It's Over...At Least They are Still Smiling

Our travel season has come to an end...mercilfully.  We lost every game we played.  Most of them by a huge margin.  I felt so bad for our little guys.  They tried so hard and never gave up...even when the score was 20-0.  They looked beat but they kept trying.  Jayke was very discouraged about half way through the season.  He would say he didn't want to go because they were just going to lose.  He had to go though because without him we didn't have a sub.  Our little team only had enough players to fill the positions on the field on any given day.  Sometimes, if we got lucky, we would have one sub to give the kids a break throughout the game.  Pretty tough for those little troupers considering the teams we were playing against could sub out their entire team at one time!

Even though they lost every game this season I think they all improved and gained confidence.  I think next season will be better for sure.  Jayke loves soccer and doesn't want to give up.  He now has someone to help him with his skills too so that makes it all better.  More confidence.  We will win a game next season!

Food Art

Jayke is over the moon that he has someone who takes him to a restaurant and lets him do this!  Food art by Jayke and Bobby at Jayke's favorite restaurant, Teppanaki Grill.  aka...teppan Yucky!

Pierogi with an Asian Flare

How lucky am I that I have a guy who makes meals like this for me???  This was my brunch, Bobby made for me the other day.  Pierogi with a ginger garlic sauce.  Maybe my new favorite thing ever!  Maybe the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!  He makes the sauce from scratch too.  Yum!

Good Thing I Ate Before This Post...

My lunch one day...veggie omelet with sweet potato chips and a blueberry waffle.

Roast with root vegetables, salad, and fruit.  Maybe the best roast I've ever had!

Italian sausage with sauteed peppers and onions.  Fried potato chips (for Jayke, his favorite) grilled corn on the cob and salad.

And...a shot of the grill the other night.  Good thing we weren't having company...we may need a bigger grill!  I don't know why but this asparagus was better than any other asparagus I've had.  I didn't ask him what he did to it but I think it had lemon juice on it.  The grilled cauliflower was yummy.  He has made me cauliflower mash before...never had it.  LOVE it!  He also makes us sweet potato french fries that may be my new favorite thing.  Trying to add lots of fiber to our diets.  Hopefully this will help straighten Jaykeb's stomach out.  He has been to the doctor twice with stomach issues.  Since Bobby has been cooking for us every day this issues has gotten better.  Jaykeb is also learning to try new things thanks to Bobby and his cooking.  Something that used to cause a screaming fit when I would attempt to do it. 

All this food that is actually worth talking about and even photographing...caused me to add a new tag to the blog.  FOOD PORN...it's searchable now.  I also finally added one for THE BOYFRIEND.

Points, Points, and More Points!

Jayke got glasses today.  He was actually pretty excited about it.  I wasn't.  I hate that he has to wear them.  I don't want there to be another reason for kids to make fun of him.  Hopefully they don't do that anymore like they did when I was a kid.  Somehow I doubt that though...kids seem meaner these days than they used to be. 

The glasses are Nike, of course.  A major deciding factor in the choosing of this particular pair.  When we left the doctor's office I heard the expected, "Wow!  I can see the leaves on the trees!"  I remember that oh so well.  I got my glasses when I was in the 8th grade and still remember how amazed I was at what all I had been missing. 

We went to Bobby's for dinner (our first date, so to speak)and he was great when we got there.  Immediately acknowledged Jayke's new glasses and reassured him how cool he looked.  Point for the new guy!  He determined Jayke looks like Clark Kent in his glasses...aka Superman!  Point for the new guy.  He played basketball in the driveway with Clark Kent.  Major points for the new guy! 

Dinner went really well.  The man can cook!!  Like REALLY cook!  For a first date it was pretty strange, it was supposed to be Bobby, Jayke, Liv (Bobby's niece and longtime friend of Maci Pickering)and I.  Ended up Tommy, Bobby's brother showed up as well as Liv's mother and Liv's little sister.  Bobby was not happy.  More points for him for being upset that our evening was imposed upon.  (By Liv's Mom...not Tommy, his brother)  After dinner we took a walk around the neighborhood.  More points that he wanted to hold my hand and protect us from oncoming cars.  Bonus points that he tells me I'm beautiful at least 5 times a day.  LOL  Could it be that he is romantic AND can cook??  Fingers crossed!

I need to teach him to smile in pictures...

Whats Wrong With Him???

Too Cold

The boys were really excited when the pool was finally opened.  They couldn't wait to get in...until they felt the water.  They opted for this instead.  First swim of the year...in the tub.

On The Road

Our favorite part of travel soccer is eating out!  Getting to go to restaurants we don't have in Muncie.  Jayke has decided he is a fan of Panda Express and asks to go there everytime we leave town now.  Here he is totally focused at The Cracker Barrell.  We ended up turning around after this meal due to Jayke's ongoing stomach issues.  At least we got our pancakes!

The Road I Travelled

I haven't talked about my job situation on here at all so I guess it's time for a post updating my current occupation....and the route I took to get here.

I left Anesthesia Services after 3 years in February, 2011. I looked for a job relentlessly right off the bat. Went on many interviews only to feel like I was given the run around. One place went to far as to have me work a half day, didn't bother to pay me, and then didn't hire me either. After that, I was completely discouraged. I spent the next 10 months lunching with friends and watching daytime television. I finally got a call in November to come in and take a test to see if I would qualify to tech support Turbo Tax software. I took the test and was told that I had scored higher than all the other candidates who had applied. Encouraging. Hired on the spot. Would start in December, 3 days after Christmas. 3 days after Christmas I realized I was beginning a job that I was going to hate.

I spent 3 months telling people how to do their taxes, how to access what their accounts, how to download their software, and how to trouble shoot various other computer issues. It was stressful while on the call but I have to admit when I helped a little old man get through his taxes and I could hear the relief in his voice, it felt good. Not good enough to stay though. After the tax season they started trying to push us out since they no longer had positions for us with Turbo Tax. We could be moved to the Apple account to support the iPad, iPod, and iPhone but I would have to work a night shift. 4 til midnight. I would never seee Jayke. I quit right then.

Two days later I took a job at a collection agency doing their data entry work. This was more my speed. At least I knew how to do this work and felt comfortable. My new boss was thrilled with me because I actually knew how to do the work and needed little assistance or training. I caught them up from a period of time they were missing an employee. This would work for a while but I had something else going on.

I had interviewed for a position with a company called Midwest Homes for Pets. The supervisor and I had immediately hit it off and I was going in for a second interview. 2 hours after that interview, I had the job. Now all I had to do was tell the collection agency I was leaving them after only 3 days. This conversation went a lot better than I thought it would. She told me she was grooming me for her position and if it didn't work out at this job to give her a call. THAT made me feel good and I was excited about the new position.

Here is my new home: http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/

I was hired as a supervisor and key account manager. I handle their two largest accounts, Petsmart and Amazon. I'm responsible for measuring product to meet the meter requirements for container loads coming from China. I also manage the website for Amazon, basically if you go to Amazon.com and place an order for one of our dog crates I'm the one who gets that order and ships it to you from our warehouse. I bring all the product for those two accounts over from China and get it it to it's prospective distribution centers. Sounds crazy but it is actually fun. I enjoy it. I enjoy the women I work with. I know I'm learning a job and eventually will be taking over a position of supervisor. I'm moving forward...finally. I look forward to going to work.

So that's what I've been up to for the past year and a half.  Got the good job...time for other areas of my life to follow suit.

Whose kid needs a haircut?  Definitaly mine!  Here he is ready for our first travel soccer game.  Travel soccer lasts about 2 months.  We will be heading to various citties around the Indianapolis area and a couple a little farther.  Jayke is excited about the "traveling" part.  Me, not so much.

He was irritated with me for taking pictures at the game today.  In the picture below he saw me and stopped and yelled, "What are you doing?!?"  LOL...poor kid. 

Here is the GOAL!!  Jayke was so excited when he got back from Georgia and it was waiting for him.  It is adjustable so he can raise and lower it.  It is lowered in the pics.  The boys like to have it low so they can dunk.  The kid down the road, who is in 8th grade, comes down and plays with Jayke.  He, along with Mike (new Mike), and Matt have taught him a ton of stuff and every one is amazed at how much he has improved.  He has a basketball camp coming up in a few weeks.  He can't wait!

ONE of Jayke's Easter baskets.  We had a wile Easter Egg hunt today.  I didn't win for the first time ever.  They were gunning for me since I was undefeated.  There was a lot of cheating going on and once I saw it I pretty much threw in the towel and started helping The Boy with his egg count instead.  There was an extra contestant in the contest this year.  Dad has two snakes living in his back yard and they made an appearance.  Scaring the crap out of AJ, who was lucky enough to find the first one.  I found one a little later.  We were missing one egg and had looked every where.  I was looking under all the hostas when I found the snake...who then showed me where the last egg was hidden.  That little snake slithered right over and on top of the last egg and just sat there.  I think she thought it was one of hers and she was garding it.  I scared her off and grabbed up the egg.  That may have been the most exciting egg hunt we have had...fighting snakes for our eggs!

It Will Either be Beautiful...or Dead

Mike cut the big tree next to the drive back the other day so we could put up a basketball goal for Jaykeb while he was on Spring Break with his dad.  I didn't want the tree cut down even though that is what everyone told me to do.  Mike cut it back and said it will either be beautiful or dead...we will see next spring.  Reminded me of how my grandpa cut back trees.  Worked for him most of the time so we will see.

After the tree(and Jayke) was gone, Mike and Gunner put the goal up. 

....and Buddy took it easy in the flower bed.

Buddy

We love Buddy!  Mike's dog.  I take him every where with me.  Here we are heading to soccer practice.  He loves watching the kids play.  Mike works crazy long hours so I keep Buddy with me so he isn't left alone all day.  All my animals accepted him as if he belonged here.  We miss him on the rare occasion he isn't here.

Goof

Had to drag him away from the baketball goal...literally...to make him go eat at Pizza King with me.  He is obsessed with basketball!!  He has a basketball in his hands at all times.  He can't walk through the house with out shooting a three pointer and slam dunking at least once.  If he isn't outside playing basketball then he is inside playing basketball 2K12 on the Xbox, watching basketball on tv, or "working" on his basketball trading cards!  He's gonna be a baller!  I'm okay with that.

He Loves Shopping With Me

The things I make him do...  Doesn't he look thrilled?

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Miss Priss

Kitty Luv

Sleeping buddies!

Game Night

Laynie looks focused!  I think she might win!