The Interview

I know this is in reverse order (telling you that I got the job and THEN talking about the interview) but the interview(s) were just too fun not to share. So here it goes.

The school contacted via email and asked to set up a time to do a phone interview. That morning I got the kiddos fed and all situation with a movie to await the call. When it came I went to a back bedroom, to reduce extra noise but so I could still hear the kids. Well the interview was going (apparently) well when Dallas decided to pick that 30 minute period I was going to have a phone interview to have a bowel movement.

I hear a, "Mom! I went poop in the potty!" Followed by a, "Mom, wash my bum!" The yells got more and more desperate as I left him on the toilet, culminating in a shrill, "MOM!". Finally, craddling phone against my shoulder, I figure I can get Dallas taken care of without stopping the phone conversation.

I am sure most of you moms out there are betting against me already. And you would be right, it didn't work.

Nothing crazy happened, like dropping the phone in the toilet, but, much to me chagrin, I had to excuse myself. The ladies on the other end were very understanding of my leave. After I returned, they finished their questions and ended with a promise to give me another call at the end of the week.

A few days later, I decide to take a shower after breakfast while the kids are watching TV. As the water starts, I think, through the sound of the running water, I hear the cell phone ringing.

Now, I have thought I heard TONS of things through the shower. It started when Dallas was a newborn baby and I was so nervous about leaving him sleeping in his crib while I showered that I would stop the water 2 or 3 times when I "heard" him crying. Now-a-days, when I "hear" something while I am showering, I write it off as the running water playing tricks with my mind.

Only this time it wasn't.

After I stopped the water, Dallas walks to the bathroom door and informs me that Grandma had called as he hands me the cell phone. I pulled up incoming calls and, sure enough,the number of the school called 5 minutes ago.

I was a little mortified.

I immediately called them back, wondering what Dallas had done/said and how it had been taken on the other end... The school secretary puts me on hold for the director (read: principal), who answers my call with a, "How old is your son?" Yes, the two ladies, the school director and the math department head, who had conference called for my interview, had called back (on conference) only to be answered by my 3 year-old son, who talked to them for a short while before hanging up. They were both laughing fairly hard as I tripped over myself apologizing.

They had called back to offer me the job and, after all that, amazingly enough, they went through with it. I think this school may be a good fit for me.

On a side note I have been so used to, "You were one of the best interviews and we would love to have you at our school but, we went with someone with more experience..." that I was quite speechless when they offered me the job. When I could finally make words come (I had a few "gracious looser" responses prepared but no acceptance speech) I accepted the job on the spot, to which the ladies replied (laughing) "Wouldn't you like to talk it over with your husband?" Oh, yeah the husband, oops...

On a more sider note, in the last month Chelane has learned:
1. milk + straw = geyser of bubbles
2. inhaling air + drinking = burp on will (no joke)

While Dallas has started letting himself out of the house for walks (complete with shoes and snacks).

/sigh

Moving to Utah

Well I got a job offer and just signed the paperwork to accept it today. The job is at a middle charter school in Ogden, Utah just a couple miles from Weber State University, the school Cam will be attending in the fall.

I am very excited about the job (and it is very needed to keep my teaching license valid as it would expire next June). It also gives Cam residency and therefore in-state tuition (yipee!). However, this school starts earlier than most (teacher prep days start August 9th, the actual school year August 16th) and Cam doesn't finish his classes next semester until August 12th... We will have to figure something out with that, but we have a few months to get it nailed down.

So we will be moving to Ogden, Utah in August for a few years. Feels like everything is working out for us!

Which Would Be Messier... ?

A one-and-a-half old eating cereal or the same toddler eating toaster waffles with peanut butter and syrup on them? I don't know what you would choose, but I would think the waffles would be messier.

However.

When Chelane eats cereal, we end with it on the floor, stuck to her bum, and her bib and shirt SOAKED with milk. She hardly make it out unscathed from cereal. And peanut butter sandwiches are even worse (she likes to open the bread and give herself butter-and-jam facials and a her hair a deep jam treatment).

So why is it that when she eats waffles with peanut butter and syrup, she uses her fork admirably, and comes out with perfect hair and little need to wash her hands or face?

Chelane, I don't understand you.

PT: Day 20

Almost three week from the time we started getting Dallas to the potty and now he seems to have it down. For the first week he wouldn't go poo in the toilet and THAT was annoying. But on day 10 he did it and it seemed to "click" that he didn't need to be afraid/worried/anxious (or whatever the problem was) anymore. I think I can say he is potty trained. He also filled up his "potty chart" and now we have to go to the Bouncy Place sometime soon. We are very proud of him. He even uses public toilets. What a guy!

I am still frantically applying for jobs in Utah, however the frequency of job postings are lower now. I have one school that wants to interview so Cam, me, and the kiddos are taking a mini-vacation to Utah in June (between Cam's quarters) to do the interview and have a little relaxing time before finishing school and moving. Hopefully another school (or two) will want to interview me and someone will hire me.

Cam will graduate with his Associates in Arts degree in August right before we move and he starts school again at Weber State University. He has already registered for his classes and we have put a deposit on housing. We are keeping a little busy (as you can tell :)

As for Chelane, she sits around and looks cute.

New Tricks

Dallas' preferred method of communication was signing until September-ish of last year. Since then his speech has exploded with full sentences and some fun quirks. We haven't hit the how-do-we-get-him-to-stop-talking yet and still really enjoy hearing him express himself verbally.

Last night he sang "Happy Birthday" to his Grandpa almost completely by himself. He can count to 10 at high speed (we are working on getting through those pesky teen numbers). He doesn't just say "no" but "no no no no no ..." usually with a sing-song tune. But we were really floored last night when, after discussing who was to say the family prayer, Dallas pulled out a "Dear Heavenly Father, Thankee for this day. Thankee for Mom, Ch'ane, (his version of 'Chelane' pronouned 'Shane'), Larryboy (not sure why Larryboy from Veggie Tales was wiggling his way into Dallas' prayers, but Dallas does love watching Larryboy). Thankee for Grampa, Jadon (his 12 year old uncle). Thankee for this day. Thankee play. Thankee Dad, Larryboy, Jadon. Name Jesus Christ, Amen." With no help, no prompting, nothing. Cam and I were very impressed.

Chelane is also learning some new tricks. The most prominent one lately is following his her daddy's footsteps to earn the family name of 'Mooch' by walking up to anyone with food, saying, "bite" and opening her mouth with an "ah, ah, ah" until the bite is given.