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I may be dusting this old thing off; only time will tell...

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So, I disappeared for a year...

I've been struggling with whether to resurrect this blog or not, and I seriously doubt any readers are still around, based on the statistics I receive weekly.  At the beginning of 2013, I wasn't in a great place, and didn't really have anything to say.  I don't post on Twitter anymore and have somewhat limited what I post on Facebook, but still read blogs on a daily basis.

I just read my last post, and my viewpoint hasn't changed an incredible amount.  We have had some positive changes around here, so I feel like things are moving in a good direction for me.  I found a new job this summer and started in August, and I feel like that has made a huge difference in my outlook on life.  While I enjoyed the patients, and my employer outside of work, we just couldn't work together anymore.  I felt like no matter how hard I worked, it was never good enough, and the morale in the office was just so low.  I also really missed being off with my kids.  After being on the school schedule for so many years, it's really hard not to be.

So, I went to my school district's job fair in the spring, and was really discouraged after attending.  There were two school nurse positions available, and a list of applicants a mile long.  I interviewed for a position at a private school that went to a teacher's family member, interviewed at a local daycare (didn't even finish the interview once I found out what the pay was), and resigned myself to the fact that I would be stuck in my job forever.  Then, at the end of June, I was browsing job openings for the school district, and there was one that had just posted.  I applied for it, and was called the next day to schedule an interview.  I prepared like crazy for the interview, and it consumed my every waking thought for days.  I felt like it was my last chance to get out of a bad situation, and wanted to do everything that I could to ensure that it went well.

I felt like the interview went well, but a week went by and I didn't hear anything from them.  Of course, my confidence diminished by the day.  Finally, the principal called and offered me the job, and I gave a month's notice at my then-current job that evening.  It was so hard to wait out that month, knowing that my life was going to get easier.  I would have a definite time that I was getting off work daily, wouldn't have to work when the kids were in school, and getting a nice raise.

Halfway through the school year, I can honestly say that I love my job.  My co-workers are great, most of the people at my school are happy, and no one yells at me.  My commute is a lot longer, but it's not a stressful drive, and that is my "me time" to decompress and listen to music.  Everyone around me has noticed that I am happier and more relaxed, and I have more of a desire to socialize, do crafty things, and not just come home and sit in a chair.  Having two weeks off for Christmas break is a definite plus, as well!

As far as the kids are concerned, one started kindergarten and one started junior high this year.  That's been a big change, but it's going well.  The kindergartener stays for after-school care at her school and takes dancing once a week. She has learned all of her sight words and is anxious to learn how to read.  The seventh-grader is running cross country, and can run six miles like it's nothing.  He's doing great in band, has just about earned his Life rank in Scouts, and most importantly, has become so much more responsible this year.  He's making A's and B's in tough classes, including pre-AP pre-Algebra, and seems happy.

Another big change for us is that we decided back in June that we need to sell our house.  We have accumulated a lot of debt from me going back to school and not working for three years, and we have a lot of equity in our house.  We need a bigger house, and it's a seller's market here.  We have been slowly working on getting the house ready to sell since the summer, and are almost at the point where we might be able to put it on the market.  The only problem is finding something that we want to buy in our price range and in the right school zone.  Hopefully the stars will align for us early next year.

Since I am turning 40 in 2014, I have decided this is the year that I am going to stop talking about running, reading about running, and pinning things on Pinterest about running.  I can't run more than 100 feet right now, but I want to run a 5K before the year is over.  Who wants to join me?

If you still read this blog, please drop me a line to let me know I'm not alone here.  Happy New Year!

This year I resolve to...

     I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, and have never made them.  However, I am at a point where I feel like I need to make some changes in my life in order to be a happier person.  I am not happy with my weight, don't exercise, and don't always eat the greatest.  By the time I get home from work, the last thing I want to do most nights is cook dinner for the family.  So, we end up eating a lot of prepackaged, convenience food.  This year, I'd like to improve the quality of what I feed my family, drink more water, and start exercising, at least occasionally.  I'd love to say that I would take up running, and I've always wanted to be a runner, but the reality is that I am just not that motivated, and can't run more than 100 feet at a time.  So, a more realistic goal would be that I will start walking, riding my bike, or maybe going to the gym (that I don't currently belong to).

     I also would like to start doing more with friends.  We used to have a large group of friends that we hung out with fairly regularly, and for whatever reason, we don't really have anyone who we hang out with anymore.  Our neighbors don't get together, I don't have a whole lot in common with most of the women in the community where we live, we don't go to church, and don't do playdates, so there is limited opportunity to make friends.  I'd like to change that, have a group of friends to socialize with, and I sure would love to have a BFF.  I haven't had one of those in a very long time.  

     One last thing that I have been wanting to do for a long time is to get back to having a creative outlet.  I need creativity in my life, and used to scrapbook or craft on a regular basis.  Since I went back to school, I haven't been able to make the time to do fun, crafty things, and I'd like to change that.  I have tons of craft/scrapbooking supplies, and I need to get them out and do something with them.  Pinning crafty things on Pinterest isn't enough for me anymore...

Random Thoughts of a Five-Year-Old

I really need to do a better job of recording the musings of my little princess, because they are hilarious.

Tuesday night, she was very upset that Mommy voted without her.  Yesterday morning, we had a discussion about the election, and she was concerned that both candidates weren't able to win.  She didn't think that was fair.

Last night as I was getting her ready to take a shower, she decided that she was ready to get her ears pierced, and I talked her through the process, as we do them at my office.  I explained that we would use numbing cream on her ears, she wanted to know what it was like, and I explained that it was just like lotion.  She then proceeded to rub lotion on her ears and was upset that we couldn't put her earrings in at that exact moment.

Seconds later, she announced that she was going to be a teacher when she grows up, and will have children named Alana Charlie and Darren Toby Skyler.  The first names are mine and her dad's, and Charlie and Toby are the names of the youngest children on the Disney show "Good Luck, Charlie".  I'm not sure where Skyler comes from.

What a day...

Today was crazy at work!  All of the kids got sick over the weekend with the cooler weather we are having, and needed to be seen today.  Besides that, the phones were ringing off the hook all day.

My poor parents, along with my aunt and uncle, took the auto train from Orlando to DC yesterday, and ended up having to leave the city today.  I feel so bad for them; they have been looking forward to this trip for a long time, and my parents don't usually have to worry about hurricanes when they travel.  Now, they're in Charlotte, NC, and will head to my sister's in SC tomorrow until the weekend.

After work, I took the princess shopping for jackets, and for the remainder of my Halloween costume.  I'll be rocking my Jostens Class of '92 t-shirt and a scrunchie in my hair on Wednesday.  I needed appropriate shoes, a skirt, big hoop earrings, and some leggings to complete the ensemble.  I draw the line at cutting bangs, though.

This evening, both of my kids managed to stop up a toilet, and when Darren went to turn off the water to the downstairs toilet (our newest one), the cutoff valve broke off in his hand.  After the bathroom started flooding, I managed to turn off the water to the house, but it kept pouring out of the wall.  We soaked several towels and sucked up some of the flood with the Shop Vac before Darren felt it was safe to leave and go to Wal-Mart for toilet parts.

So, it's now 10:30 at night, we have no water, and we have two toilets full of poop.  I'd love to be able to do laundry or wash the dishes; something useful while I'm waiting on the boys, but instead I'm feeling pretty useless.  Tomorrow has to be better...