Faith, trust & pixie dust
Over three months is much too long to go without blogging. Stupid Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bitstrips and all those other social media apps that have sucked me in to their ethereal void! I need to get back to basics, with a quickness. Home with a sick kiddo will snap you right back into shape, ya know? That, and having to watch Tinkerbell movies (that's right, plural) for what feels like, the 1,000th time.
We shall break this down by subject matter for easier digestion.
Work is going surprisingly well, except for the part where I found out someone complained to the University's EEOC office about my recent promotion (15% raise, what!) and why did I deserve such a salary. Well, here's the thing they don't know...I was the very LAST person in our entire department to get an increase. My new title, HR Associate is right on target with others in our area and I'm honestly towards the lower end, salary wise, of some of my other peers. This is completely fine with me because I know they have more specialized expertise than I currently possess. That may be changing, however, because there's an opening in our Benefits area where I hope to apply. Yes, it will be a lateral move, but it will help me not only in my quest to become and HR Director, but also give me specific knowledge in an HR area. Right now, I know enough about each area to be dangerous, but not truly an expert in anything.
The family is doing well. The girls are starting to display some anxiety about school work and struggling with math and penmanship...poor kids, they get that from me. D and I have already talked about tutoring for the oldest, and will be working more closely with the youngest. I foresee it going something like this: What's that? You want to watch Tinkerbell, again? How about you write your OWN fairy story. How many fairies are there in all?
The youngest girl is loving soccer and is turning out to be quite a good little goalie. The team's record doesn't indicate that they've done well, but we're super proud of the effort. The oldest has been doing some pretty intense work with her choir group, and recently performed Benjamin Britten's War Requiem with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the Rhodes College Master Singers at the gorgeous Cannon Center. She has one last performance in December, and then we'll decide if she'll continue in the Spring.
The brother is loving his new locale in North Carolina, but still feels a bit homesick. He's planning a visit home during the holidays, which will be great. I told him he needs to find the Memphis Alumni group up there and make some connections. To be in such an extrovert intense field (theater) he can really be a bit of an introvert at times. The parents are doing well. Mom is taking a Sociology class this semester, but I think this will be her last class for awhile. She hinted that while she enjoys the subject, she doesn't want to be graded on her knowledge. I can totally empathize. We're traveling to Nashville for Thanksgiving with my folks this year...we haven't been up there (for that particular holiday) in a few years. I can't wait to snuggle all the new babies!
Right as we're about to put the house on the market, we get a leak that causes a nasty looking brown spot in the corner of the one of the bedrooms, so the house hunt is on hold until we can get that fixed. Also, in the meantime, we have to get a new car because mine, after 11 years and approximately 117,000 miles is starting to become a bit of a money pit. They don't make 'em like they used to y'all.
The 10th year of the CD swap will begin soon. That's right, we still do CDs! My goodness...I've participated in all but one and can't wait to see what I get in the mail this year.