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...