STANGER COMPLIMENTS

I know I have blogged before about interactions with strangers but this one is on a more positive note. I like to give compliments even to those I don't know. Usually other women about their nice haircut, cute outfit or awesome shoes (I am a sucker for shoes!) whatever I happen to like. After a trip to Target today I realize I get this from my mom who complimented a girl on her cute hairdo while we were there. I don't see a problem complimenting strangers although my husband finds it very odd. To be clear I am not walking around spouting compliments left and right to ever person I see, just one or two here and there. I figure either one of two things will happen: 1) the person will think I am a weirdo and as that is true what's the harm or 2)my little compliment will brighten their day and raise their esteem even if it's just a little. You never know when a little compliment can be the nicest thing to happen to someone that day. Besides it's always nice to hear that someone else thinks your haircut fits you or thinks your shoes are as cute as you do (Shoe Addicts Anonymous anyone? Honestly I have a problem) And sometimes they aren't the only ones to benefit, sometimes the person shares where they got the said item. Bonus! Because then if I really like it I can maybe get it for myself, I do this when I receive compliments b/c I know how hard it is to shop and find things you like. So anyway, next time you are out and about maybe consider giving a complete stranger a compliment. Chances are you both will walk away feeling a little brighter!

TO DO

Ah the "To Do" list. I enjoy it. I know most people would find it odd that a list of things you must do could bring joy but it does. It helps me focus and feel organized. And what can be more fun and rewarding that scratch things off when done. I use to make a house list every week and a daily one at work. But lately since the babe, I have slacked. Yesterday though I just was overwhelmed with things running through my mind. I made a list, 15 "to do's"!!! It seemed like a lot and even my mom rolled her eyes when I read it to her and scoffed at my intent to get them done. But by the time I went to bed 12 items had been scratched off!! 12, that's pretty good for one day. That doesn't count the little extras that got thrown in to. I showed off my scratched up list to my husband like a child showing off a good report card, he offered the appropriate congratulations and a little peck on the forhead even. After yesterday's success I made myself another list today. Only 7 items today but some are more time consuming. So far I have crossed off one, in the process of another (laundry) and headed out the door for a third as soon as the munchkin wakes from his nap. Steady progress considering it is not even lunch time yet. I will admit though I am waiting with much excitment to cross off #7 on the list, written in all caps with three exclamation points..."Watch GREY'S!!!". A new episode finally airs tonight, yipee! If you are a fellow McDreamy lover you have been waiting in anticipation also, and if you are not you should be! On that note I am off, I wonder what will be on tomorrow's list...

IT'S JUST A BUBBLE SHEET

So I have been on the hunt for a part-time job for some time now. It's not easy and their isn't a lot out there that doesn't involve food prep which is somewhere I don't want to go. Not that I think any less of those in the food services industry, in fact I am thankful for them b/c on nights I don't want to cook dinner I don't have to b/c we can go out. However I don't think I would have the will power to not nibble, nibble, nibble all day while at work if I was around yummy food. Back to my point, I am sort of being picky about what jobs I do want b/c although I want to work I don't want to spend too much time away from my little guy. I would still like to be able to take him to Toddler Gym, have family dinner, put him to bed etc. I actually turned down a job b/c it was too many hours and I wouldn't be able to do 2 of the 3 things listed above, but after last night I am questioning whether that was a good idea.
Last night I went to take a test for a job I applied for as a Service Specialist at the Police Dept. The hours are great, the pay is great, and usually a city job has great benefits and such too. I was pretty excited about it until I showed up for the test. There were already 30 or so people in the room and another 20 filtered in! I told myself to remain calm, maybe they give the test just once for all open positions b/c it is a test all city employees have to take. The lady in charge stood up and asked "Is everyone here for the Services Specialist job....(in that pause I was waiting for additional jobs to be listed) alright great let's get started." WHAT!?!?!? All 50 of us were there for the same part-time position with only one opening! At this point I can only comfort myself with the fact that I saw the check in list and even with 50 of us we were only 2/3 of those invited to come. I wish they would have narrowed us down even more by stupidity. The test was a bubble sheet test, now if you can't figure out how to fill out your name on a bubble sheet you really should just be tossed out on your bum b/c all other office work will be way beyond your capabilities. But I kid you not there were many, many, many questions about how to fill out the front page of the bubble test with your name, date, birthday!!! HONESTLY, can you not spell your own name and shade in bubbles with the same letters!?!?!?! And if you don't know your own birthday you must have had a very sad childhood. They could save themselves some time scoring tests if they had just tossed those folks out then and there, and what's worse is there was another test, again bubble sheet and people STILL had questions and it was the same thing!!! The first test was not hard it was just about phone skills, we watched a video of fake phone calls and had to answer questions which wasn't difficult except for the fact that two women were hacking their lungs out the whole time and that made it difficult to hear but oh well at least everyone had that disadvantage. The second test is a different story, it was hard. I consider myself smart, I got good grades, have a Bachelor's degree and scored well on my ACT but that was over a decade ago so I am a bit out of practice. But honestly the second test was like a mini-ACT I was just getting up to leave when they called time which is my only comfort that at least I was one of only a handful to finish before they called time which may or may not help me. I think I did okay on the math and coding but oh the enemy that is spelling! I am not a good speller. It's embarassing even in my scrapbook there are some pages that are mis-spelled mostly before I was married b/c now my wonderful husband checks my pages for me. But even though I am an avid and voracious ( I just checked that on Dictionary.com! ) I am a bad speller and not so great in the grammar department either. So finally after 2 1/2 hours of testing, which ironically caused me to miss family dinner and putting my baby to bed, we were free to leave. Needless to say I was very deflated and cranky when I finally got home, hungry too. I am not holding out much hope for a call back and have resigned myself to at least a few more weeks of searching for a job. But at least there is one bright spot in my day already this morning. On "Sesame Street" they played one of my favorite songs spoofs, REM singing "Furry Happy Monsters" to the tune of "Shiny Happy People" so with that fun little ditty in my head I am off to face the day. "Furry happy monsters being glad... Monsters happy monsters...."

GOODNIGHT MOON

Last night as bedtime was rounding the corner we started our usual routine. We pick up toys and then as I get the bottle ready my husband scoops up the little guy and heads upstairs to get him ready for his bath. However this time my husband took a detour. The blinds were still open on the back window as it had been and still was, though quickly fading, a beautiful blue sky and sunshine day. He stopped at the window and proceeded to to say "Goodnight sunshine, goodnight grass, goodnight trees, goodnight froggie (we have 2 frogs living in the backyard)..." and my favorite that made me go from a sweet "I-love-my-family-and-have-the-best-husband and-cutest-son-ever smile to actually letting out a giggle, "Goodnight fence!" I am not sure why that made me laugh, obviously in the book they say goodnight to much more odd things such as "nobody" and "mush" but saying goodnight to a fence was just amusing. But it was so wonderful to just feel completely content and at peace with the moment. To finally feel like all is right and I am making it as a mom. There were many months of struggle and questioning whether I was good enough but now playing with my son and seeing the smile on his face and feeling the love he has for me when we snuggle I know that even though I am not perfect and we still have our rough moments at times that they are shorter, fewer and farther between and the days of smiles and giggles and sweet memories are abundant. And of course we did read "Goodnight Moon" last night before bed, twice haha. I am truly blessed.