trendy...

so i feel like when it comes to them, this is a trend for me.  that's all i'm going to say. 

for real.

i'd really like this year to be over...that's all.

cbus

so i up and moved to columbus, ohio folks. serving one year with AmeriCorps working at the YWCA family center....a temporary (avg. 3 week stay) homeless shelter for families. i work with their after school program for teens. so far so good...its taking some time adjusting to the atmosphere and what my job expectations actually are. ok. that's all for now...need to get up early and walk! missed the past 3 mornings...no good charlie brown, no good.

back to the drawing board

well folks. no grad school for me. didn't get in anywhere. awesome.

plan b? not quite sure yet...maybe AmeriCorps, or PB classes at State.

but right now i just want to nap and not think about it.

1. I am turning into my mother...I went to the movies with her the other afternoon and I found myself getting emotional over movie previews -- not just any old previews, but KIDS movies!! It was a preview for some owl movie but it has "good message" and I almost started crying...what tha efff!! I guess I have repressed a lot of my tears over the past couple of years b/c I cried A LOT my junior and first senior year of college...but I mean come on...movie previews?!?!

2. I got 2 rejection letters today...one from NC State's Grad School and the other from Wake Forest's Grad School. I mentioned previously that I applied to three schools for school counseling and thus far 2/3 have refused me...I have never faced rejection like this. In high school I applied to 5 schools and got into all 5. I know graduate school is completely different from undergrad but it still sucks. And this isn't completely a shocker that I didn't get into 2/3 so far...I had c-r-a-p grades my last 2 years of school, you know when you are supposed to make it count...yeah, I didn't. I had a really rough last 2.5 years of school [if you know me you know what I'm talking about, if you are unsure...ask]

3. I am looking at AmeriCorps as an option for my next adventure after camp...soo stay tuned for more info on that :)

yaaaaaay!

GOOOOO DUKE!!!!

ACC tourney champs...here we come!!

kiddies

So I started babysitting again for this family I used to sit for back in 2008, and I forgot how much I have missed those kids! Josh is 7, Rhea is 4.5 and Shea (sounds like Shay) is almost 3. I will be helping the mom clean her house as well as tending to the kiddles a few days a week. So Shea said the funniest thing to me, mind you he didn't speak last time I took care of him...he knew who I was and responded to me...but definitely didn't speak. He said, "mehdif, where wewe you?" [translation: meredith, where were you?]. AHH! So cute! Rhea jumped into my arms and wrapped her little four year old arms around my neck and would not let go. She is like a little monkey so she was hanging on me practically all day. Her mom told me the other day that Rhea was going through the list of the people she loved and she said, "i love mommy, i love daddy, and i love mehwadif" I hadn't seen the child since September...and she still remembers me! She told me multiple times today, as she was strangling me...I love you lots mehwadif.

Here are just a few of the things they said to me, I will write them for what they were meant to be rather than try to imitate how they sounded to me...but in some instances you can figure out what they are trying to say. but, if you are interested, call me and I can reenact.

Shea: do you have a mudder?
Me: a mother?
Shea: yes, a mudder.
Me: yes, I have a mother
Shea: where is she?
Me: she's at home
Shea: well how did you get here?
Me: see that car outside [point to my car on the street], I drove here from my house
Shea: ohhh

Rhea: do you have that song?
Me: um, I have lots of songs on my iPod Rhea
Rhea: you know that boom boom clappy clap song
Me: oh, Miley Cyrus Hoedown Throwdown?
Rhea: yes. can you play it pweese.

Shea: do you have any?
Me: do I have any what shea?
Shea: I have 2, one boy named Josh and one girl named Rhea
Me: oh, do I have any kids? No, I do not have any kids.
Shea: are you sure? well I have one boy and one girl.
Me: ohh ok. [keep in mind these are his brother and sister, not his real kids..obvi]


Well there was so much more...but I am exhausted! I see them again on Sunday, so I'm sure there will be more funny stuff to share :) They just crack me up and make me so happy! I know that their mom appreciates me being there and me helping out with the cleaning and stuff, but I told her today that she is doing ME the favor by helping me out financially right now. They are the sweetest family and I absolutely don't mind doing anything for them. I am so thankful that this opportunity has come up so I can spend some time with the kids and earn a little money while I anxiously await May!

until next time...

pissed off. going for a walk.

1. may have a "job" lined up for the next couple of months -- babysitting for a family I used to babysit for and possibly cleaning her house too while I'm there, which is totally fine because she is awesome, and her kids are awesome, and I already cleaned her house when I used to babysit for her fall of '08 b/c it's just what I do when I babysit...haha

2. I am second-guessing my applications for grad schools (masters in counseling programs)...I have gotten advice from two women that I trust and look up to and they think I should look into an MSW program instead...gah! So now I'm just waiting to see if I get in anywhere I applied (should hear back mid-mach) and go from there I guess.

3. I got the invite to come up to NY early to help move the winter camp office up to the summer office (aka camp in the Adirondack Mountains). So that gives me another goal to work towards...May 17th...yesss. I love camp so much and right now I feel like it's the only thing I'm good at but because it's only a 3 month stint...yeah not full time :(

4. I have been cleaning out my room, a little bit every day, and I keep finding the funniest stuff! Binders, folders and notebooks going all the way back to 8th grade...nuts! Tons of dance clothes, dance shoes and old costumes. I also found a check from my grandma for my birthday in '09. I should probably consult her before I cash it right?

welp. that's it...urban ministries food bank outing with the community group tonight. I am really liking this group and I am starting to let my guard down a little more each time. They are a great group and I am enjoying getting to know them.

ps. trashy reality tv is addicting.

u.n.e.m.p.l.o.y.e.d...

So I recently "voluntarily resigned" from my job...aka I quit, but my boss had to make sure it was voluntary because they didn't want to have to pay unemployment for me. pretty shady story, let me know if you want to hear about it...

I have toyed with the idea of trying to find another job but I would only be available to work for two months, March and April because I am going up to camp mid May. Maybe babysitting? But I think, wow I am 24, I have a college degree and I am going to babysit?? I really shouldn't complain because I only have a few bills and I am staying rent-free at my parents house right now. But now that I have a lot of free time on my hands I've been able to observe what goes on in my house while I'm usually (well used to be) not here.

My dad works from home, so he sits in his office, typing away on his computer or chatting it up on conference calls while our dog, my dad's loyal companion, rests peacefully at his feet. She is 13 and sleeps most of the day, she can't see or hear very well but you better believe she will let you know when someone is cooking in the kitchen...her nose is most definitely not broken yet.

My mom works about 2-3 days a week now since her employer is planning to retire and he cut back the number of days they would be open a week. So today we kind of had a girly day that involved shopping, eating out, and just piddling around town until it started to snow when we were in Trader Joe's (shameless plug time...that store is pretty amazing).

So we got back into the car and my mom had a text message from my dad informing us of the snow, well no duh daddy. But it made me think about how they are so silly. My parents are the reason mobile to mobile was implemented in our wireless plan. They call each other, well I can't even tell you how many times a day to share pointless and useless information with each other. I used to think it was annoying and embarrassing, but now I think just the opposite. It is quite adorable and sweet to think about how often they talk and how they feel like sharing the most insignificant events/details of their day is very important to the other. Whenever my mom or dad are out of town the calls are more frequent (esp when my dad is out of town, he calls probably 3-4 times an hour just to tell my mom about the cows he just passed on the road, or about what he had for lunch). But now, it is even cuter because they now know how to text so in addition to calling each other, they text too!

So I guess this post was initially created to talk about unemployment, blah blah blah but it turned into me expressing my desire to find someone, someday that I want to call so frivolously and frequently as my parents currently do. Sure I have a couple friends that I text or call on a regular basis, but I can only pray and hope that my husband and I are as in love and as lucky as my parents have been for the past 35 years of marriage but 41 years total. NUTS!!!