Unemployed...again. Sigh.

As it turns out, the office that consumed my life for the last 8 months or so, has closed. And I have been sent home with the kids to look for a new job and clean the house and be a housewife - which is no where near the career path that I had chosen for myself.

Unlike last year, I am a little better prepared. I realize that I can't hole up in the house and never leave. I realize that I can't sleep the days away. The kids are older now, and no longer wetting themselves every 10 minutes, so I feel a bit better about taking them places. Places we haven't gone yet - movies, museums, parks.

Becky will start kindergarten this fall. I have very little time left to do some really cool stuff with the kids, and this is the summer that its going to happen. My plan is to not get too hung up on finding A Job. This time I want to find The Right Job. And that may take a little time. I'm going to use that time wisely.

The kids want to go to the library. I think we'll get cleaned up and go today. Or maybe I will surprise them and we'll go to the Krohn Conservatory instead. I think they would really love that, and maybe I can find out if its too late to plant tulips for this spring while I'm there. Maybe we can do both today. It will be way more fun than sitting around on the computer all day or watching TV until our eyes fall out.

Its still early. The possibilities are endless.

A

Catching Up

I got the job I wrote about in the last post. I like the work. I don't particularly like some of the corporate practices of the company I work for. I love the people I work with. I hate the commute. So its been good and bad - as is all in life.

I can't believe how fast the year flew by. On Friday, my little girl will be 5 years old. She's getting to be such a person, with a whole personality and everything. I thought I knew all about her, but everyday she surprises me with aspects of herself of which I was unaware. She's a kind and loving girl. She wants to be a Princess Supergirl when she grows up. I'm not sure what the job market is for that profession, but I'm sure she'll do just fine. She loves her little brother. She finally knows that my last name isn't "Pickle". She's left-handed and smart. And she can read a lot better than she realizes. Right now, she's trying to ride the dog. That's my girl!

I perfected pumpkin pie & pumpkin bread from scratch this year. One pie pumpkin will make 2 pies and 3 loaves of bread. (I put that in there for myself - I'll need a reminder next fall.)

I think I grew up a lot this year. And I got a lot older. That's not necessarily a good thing.

This next year I need to do some things for me. Get myself organized and in order. Its time. I need to get control of some things that I can control and not be subservient to them anymore. I want to do something worthwhile and memorable before I'm too old. I'm tired of not living life to the fullest.

Merry Christmas!

A

Alone at last!

I'm having a great day!

This morning, I had an interview for a job that I really want. And I totally rocked it! The kids went to daycare, Bob is at work, and I - well, I'm enjoying my first alone time I've had for MONTHS.

Its so quiet. No TVs on or kids screaming or dogs barking...

I got the sheets changed, the house picked up, dishes done... still working on the laundry, but that is a never-ending chore.

Ahhhhhhh!

You know, sometimes, I just need to be by myself to maintain my sanity. My husband and kids just don't understand that. I need time where no one is making demands on me and I'm under no pressure to DO something. That, to me, is more relaxing than anything.

After I fold another basket of laundry, I'm going to sit down and paint for a while. I'm gonna make Bob grill the chicken because it is so nice outside. And I'm not leaving to pick the kids up until 5:30!

Ahhhhhhhh!

Well, I'm off, to enjoy my few remaining hours of peace and quiet. Toodles!

New Beginnings

The last 2 months have been crappy. The company that I loved working for went out business, and I became a stay-at-home-mom. I do NOT like my new job. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but they are out of control.

My children find very creative ways to destroy my house and my sanity. Becky has taken to refusing to potty on the toilet. She was crawling under her bed to pee there, until we pulled out the carpet and got a different bed. (I have an appointment with a child psychologist about this one tomorrow...) Eli wants to do whatever Becky is doing - including pouring their own Koolaid (all over the floor), making cookies (by emptying the flour cannister in the floor), eating Jello (off the couch cushions). Where am I when they "adventure" you ask? Usually I'm in the next room, cleaning up a different mess. If Guiness had a record for fastest mess making, my kids would win, hands down. I'm losing my mind.

But there is hope: I interviewed for a new job a couple of days ago, and I'll have a second one next week. I REALLY want this job. Its almost exactly what I did at my last job, with more responsibility, more authority, and more pay. The office will be about 40 minutes away, which is a bummer, but I can totally deal with that. Did I mention that I REALLY want this job? I feel very positive about my chances, too. I'll be stunned if I don't get the job.

Wish me luck!

Office Coffee

Our office coffee is really bad. Its like drinking the wash water at a car wash after a snowmelt. But I love it. I'm addicted. Sometimes I drink so much that I hallucinate.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little...

It seems like when I started this post, I had more to say about the office coffee, but now that I think about it, I really don't.

***

Sometimes I like to tell random, pointless stories. This has been one.

Snickerdoodles

Bob dropped my sugar canister this morning and broke it, dumping the brand new 2lb bag of sugar in the floor. Of course, I immediately replaced said canister and sugar, and it got me in the mood to bake. Unfortunately, I had to fold laundry and put the basement back together after the painting, so I didn't get to. But in the process of cleaning, I did find my Snickerdoodle recipe. Now, not to brag or anything, but these are the BEST Christmas cookies in the entire world, and I'd like to share the recipe with you, my dear friends.

Sift together
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Mix together and stir in
1 c. butter, softened (not margarine, BUTTER, and I usually melt it completely)
2 eggs (best to use farm fresh, but store-bought are fine)

Chill the dough for about an hour in the refrigerator.

While the dough is chilling, mix together a batch of cinnamon/sugar. Use a ratio of 2 T sugar to 2 t cinnamon. I use about 4 T sugar and 4 t cinnamon. You'll also want to pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Once the dough is firm, but not rock hard, take it out and roll it into balls about the size of a super-bounce ball. Roll the balls in the cinnamon/sugar mix you made earlier. Coat them completely.

Bake for EXACTLY 8 minutes. No more, no less. Once you take them out of the oven, they'll be a little squishy. Leave them on the cookie sheet for 1 more minute before removing them to cool. At this point, its up to you whether you want to wait until they cool completely or burn your tongue eating them immediately. If you opt for the second choice, you may want a glass of milk handy.

Depending on how many you eat, you will end up with roughly 3 dozen cookies following this recipe.

Enjoy!

A

Bow Holders

Here's the link to the plaques I'm painting. Just got ANOTHER order.

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1480814065621#!/album.php?aid=251322&id=132270894142

A