this is the stuff embarassing moments are made of

Let me just take a moment here and give a little back story. Anakin is doting the full monty in continued efforts to fully potty train. So we've come accustom at the Estanislao house to naked baby butts and conducting every day life in this attire. He's naked, who cares? Dinner attire: nude. Playtime: Nude. Outside play: okay that gets some clothing but you get my point. So rockband was in the nude and absolutely had to be captured!

fall days in good ol Gwinnett

went to the park with Rebecca and Jessica today and got a couple of super cute shots. I will post more later.

Oh fall, how I have missed you so.

Perhaps it is because I honestly look a lot better in sweaters, or maybe because I enjoy cuddling up in a hoodie and jeans, but my how I have longed for cooler days. All my windows are open and I am wearing jeans and I am loving it! I do have to say that I have fall allergies so I am also sneezing like crazy but it is so worth it!

SUCCESS!!!!

anakin went to the potty twice today! Count it! TWICE! I changed my tact a little by letting him go the full monty and relocating the potty chair to the living room but it worked! He went potty twice without being prompted. we made great progress today and I am so excited!

potty pictures

I just had to take a second and post these... too cute!

And so it begins...

I started potty training today. It has been a very wet morning. :) Anakin sat on the potty at 8:30 after we had a long discussion about him being a big boy and not wearing diapers anymore. My mom has told me to take him potty every half hour so at 9:01 as I was walking into the kitchen to get him to go, he peed on my kitchen floor. No big deal, I told him he was good for trying to tell me (he did make an honest effort of yelling "mommy, I poopie!" about 3 seconds after he peed all over himself) and I cleaned up and changed him. At 9:26, he went in the office. This of course was much messier as there is carpet in the office, but no big deal. I cleaned him up and we discussed that when he feels like he needs to go, he needs to tell me. Both times of course, I also made him sit on the potty to associate everything.

It is a little trying but I will not be swayed oh evil potty training spirits that work to test my patience! I will be triumphant! My toddler will go pee-pee on the potty and you will be vanquished!!

When you are a stay at home mom, it's the little things...

A few things to talk about a few days later...

There was pretty weather today. It only got up to about 65. I opened all the windows and sported a long sleeve tee with shorts and flip-flops (my year round attire of choice). Anakin and I played at his friend, Dean's house and when we got home, he went right up for a nap with no fuss.

This morning while I was folding clothes, Anakin kept messing with the covers. I told him "No, Mommy already made the bed, please don't mess it up" but he continued. So I decided to teach him how to make his bed and maybe this would help his perspective. We went into his room and straightened up the covers and I said good job and that was the end of it. Well when I went to get him "up" for his nap (I have no idea when he wakes up because he stays in there until I come release him) he said "mommy look at my bed!" Sure enough, he had "made" his bed. It was pretty messy but I could tell he tried and it was certainly an impressive quality considering it was done by a 2 year old! Awesome! I was so proud! I gave him lots of praise.

To update you on the job, they did call and they did offer it to me, but I turned them down. They only offered me the 10am-7pm shift and after talking about it, Dennis and I agreed that it just wouldn't be the best fit for our family. So, no big deal. That was the sign from God that we wanted and I'm glad it was abundantly clear.

I leave you with a final piece. I made a coffee cake today. And it is awesome. I am also working on a quilt for a friend of mine who just had a baby. I have no idea how to make a quilt but I decided I could figure it out. So in the course of a month I have baked cookies from scratch, made three purses, made a coffee cake, run a 5k and begun a quilt. I'm just a little soccer mom in the making!

Run Rachael Run (part 2)

So I ran! Yay for me! And my goal was 30 minutes and I ran 29:30 and I was in the back. I'm sure if I had been in the front I would have done better. Anyway, pictures below.

This is right before the race, I just did my check in and got my number. Number 72 Woot!

Me and Kerry, my race buddy. On a side note, that girl on the left in the green tank is who i ended up running the whole race with but I beat her. Because I rock.

Here's me at the end, notice green-tank-top girl in the back. I ran a 29.30

I think this was me telling Dennis that I beat 30 minutes! Woot!

Kerry takin it in for the home stretch!

Mmmmm. water = good.

My mother would be proud!

I made sugar cookies--from scratch. Granted, making sugar cookies from scratch is not very hard but I didn't burn them and that's a feat all in itself! So be proud mom, you raised me well!

Interview Update

Just to let everyone know: I feel like the interview went well. But I was very candid with them so I didn't walk away feeling like "Yeah I nailed that" and to be honest, that's not the feeling I wanted anyway. I want to feel like, if this door opens, it's what God wants and there is no doubt that it is His will for me. At the end of the interview, because they had used a script, they asked me some more personal questions. They asked "Why should we choose you over other applicants we have?" I said, after a long pause, "You know, I was thinking about how to answer that question and the 'where do you want to be in 5 years?' question on my way over here and I have to be honest, I'm in a very different position then most of your other applicants. Most people will come in here and they need this job and fortunately, for me, I'm just not in that position. I want to go back to work again and I want to be in a place that is the right fit for me, but more than anything, I just want to like what I do. We've all had those jobs where we wake up in the morning and think 'man what excuse can i use to call in today?' and I just never want to be in that position again. I want to want to come to work. And I want to make a difference in the people lives around me. I feel like you can do that by working your hardest and giving your all and your very best whether you are a doctor saving lives, or a customer service rep making people happy. So why should you choose me? I guess because you're not going to find another person with more customer service experience than me. It's what I do. It's what I've always done and it's what I'm passionate about. And also, because you are not going to find anyone that works harder than me. I believe the quality of a persons character can be measured by the quality of their work so I do my best, no matter what I'm doing."

They seemed receptive. They laughed when I joked and they nodded when they agreed. So we'll see where it goes. I liked the supervisor a lot. He seemed really cool. They said they would call everyone by Friday. So I guess I'll let all 6 (my dad started reading now too) of you know by tomorrow.

yearbookyourself.com

All in all this is a really stupid website where you could absolutely lose several hours with nothing to show for it... But this was still pretty funny! :)

I have an interview tomorrow...

Okay so about three weeks ago I went on good 'ol careerbuilder.com and posted my resume/application for a few jobs. I'm vague here because this is a usual routine for me. I take time about once a week or so to peruse the job postings and reply to what may fit what I'm "looking" for. I'm also using that word loosly because I'm not in any rush to get a job. Dennis could not be more supportive of me staying home and God has been so miraculous in opening doors for us to just plain work it out. I have been constantly reminded that he supplies. Anyway, so I didn't think anything about any of it, because if any of you have been job searching via the internet, you understand it is a very slow and often non-responsive process. So I got a call about two weeks ago from a company called United Stationers. They received my application... 'you did? okay, great. um who is this again?' She asked if I had time to talk, and I did. We did a quick phone interview where I answered the questions with the answers they want to hear but was careful not to be deceiving. And they wanted me to come in to take a customer service aptitude test that should take no longer than an hour. So I went in, wearing the only suit I own and a cute pink sweater vest under it. And I took the aptitude test that, for the record, took about 70 minutes, and thats it. There was no interview. No one really talked to me other than going over the weather and giving me a brief tour of the facilities (which were HUGE!) They seemed very impressed by my resume and assured they would call me back by Wednesday (which would have been two days after Labor day.) Well Wednesday passed while I was in Kentucky and Thursday and Friday followed shortly after. I talked to Dennis about it and we both agreed that the bottom line is, we just have to rely on God and whatever He has planned for us will prosper. Period. And so, with that, I didn't even do the usual follow up "hey I haven't heard from you but I'm still interested" call. And then yesterday... they called. Greg. He didn't give me a last name or even his title (thats weird...) but he asked if I was still interested. Yes. Can I come in Wednesday? Of course. Does 1:30 work for me? Perfect.

So, I am going to an interview tomorrow. Am I nervous? Not really. I'm pretty set that what happens will happen and I don't have a whole lot of control over it anyway. It's a kind of freeing helplessness that often reminds me how big God is and how big this world is and how very very small I am. I worked my butt off at my last job and for what? For a miserable 16 months that amounted to basically nothing. I'm not doing that again. I'm not living that life--I'm not going to be that person ever again. That person that wakes up in the morning and thinks of reasons to call in. I just want to go to work and do my job and cash my paycheck. I don't want a career, I don't want to be a manager, I just want to like what I'm doing. I'm so tired of looking over my back to watch who's stabbing. I'm so tired of corporate BS and the fake mask I have to wear. I am not that person. I can't be that person.

But...

I do need some money! So, even if just for a little while, if God opens the door for me to work, I will work. But our big goal right now is for me to go back to school. And if we are going to afford that, we have got to get out of debt. So... we'll see how tomorrow goes. I'll let all five of you know. :)

2 things to blog about today...

First, Anakin slept in a big boy bed all by himself for the first time. Considering how horrifically this could have gone, it went really well. Upon installation of the bed, Anakin was a little concerned. A few "I no want that bed"s were thrown my way but once everything was said and done, he was fine. The crib disassembled fit much better into the closet than the twin bed (you have wide eyes right now but I'm serious) and the twin bed surprisingly, offers much more room in his nursery... which I guess we can't call a nursery anymore. He did concecrate the new change in his life with a fresh pee on the bed so I am off to target shortly to buy a protective sheet for it

.

The other thing we got is a new fridge. Home Depot called on Thursday afternoon to let us know they would be there betwenn 12:15 and 5:15 which made me feel like replying "Great! I'll pay you for it some time between tomorrow and Christmas!" They showed up around 7:30, but had called at 5:30 to let us know they would be 30 minutes late. I'd like you to take a moment and reread that last sentence and recognize that it didn't make sense.... Anyway, they were very apologetic and nice and did a great job with the installation. We threw out the first tray of ice as instructed and ran 4 gallons of water before consuming any (that's a lot of water in the middle of a drought!) and then we went to the grocery store this morning and replaced the $100 worth of groceries we lost. WHEW! I feel better now! It makes the whole ordeal much more bearable since I have something to show for it!

Coming soon on a journey somewhat familiar... Mr. Turtle.

Ruuuuun, Rachael, Runnnn!!!

Well I was recently encouraged by my friend, Karen to get off my lazy bum and start running again--for real. I was so jealous that she had finished a half marathon (not that I have any intention of doing that whatsoever) that I have signed up for a 5k. I know you are all impressed. This is a big deal. I could not be more excited. At this point there are only two things I am really worried about. 1: My good friend Desi will have her baby the day before and I will have to skip the race to be the much needed friend-who-is-already-a-mommy and 2: Perchance #1 does not happen, what am I going to wear? Right now I always run in running shorts and this old beat up tank top from my junior year of high-school that I just love. I was thinking about maybe making a tank top to wear. Like buying one and decorating it with fabric paint. Would that be so cheesey? Maybe. But does that matter to me? Probably not. Then I was thinking about maybe wearing my uniform from high school just to be funny. ha! Not really. I doubt I even fit in it but I do still have it.

By the way, just for kicks I googled my maiden name to see if I could find any old XC history but alas there was none!

Maybe blogging isn't for me

But it probably should be.

A few posts down, you have a lovely description of the enormous mess the recent hail storms have made out of our roof which I now have to get replaced and have yet to do. Well we came home from vacation on Monday and our fridge was broken. And now I feel broken. Under normal circumstances, a fridge is no big deal. A quick trip to Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears whatever and a quick financing option and 2 hours later, your problem is fixed. Except that's not really how our story went. The good news is, the money was there. Dennis has been working his little butt off and had the money coming in that was coincidentally almost the exact amount we needed for the fridge. From one angle, you may say "God is so good! He provided when we needed!" But unfortunately that is an angle I am not in view of at the moment. That money was very very very specifically designated for debt and I could not be more upset. I know in my heart that we are so much better off than most people our age--most people in general. But that is not the conviction God has laid on our hearts--that is not his will. (Rom 13:8) And every time we take a step toward what we feel is the right, I feel stripped away from it. I feel like I am being pulled away and my little nails are digging rifts in the foundation to our dreams, desperately trying to pull closer to what we think is the right way to go. I have no doubt in my mind that God has paved the road we are walking... I guess I just sometimes wish he had used stronger asphalt because this road I am walking on often feels like it is shifting beneath my already waivering step. I want to cry out to the heavens "God what is going on?" and I am reminded that he owes me nothing. Not even an explanation. It is I who am in debt. It is my worldly flesh that will continue to work for selfish gain time and time again. It is my sin that he bears over and over each day. And it is for the salvation of my soul that despite my wandering step that he continues to call me and seek me with each breath.

Anyway, all that to say, we got up very early Tuesday morning and bought a fridge before I had to go to KY to get Anakin. Then we bought him a little turtle (I will post pictures on my next post--Mr. Turtle is a post all for himself) that apparently carries salmonella and so now I can't even let Anakin touch him! I'm a good mother! HA!

So I am in KY right now, spending the time with the family and being reminded each day why I moved 400 miles away. I will try to be a better blogger for my all of 4 readers but I can't make any promises.