Microblog Monday: Interview

This Wednesday is my interview for my old coaching job. Tony and I have been talking about potential interview questions. Even though I feel extremely confident in my ability to resume the head coaching position, it's been 5 years since I resigned just before the kids were born. It's also been 13 years since I've been to a job interview. Ironically, that interview 13 years ago was for this very job!

I was involved in this softball program for 19 years, with the last 8 of those years being the Head Coach. It feels so awkward to interview for "my" job. My brother-in-law asked me what I'd do if they tell me they don't think I'm qualified enough. That's not something they can tell me. In my years as the Head Coach, I took the team to the State Playoffs every single year, won several league titles, and brought home the only softball State Championship in school history. I earned Coach of the Year at the local and state level numerous times, and coached our summer program to the National level 3 years in a row. They most definitely can't say I'm not qualified enough. What they CAN say is that they'd like to go in a different direction.

Time will tell! We'll find out after Wednesday. Wish me luck!




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Friday Five

- ONE -

I had expected to get a call by the end of the week to schedule an interview for the coaching job, but here it is 4:00 on Friday and I still haven't gotten the phone call. Based on my phone call with the AD, he had anticipated closing the application window today and doing interviews next week. I hate being in the dark as to where they are at in the process. Have I not gotten a phone call because they don't have enough applicants yet? But really, if they plan on offering me the job and are just going through the motions so everything is on the up and up, does it matter if they don't have many applicants? But then, I've also told Tony that I hope they aren't putting all their eggs in one basket, expecting me to take the job, because I'm not sure I will be able to! It's so confusing.

-TWO-

I have the kids' birthday party planned! Well, not completely planned with all the details, but we are on the books to do their party at the local fire station! I am so relieved to finally know where we will be doing their party. I left a message last week with the Captain at the fire station, and he was supposed to call me back on Monday. I still hadn't heard back from him, so today I tried calling again. I'm so glad I did! I had been getting nervous that we were maybe cutting it close to being able to reserve the Bounce House. So happy this is now taken care of, just need to plan the details now!

-THREE-

I took the kids to the library on Tuesday. They each get to check out two books each time we go. We came home and read all four books right away. We usually end up reading the favorites a couple more times over the next few weeks, until we have to return them. Yesterday morning, Rylee settled on the couch with her baby doll and one of the library books. Rylee covered the baby with her special blanket and proceeded to "read" to her baby. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen!

-FOUR-

I am loving the weather we are having this week! It's starting to get cold, but we've had gorgeous blue skies. We have been taking advantage of it with trips to the park. I know these beautiful days will be coming to a screeching halt soon, and we'll be digging out the rainbows instead.

-FIVE-

I was looking online at swimsuits for the kids in preparation for our upcoming trip to Mexico in January. Is it just me or is this swimsuit completely inappropriate for a 4 year old? I'm sorry, but I want my little girl to look like a little girl! My plan is to rock the tankinis (much easier for bathroom breaks!) for as long as possible. Maybe I'm just a prude, lol. What do you think?

Right Now: November Edition

Reading: I'm still working on reading the book I checked out from the library, Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It's a really great book, but I'm not working my way through it very quickly!

Watching: This is Us, A Million Little Things, and my new favorite, New Amsterdam. I'm also throwing a good old Hallmark Christmas movie every once in awhile!

Listening: The kids are participating in a children's Christmas Musical in December, and we've been given a CD of the music for the show so they can practice and learn the music. We've been listening to that in the car. I absolutely love listening to them sing the songs and tell me which parts are their favorite. They share with me what part is the "big kids" favorite as well.

Drinking: Water. Always water, just need to work on increasing my daily intake.

Eating: I just ate a Zone bar. For dinner tonight, I am making Broccoli Cheddar Soup at Ayden's request.

Wearing: New jeans that I got for my birthday last month, a pink t-shirt, and a black down jacket because it's cold this morning.

Sitting in the chair we inherited from Granpa M.

Loving: I love our living room. It's the one room in our house that I feel (mostly) like we've gotten rid of all the previous owner's ick. We have brand new carpet in here, and the walls are all freshly painted, including the trim. The ceiling is beautiful and I love having a mantel to decorate. I have found that I also enjoy turning on the gas fireplace. It heats up not only the living room, but the rest of the house as well. And it's cozy.

Anticipating: So Much! The holidays and celebrating Ayden and Rylee's 5th birthday. I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas, having our Elf make his first appearance, and experience all the magic of Christmas through the kids' eyes again. They make everything a million times more magical. I'm also really excited for Rylee's ballet performance in the Nutcracker and the kids' Christmas musical. I'm also anticipating my new oven/range that I just ordered today and will be delivered next week, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Hoping: To start painting here again soon. I've procrastinated on getting it done, but it's time to get busy and at least finish the dining room and kitchen so we can finish unpacking all the stuff that's going in the China Hutch, which will be moved into it's final resting place once the painting is done.

Following: The results of yesterday's election. I'm really, really disappointed in the outcome of some of the measures in Oregon. Yay  I mean BOOOOoooo for more taxes. 

Wondering: Where we will be holding Ayden and Rylee's birthday party! Ugh. I put in a call to the fire department in regards to the gift certificate we have for a "party" there, but haven't gotten a call back yet. If we don't do it there, we are wanting to do it at a bouncy house. I'm afraid we are going to be too late to make reservations for either one pretty soon. I need a call back!

Trying: To get more sleep, but I have woken up every single day around 5:00am since daylight savings. Kids usually get the bad rap for not adjusting well around the time change, but here it is ME who can't sleep! I'm over it already.

Worrying: I really don't think "worry" is the appropriate word. More like anxious. I've done a thing. *Gasp* The head softball coaching job at the high school I used to coach at opened up, and I've submitted my application for it! I will be shocked if I don't get offered the job. I coached in this softball program for 19 years in some capacity or another prior to the twins being born, with my last 8 seasons there as the Head Coach. Every year I coached, our team went to the State playoffs, even winning the State Championship one year, the school's only softball state title. I coached a competitive summer program to the National level, finishing in the top 50 in the nation one year. I'm pretty confident in being offered the position. The athletic director even called me last week to make sure I knew the job was open and to ask if I was interested in joining the applicant pool. I'd already known about the job opening. It's a small community. So why am I so nervous for the interview???? Well, maybe because it's been 13 years since the last time I've been to an interview!!!!! Ironically, my last interview was for this very same job! It's so weird to have to go through the motions of an interview to resume my old coaching position.

Planning: I'm hosting my family for Thanksgiving this year. It will include my sister and her family, my brother and his family, and my mom. 7 adults, 8 kids.

Contemplating: Whether or not I will actually accept the coaching position if/when it is offered. There are two major questions I have that will be the deciding factor. First, does the district approve of support staff taking the necessary time off that is required of seasonal coaches? When we travel for away games, the student athletes get out of school early, and I would have to leave work early to get to the games. My plan is still to become an Instructional Assistant next year in the school district. There are very few jobs that work around a high school coach's seasonal sports schedules, so that could be a hindrance. My other question is whether or not my kids will be allowed to be with me when I work on the field, do open gyms, etc.? Softball/Baseball coaches are required to spend a tremendous amount of extra time just to work on the fields. We don't have ground crews to do the field maintenance or prep the fields for games. If my kids can't run around outside playing or helping me pull weeds and such when I'm at the field by myself working, then that's a deal breaker. This wouldn't have even been an issue 5 years ago. However, last year a parent complained that teachers' kids got extra, unfair advantage, being allowed to be at school with their working parent. If other working parents couldn't take their kids to school, then teachers shouldn't be able to either. The district ended up making a rule that teachers/staff could not have their kids present with them at the school. Teachers couldn't even bring their kids in during their off hours to decorate their classrooms. The basketball coach's daughter couldn't sit in the bleachers doing her homework during an open gym. Part of the reason why I would love to coach again is so that Ayden and Rylee can grow up in the sports environment. A big reason why Tony supports me coaching again is because he would love the kids to see me in that role, so if they can't even be out there with me...

Microblog Monday: Extra Hour

These time changes are for the birds. Extra hour you say? Naaaah. And I can't even blame it on the kids. At least not completely. I woke up yesterday at 5:30. The kids woke up at 6:15. This morning I woke up at 4:45. Ayden woke up at 5:00.

Yesterday felt like the longest day of all time. I fed the kids lunch at 10:30, thinking it was 11:30. A couple hours later, after working outside for awhile raking up all the leaves, I looked at the clock on the oven and it read 2:30. Then I remembered I hadn't changed the clock yet, so it was actually only 1:30. Ugh. So looooonnnng until bedtime still! To top it off, we all spent the weekend with major colds, which made the day feel that much longer.

The kids were in bed by 7:00. I fell asleep on the couch at 8:45, got up at 10:00 to take Ayden potty, and then went to bed. But dammit if I didn't wake up at 4:45 not being able to go back to sleep. Didn't matter though, since Ayden woke up at 5:00 anyway. Sigh. Another long day here.



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