Sick is Bad

I was sick with the stomach flu yesterday and I have decided that nausea is the worst thing ever. Of all the sicknesses, I hate nausea the most. It reminded me of how I felt when I was pregnant, which made me think... Why does any one purposefully get pregnant, it is like the worst feeling ever. Then I remembered that pregnancy lead to babies and I do like babies. If only there was an easier way to get babies. Like magic, that would be cool.

Marie is a really good non complainer. I think her non complaining pregnancy is making me look bad from when I was pregnant. She is probably just tougher than me. I think I will just have to wait until Marie is done being pregnant before I decide to go through all that again otherwise I will look like the biggest complainer in complain town.

Fired from the Nursery

Since no one in my ward reads this blog, I thought I might share a little bit about my and Matt's calling.

Back in January, Matt and I were called to serve in the senior nursery (2-3 year olds). We were warned before we went in that there was a child who was biting the other children, but we accepted the calling. Nursery is actually a lot of fun. We get to play with the kids and feed them snacks and Nicole has really loved it.

But, this biter child has been a problem the whole time, we will call him Bryan. So, Bryan was biting the other children and pushing them and hitting them and he just played very rough. Matt took it upon himself to watch Bryan and play with Bryan and sit with Bryan so that he could field his actions and make sure that he did not hurt the other children. Bryan is not a bad kid. He isn't mean or malicious in his actions, he just plays too rough.

Bryan eventually gave up biting (yay!), but he turned to hugging. His form of hugging is putting the other children in a headlock and taking them to the ground. We had to make up a "no hugging" rule so that Bryan wouldn't hurt the other children. Bryan's parents are very protective. They stand outside the door during nursery and watch him through the window in the door. Then, when ever they want, they come into class and sit with Bryan. His mother was even there when he took a little girl to the ground and her response was, "Oh, how nice of you to give her loves."

After our no hugging rule, a meeting was called with the primary president and all of us teachers (there are four of us in the nursery of 13 children). We were told that we could not tell the children not to hug each other because Bryan's mother didn't want her child to think that hugging is a bad thing. Additionally, we were told that we couldn't discipline the children (like putting them in time out). Every time there was a behaviour problem, we were to take the child back to their parents and the parents would keep their child for five minutes so that we could calm the kids who were hurt.

So, we did it. We told Bryan to give "gentle hugs" and we took him to his parents when needed. Bryan's mother disagreed with this too. When I brought him to her, he immediately came back in the room; I asked her to keep him for a few minutes so that we could get things back in order. Her response, "Five minutes is too long for a three year old, what am I suppose to do with him for five minutes?" I said that all the other parents had the same rule and they didn't seem to have a problem, but if two minutes worked better for her, then she could do two minutes. Her response, "What I am suppose to do with him for two minutes in the hallway? He is three."

So, we cut the five minute rule for Bryan. Jimmy, another child in the class, broke his arm a few weeks ago. He came into nursery the day after he broke it. Bryan, picked up Jimmy and threw him to the ground. Jimmy wouldn't come back to class after that. The next week he was too afraid to come to class, so his mom came with him. The next week he came, but Bryan did the same thing again. Jimmy has not returned to class after that. The other kids don't play with Bryan because he hits them. They don't want to sit by him at the snack table because he hits them and takes their food.

Last week Nicole was sick and I went to nursery without Matt. Bryan hit another child with a toy and I told him no. His immediate response, "I sorry." Which is what he always says, but it doesn't stop him from repeating his action. I explained to him, that he had to be sorry AND not hit again.

I guess Bryan's mom was in the hall watching because she came in and said, "I heard there was a problem with Bryan, what is the problem."

I said, "He hit another child, but he said he was sorry, it wasn't that big a deal."

She said, "It IS a big deal because I don't think that he is being treated fairly." I just looked at her because I didn't know what to say to that. I have been bending over backwards to make her comfortable with putting her son in nursery. She continued, "Was he hitting or was he playing because there is a difference."

I said, "Well, if hitting is playing, then yah, he was playing." I guess this made her mad, but she was already snapping at me and I was losing my patience.

She said, "You don't understand, three year olds play a certain way, that is how they play." At this time I shut up because I was going to say something mean and I didn't want to. So, I ignored her because I had nothing else to say. She sat in class with her son the rest of the time (whatever that just means that I didn't have to police him).

I thought about going to the primary president with the problem, but ultimately decided against it because I didn't want to be the problem. I didn't want to be the one making a big deal out of a little disagreement. I guess I chose wrong because yesterday I got a call from the primary saying that they want to move us out of sr. nursery. I asked if it was because of Bryan, the response was yes. Apparently, the mother went to the presidency and she wants us out, she thinks we are being to harsh with Bryan. I guess we are if "too harsh" is telling him no when he hits other children and bringing him back to his parents.

I didn't know that a person could get fired from a calling. Or, a set of people rather because Matt and I are both getting the boot. Well, I decided to tell my side of the story because the primary is only hearing from the complaining parents. We go to meet with them tonight. If I get released, no big deal. I just think it is all very silly. These parents apparently think that they know better about where people are called to than the Lord does. The Lord called us to the nursery, but the parents know better.

I could see their point of view if I was being physical with Bryan or if I was yelling at him, but I'm not. I just talk to him like a person. I don't talk to him like a baby, like his mom does. But, he is three and he is going to be in primary next year, I thought that I was suppose to teach him how to behave in church and hitting other people is not how to behave in church. Unless I'm wrong...

Interviews Bad!

I've had a couple of interviews in the past couple weeks that have just been bad. Not that I was bad or that I think I did poorly, it was the interviewer who was just bad. There should be some sort of training session for interviewers so that they can really get it right.

Interview #1: Customer Service Rep?
This job was posted as a CSR position and it was done through a temp agency. I went into the temp agency for the pre interview interview. The lady was nice enough and seemed to ask the right questions which was all well and good. Then, she tells me that the job will contain some outbound calls to people who have already called in about the product. This makes me suspicious. So, she likes me in the interview and sets me up for an interview with the company later that day and tells me to check out their website.

I get home and check out the website and the job is actually posted on the website as... Outbound Telemarketer, not customer service. Now, I don't mind answering the telephone, but I really really hate calling people. I once had a teleservay job and I quit it after two weeks. So, I call temp agency lady and say that I am not interested in this 10 bucks an hour sales job. She claims that she had no idea it was a sales job and blah blah blah scam.

Interview #2: Office Manager?
When I read the posting for this position it seems like a lot of the duties are things that I did as a receptionist. So, I apply with a cover letter describing a lot of the duties that I am familiar with from my receptionist position. I get the call for an interview and I go in. First weird thing, the door to the office is locked, but there is a doorbell. I ring the doorbell. I am escorted to a conference room. Note: There is no reception desk or receiving area in this company, you walk into a hallway.

I wait 10 minutes before anyone comes in and it is the current office manager. She is nice and friendly and tells me about the company. Actual interviewer comes in a bit later and she leaves. Fred (interviewer) is the owner and founder of the company. It is a software company that he created, an obvious computer guy. He asks me about my experience and my accounting knowledge and then proceeds to tell me that the position requires the person to do all the accounting for the company (accounting/bookkeeper position). Which, I don't have a lot of experience with, but I could learn.

Then he goes on for 15 minutes about the software that he created and how a bookstore runs(bookstore software) and blah blah blah, pretend like I'm interested, nod a lot. He asks me about my technical writing (odd because it is not relevant to the position I'm applying for). Then he says that the job may require some tech support over the phone (tech support position).

Asks me a bunch of questions about what I used to get paid and makes notes, which makes me think that he doesn't really know how much to offer someone applying for the position and is getting ideas from me. Then he tells me that the job requires taking all incoming calls and transfering them (receptionist position).

The whole interview was very weird. He obviously didn't know what kind of person he wanted for the position and it seemed like it was four jobs rolled into one and did I mention that this is a part time job? Plus, he kept pausing and just staring at me and then he would consult a paper which obviously had prefab questions on it and then ask me a question. In summation, I don't think I will be hearing back from this company.

There should be some sort of screening process for the interviewy before I have to take time out of my day and find a sitter for Nicole to go on these interviews. I just want to find the perfect job and HAVE the perfect job. Quick and easy. Alas that that is not the case. I plod along though.

Difficult to Say

Hunting for a job has proved to be more challenging than I first thought it would be. The first day of hunting involves sending out a resume to a whole lot of people. But, then day by day there are not as many postings for job as there was that first day. I have interviewed for a few jobs, but have had no luck as of yet. I wish I were more like my friend Rachel when we were young. Every job that Rachel interviewed for, she got hired. Once she even asked 7 peaks, in her interview, if they would hire her best friend Becky too and they did. She had an innate charm about her that made employers want to hire her. I wish I had that.

Matt and I are coming down to the wire with his job. Many of you know now that we haven't had money coming in for a couple months now. We had enough savings to last us, but the well is drying up and we may have to jump ship with his job. I am still looking for some full time work to float us a for a few more months and hopefully it will come soon. Thank you to those of you who have already sent me job leads. I have definitely taken advantage of those things. Unfortunately, nothing has panned out yet, but I will keep trying.

Life often plays little tricks on us when things are down and we have definitely been experiencing that. First, our dishwasher broke, then our kitchen aid, then Matt's car, and this week it was our air conditioner. Thankfully, we are surrounded by family and friends who really love us and we have been able to fix and overcome these little trials. I can't express how grateful Matt and I are to those of you who have helped us in little and big ways already. I think that one of the hardest things to do is admit that you need help and then actually accept that help. It is difficult to JUST say, "thank you," and not say anything else. But, I thank you.

I often think that I get comfortable in the life that I am living and life needs to give me a little kick in the pants to make me change my course. That is how I am viewing our situation. Perhaps Matt and I need to change things, perhaps it is time for me to work and Matt to be a stay at home Daddy for a little while. I'm not sure what the future holds for our little family, but I have faith that we will be okay. I know that if we do everything that we are suppose to be doing, the Lord will help us fill in the gaps and we will receive the things that we need.

I know that the Lord often uses other people to answer prayers, but it is difficult to accept when it comes. I wonder if it would be easier to accept if everything got fixed magically rather than in logical ways. Like, "poof" my Kitchen Aid magically healed itself. Probably not.

Either way, I feel very positive about the future. I know that this adventure that we are on will be of great value to us, so I have to try and find the lesson in this part of my life. I am happy. I have a great life, a wonderful husband, and the most beautiful daughter in the world. Everything else is just frosting on the cake. I just really love the frosting.

Memorial Week

So I have been negligent in my blog duties. I watched all my friends post about their memorial day and I did not do so because I'm lame. I didn't even take pictures of my holiday adventures. I remembered to bring my camera with me, I just forgot the part where I am suppose to take pics. Oops.

I spent the holiday with my family up at my parent's house. It was pretty low key. We did a BBQ and just hung out and talked. It was probably the first time that I didn't feel the need to play games when at my family's house. Weird, I must be growing up.

Tuesday and Wednesday I watched my next door neighbor's kid. She is out of school and her parent's work, so I watched her for a couple days. I thought that it would be a more permanent arrangement, but then I remembered that Nicole and I are already signed up for a swimming class for the next two weeks. Maybe I will watch her again when our swimming classes are over. She is a sweet little 6 year old girl and fairly easy to watch. I just have trouble finding ways to entertain her.

I will prefaced Thursday with this little gem of information. Matt went to get his car registered and it failed emissions. It is a 2006 Saturn. Ugh. It had a computer problem which sucks because it is a relatively new car. We have an extended warranty on the car, but for some reason this particular computer problem was not covered by the warranty. I blame Saturn because they went under and there are no dealerships to even take the car too, so we had to take it to a place that actually works on Saturns and supposedly "honors" the warranties. $500 later, we have our car back, but we were without it for a day because the place lacked the parts necessary to fix it. Thus endeth the preface.

Thursday I drove Matt to my parent's house so that he could carpool with my Dad up to work. I spent the day with my mom at the house. It was nice to spend time with my Mom and to just relax and not do much at all.

Today Nicole woke up at 5:30am. I think she is a crazy little one. I have to play catch up today and clean my house and run a ton of errands that I haven't been able to do because I have had a very full week. It should be super fun!

Oh, and did I mention that our kitchen aid broke while Matt was making bread on Sunday? Matt, being Matt, took it apart and found the problem and we are going to replace the broken part. It is the only plastic part in the whole thing and it apparently breaks for a lot of people. Why do they make the part out of plastic at all I wonder? I think they are setting it up to break. That is just one more thing that we have to pay to fix at a time when paying for things is getting more and more difficult. At least I have a handy husband who can fix things with his bare hands. (side note, our dishwasher also broke a few weeks ago and I went without for a while before Matt took it all apart and fixed it himself.)

I'm hoping that my weekend is a little better than my week.