Scheduling is a gift and I don't think it's mine.

As of right now I am still transitioning to my new job. It has consisted of 2 days of orientation, 2 days off, 2 hours of orientation and then an attempt to schedule myself.

First of all, my 2 days off were the same 2 days off that El Diablo had. I thought he would be excited. I am sure he was in his own special way. But he acted more like the 1st grade boy on the playground pulling at my ponytail. Pushing my buttons. And then snickering about it. *sigh*

I should not be trusted with scheduling myself.  It's not entirely my fault. I have always worked a desk job, 9 - 5, Monday - Friday. My new job allows me flexibility and a freedom I have never experienced before. Not that it won't be hard work, because it will. I'll be working my butt off (fingers crossed) and learning a lot! However, when I asked the scheduler what I do about the weekend we are planning our family camping trip, she says "just don't schedule yourself for those days."

*chirp* *chirp*

I don't understand. I mean, 'don't I have to ask for the time off?' "Nope," she says and smiles. "Isn't that nice?"

"I don't get it." I say and she laughs.

The pitfall to that is if I don't work I don't get paid. Nothing is ever perfect. But that's okay. I went ahead and scheduled myself figuring I would work the days El Diablo had off. Then I scheduled myself for a couple of day shifts because I wanted to orient on days in addition to nights. Day and night shifts in a hospital are two different animals. So I had to be careful because while I want to work as much as I can, I had scheduled myself for 3 night shifts and then a day shift immediately following. Um. Think. Chanel. Think. If you work 7p - 7a and schedule yourself for the next day from 7a - 7p you will be working for 24 hours.

Look, you can't say I didn't warn you.

I got home with my schedule (which El Diablo stated I could not come home without) and he starts looking over the mess I made. El Diablo gently reminds me that if I schedule myself on all his days off, we will never see each other. Oh. Right.

And if I schedule myself to work the day shift on the same days he is working nights, my punks will be left alone - not the purpose of the flex scheduling in my eyes. Let's just say thank goodness El Diablo was an Army man. Scheduling is his forte. Mine not so much. But that is how we balance each other out. He helped me with the planning of my schedule and El Diablo suggested to leave the schedule as is for the next 2 weeks and see how it goes.

*chirp* *chirp*

Um. Be flexible? Go with the flow? This does not compute. I'm used to a set schedule by gum!

And anytime I get distressed about the lack of my 'set' schedule, I will remember the way my punks get off the bus in the afternoon and see me standing at the front door. They wave and scream "MOMMY! You're home!" as they race wildly to get to me. And I will remember Baby Punk as she wraps her arms around me and says "I'm SO glad you're home!"

My heart melts. Enough said.

Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes...

Oh boy are there changes afoot! First, I am leaving my predictably stable job at a major University/Hospital to get one step closer to pursuing my dream of being a nurse. While it isn't difficult to leave what I do...it is very difficult to leave the group I work with. They are funny, witty, charming and they drive me batty. But I love 'em. Dearly.

I will begin my new career as a Certified Nurse Tech. There are many names for this position, but the job is basically the same. Butt-wiper. Babysitter. Whatever you want to call it. It's the low person on the proverbial nursing totem pole. It's not my dream job, but that's okay. It's a step in the right direction.

The pros:  I will be a 1/2 hour closer to home. I will be working in the float/flex pool which means I go where they send me. (Think about all the kinds of experience I will be getting). I schedule myself as little or as much as I want/need. They will work with my nursing program schedule which has been why I have been unable to begin nursing school. I am hoping it means I get more time with my punks.

The cons:  Well, no benefits and no accruing sick/vacation time. And the lack of a set schedule means no predictability in pay.  So I am freaking out that I won't get the hours that I need to pay the bills. We have gotten quite used to having electricity and running water.

Tomorrow I take the HESI and I'm terrified. Yes, I have been accepted to the nursing program 3 times. Yes I have only had to take the then "NET" exam once. I didn't study. I passed. However, this time I bought a study guide. Now that I have gone through it I am absolutely terrified. The HESI appears to be the NET on steroids. So tomorrow is the last day I can take the HESI to be considered for fall semester and I am totally unprepared.

I had been applying for jobs as a CNT for 3 months with nothing as much as a whisper. Then all of a sudden...BAM! I got 2 job interviews. This job change came at me so quickly and with so many details/schedule issues to work out that I found little time to order the book and then study.

What's the worst thing that could happen? I fail the HESI and do not get considered for the fall semester at Aquinas. The best thing? I get more time at my current position, re-apply to take the HESI and have more time to study.

So as you can see, many changes are happening fast and I'm doing my best to be prepared for them. It is what it is. I will do my best, but at the end of the day my faith, my family and my friends will carry me through.

Craftiness

Yes. I said it. Craftiness. Of course, if you know me you know that I love crafts. It's my therapy. It's in my blood. I love to paint. I love to putter. I love being creative. The one problem besides time and money? Pushing my ADD aside so I can actually finish one project before beginning another. There are so many lovely crafty people out there and I keep visiting the blogs and coming up with ideas for our house. It's addicting! I can't stop! Thank you for letting me get that out and not judge. What a relief.

My first order of business (or so I thought) was to repaint the salmon pink dresser my BFF Tam gave to us.  Of course I did not take "Before" pics. Sorry about that! But trust me when I say it was salmon pink. I decided to re-purpose this dresser into a sideboard for my dining room, but could not - would not put it in there looking the way it did (no offense Tam but you know what I mean).

So because of my lovely boys (Michael Cox-Terry and Brian O'Neil Terry), I found http://rebelreclaimed.com/. If you love re-purposed, funky eclectic stuff stop now. Do not visit their site. Oh okay visit them on Facebook, but you can't say I didn't warn you! They are amazing. I would redecorate my whole house in their stuff if I could. They no longer live in Nashville (curse you!), I have to settle for looking at and drooling over their items. Do you know how many keyboards I have had to replace because of drooling issues? And now I have to try to recreate some of it myself. I blame them. But I digress...

The Salmon Pink Dresser Project
I took the salmon pink dresser and painted it aqua blue. Then, I took a dry brush and randomly dragged white across the blue. Have you ever dry-brushed anything? I was scared, but my sister-in-law Malissa kept telling me it was so easy. So I just jumped in and did it. What's the worst thing that could happen? I would have to repaint it blue. It came out lovely (thanks Malissa!). At this point El Diablo did not understand why I needed to do anything else to it. He could not see my vision. See in my house I am the visionary...it's a tough job, but I take one for the team. I'm good like that. So I dry brushed dark brown the same way I did the white.

The last step was to polyurethane the dresser and then line the drawers. I lined the drawers with black & white non-adhesive contact paper I purchased at Target. As you can see I have not "finished" it as I still have not found the right knobs - I know they are waiting for me at http://www.worldmarket.com/!

Sorry for the sideways picture, however, the picture turned when I added it to the blog. Go figure. A techy I ain't. Oh and you can ignore the floating fingers of Baby Punk - she loves the camera that one.

The Cake Stand Project
The next project I wanted to do is a cake stand. I have never owned a cake stand in my life. My BFF ironically owns two dozen. (Okay, that may be a tad exaggerated - but I doubt it). She was horrified to learn I did not own one. She certainly wasn't horrified enough to give me one of hers I'll tell you that! (I know what you're thinking - How Rude! Thanks for being on my side.)

Of course I have looked at cake stands at Target and Wal-mart. The problem is, I don't want a cake stand that looks like I just bought it and the cake stands that I found on the Internet were upwards of $50. Um. I didn't want one that bad. So off I headed to the thrift with my lovely ginger-hued friend Laura. She was ever so patient while I tried to explain to her what I was doing (she's a much better visionary than El Diablo). I got home with my purchases, so excited to begin and found all I needed was...

Me:  "Umm...honey? Do we have Gorilla Glue?"  El Diablo: "What do you need it for?"  Me: "A project I'm working on." (insert audible sigh and I swear I heard his eyes roll..) I ignored it because that's the kind of wife I am.

My hero, my love swooped in and saved the day - providing me with all the Gorilla Glue a crafty gal could need. "I want it back" he stated pointing at the bottle in the best no-nonsense voice he could muster. "Of course! Thanks honey!" I replied with my big innocent smile full of shiny teeth while batting my eyes (I'm a multi-tasker). He walked out without another word. He gets me. I love that fella.

All you need for this project is 1 candlestick and 1 plate of your choosing and Gorilla Glue. It took me about 2 minutes to put it together, combined with drying time of a couple of hours), I had my very own cake stand. Here is the finished product:

Oh and see the corner of the rose painting? The signature? Yes, right there above the birds. That picture was painted by my beautiful and talented grandmother Elaine Vick Reyes. I told you being artsy is in my blood.

The final cost of my cake stand? $4 (minus the free Gorilla Glue). Isn't it lovely? It makes me giggle!

And yes, I have many more projects on the horizon, but have vowed to do one project at a time until completed. Yes, completed. Well...um...maybe mostly finished?

The Punks

Okay. I have officially been reprimanded by Consuela Sr. aka my mother. While, like most mothers, she is very positive and supportive of this blog, she has one complaint.

"Please stop calling my grand-babies Things. They are not Things. They are Grammy's babies!" (She said it in THAT MOM tone - you know the one I'm talking about.)

Um...Mom? Have you met them? Have you seen The Cat in the Hat? They destroy the  house as if some magical being takes over their brains. I felt the names were appropriate. Apparently my mother does not agree.

Here is Consuela Sr. with Thing 2 errrr...Baby Punk on her last visit.

So as to be respectful to the elders in my Tribe (it's a good thing she lives 2,000 miles away...), I will stop calling the children Thing 1 and Thing 2.

I shall call them Punks. Because they are pretty punky. And yes I know the little one is 7 years old, but she will always be my baby Punk. So there.

And Big Boy Punk has already told me he is "practically a teenager." Oh goodness...No. You. Di'int. You are 11 years old my boy. Now stop trying to grow up so fast.

On top of Big Boy Punk being 'practically a teenager,' he has taken to fashioning his hair after Anthony DiNozzo from NCIS. Have you seen it? Great show - one of my favorites. Cute guy too! I can't tell you how happy it makes me that for now, he is wanting his hair like DiNozzo as opposed to, say...his Aunt Tam (my BFF):

Aunt Tam

Not that there is anything wrong with his Aunt Tam's hair. She is rockin' the 'hawk. She's a rebel (trust me on this). Unfortunately, the school district where we live would frown upon such doings. Are they squares? Yes. Apparently mohawks are a sign of rebellion and free-thinking. Now we wouldn't want to teach kids to think for themselves would we?

Here's the guy from NCIS:

Anthony DiNozzo on NCIS

And here is Big Boy Punk after his haircut:


Rockin' a faux-hawk

After he got his hair cut, he said "so...do I look like DiNozzo?" We, of course said (in unison), "ABSOLUTELY!" You have to keep their self-esteem up during these practically teenage years. (Chanel's parenting tip #23). So I hold my breath and keep my fingers crossed until the day he wants to fashion himself after say...Marilyn Manson. Not that there is anything wrong with Marilyn Manson. I'm sure he is a very lovely person.

However, don't mess with Big Boy Punk. He is his Grammy's boy. Messin' with him means you would have to go through Baby Punk (she thinks he's a rock star) and me (eek!), but more importantly, his Grammy. Things would get ugly. And really, no one wants to mess with him because...well...he's just so sweet. And loveable. And considerate. And he cooks! I have already had marriage offers for him. So for now, I am cherishing this until the dreaded teenage years hit and he turns into something else.

Until then, we have Baby Punk to contend with. Anyone who has seen her in action knows what a wild child she is.

Pray for us. Please. I'm skeered.

Homesick...to a point.

I am a California transplant. I am originally from the Atascadero/San Luis Obispo area. San Luis Obispo is also known as the "Happiest City In America" according to Oprah. I would like to say this. Oprah has a big mouth. Anyone who has grown up and/or lived in the area already knows this. We love it and we love it just the way it is. My grandparents own a business there. My cousins and I grew up running the streets of downtown. Namely Higuera. I have grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends there. I miss my family and friends. I miss Thursday Farmer's Market. Live music, fresh local food from area farmers and businesses peddling their wares. You get the picture. It's quaint and charming. It's hip and eclectic. And yet you never think "oh if only..." (Well you do think if only these out-of-towners would leave...but that's a whole other post). You have everything you need. It outlawed smoking in public in 1990 (sorry smokers). It grows and stays the same all at once. Yes I know growth and tourism is good for our local businesses and economy. I don't dispute that. But come and enjoy it, treasure it, have a great experience, and even come back for another visit if you wish. But then kindly take your bags and leave.

One thing I will tell you, it's also one of the most expensive places to live. Hence why I do not live there. That and I live in Tennessee because we thought it would be a great place to raise our children after living in Los Angeles for so long.

And for the most part I do agree, Tennessee is a great place to raise kids. I love going to the grocery and running into people I know. Going to a restaurant and the kids see a schoolmate or friend. Every morning they hug their bus driver Mrs. D. We didn't have that lifestyle in Los Angeles. You don't speak to people at the grocery and you rarely run into anyone you know there.

I would move back to San Luis in an instant. The problem is, the kids. They are settled and happy. They have friends here. They have a routine. I love the fact that when we are driving down the hill and see the lights from the next town over, Thing 2 says "oooooh look at the big city lights!" (It's not - it's just the major shopping area one town over).

Seeing as how I went to 3 different elementary schools and 2 different high schools, I know the ramifications of constantly moving kids around. You never feel settled. You never feel as if you really belong anywhere. I didn't want that for my kids.

Do I hope to get back to San Luis Obispo one day. Absolutely. Will it ever happen? Who knows? I can't predict the future. All I know is that no matter if you are living in the town you want to live in or are living somewhere that wouldn't necessarily be your first choice, you have to be happy. No one can make you be happy. It's all up to you.

However, I still think Oprah has a big mouth.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Happiest-City-in-America-San-Luis-Obispo-Video#commentsmystart.com­..thought

A Note to Self...

I color my own hair much to the dismay of El Diablo. He would prefer for me to let it go gray. Really?! I would prefer not thank you very much. I don't have time to spend getting my hair colored at a salon, so I finally found a shade range that I have gradually been trying and suits me fine. And when I say fine I mean no one can usually tell when I have colored my hair.  Of course, as it grows out you can see the roots. Well I can see the roots and that's what really matters anyway. I got this brilliant idea to go one last shade darker.  Last night was when I decided I had enough of my mousy brown/gray roots and needed to do something about it.

I retrieved the box of dye out of my bathroom closet (yes, I have a closet in my bathroom - aren't you jealous?) and proceed to apply the color to my head. I always add the ever lovely shower cap due to my own clumsiness and inability to focus so streaks of hair dye do not end up on the walls, carpet or the children. I mean, the dye was already splattered all over the sink and I do try to contain my disasters.

Of course Thing 2 comes in and says "Mommy! What are you doing?" Then proceeds to tell me the time (it was 8:50 pm). So I plop her in the bath, run downstairs to make lunches, make sure Thing 1 has his backpack ready to go for school, get Thing 2 dressed and make sure both are ready and in bed. So before I know it, it's 9:50 pm and I still have my sexy blue shower cap on. The color is only supposed to be on for 25 minutes. You can imagine the frenzied dash to my shower that ensued. After I finish my shower I'm such a chicken that I keep the towel on my head until there is nothing left to do. I unwrap the towel and whoooosh!

It's dark. And when I say dark, I mean black. Yes I understand the box said "Soft Black" but I assumed Soft Black meant "really dark brown." El Diablo came home this morning, took one look at it and said "I told you not to mess with it." Oh dear. Then he proceeds to chuckle, asks my name and to please not tell his wife. Such a jokester.  I got to work and my hair has received rave reviews. I've been called "vixen" and have been asked if I was getting in touch with my Latin roots. Literally roots. Cute people.

So a note to self: Do not attempt to color my hair while doing 15 other things.

Baby It's Cold Outside...

Unfortunately, it started snowing before I left work yesterday. I live 23 miles from work and it took me 2 hours to get home. Reedonkulous! Needless to say, I am usually not in a good mood when I walk in the door due to the commute. My options? Look for another job closer to home. Have I done that? Certainly! But as we all know, this economy is struggling and so are jobs. I am thankful for the job I do have. But I do struggle with being away from my family...the perils of being a working mom.

However, the positives were that my husband made me a cocktail, made dinner, and did the dishes. Awwwwww...he's a good fella. The night ended with (hey no shenanigans will be posted here dirty birds)! As I was saying, it ended with an impromptu ballet night. Thing 2 dressed up in a black leotard and black ballet skirt (is there a name for those?) and she was twirling away. She has never expressed an interest in ballet before! I had purchased a box of clothes from www.thredup.com and the ballet outfit came with it!  Of course I had to catch it on camera! Except I am not very good with my camera yet. It's fairly new and reasonably fancy and I love it. I am also technologically challenged. I admit it with no shame. Although my pictures do not even come close to the level of http://www.thepioneerwoman.com, at some point I hope to be.  She's my mentor. She has no idea who I am, but I sort of started this blog because of her. She's simply divine!

When I left the house this morning, it was 12° outside. Yowch! And guess what? The kids got out of school an hour early yesterday and they are out of school again today! At this point, I'm not sure if they will every finish their education this year. I have also figured out that my car does not like the cold. It acted just like I did getting out of bed this morning. Nooooooo....I don't wannnaaaaaaa. Don't make me! If it wasn't for El Diablo I would have gone with my original plan of going on strike.  He kept smooching me and smooching me and tickling me in the ribs. After 18 years together you think he would have learned - do not mess with me before my coffee. However, even though the man does not drink coffee, cannot stand the scent of coffee, does not understand the appeal of coffee (don't judge) - on his days off guess what he wakes me up with? You guessed it! Smooches and coffee! Isn't that the best? I know. I'm a lucky gal.

So I hope it's warmer where you are at, and I hope you have a fantabulous weekend!