my gut, etc. Nathan will be going to 1st grade next school year! This is definitely a big step of faith in the Lord and confidence in Nathan's ability to rise and succeed in any challenge.

Back to Nathan doing so well with his special ed stuff... So Nathan has been such a hard worker in Speech Therapy that after 4 years of this practice, work, frustration, enjoyment and success, Nathan is finally done with the intense level of Speech Therapy. Nathan was receiving 2 hours of Speech/week; 1 hr private, 1 hr at school. Now Nathan will be down to just the 1 hr school based speech. Hence, more change...Nathan has been receiving all sorts (and I mean ALL sorts) of services at McRory Pediatrics since he was 11 months old!!! The owner, Director and ALL of the therapists there have become like family to us. There was a long time there that Nathan was there EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. recieving services and I have got to tell you...IT SHOWS (*tear*tear)!!! Nathan already has an amazing testimony and daily I get the pleasure and gift (and challenge at times, I must confess) to watch his testimony continue to expand. We already miss the therapists at McRory's but their graduation for Nathan, signed (by many therapists) certificate, pictures and all our memories, we will have forever.

Everyday brings new challenges for Nathan, but Nathan never fails to rise to that challenge and take it head on. Quite a good character trait if you ask me!

Cover of Good Housekeeping...

...NOT! Instead, our family will be on the CBS news at 11pm tonight! Last week we were interviewed about arsenic in foods with no regulations, but yet there are limits as to how much is allowed into our drinking water.

Our family was referred to CBS by the boys' Pediatrician who was also on camera for an interview regarding this same topic. Trevor was cool, calm and a little shy with the cameras around, Jackson acted completely normal, Nathan on the other hand was loving the spot light, couldn't stop admiring his reflection in the camera lens, and then randomly starts talking about how he was born with no parents and that Jackson is his cousin...not his brother! Oh my! I hope they did a LOT of editing because I was ready to crawl into a hole at that point of the evening. Hahaha! I was extremely nervous and they kept having to stop taping, pick up where I screwed up my words and then start filming again. David was on camera when the two of us were tucking the kids into bed, but otherwise, he was trying to explain taxes to the CBS lady and may have scored himself a new client! ;-)

Once it airs I will send a link for all the friends and family outside of LA.

Update - Jackson

Jackson is wrapping up this school year with a strong fan base, continued love for learning and exploring and can barely talk about anything but baseball or ocean life.

For being so opinionated and straight forward about how he felt about me going to work, he's been so chill about the whole thing! Like me, Jackson is more of a "quality" vs. "quantity" type of a person and he really makes the best of our short time together. When I get home from work, he's waiting with open arms and ready to snuggle on the couch with either a good fishing show or a good book. Jackson has definitely adjusted quickly to the changes in our home. Praise the Lord!

Jackson received outstanding grades on his report card and proves to be ahead of the curve in many areas...academically and socially. Apparently he still can't sit still in class for the life of him so there is an area for improvement. ;-) At Jackson's request, he takes the bus daily. He LOVES taking the bus. He likes the time he gets to sit with friends and chat with one another...again, just like his mother (are you seeing a pattern here?!)!

This baseball season has been quite interesting for Jackson. He's playing in his own division which is Single A, but Trevor's team (which is a division up) constantly needs another player so they always ask Jackson if he'd like to join them. We've gotten so used to it, Jackson just brings his baseball uniform and gear with him to Trevor's game because he knows he's going to play. :-) Thankfully, Trevor is a great sport about it and doesn't seem to care at all. So Jackson has the experience of machine pitching and kid pitch and is quite good at both, if I may say so myself. :-) There have been times where Jackson has played 3 games in 1 day (between his own and Trevor's)! Jackson just LOVES it...

If Jackson will keep his fingers out of his mouth long enough, you'll see he still has a toothless smile! I'm slowly working on the sucking of the fingers thing with Jackson but being as though I was a thumb sucker myself for a long time, I know not to push it too much because he'll eventually stop on his own. Jackson really wants his top front teeth to come in and occasionally I'll mess with him and tell him they're waiting to come in because they're just gonna get ruined coming in if he's still sucking his fingers. At that point, Jackson will just move onto another subject! Ha!

He is constantly finding the good in people, pointing out the strengths in others (including his brothers!), showering people with compliments and is just so encouraging to others. I constantly have to do a double take because I'm just shocked at what mature, kind things are coming out of the mouth of my 6 year old!

Jackson gets baptized on Sunday!

Update - Trevor

Trevor is growing like a weed! He had a meeting with the asphalt at school about a week ago and his glasses broke...along with his ego and spirit. This was the 2nd test of just how good my work insurance is/was. Sure enough, IT'S GREAT insurance!!! Trevor has new glasses (same style frames), but now the lenses are the transitional lenses that turn dark in the sun. This kid couldn't be happier now about the "accident". :-)

This month we've taken a break off of piano because his schedule is just too packed with baseball. Trevor's been doing great about still practicing on the keyboard and he's not even being told to do so.

Speaking of baseball...Trevor has had a little set back with the whole kid pitching thing. He's been striking out quite a bit and was getting quite frustrated by it all. However, this weekend was a big turn around for him...and his whole team! Trevor had a successful game on Saturday and seems to be getting a little more comfortable with all the changes and new rules in this AA division. At home, he and Jackson practice a LOT together in the backyard and Trevor is constantly practicing his own pitching (every now and then he gets a turn on the mound) with our pitching net.

Trevor did especially well on his report card (no change there ;-) ), likes 2 girls at school, gets mouthier by the day and is always pleasing with his desire to be so helpful around the house. Trevor has a Science Fair Project coming up (DREADFUL!) and the CST's (CA. Standardized Testing) in 2 weeks. WE cannot wait until school is over!!! :-)

Trevor will be baptized on Sunday and will look forward to a day at MY work on Wednesday for a "future professionals day". Trevor will explore the world of Entertainment, we'll have lunch together mid-day, go to another workshop and then shadow me for a bit at my desk. :-) I sooooo look forward to his company!

In 2 hours, 27 minutes I can drive to San Diego or fold close to 6 loads of laundry or prepare, cook and clean up a nice dinner or watch one of my children's baseball games or take a Zumba class and shower after or make a Costco run or have a nice visit with a friend...the list can go on.

Instead today, I sat in 2 hours, 27 minutes of traffic on my way to work. Ugh! I was so discouraged, frustrated, stressed about being late to work and totally frazzled apon my tardy (by 30 minutes!) arrival to work. This 2 hours, 27 minutes did give me my time with the Lord as I listened to our Easter sermon (was present that day, but the message was AMAZING...as usual!), listen to worship music AND a super great surprised lengthy call from my dad. I loved the time I got to visit with both Father's, just wish it was over coffee! ;-)

My day has sinced chilled out a bit, but I have still missed an hour of paid work for today...BIG bummer. :-/

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today at 4:44 am, David and I were woken from the sounds of sirens coming from all sorts of directions, not just onto our street, but stopping short in front of our home and the home of our 80 year old widow neighbor. With 70% of Kathie's body covered in 3rd degree burns and inhaled way too much smoke, she died that morning and joined our Savior. The fire was caused by an electrical issue in her kitchen. I will NEVER forget this day for as long as I live. I saw smoke and I thought it was coming from her neighbors' house on the other side. I was trying to call Kathie to let her know that there was a fire and she needed to get out of her house. Her phone line was busy. I tried again. And again. Thinking for sure she must be trying to call the police herself and it wouldn't be unlike her to not have call waiting, I kept trying. All in the midst of me trying to get in touch with Kathie, I realized the firefighters (approx 20 or more) are really focusing on her house and in fact, they're climbing on her roof, breaking windows all over the house...all the while, I'm yelling out loud "they're such idiots, why are they all over her house, the fire is next door"...THEN (!) that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks...Kathie's phone is busy because it's on fire somewhere in HER house. I immediately ran outside and was stopped abruptly by firefighters telling me to stay back. All I could do is tell them they were looking for an 80 year old woman who lived by herself, 1 dog and a bunch of cats (all but 2 cats died).

Eventually the front door was sawdered and they were able to carry Kathie out. She was placed in an ambulance and I jumped in my car and followed them to the hospital where the line of questions came from medical staff and from me to them. A very kind firefighter shared with me that she did not make it.

The rest of the story is quite long...

Kathie was a beautiful woman who left behind 2 surviving children (2 had already past away years ago), 1 granddaughter, 1 great-grandson and a TON of friends and neighbors that she treated like close family. I had the privilege to be Kathie's neighbor for 3 years. She always came to the boys' birthday parties, she co-introduced me to MOPS & VBS at her church, I would bring her meals on occasion and we would very often speak of the recent neighborhood rift-raft. Kathie was 80 actual years, but certainly not 80 in her spirit of life and mentality. She was incredibly active, didn't look a day older than 65 or 70 and had no health problems.

Another neighbor and I were asked to speak at her funeral. We read this aloud...

Our neighborhood described Kathie as being...

• Inspirational
• Tenacious
• Gracious
• Genuine

One of Kathie's favorite aspects of our neighborhood is its diversity and the smell of different foods being prepared in each home.

Kathie stayed involved and for the most of us, became a member of our family by participating in birthday parties, weddings, baptisms and funerals. We could always count on Kathie to be there to celebrate the good times and console us during the challenging times.

Our neighborhood has been able to stay close-knit with Kathie as the foundation and the longest homeowner on the street dating back to 1959. Kathie stayed involved in the beautification of the neighborhood by staying on top of the rift-raft and the influences they would try to leave behind.

The good that has come from this tragic event has been the unity of the families left behind and uniting with the commonality of our love and respect for Kathie. The endearing impression that Kathie has left behind will always be remembered.

That was one year ago today. In present time, today the new homeowners started moving in. I have been praying for these new neighbors for the last year. I met them 2 weeks ago and they're well aware of the high expectations I have of them, since they're living in Kathie's house. ;-) They were very kind men (brothers) who thought I would really like their elder mom and their younger brother whom they bought the house for.

I am looking forward to the opportunity of getting to know new people and hopefully creating nice memories with them for however long we're in this home.

Working Mom Blues

Well today marks the first day of Easter break for my kids. This usually is a cause for huge celebration for our household. This morning was exceptionally odd, depressing and disappointing to be up early, getting dressed for what I hope is success (in "worldly" terms) and leaving with an empty car to travel in traffic on my way to WORK. WOW! THIS.IS.WEIRD. BUT! David checked our bank account and my paycheck posted today. This is why I am up early, getting dressed for what I hope is success and leaving with an empty car to travel in traffic...FOR THE PAYCHECK & HEALTH INSURANCE! Getting paid today couldn't have come at a better time with my emotions all over the place today. :-)

Thankfully, I do enjoy my job, I enjoy the atmosphere I'm in and mass majority of the people I am surrounded by at work are friendly, helpful and also long for the clock on the phones to say 6:00 pm and for the weekends.

Another reason for me to give thanks is that we have a GREAT nanny! She is amazing and besides myself, I couldn't think of another person in LA that I would rather them spend this much free time with. She is great with them! The adoration is mutual amongst them and I truly do not have to worry about them while I am this far away from them. Our childcare circumstances I know are rare and I can only explain and give credit to God for this situation. We are very blessed.

I am also blessed to have Good Friday off from work...paid. It's a Holiday I was in conflict about taking off so soon from a new job, but thankfully I didn't have to make that choice. It was already in God's plan for me. It's also a day I do get to spend home with the kids and I can just soak them up for 3 whole days celebrating my favorite religious Holidays.

Even though these next several days will be a selfish bummer, I am aware and will focus on some pretty good reasons to be happy that I am working and learning another way to "get over it", "build a bridge", "pull up my big girl pants" and move on...

OUTSTANDING NEWS!!!

God is SO great! I was given a break today...and throughout this next year too! Just found out this morning that Nathan was selected through random lottery for a spot in the Fall Kindergarten class at Valley Alternative Magnet school...current school of his big brother, Jackson. I am so pleased and relieved to FINALLY have 2 kids at the same school! This has never happened for our family before now (actually as of August 15th when school resumes).

Nathan is desparate to go to 1st grade next year, but David and I strongly feel that he needs another year in Kinder for social and emotional reasons. So this will be bitter-sweet for Nathan...THRILLING for Jackson!

My conversation with Jackson last night about his day at school

Jackson: Mommy, Heather wasn't at school today (Heather is his teacher) so we had to go to another teacher's class.
Me: Really? Why no sub?
Jackson: Well, I don't know. Maybe the subs weren't in the mood this morning.
Me: Well too bad.
Jackson: So anyway mommy, I went to a 3rd grade class and had to be quiet the whole time and just read or do our homework for the week.
Me: OK.
Jackson: But, it was really cool watching what they were learning. They were learning about contractions!!!
Me: CONTRACTIONS?! Wait, do you mean fractions???
Jackson: Oh ya, ya...fractions...
Me: Oh thank God!

*Side Note: Already called the school about this no sub thing and it's all good. Jackson's story was half accurate, and the other half, it's all about showing some grace and understanding at times.

Just Another Manic Monday

I believe I've used this title before, but the sentiments still ring true, so I'll use it again.

Our weeks have been fairly uneventful, which is a good thing in most ways. Our weekends are filled with items on our To-Do list and it's always my goal to check off as many tasks as possible by Sunday afternoon so I can rest and be lazy by Sunday evening. That has yet to happen. Even up to the eleven hour (which reminds me of the very last few Bible verses in Revelation 22 referencing the eleven hour)...literally...I was up last night completing my tasks.

At last, everything was just about complete!

David has been juggling work and the kids quite a bit since I went to a 9-5 gig (more like 6:45 am - 7pm).

Trevor has been dealing with social issues at school. Thankfully, at this time, he has not been at the head of the issues. :-) Always a PLUS! This has been another great opportunity for me to speak with Trevor about forgiveness, grace, characteristics of a good friend and learning how to pray for our friends.

Jackson lost a tooth about 10 days ago and is convinced the Tooth Fairy didn't come the 1st night because his tooth wasn't the cleanest it could have been so she came the 2nd night because he spent a good amount of time the next morning cleaning that one tooth! HILARIOUS! Jackson's social abilities continue to shock David and I. This kid is WAY beyond his years in the social aspect and it's funny and scary all at the same and different times!

Nathan, Nathan, Nathan...Soon I will writing an entire post just on this kid...seriously! I/we are in such a pickle. Nathan is INCREDIBLY SMART and his teacher thinks he's gifted (I happen to agree)...BUT...he's SO young to be taking on the challenges that come with being a 1st grader in August and that's where his Kinder teacher strongly feels he needs to be. In the meantime, I just keep prayer for direction and insight on what's best for this little guy.

Me! Well, I am set up for success to exercise today during my lunch break. This will be the 1st time in 1 month that I have put on my running shoes and have broken a sweat because I'm actually exercising. My body has been feeling like crud for the last several weeks and this water weight that I've been dealing with is so uncomfortable. I know a good run will definitely help me to feel better. I think I've gotten over what I may look like in the afternoons at work after a good run...only time will tell! lol

Experiencing Empathy on a Whole New Level

em·pa·thy

noun \ˈem-pə-thē\

Definition of EMPATHY

 

: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this

 

I must confess...

 

As a teenager and young adult, I rarely could empathize with someone because I was so consumed with myself...and since I'm confessing...I must admit I still am that way at times. It's human nature, but certainly still not OK.

 

After hearing many harsh opinions about my selfish ways when I was younger, I began praying about it. Desiring empathy so I could counsel, support and relate better to those around me who were going through challenging times. I have never told anyone about this prayer. I stopped praying this a while ago, because in the last 10 years, this prayer has greatly been answered!

 

Now that I am in the workforce full-time, there are so many more ways that I can and do empathize with those around me. For example...

 

1. I can empathize with those who struggle with weight loss and are tempted at work on an hourly basis with Girl Scout cookies, cafe's in short walking distance...and actually having an entire hour to EAT in the middle of the day and zero time or energy to workout!
2. I can empathize with all those drivers just trucking along to put in or end another work day...good or challenging.
3. I can empathize with how my children feel on the first day of school, or a new Sunday School class, or at a birthday party that they only know the guest of honor. I too am the "new" person in a great big corporate world now and not knowing anyone really feels weird.
4. I can empathize with those parents who work so freaking hard to provide, and yet they feel completely disconnected from their child's life because they don't get to see them often throughout the week or participate in outdoor activities.
5. I can empathize with those parents who come home with their head still reeling from the events of their day at work...good or challenging.
6. I can empathize with those shoppers who are stuck in long check out lines because they have to wait til the weekend to stock up their cupboards and fridge with food for the week.

My list could go on...

BUT...with empathy, comes compassion. I now have a whole new perspective and knowledge on how, what and why working parents (particularly moms) feel the way that they do, day in and day out.

I have had as smooth as a transition to work full-time that any original stay-at-home mom could have. My husband is absolutely amazing and has stepped up the plate (challenge) big time and our Nanny is out of this world! By no means am I complaining by my examples of my recent empathy. I think the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to be less judgemental (we all do it...admit it!) of those parents who work as hard or as much as they do.

I enjoy my job, I enjoy my morning drives where I can listen to past church sermons from my Pastor, I enjoy meeting new people and I enjoy a new challenge.

"Time is just marching across my face"!

Now that I need to dress professionally M-F, I also wear a bunch of makeup. I thought the idea of makeup was to help you look youthful, brighten up your face, clearer complexion, etc. Ya ummm, in the mornings, my face looks like those things I described, but by mid-day, the makeup has settled into the lines (aka "wrinkles") of my face...and...then I look OLD! This has been quite the depressing discovery. Now I don't feel like I'm looking trendy, cute or hot...now it looks like I'm one of those old ladies that have globs of makeup on because they're trying too hard to look youthful. BUMMER! lol

So now I think it's time I start spending a little more time looking for a good anti-wrinkle cream and a little less time looking for that perfect shade of pink lipstick! ;-)

On the other hand, Jackson, my precious Jackson, has paid me SO MANY compliments since I started dressing up and wearing make-up. He says I look very pretty everyday I work and I look pretty in "real life" too. "Real life" is apparently the weekends when I do not have makeup on! lol

Jitters On the First Day

I started off VERY nervous but was met with a whole lot of on the job training...well, not so much training, but more like a sink or swim scenario with a few tasks. I swam! God's grace was totally shielding me today. I had 1 moment of feeling overwhelmed but it was quickly side swiped with something else that I had no time to process my feeling of being overwhelmed. lol

There are a lot of nice, helpful and strong personalities throughout my department, which makes a whole lot more sense about me being hired based on my personality. lol Having thick skin should be listed as a job requirement. Again, everyone is nice, but there is no water cooler talk...there just isn't any time. I don't think this is just my perception, I literally saw people working non-stop (other than lunch breaks). The assistant that is "training" me is VERY nice and I can tell we will get along really well.

I was surprised by a lovely delivery today. David sent me a BEAUTIFUL flower arrangement that smells amazing and the bright colored flowers really added a much needed touch to my drab cubical.
:-/ I have got to work on making my little space a lot more welcoming. :-)

When I pulled into the garage I rushed out of my car (actually ran) into the house to kiss all over my boys! I received the warmest home coming ever! I was climbed on, hugged, kissed, and questions about my day were coming at me like a firing squad. I LOVE MY BOYS!!! Perry even greeted me as though I had just brought in a bag of treats for him or something...he was so excited! lol

The boys did great. Tammy did great. Jackson kept requesting hugs from Tammy, Trevor was extremely helpful and Nathan fussed about something...I can't recall at this very moment. ;-) David was a rock star and came home (1 hr before me) and put on his Mr. Mom cap and took over dinner (Tammy was starting the process) and had a GREAT attitude about running the house for a bit.

What a wonderful first day of work/new nanny/new role for David! I am blessed!

Fave Quote:

Trevor (while hugging me at the door): Mommy! How much money did you make today?!
Me: Ummm...well...
David: Hundreds, Mommy made hundreds of dollars today
Trevor, Jackson, Nathan: YEA MOMMY!!!
(Only if that were true...but pretty cool feeling like a hero for moment! lol)

"Are you excited"?!

That's the question I get all the time now..."are you excited" (regarding starting work tomorrow)?! I have been honest (never have been good at lying about my feelings. lol) and reply with that "I am excited about the opportunity to put food on the table and a roof over our heads". I'll say this again, I would not be going to work full time if there wasn't such a huge need for me to do so. We've been in "need" before, but this time it's different with now the overall physical health of our family now better, I "need" to contribute to our household income.

I view this opportunity as a huge blessing. God blesses us in many ways. Sometimes things are literally just handed to us, sometimes we're told to "wait" on a prayer request, sometimes it's a flat out "no" because it's not God's will and sometimes, God creates opportunities for us to help ourselves. The latter is still a wonderful blessing and truly a way most Father's would handle a request from their child. I believe the Lord, our heavenly Father, heard my prayer, knew it was the right time for our family and didn't create a money tree in the yard, but created an opportunity to help my family through His gift of this job I start tomorrow.

This week has been filled with tying up loose ends and really start reflecting and processing everything that is about to happen...starting tomorrow. Not that I haven't thought about all these changes, concerns, excitement, etc before, it's just that I have been in hyper focus mode of anticipating potential "issues" or problems that may occur when I start working.

Monday, I took the opportunity to surprise Trevor at school with a picnic lunch on a blanket in front of his school. He loves Costco pizza so I brought him their pizza, churro (my own guilty pleasure!) and a drink. We sat on the blanket talking about baseball, friends at school, his teacher, Tammy (our new Nanny) and about how much we love food! Trevor felt incredibly special and really appreciated my presence at his school. Just as the lunch bell rang, I gave him a BIG hug, I signed him back into class and off we both went in different directions for the next couple of hours. He wasn't physically with me, but boy oh boy was he on my heart and mind for the next couple of hours. I got back into my car and felt convicted to not starting the car, but just sit there in silence, praying to the Lord for Trevor. I prayed for protection, moodiness, fruitful friendships, discernment in our parenting for Trevor, and I prayed for Trevor's future wife.

Tuesday, I took the opportunity to surprise Nathan at his school to read a Dr. Seuss book to the class and then have lunch with him. The book reading went exceptionally well (great audience!) and then we traveled together to the lunch area for some sushi, animal cookies and a vanilla flavored almond milk. Nathan LOVED it all! His classmates do.not.stop.talking. Holy smokes! lol Nathan and I (when we could get a word in with each other), talked about my new job, Tammy, baseball and who in his class were on what set of "rainbow words" (that's the big talk in kinder!). Nathan was so happy to have me there, definitely felt special and wanted me to stay so I could jump rope with him. Sadly, I didn't stay for jump roping, but left to handle more chores at home.

Today...it was Jackson's turn. I took my last opportunity to have lunch with Jackson at school. I brought him his favorite...In-n-Out. Cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate milk shake. MUCH to my surprise, Jackson was very affectionate towards me in front of his friends. Based on that kind of reaction, I knew Jackson needed this time with me. ALL of Jackson's friends were so excited for him that he got such a delicious meal AND that his mom was having lunch with him!!! Since I know Jackson has been the one having the hardest time with the idea of me going back to work, I wanted to bring some awareness to him about other working mothers. I casually asked one of his good friends if her mom worked (I already knew she did/does). Hayden replied yes, and that her dad does too. Then of course, you ask one kid, everyone starts spilling the beans about their home life! lol I don't think this made Jackson feel any better, by any means, but I think it helped him to know that he's not the only kid who has both parents working. The time came when I needed to leave. Jackson was crushed.
:-( He started crying and he practically begged me to take him home with me right then. Trust me. It had crossed my mind too, and it took everything in me not to burst into tears myself! I rounded up some of his friends to hang out with him and then I left. The moment I exited the school gates, I bursted into tears and sat in my car for several minutes and just cried. I needed that.

I am going to miss my kids terribly when I am at work. To help, I remind myself that I am not re-inventing the wheel, moms work all the time outside of their home and more often than not, their kids grow up to be mature, responsible citizens (look at my siblings and I!!!). Kids who have had the blessing of a stay at home parent sometimes grow up to be irresponsible, selfish and "failure to launch" adults...so it's all about making the best of it when I am in the presence of my children. I am re-inventing "our" wheel a.k.a. our home life, however, there is a need and that is the only reason I am taking on a full time job. Trevor this morning asked how long I will be working for FOX. I thought that was a very good question...especially since I ask myself that same question often. I told him however long God wants me there. I told him that we need to pray for Daddy's business (David is a power house and works AMAZINGLY hard to provide for our family!), that it will grow super big and then I can come back home full-time. I told him that might be 6 months, 1 year, 3 years or maybe even 5 years from now. "No way mommy", was Trevor's response! We both started laughing and we prayed for David's business. I shared that God may have me there to teach people about the Lord and introduce them to Jesus. Who knows...

Tomorrow is a new day, a new day filled with many new opportunities and a day filled with many more blessings.

Last Few Pages Of This Chapter...

Tomorrow is my last day working as a part-time personal assistant. Today I left feeling surprisingly filled with a lot of emotions about this idea of my last day. Today my boss and I co-interviewed a prospective assistant and we both very much liked this woman. She starts next week.

On my drive home, I was reflecting on my 1 year (nearly to the date!) experience with this family. There were many highs and lows. I had flexible hours, great pay, could (and did!) wear sweat pants to work, wear headphones to listen to music or a section of the Bible while I was filing, loved by this amazingly huge and well behaved dog (I knick-named him Bear...because he looks like one!) and many other fond memories. One other that I will never forget is the support I recieved when I brought Nathan along with me to work in protest/preventative to LAUSD allowing children in Nathan's class who had nits in their hair! They didn't even bat an eye at the idea of having Nathan there...and for that reason. What work place allows you to do that?! It's extremely rare and I am very grateful that at that specific time, I was working for someone who has/had as much passion about LAUSD's crazy policies as I do.

Tomorrow will be difficult and exciting for me. In some ways I feel like I am abandoning this family and in other ways, I feel like I'm growing up because I am entering a traditional, formal work place. I really hope this new assistant has thick skin and takes care of this family, just how well or better as I have. *sigh*

D-Day Is Approaching FAST!

March 1st is creeping up on me quickly...a little too quickly but each day I plug along with my massive "before work to-do list". My work clothes have been purchased, all hemmings have been completed, emergency contact sheets have been updated at the kids' schools (added the Nanny plus David's new work info), each teacher has been contacted with an update of changes that are going on at home, had my yearly medical physical (hey, I didn't shrink this year...amazing...truly!) today, Perry got his rabbies booster shot, got the car washed, day 1 of training our Nanny was this afternoon (God bless this awesome woman!!!), hand delivered David's business cards to stores/companies pimping his accounting services, e-mailed all the baseball coaches and team moms letting them know about the changes in our home, in the process of thinking through and typing up a manual about my children for the Nanny, ordered balloons for Jackson's team for Opening Ceremonies events, calling Dr's and insurance company regarding social skills classes for Trevor, handled my portion of responsibilities for GB NICU Reunion (going to be a blast!), stepped down from the School Site Council Board at Trevor's school (SO BUMMED, but it was the "right" thing to do given my new work load...literally), bought all the last uniform touches for baseball...

My list goes on and on, but it will be completed by March 1st. I'm super impressed even with myself for all that I've been able to accomplish so far on top of my regular day-to-day responsibilities! I feel like this is God preparing me for what it will be like when I am working away from home full-time and yet, still have all these other responsibilities. Kind of like when you're 8 months pregnant and you start waking up every 2 hours at night to go pee...but just like you will be when your newborn arrives home and hungry so you're feeding every 2 hours around the clock! lol

This is the story of my life so whatevs... ;-)

I'd Like To Thank God, Ann Taylor, Suessical the Musical, Family and Friends...

I have received tons of love, support, prayers, well wishes/thoughts, etc over the last several weeks. I had an awesome shopping experience at Ann Taylor with their MAJOR super sale where I purchased a 5 piece suit for barely over $150.00 (originally close to $600.00) for my initial job interview at FOX and was given an obscene amount of attention by the very trendy and friendly sales ladies at Ann Taylor (wrote them each a thank you note and called corporate to share my wonderful experience). Friends have been referring websites or friends for our childcare needs (those needs have been met!) and have been offering a lot of encouragement during this difficult transition.

I know that if I did not have the support of friends and family, it would only make this transition even more difficult! It takes a tribe I tell ya... ;-)

Kids Say The Darnest Things...

Jackson: When I grow up, I want to work at a really great restaurant where I love the food. That way, when I go on break, I can order all of my favorite foods!

************************************************************************************

Trevor: If I were President, I would make a law about no slavery of any kind.

Nathan: If I were President, I would make a law that everyone needs to keep their hands and feet to themselves!

Jackson: If I were President, I would make a law that everyone had to be nice to each other and that everyone has to be friends.

God's Amazing Grace

God's grace is ALWAYS present in my life. I see a lot of it, and I humbly acknowledge that His grace is so much more than a human eye can see. I know that part of His grace, is that He protects me from even being aware of so much evil and harm that surrounds me and/or my family. I am eternally grateful for His protection and grace.

Recently, for whatever reason, I have been especially aware of His grace in my life. To name only a few, I'll share that God's grace was upon us as our neighbor's house was robbed last month, not ours. I do believe our house was in the process to be robbed (6 weeks ago when kids and I home), but Perry scared them away. Two men were following me at the mall this past week and God put it on my gut to be aware of these two men and say something to the sale person at the 4th store they followed me in. I didn't rear-end the person in front of me because they moved up a couple of inches as I was approaching them quickly (not on purpose! lol). Based on symptoms, Nathan "should" have a hernia, but just 3 days before, Nathan was prayed over at church with oil and I believe God's grace has healed him and we're paying a large co-pay for a prescription instead of a large hospital bill, risks involved in surgery, Nathan's mental/emotional well being, etc. We had money to pay rent this month and pay for food. I got a full-time job without going through the burden of looking hard or for a long period of time. My full-time job has amazing health benefits.

I have so many more examples of God's grace on us! All of these things above are only what I am aware of. God goes before me (us) and He road blocks so much more than I could ever fathom.

God has also been bringing several friends or new (new to me) moms in my life that they too, have to go back into the work force in order to make ends meet in their home. No joke, there are 6 other friends (1 of my sisters too...she's a friend also ;-)) that in are in the same situation and have already started working or just about to, like myself. It's not a 'misery loves company' sort of thing, I look at it like it's an opportunity for me and them to lift each other up with encouragement, prayer and those 6 can honestly relate to my circumstances and me, to them.

Glory to God!!!

Making Some Headway...

Well, assuming the more in depth background check comes back normal, we have hired our nanny for the boys! SO MUCH TO DO at this point with getting ready for her to start, but at least the hardest part is hopefully behind us.

Not enough time to write more thoughts...

Mary Poppins, Are You There?!

Over the last 48 hrs I have drummed up interest for our childcare needs. Today I am interviewing not 1, not 2, not 3...but SIX candidates for the position! I have no idea what questions to ask (besides security questions, i.e. driving record) so probably by the 3rd gal, I will have figured it out. lol

Five of the candidates I found on Care.com (recommended by 3 different people!) and the 6th is a T.A. at Nathan's school.

I'm anxious to find someone but I'm not going to rush the process. I know 6 interviews may sound like a lot (and it is) or perhaps rushing, but seriously, I have weeded out approximately 45 initial candidates so these six have moved on to phase 2 in the process. ;-)

Chipping Away...

This weekend I have been able to chip away at many of my projects, including looking for childcare for the boys. I have 26 candidates that I am exchanging e-mails with and so far potentially 2 interviews for Tuesday morning. This childcare search is a full time job in itself!

Still several lengthy tasks to handle but feeling like I am starting to emerge from my overwhelming state that I've been in for the last couple of weeks.

Today I gave my 2 week notice at my p/t gig. It went SO MUCH BETTER than I expected!!! What a relief!

Got My Hair 'DID'

Well, since I was due for a cut/color anyhow, I seized the moment and fell into peer pressure by my long time hairdresser and got bangs! They're not crazy, dramatic bangs, but certainly noticeable and I think they look really nice. Most of them are long enough to tuck behind the ear or to pin back nicely for different hair styles. Since I'll have to actually do my hair for the new gig, I figured, it should be a cute cut...to actually style. ;-)

When I arrived home after a couple of peaceful hours away from my regular routine this is what I heard...

Jackson: WOW MOMMY! You look great!
Nathan: What are those called? (referring to the bangs)
Trevor: Where did you go?

I think their comments explain their personalities right now to a 'T'! Jackson, always so complementary and observant; Nathan filled with questions non-stop; Trevor goes in and out of being aware of what's happening around him even though he specifically, I told where I was going before I left. lol

Wheels Are Spinning!

My levels of frustration are beyond the max. I want to run to the hills and scream!!! I am not a landlord, homeowner, full time employee, District Representative or Dr. I am SO tired of doing other people's job and not getting paid for it!

Part of the problem is that I have SO MUCH PASSION about SO MANY things/topics/values that I don't know when to be quiet! YES (!), I Anna Fox take on WAY too much, HOWEVER, if people would just do their job (that they're being paid for) then I wouldn't feel the need to do it for them. Of course this is only on issues that directly affect myself or my family. But that's a whole lot of people!

I must go make dinner now, which is MY job.

General Update...Going Down the Line

David: Ribbon cutting at the new office went SPECTACULAR!!! David and his Partners had a record attendance (for a ribbon cutting) of 120 guests. David enjoys his new position and work place very much. There are a few things to tweak, just as any new situation would bring. David is welcoming any new referrals and is hustling quite hard to drum up tax appointments. Every Wednesday night, David still attends his Better Men (Man??? lol), men's group where he has developed a lot of new friendships and the group seems to be helping David quite a bit. Tomorrow, David takes the first of 3 tests for his EA license. You need at least a 70% to pass. I know David will pull this off! :-) Thankfully, there is no suspense...they will let David know immediately if he passed or not.

Anna: Where do I begin?! Well, tomorrow is my job interview at FOX again. Unless they give me an offer that I absolutely would be a HUGE financial idiot to refuse, I will be working additional hours in my current Personal Assistant job. I currently work 10 hrs a week and my increase will get me up to 20 hrs week, giving me 1 day off during the week. I get a day off?!?! Heck NO! That day will be my running errands, grocery shopping day and putting out any new fires in our lives day. Grateful to have that ONE day though...I know most don't! I didn't even realize that my current job could go up to 20 hrs a week (which will really put a cramp or tire around my waist for my exercise schedule I've got going). There is I think, plenty for me to do, and my hours work perfect around school schedules and sports so that's a huge bonus. I know why God has me there, but I will miss the opportunity to be socializing (working) with many different people and many different personalities. I go from one house (mine), to another house (theirs/work)...with a variation of the same challenges that I struggle with in my own home. So no real escape. I'll write it off as "character building". ;-) lol

I have also been juggling "maintance" concerns/problems/landlord(s)/repairs over the last week. Sifting through minimal available rentals that our Realtor e-mails us weekly and going back and forth in my head about moving or not. Every time (ok, it's only happened like 2x since he freaked out at me) I try being graceful and calm about the idea of staying here for another year, something else breaks, backs up, or crappy communication with landlord happens and all grace and calmness goes out the window! "Damn it I'm pleasant"(!), but come on, "you're killing me Smalls"(!).

Still battling LAUSD with the Lice/Nit Policy and now my latest issue/concern with the buses. I am so NOT blogging about that issue just yet! You can thank me later...

Trevor: No need for the Police Academy, Trevor is fix'n on citing people (brothers and parents) left and right if they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing! Holy smokes! This kid needs a CONSTANT reminder (always has) who are the parents and who is the child. With all the pointing out of people's short comings, Trevor has been especially helpful lately. Nearly 99.9% of the time lately, he's been doing what he's been told to do the first time. PRAISE THE LORD!!! Amazing concept and I hope this willing spirit continues on forever. :-) It's spell-a-thon time at school which means Trevor will soon be learning the spelling of some very difficult words, in order to raise money for his school. He really embraces this challenge!

Tonight was his first baseball practice (see previous post for details) and he loved it! Oh, his team is the White Sox.

Jackson: This kid gets funnier by the minute! His witty comments take me by surprise quite often and scares me a bit too...he's a lot like his mother! lol ;-) Jackson definitely has the Italian blood in him. Screaming at everybody one minute, your best friend the next. He knows everybody's business and doesn't hesistate to spill it to everyone around him...wait (!), I'm not like that! hahahahaha... Jackson's baseball team hasn't come up with practice dates or times yet, so he'll be joining big brother this Thursday during their practice so Jackson can get warmed up. I almost forgot! Jackson got drafted from another baseball team during selection (what's it really called???) time. He did so well during the baseball assessments, that 2 teams were going back and forth (nicely) about having him on their team. He is now team, Angels.

School is going really well! 100% I believe on every spelling test this school year and finally his math skills are catching up with his awesome reading skills. :-) There was quite a difference before, but in the last 6 weeks, I have really noticed a positive difference.

Nathan: I think it's been about a week and a half with no requests of homeschooling! Thank God! I want him to enjoy school...in any setting. Nathan is on his last set of site words for Kindergarten and then he'll move on to 1st grade reading words. They're called the "gold" words. He is SO excited for the "gold" words. lol Speech Therapy is still every week and that's going well. I have no clue what team Nathan is on in t-ball so I look forward to hearing who his coach is and getting some details about his practice schedule.

Perry: Still probably the most nervous dog I have ever come across but he's still super cute. He's sporting a new haircut so he's all clean. Unfortunately, he's thrown up 3x (that I am aware of) in the last several days but I am hoping and praying that it's just a little viral bug that will pass soon. Otherwise, he's still at our heels and thinks he's one of the kids.

Play Ball!

All my worries and stresses of the day, month...heck...year (!) were washed away for 1 hr 30 min as I watched Trevor warm up his baseball skills out on the green, crisp ball field. I LOVE BASEBALL SEASON!!! I loved it as a kid (mainly for the snacks and it always falls around my birthday) and now that I have 3 boys, I especially enjoy this all American sport. Fresh air, seeing familar faces from last season and enjoyed some memories as I was sitting at the table where I sat last year enjoying funnel cake with my grandparents from back east, dad and Michelle, during VCAA's annual hit-a-thon. I was brought a sense of comfort and warmth. This is only our 2nd year at Valley Christian Athletic Association and yet everyone feels like family to me there. The kids saw a lot of their old team mates and a couple of their coaches so we all were having a nice visit together.

Baseball season is quite intense but it's so much fun!!! Trevor and Jackson will have games 2x a week in addition to 1 practice every week. Nathan I think will just have 1 n 1 a week. Crunching the games like this will allow our baseball season to end the weekend before Memorial Day. I'm thrilled! Last year was pretty tough juggling the end of the baseball season games/festivities PLUS the end of the school year festivities and projects from teachers at the last minute. So I welcome the crunch! lol

2-n-1

What a CrAzY day!!!

First Half Of Day...

My interview at Fox went really well this morning. The dad that I had initially ran into and made the connection with for this job, was sick today and e-mailed me early this morning to say he would not be in today to interview me, but to go ahead and speak with the other 2 VP's. The security and parking there crazy and seemed as if I was either at LAX or at Disneyland! In making the wrong turn into the proper parking building (1 of like 5 or more), I nearly drove onto a filming set of some sort. I finally managed to make my way to the appropriate building and on my way I went. The first gentleman I interviewed with was very professional, straight forward and I can tell would be a tough nut to crack. The second gentleman was kind, quirky, straight forward but seems a lot more relaxed. He said "you interview very well".

Both guys asked very good questions. One of my faves was "I don't see education on your resume. Tell me a little about your academic achievements" (said by the 2nd guy). I think I nailed it! I answered spot on with, "a high diploma and never went to college. I believe that there is so much more to learn than just what you can find in text books. I have been educated on the job and in real life and have thrived in every professional position I have been in based on my current skills and abilities. I chose not to include education on my resume because just a high school diploma isn't worth bragging about and probably doesn't make an initial good impression so I leave it off".

So now it's a waiting game to see if they offer me a position. The hours are pretty strict and the best they could do is 8-5 p.m. I was told by both guys that the benefits are great. I'll be the judge of that. ;-) The job description sounds pretty intense but I think after a learning curve, I'll be fine. :-)

Second Half Of The Day...

When leaving the interview, I called David to share all the news. He informed me that our Insurance Agent at State Farm is looking for a full-time employee. I gave her a call and without even stopping home or grabbing a bite to eat, I headed straight to her office for another job interview! WOW!!! Fox position and State Farm position couldn't be any different from each other! State Farm would be a Sales Agent position with a small hourly wage in addition to commission. Also, I would have to get licensed in CA so I could write policies myself. My employer (our State Farm Agent) would pay for ALL of the licensing fees AND classes that help/tutor you to pass the tests. There are a total of 2 licenses to acquire. The hours are just about the same as Fox position hours.

My head is spinning with all this information I received today! It's overwhelming and I am still processing all that I took in.

The pro's of State Farm are the con's at Fox...the pro's at Fox are the con's at State Farm.

For Example...

• Fox is much further from home - State Farm is about 20-25 min (at most) from home (and I could takes side streets to get there)
• Fox has "great" benefits - State Farm gives me a $50,000 life insurance coverage for myself...no other benefits
• Initially, I would earn more at Fox - State Farm will take me a bit (depending on sales) to earn the same as Fox position
• Fox is MAJOR Corporate world! - State Farm is professional but much more layed back
• The on the job training at Fox will make me VERY marketable in the LA "industry" (w/out a college degree! ;-)) should I enjoy it and do well at it - State Farm is on a much lesser scale in this regard...but I could make a "name" for myself within the company if I kick butt
• Fox I would be working for someone('s) - State Farm, I am working for someone but I would be able to spread my wings a bit and always meet new people (during marketing and networking)

I clearly have a lot to consider and think about. It's not like either of the companies are knocking at my door making me an offer, but I do feel confident with how both interviews went, so I need to prepare myself.

I do feel like this is what the Lord wants for me (I think! hahahaha...)...to go back to work. It's the only thing that is making sense right now how everything is turning out. Last Wednesday, I was crying out to the Lord asking what His plan was for us with our financial needs, this week, I've had 2 solid job interviews in this tough economy! Our money tree in the backyard isn't baring any fruit (money! lol) and it's not falling from the sky so I suppose God's answer to my prayers are going back to work since those are the doors that continue to open.

To be perfectly honest, I am flattered that I would even be given an opportunity to work at either job, but I am sad about the thought of leaving my children all day and potentially, only seeing them for 30 min M-F. What an extreme that would be for all of us!!! On the other hand, I know that there is no money tree and money will never fall from the sky, so I need to step up and take on this new responsibility and get over it. Still sucks though. :-(

Blowing Off The Cobwebs and Dust...

Tonight I took the time to answer some pre-interview questions for the entry level assistant position that I mentioned last week. I really had to dig deep and even bounce off some wording from David so I don't sound like a house wife, but like a professional that I once was. My interview at Fox is on Friday morning.

Whether I get the job or not (or accept it), I already feel like a winner. The fact that I had the guts to point blank ask a complete stranger if his company was hiring I think says something about me willing to step out of my comfort zone and really have my family's financial goals on the forefront of my mind. Also, there has been several steps that I have had to go through (in obviously a short period of time) and apparently I have said or done something right (honestly, it's God...I really can't take credit!) to have been offered an interview. In this economy PLUS the lack of my professional experience over the last 8 years I feel like a winner and that I have accomplished something big already.

There is a LOT to still consider if I were offered this job. Our world would dramatically change!!! I hate change! lol The health insurance and pay are extremely tempting so that's why I have been in prayer about it. I've been asking God how we're supposed to afford the recent circumstances that are NOT in our control and so far, this has been the only avenue that has been presented to us. So...I wait for confirmation as I continue in the process of finding work with health insurance.

I still continue to work on my lice/nit mission with Lausd on a daily basis. I have still gotten no where with Deasy. Typical...

It's a Wrap!

Ahhhhh....a huge sigh of relief! Trevor and Nathan's first experience of being on stage in front of a HUGE audience has temporarily come to an end. The boys did GREAT!!! Trevor took his role very serious (while being so stinking handsome!), while Nathan soaked up the ability to just be his adorable, silly, animated self. I am extremely proud of the courage, dedication, respect and follow thru that both Trevor and Nathan displayed over the last 3 months and 1 week. They have both enjoyed the entire process...not even 1 complaint...ever throughout the entire block of time spent on this production. I think it's fair to say I did enough complaining about it for the both of them! lol

I had the pleasure to work backstage supervision for the boys' group. It was a very humbling experience! I am so used to calling the shots in my household but I soon found myself in an environment where I was a little peon that was taking orders instead of giving orders. To be perfectly honest though, it was quite refreshing! I didn't have to be the decision maker for most things and I just followed someone else's lead (the head supervisors there). MET2 was so organized and delegated so well, that I felt like I was able to tuck away my bossy-ness and just relax in my role there. There were about 40 kids (boys and girls) in their group alone, ranging from 4-9 years old. It was hot, cramped, chaotic and loud. However, I had the opportunity to watch the boys interact with kids that were all new to them just a short time ago. There were SO many different personalities flying about so that in itself was a big challenge. By the last day of performances (yesterday), Trevor was known as the kid to go to for AWESOME paper airplanes (seriously was a huge hit...bonus was that it was a "quiet" activity ;-)) and little girls were constantly "petting" Nathan and saying how cute he is.

Specifically, I was impressed with the organization of MET2, the friendliness of volunteer parents, the teenagers in the cast were VERY sweet and encouraging to all their fellow cast mates including the young little ones, all the cast (even my young group) knew EXACTLY their cues and dance moves and the prompt start to each performance.

A few surprises for me were just how caddy some girls are, even at a young age. I never thought in a million years I'd say this...but...I am so happy I do not have a girl!!! Yes folks, I have said it! Keep record, because I will likely deny this confession at a later date. :-) These 3-5 divas in particular were very "click-ish" and hurt many other's feelings with their mean words and actions. I couldn't believe it! I was actually thanking the Lord to myself that I deal with boogers, dirt, fart noises and pretend sword fighting from my 3 boys over this drama I was dealing with, with just a few girls. Lastly, I was surprised that I had a mother/backstage volunteer of a little girl that stands next to Nathan during the performance, tell me that her little girl and Nathan were making out! HOLY SMOKES!!! I couldn't believe it! I had to actually tell my child to keep his hands and mouth to himself! Of course the two just giggled and said they were going to get married...blah, blah, blah...lol For some reason I always thought it would be Jackson having the first kiss of all the boys... lol ;-)

Due to Spring baseball season, we will not be participating in MET's production of Sound of Music that debut's in June. I will strongly consider registering any of the willing boys for their following production that will fall, this time, next year.

Switching Gears...

Before the first performance yesterday (where friends and family arrived to watch!), Trevor and Jackson had 2 hour baseball assessments in the morning. We had to put aside the make-up and hair products for the Musical and dust off some of the equipment needed for baseball. It brought back fond memories from last year's baseball season. We headed out to the ball field where Trevor, Jackson and fellow ball players were observed catching ground balls, running bases and batting from a pitching machine. The boys were having so much fun! They really seemed to enjoy the fresh air, the ability to run around and just be typical boys.

Baseball practices (yes, plural...3 practices a week...1 for each boy) start either this week or next week. In Trevor's division this year, he and his team mates will learn how to pitch and will eventually start pitching during the games this season (I am so nervous about that! lol).

Although Seussical the Musical is over, we don't have to say good-bye to all of their cast mates, as a couple of the families in the Musical are actually part of our same baseball league, VCAA!!! We found out throughout our time in the Musical process so we're very excited to watch these actors gone ball players, show their athletic abilities (as well as their talent on stage).

To say the least, this past week has been a huge mix of emotions. Mostly exciting ones! I am thankful to have a couple of days to breathe and get back into our routine. Our calendar this week brings me work, Nathan's Upper GI study, Trevor's school dance performance and David's ribbon cutting at work. I look forward to seeing God's hand in all of this...

It Might Pay To Be Nice!

When picking up the boys from their final rehearsal (PRAISE THE LORD!!!), I passed by a dad with his son, trying to figure out from another parent where he needs to go to pick up his child. I overheard and told him to follow me because I was going that way too. As we were walking, I asked him if he had ever seen Mr. Mom. He had not. Well I explained the seen where the carpool lady at the school was telling Jack, "you're doing it wrong"! Anyway, I got a good laugh from this guy. The rehearsal runs late (by 35 min!!!) so the siblings are playing and there is just a bunch of small talk. Finally I asked him what he does for a living. He's an executive at FOX Entertainment. He was surprised by my excitement. He said most people cringe b/c of Fox News and I said I'm all for Fox News! More small talk and then I drop the bomb and point blank asked him if they're hiring. I need benefits! He said actually, we are and I personally need an entry level assistant. He tried talking the position down by saying it only pays 30k/yr and it's just a bunch of scheduling travel, calendar and answering phones...but, it does come with health benefits. I said PERFECT!!! All the meanwhile, I was backtracking in my brain about whether I was nice to this guy right off the bat or was I a resentful, bitter house wife leading this dad who has no clue about the Musical to his child. NOPE! I WAS PLEASANT as I recall! lol Anyway, so Jonathan gave me his e-mail address and told me to send over my resume. HAHAHAHA...Ya, ummm...let me look for that! I did tell him that I am working part time for a family as their personal assistant and that I currently do everything they need me to do as it is. He was very interested in that tid-bit because his favorite assistant had been a personal assistant to a family prior to working for him so he said it's a good track record so far.

So...hopefully I can find my resume on our computer somewhere tonight and send it over ASAP. Totally not looking for full-time right now, part-time is WAY more preferred but I think it's worth at least getting more information and seeing what happens. God knows our needs so who knows what's next for us!