Applying for Jobs

Every Monday for the next 6 weeks (about), Andy is going to apply to 3 schools. This week's schools are in Illinois, Georgia and Utah (BYU). I am not sure people are truly interested in the actual schools. If you are I can tell you. Last week he applied to a school in North Carolina. I will keep you up to date on the actual schools each week. If you don't care, then skip it. I am doing this as much for me as anyone. This way you know where we could potentially end up.

SUPER photos

The previous post was about the capes. Here is the evidence. (I like the first shot because you can see my husband in the background rescuing escaped balloons.)

SUPER YW

I spent 36-48 hours making 31 crude capes for SUPER YW in Excellence. My hand was cramping in the end. Then, I forgot my camera. I took some pictures on my phone, but they are incredibly blurry. *sigh* Much to my delight the girls embraced their inner hero and seriously enjoyed there capes and personalized symbols. I even made them for the stake leaders. (Their capes were black, all the value colors and I didn't get any pictures of their symbols, either.) Each girl's cape was the color of their value project, unless they didn't tell me, then they chose from what I had. (Orange was not popular at all, but Luke got one.) I tried to do their symbols in colors I knew they liked, but several I just guessed. If I get some decent shots from somewhere i will try and post them. (The one below is from my phone.)

Preschool Quote of the Day

I am really enjoying my fun little preschoolers. It cracks me up every time Luke corrects himself and calls me "teacher" instead of "Mom". I would prefer Miss Heidi, but at least it isn't "Hey you".

This week we are focusing on food. We talked about to food guide pyramid. (Yes, I know it has changed, but it is the easiest way to teach food groups to this age.) I gave them fake food and we put it in the correct food group. When a little boy tried to put lettuce in the grain group I asked him, "What is the food you have?"
He said, "Cabbage."
Me - Why would it be in the grain group?
Him - Because it is made of beans.
Me - Oh, well, this cabbage is a vegetable.
Him - My mom makes my cabbage out of beans, so it goes here.
Me - Hmmm... Ok. (I did not want to argue, I knew who would lose.)

I wanted to giggle so badly. I forgot to relate this to his mom when she picked him up, but it was so fun.

Blood Type

A friend pinned this on Pinterest. It is an article about eating according to your blood type. I am not sure how the doctor can research and know the origins of the blood types, but it was fascinating. My husband and I have very different blood types and they described us pretty well. (Except for a couple of points under Andy's that made me giggle because they were so far off.) 

I am sharing this because it made sense to me. I am not a big meat fan and feel awful if I have too much sugar. (I am type A blood.) I would rather have a salad than a steak. I crave fruits and veggies. Plus, my personality quirks, such as OCD, were described. The only one of my children that I know their blood type is Anneke. She is also a type A. (The circumstances behind how I know are weird, though, and I am not sure if it is accurate.) If I go off of what I read though I would say Marcus is O and Luke is A, but I am still not sure of Mal. 

Andy says this article could just be like horoscopes. There is enough true about each person that they believe it. He could be right. I am going to try eating and exercising the way it says for a while and see how well it works, though.

Using resources

I have been wanting to make a few things, but money has been tight. So, I used what I had on hand to make some projects.

For my preschoolers I needed painting/craft aprons to protect their clothes. My mom gave me some bandanas this summer so I made these with some ribbon I had.

 You know those rings you get on cupcakes that break right away? Well, I found a use for them.

I have been wanting to make the googly eye bow for a while. I think it is fun this time of year. 

That is what I have been up to lately between my many other things. I forgot to take pictures of the lollipop super hero invites to YW in Excellence. I will try and find one so you can see the amazingness.

I'm Done

I try to help make things easier for my husband. We are a team. In his last year of the Master's program at CU I researched potential PhD schools. I made charts and gave him a list of 20 possible choices. I showed him how they stacked up in necessary areas, the cost, funding, etc. I am now making charts and tables again for potential jobs next year.

The way it works is similar to applying to grad schools. The applications are due in the fall. They don't go over them (for the most part) until January or February. Then you start hearing back and getting interviews for a job that won't even begin until the end of the summer.

I am learning all sorts of interesting language. I am quite impressed with my husband's experience and expertise. I can now navigate most university/college websites and find what I need. Yep, I am gaining new talents. Our potential schools are at 18 now and will hopefully get larger. They include places in Alaska, Ohio, Nebraska, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, and Hawaii (BYU). It has been a lot of work and he hasn't applied to a single one yet. He is just getting everything ready. Plus, every school is different. One wants this, another wants that. One wants a video of him teaching for 15 minutes and a few want a statement of Christian faith. 

Now, Andy is getting worried. How can he do it all? Write the dissertation, get everything out for the jobs, magnify his calling and be there for his family. He is worried he won't finish by the spring. He will. I know he will. We may be here another year with him working adjuct all over the place, but he will finish and we follow the Lord's will.

I am done. Over 12 years of struggling. Worrying about what to buy and what not to. Worrying because another sock was worn through. A sock! I am a worrier, yes, but I would like slightly different material. I know that things will not necessarily be better money wise, but at least my husband will not be working 80 hours a week for practically nothing...oh wait, maybe he will.