Thanksgiving

  Nothing crazy has happened!! Nothing terrible, or detrimental to our bodies/minds/health! I am pinching myself right now.

   Well, except Connor has the flu and threw up 4 times yesterday... but he seems fine today!

Our Thanksgiving was small. But it was good. It was my 30th birthday Thursday too! I worked, unfortunately. The store closed at 3, and it took us an hour to clean it up and set it up for the next morning. I had Wednesday off, so I spent that day making Thanksgiving dinner and pies. I put the turkey in before work Thursday to slow cook all day, and left instructions for Rob to throw the prepared side dishes in the oven a couple hrs before I got home.

  We didn't plan on celebrating my birthday that day, since there was enough going on as it was. But when I got home there was a party hat hanging on the door for me, with a 'Birthday Girl' pin. So I popped them on and when I opened the door the kids started screaming Happy Birthday Mommy at me so loudly I almost went deaf! The kitchen was decorated with streamers and balloons and a heart shaped chocolate cake. The kids were so excited!

   I, however, tried to hold back tears when we lit all 30 candles and turned off the lights and it was still bright as day in the house.

   That was a slightly depressing moment.

 But Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, and so were the pies and cake! We all snuggled together and watched Turbo after we ate, and then it was bedtime.

  Now I have to go to work in a few hours and I'm sincerely hoping it's not another crazy day. I'm hoping people spent all their money yesterday and don't want to come out today too. I'm tired. And I'm very thankful I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow!!

Busy

   I'm going to take a break here in a minute. I think I deserve one. I picked up a short shift Thursday night, then I was called in early Friday, worked a double shift Saturday, and barely made it through my regular shift Sunday. We had a buy-one-get-one-free deal going on for Starbucks' holiday drinks over the weekend. It was from 2-5 each day, and those three hours and three days proved to be the most exhausting hours I've ever worked in any job I've ever had!

   Saturday was the hardest and busiest day. I got in at 8:30 that morning, and it was already crazy. (I didn't get done until 8:45 that night.) We have two espresso machines, but usually we are only using one at a time. From the moment I got there I was double-barring (2 of us making drinks, using both machines, or one prepping the syrups/milk for the other person).

   I was crawling by the time Sunday came around! Thankfully it wasn't as busy that day.

  Yesterday was a day off, but I was busy running Connor to school, getting groceries, putting them away, picking Con up, making dinner, etc. Today I planned on being completely lazy. It could have happened if I hadn't gotten a hankering for sugar cookies!

  The kids helped make them, mix them, roll them in sugar... all of us in our jammies. It's a cloudy day and I can see a wave of snow rolling in. I'll make some split pea soup for dinner. But for now, I'm eating delicious cookies, drinking coffee, not getting dressed, and sitting down!!

                 Waiting for the finished product.

Guilt

   I love working. But there's one aspect about me that I hate and it's that I'm a perfectionist with impossibly high standards for myself. This little thing called training is killing me. I hate this short period when I don't know things. I need to know everything right now. Once something is explained to me I can usually catch on right away and do it well, and I've been doing great since I started. Until last night.
   I hadn't been trained in blended drinks yet when I started the evening shift. Things got busy and I was thrown a few. I did as much as I knew and asked for help from the other girls when I didn't know what to do, even though they had their own work. It was not good. Things went badly. And even though it wasn't my fault I still felt so awful and guilty that last night after work I couldn't sleep. I laid awake thinking about that half hour at work in which I messed up 4 drinks and made people wait too long in the drive thru. I still haven't been properly trained in the blended drinks, but I've learned quite a few recipes just by trial and lots of error. So I laid awake in bed going through the recipes so that this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
   I finally got some sleep. But first thing this morning one of the girls called asking me to come in and help. Someone had called in sick and they were busy and having a hard time keeping up. I called babysitters, but couldn't find anyone to watch the kids so had to call them back with a Sorry. And the guilt started in again. I know they know that I have kids and a working husband, but I don't want them to think I won't help out!

   I know I'm too hard on myself. But I can't help it.

   My conscience is eased when I hold my babies. It helps. A lot.

Sniff sniff

     Smell that? Oh, forget the last post. We aren't talking about that anymore. I'm talking about coffee now!

    Aaaahh, it's so good to be back to work! Turns out I haven't lost my touch! I still make a pretty mean cappuccino. And now I have a great opportunity to expand my black, khaki, and white wardrobe.

    I've never worked in a drive through before, but today I was thrown into the fire with no training. We were short two people, and it was very busy! But I did it! I only tried to ring up a gift card for $1,500.00 once, and only gave the wrong orders to a couple of people. All in all a successful day.

   At Starbucks, it's expected that you make small talk with every person who drives up to the window, if possible. That's not one of my strengths. I'm not a Chatty Patty. I am a quiet person. I'm not rude, and I hope nobody gets that impression, but I'm not one to strike up conversations with strangers. I find it awkward and uncomfortable most of the time. But I did the best I could, and I learned a lot about people's dogs. There were a lot. And they are treated better than most humans. I mean, how many of us get ourselves a cup of whipped cream just for the pure enjoyment of it?? Right. But the puppies do! And there are a lot of stay-cations happening in Salt Lake City this weekend.
   But we can't talk to everyone. A few people are on their cell phones. (phew!) And then there are those who respond to the friendly 'Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?' with a very succinct 'No.'

  And that's when I rearrange the cup sleeves until the drink is finished.

   
  

Once again.

   

    Today was my first official day as a 'partner' of Starbucks. I went in for a two hour orientation. I got a big bag of goodies! Aprons, coffee tasting guide, learning journal, etc. And a pound of beans. And free drinks while I was there. And a coffee tasting. I'm awake for a while.

    I'm excited to be a barista again! I loved it so much in MN, and I'm ready to get back into the groove. Making coffee and making grown-up conversation!! And getting paid. It feels good.

Playing catch-up

 I just got in yelled at by my sister for not posting an update for so long! So I figured I better sit down and feed the masses tell the 6 of you how our summer has gone! ;) Our trip to Minnesota and Iowa was fun! But I will never, ever do it again without my wonderful, helpful husband! Mom was with me, with the (pre-travel) agreement that we would take care of the kids together and it would be great! Umm.... well. After about 5 days I could sense my poor mother's nerves falling to pieces. My kids, sweet as they are, are a lot to handle. It's a demanding and draining job. I was so so so relieved to pick Rob up from the airport after being without him for 15 days. I learned just how much I depend on him on a daily basis to keep me sane. I admit, I did cry a little bit when he came down the airport escalator. I'm not sure if it was just the profound relief, or watching Connor and Max run into his arms, screaming "DADDY!!" while Maggie kicked furiously in her stroller. I wish I had videotaped that moment.
  But it was nice to see our families. I used up all my camera memory on my new niece in Minnesota within the first few days of our trip. What a sweet little thing! She loved me right away, and the feeling was mutual.
  We were so anxious to get home, we drove through the night and made it back at 4:30 in the morning! I was so happy to see my bed! I've never been so exhausted in all my life.
 
   There's been a whole lot of nothing going on since then and that's OK WITH ME!

  Now I'm feeling a little excited, because after talking to Rob about it, I'm going to get a part time job! I'm looking forward to getting out of the house a bit. I got an offer from The Children's Place in a nearby mall, but turned them down after getting an interview at Starbucks. I worked in a coffee shop for three years in MN and I miss it every day! So I interviewed today and was told I would get the job! I'm very happy! It will be nice to spend my day talking to grown ups again, not to mention a paycheck, tips, and free coffee! I'll not only get free coffee as I work, but a pound of coffee to take home each week! I'd work for free for all of that!
 
   Connor starts another year of preschool on Wednesday. He had orientation this morning, and he's excited to start. We put him in a different school this year. The school he was in before was alright, but they lost Connor one day in the beginning of the year. They searched the school, but couldn't find him, until another parent walked in and informed them there was a little boy walking all the way down at the end of the strip mall. Along a busy street. All alone. That was kind of a big deal. Then at the end of the year we found out his teacher thought he was Autistic from her facebook page. It wasn't mentioned to us until I asked about it. Of course we had his doctor examine him. She said there's absolutely no reason to think he's Autistic, and suggested a different preschool. So far we are very happy with the system and the *ahem* professionalism.

   Maggie is finally walking! She started walking a little bit in Minnesota, with 3 steps at a time. That's about as much as she would do for a long time, until one day she just started walking all over! That was probably a month ago now. She would have been 13 months old.
 
            Connor, drying in the sun.

                      
               My little kangaroo.

                   Those eyes get me every time!

 
               My favorite cake so far. So cute!!