Turning Over a New Leaf

Living Room

So, I've been on hyper-drive for the last couple of weeks, and I'm finally getting a chance to slow down. Finally! And boy, I have to say…I'm in a great place to slow down. All of my things are unpacked, and Charley and I can finally relax on the couch. That's not to say it was easy to get to this point… Yesterday, in particular, was a day for the books. It's a long one, so make sure you've got a drink in hand for this!

Charley's Bedroom

Friday evening, I found myself packing up the last of my things (or what I THOUGHT was the last of my things), and I had a hard time getting to sleep. I knew yesterday would be a long day, but I was so anxious and excited that even though I went to bed around 9, I didn't fall asleep until after 11:30. Anyway, when my alarm went off at 5 a.m. yesterday, I braced myself for the day ahead. I got Charley up, and we went to the store to pick up donuts, drinks, and other snacks for our helpers. I wasn't certain how many people I'd have helping with the move, so I wanted to make sure I was prepared with plenty of sustenance for everybody. Charley was pretty excited, and naturally, it took 3 times as long as it should have for us to get in and out of the store. Once we finally made our exit, we raced home, because one of my friends one of my friends was coming to my house at 6:45 to take me to pick up the U-Haul. She dropped me off, and took Charley back to my house, to wait for the others, while I picked up the truck.

Charley's Play Room

Of course, there were already 6 people in line at U-Haul by 7:15, and only one employee behind the desk. I felt bad for him, because he was doing the best he could. It just seemed to take FOREVER. Anyway, when it was finally my turn, I filled out the paperwork, hopped in the truck, and drove back to my house to start loading. I was already about 30 minutes behind schedule, but I wasn't terribly worried about it. When I got back to my place, none of my helpers had arrived, and I was starting to get nervous. But before I knew it, there were 6 people at my door, ready to help. I felt very blessed. We had the truck loaded in about an hour, and we headed to my new place.

Charley's Bedroom

When we got to the new house, we started unloading pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I looked around and realized that there were more than 15 people bringing furniture, clothes, toys, etc. into the house. I had friends hanging pictures on the wall, building storage units, setting up my internet, and unpacking Charley's room. Charley was running around with 2-6 children at any given time, having the time of her life, and discovering all the "new" toys that had been in boxes for so long. I found myself wondering how I got so lucky. All of these people who have entered my life in the last couple of years (for the most part) were so willing to pitch in and help Charley and I get settled! It was amazing, and they did such a great job. By 1:00, we were done unloading, and I found myself about 80% unpacked! Way further along than I'd expected, that's for sure! One of my co-workers left me with a beautiful plant as a housewarming gift, before she headed out. Keep this in mind, because it'll come back into play later...

Anyway, the U-Haul was due back at the rental location by 2, so one of my friends who was heading that direction offered to drive it back for me. But when he got in and tried to start the engine, the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. Several people tried, before I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to call for roadside assistance. I thanked everybody, sent them on their ways, and waited for the U-Haul to be dealt with. When the guy finally showed up, he looked at the key, looked at the vehicle, and asked me, "Did you pick this up in Brooklyn Park?" I shook my head. "I got it in St. Paul," I told him. "This key doesn't even go to this vehicle," he stated, "Which is why it won't start. I'm not sure how it started before, but I'll cut you a new key, and you can return the truck."  So, shortly later, I loaded up Charley, and headed back to drop of the U-Haul. It was quite an ordeal.

Kitchen

By this time, it was nearly 3:30, and I still had to get my new TV, before heading to my friend's 30th birthday party at 7, in St. Louis Park. It had been raining buckets, but slowed down for awhile, so I thought I'd be fine to get the TV and get to the party with plenty of time to spare.  I'd already showered and done my make-up, so all I really had to do was get dressed, so I stopped home, changed clothes, and headed to Target. When I went into Target, it was dry outside. When I walked out, I found myself in a torrential downpour. Between the store and my car, I got completely soaked. It looked like I'd taken a shower in my clothes. But I still had plenty of time to get myself together, and look presentable at the party. So I raced home, threw my clothes in the dryer, and tried to get myself together. By this time, Charley had completely passed out from the excitement of the day. "My babysitter's going to have a heck of an easy night!" I thought to myself. I texted my friend to make sure it wasn't still pouring in SLP, and waited for my friend to come watch Charley. Well, it wasn't pouring buckets in SLP, but it was between St. Paul and Hugo, and my friend couldn't make it out to babysit. I was disappointed, because the party was for one of my closest friends, and the one who always hosts parties for everybody else. But unfortunately, no sitter…no party. That's the life of a single mom! So, I ended up staying in.

Master Bedroom

This morning, I woke up and instantly realized I'd left that beautiful plant that I'd received as a gift outside during the terrible rain. I opened up the front door, and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be flooded and drowned. This was mostly a concern, because historically, I have a markedly black thumb. From the time I left a plant in my car (and came back to find my car fogged up, and the plant completely shriveled) to the time I watered my friend's plants while she was gone, but found out she thought I'd forgotten, because they were mostly dead when she got back… I just seem to be bad with plants. To my surprise, the plant looked great. To me, I looked at it as a sign…a sign that I'm turning over a new leaf. New home, new beginnings… leaving the past where it belongs, and moving forward in life. Finally, feeling settled. And I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life who have helped me get to this point. On that note, have a wonderful week!

Making Connections

So, the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Charley and I have been to the zoo twice, the school four or five times, the gym, the park, the splash pad…not to mention COUNTLESS furniture stores… Let's just say we've been pretty busy. I talked to my landlord last week, and he let me know I can move in this Thursday. It's a few days ahead of schedule, but I am SO ready to make the move. I know I've talked about a fresh start before, but it's felt like I've been stuck the last couple of weeks, halfway packed but ready for my new beginning!

With that said, the last couple of weeks might have been busy, but they've been really great, for the most part! There've been a few hiccups, due to my self-proclaimed ditziness, but all-in-all, I've gotten a lot done. I've been spending more time in the gym, and it just reminds me how much I LOVE coaching. The gym is really where I feel most at home. Funny story about the gym, actually… The other day I had just finished up a series of private lessons and was walking toward the door, when I saw a man from a distance who looked very familiar to me. He asked one of my co-workers if Lindsey Kaplan was in. I overheard him say my name, and realized he must've known me a long time ago, because he referred to me using my maiden name. Sure enough, as I walked closer, I realized that it was a guy I graduated from high school with. He wanted to get his daughter back in gymnastics, and knew (via FB) that I work at Kenwood, so he brought her in. I evaluated his daughter's skill level (and she is ADORABLE, I might add), and he signed her up for classes. It was really cool, actually. I haven't seen this man since high school, and even then, I never knew him terribly well.  But it was clear that he's really developed into a great guy, and a wonderful father. How cool is that?  I mean, I know I've changed a lot in the last few years, and I expect that everyone I knew in high school has changed, too. But it's rare that I actually see anybody from high school, outside of my close friends. It was kind of a fun experience for me!

So, I mentioned that Charley and I have been furniture shopping like crazy. Seriously, I think I've tested 20+ couches. I'm so picky… I know exactly what I want, but if I'm being responsible and realistic, what I WANT is probably out of my price range. Anyway, Charley and I have been in and out of furniture stores, and she's been quite a trooper… I mean, for a three-year-old, I'm impressed at how easily she can amuse herself in Ashely Furniture. Yesterday, I finally bit the bullet and made a purchase, because the idea of moving into my new place and being couchless for even one more day makes me shudder. So, I will officially have a couch again on Thursday. Woohoo! It's pretty cute, too. Score for me! Basically, the couch purchase means that the last major thing I have to purchase is a new TV. I'll decorate over time, but once I get the TV, I should have everything I need to make my new house a home.

Today was kind of a special day. It was my mom's retirement party, and we got to see some old friends.  It was great to celebrate my mom, who is one of the hardest working women on the face of the earth. Both of my parents are driven, and hardworking, but I know I get many of my workhorse qualities from my mom. Anyway, I also got a chance to visit with some family friends I've known all my life. Incidentally, they live in Lindstrom and Shafer, MN, both small towns fairly close to my new place. These particular family friends are really more like aunts and uncles to me. We went up to the cabin with them every summer when I was a kid, and I genuinely looked forward to catching up with them, today. It was so funny to sit with these people who knew me when I was Charley's age, drink wine, and get lost in conversation about work, life, friends, dating…it was like I was just chatting with my girlfriends. At one point I mentioned that my aunt is coming in town in August, just to visit, and spend some time with Charley to give me a break, and the stipulations around her visit. My aunt insists that I go out at least two of the nights that she's in town. "I won't have to worry about getting back at a reasonable hour, if she's staying at my house," I said. "If at all…" one of the women said. I cracked up. It was just so fun to have such a relaxed conversation with people who I consider to be extended family! Plus, they were very sweet, offering to babysit Charley anytime, because they'd be nearby. "You need to get out and have fun yourself, Linds," one of them said, "Being a mom 24-7 without a break is enough to drive you crazy!" She's so right. And wonderful. I'm looking forward to re-connecting with them in the next few months.

So, it's been a busy, but exciting few weeks. I have a feeling that this upcoming week will be a whirlwind, and I'm totally okay with that. I can't wait until a week from today, when I'm sitting on my new couch, in my new house, contemplating my new beginning. With that….have a great night!

A Plethora of Flakiness…

Generally, I think most people would say I'm a fairly intelligent and articulate person. When it comes to the things that I know, and things that I do, I tend to make good decisions. I don't jump into things without gathering all of the information, and I think things through before I do them. I'm structured, reasonably organized, and I like to plan things in advance. However, it seems to me, that when I'm overwhelmed with TOO many things, I become a complete flake. Like a SERIOUS flake! It's one of those personality traits that I have grown to recognize in myself, and when I notice signs of flakiness, I realize that I need to SLOW DOWN and get more sleep. This last week has been a doozy…It was the last week of school, Charley's last week of preschool, I'm trying to organize things for the move, and sell my business (yes, I'm sad to say GO! Gymnastics is seeking new ownership…right idea, but came along at the wrong time for me). Anyway, all of these things are very positive, and allowing me to move forward in my life. But they all hit at the same time. Which in turn, left me a little bit (a lot…I should've said a lot) overwhelmed. Anyway, the things that I do when I'm a flake can be relatively humorous. So, I thought I'd make a list of the things I've done in the last week that demonstrate my current lack of brainpower. I legitimately laugh at myself during these times, and I hope I give you a laugh as well. Here we go…

1. I scheduled tests two hours apart in two different locations. I've already beaten this story to death, but it did happen last week…and served as the starting point for the flakiness.

2. I lost my keys. Okay, this is actually a pretty funny story. The other day, one of my friends picked me up for breakfast. I never checked for my keys, because I'm used to driving all the time, so I just assumed I had them. When I got back to my place, I realized that I didn't have my keys. I figured they must've fallen out on my walk to the car, so I checked the yard, sidewalk, etc…No luck. I scrolled through my phone to find the phone number to the restaurant, who, sure enough, didn't have a working number. Typical. So, I borrowed my friend's car and drove to the restaurant to find my keys, which I was CERTAIN must've fallen out of my purse when I took out my wallet to pay. Again, no luck. "Crap!" I thought, "Where could my keys be?" So, I returned to my car, annoyed.  I'd thrown something in my car earlier in the morning, so I figured it was just my luck. Clearly, I must've locked my keys in my car, right? So I called a locksmith, who came and opened my car. And $145 later, revealed that my keys were indeed NOT in my car. Awesome. I'd looked everywhere, and the keys were nowhere to be found. I had one last idea, but I knew the chance of my keys actually turning up was slim to none. I had nothing to lose, though, so I gave it a shot. You see, my friend and I had intended to go to one restaurant, but got to the door and realized the wait would be too long, so we got back in the car and went somewhere else. Well, I called the restaurant and asked if anybody had turned in any keys. "Volkswagen keys?" the hostess asked. "Yes!" I squealed into the phone. "Well a man found them on the ground outside, and brought them in…but he wasn't sure if they belonged to a patron of ours, so he put them back on the ground where he found them, "she stated. My heart sunk. "I'm sending the busboy out to check for them. I'll call you back in 5 minutes," she told me. I kept my fingers crossed. Sure enough, I got a phone call shortly thereafter confirming that they DID indeed have my keys. So, it was back in my friend's car, and back to the FIRST restaurant, and finally, I had my keys back. It's a good thing, too, because I had an awful lot of road tripping over the weekend.

3. I mentioned to one of my friends that I was trying to sell my desk, and I needed to sell my couch. He told me that I should have started that process a long time ago, because those things take awhile to sell on Craigslist. The desk has been on Craigslist for a couple of weeks, with no luck, but the couch, I'd held off on.  I got a little paranoid. My couch wasn't really built for my new place, and I didn't want to be stuck lugging it along with me. So, I put it on Craigslist, too. It sold. In an hour. Which means that Charley and I are officially couch less until we move. Ha! Total ditz.

4. I started packing big time. Which is great, because it will alleviate the work I have to do in the days just prior to our big move. But I started to pack up the kitchen, including ALL of my cooking utensils (thank goodness I didn't get into the eating utensils drawer). Basically, this just means that I won't be cooking for the next 3 weeks.

5. On my drive with Charley today, we were at a little rest stop in Iowa. I was paying for my coffee and a treat for Charley. As I reached to put my change back in my purse, I completely knocked my coffee over and it spilled everywhere. The cashier was so nice about it, but it was so embarrassing! One of those moments, where you just have to laugh at yourself. So I did!

Those little mishaps are just the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling the next couple of weeks will be full of similar moments. With that said, if I come off like a complete idiot at any given time between now and the time I move, forgive me. I will be back to normal after I move and get settled in.

On that note, have a fantastic week!

P.S. It's come to my attention that I forgot one of my best moments of the week! I was in the Ikea area, the other day, and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to pick up a new storage unit for Charley's room. It was fairly large, and I knew it would be a challenge to get it into my car…particularly because I was doing it by myself! Lucky for me, Charley wasn't with me, so I was able to move her carseat out of the way. Anyway, I was fiddling with the seats, trying to get the unit in the car, when I thought I should probably just put the back seats down, and push it through the trunk. Little did I know, I had never removed Bruce, the creepy life-sized doll that's tormented my family for years, from my trunk. I had put the doll in there, with the intention of pranking my older sister when she was in town. Well, that, my friends, is what they call karma. And karma's a bitch.  I jumped back as I opened the trunk, and promptly closed it, convinced that it would be better for me to fiddle around with the seats in the front of the car than have people walk by, wondering why I had a child in my trunk. It took some maneuvering, but I pulled it off. Ha!

You Have GOT to be Kidding Me!

Ok, I haven't posted two days in a row in a long time, but the events of the morning will likely provide you with a good laugh. Let me set the stage here, a little bit…

It all started a few weeks ago, when I got a notification that my teaching license is due to expire at the end of June. Now, I just became licensed in Minnesota in November, but I was issued a temporary license, which would give me time to complete the MN state licensure tests. This whole ordeal was frustrating from the beginning, because I took equivalent tests when I lived in NV, at a cost of something like $90 each. And there were 6 tests. Naturally, there is no reciprocity, so I have to take nearly identical assessments, all over again. Anyway, I registered to take the tests today, because I knew Charley's childcare was covered, and I wanted to ensure there is time for the paperwork to process before the license expires. Last night, Charley was crabby and tired, because we'd spent the whole afternoon at the gym. In fact, she was beyond tired. She was overtired. Which meant, it was harder for her to get to sleep, because she was so cranky. When she finally did fall asleep, around 9, I got to work studying for the 4 exams I'd registered to take this morning, starting at 8:00. That lasted for about 20 minutes, before I decided it was more important for me to finish writing a student evaluation and sub lessons for the day. Originally, I'd planned to start all of this around 7, because that tends to be Charley's bedtime when she hasn't napped. But no luck! So, I got off task (typical), and went to bed around 11, knowing I had to be up at 5:30 to get Charley to daycare in Forest Lake and be in Brooklyn Park for a test at 8:00. This is where it gets fun.

I got up on-time, and got myself dressed. I threw on some yoga pants and a hoodie, knowing I wouldn't be going into the school today, let Oscar out, got Charley dressed, and headed out the door. When I got Charley in the car, she determined that she wanted to wear different shoes. Normally, I wouldn't give her an option, but she was so tired from getting up early, that I decided to run in and get the shoes. As I walked into the living room, I realized that Oscar had peed on the floor…and he had literally been let out 5 minutes prior! I was so mad. I grabbed an old towel, cleaned up the mess, grabbed Charley's shoes, and ran back to the car. I dropped her off at school, and made it to Brooklyn Park with plenty of time to spare. Phew. Or so I thought. As I walked up to the counter to present my ID, the testing administrator looked at me and said, "I have you down for 10:15." I stood there thinking, "I hope I'm at the right place. I couldn't have been THAT flaky..."  I reached into my bag to grab my phone, and show him the 8:00 testing confirmation, but was told in no uncertain terms that my phone had to stay away. He clicked around on his computer for a minute before saying, "You are registered for an 8:00 appointment. In St. Paul. So…. Run? And I'll see you back here at 10:15!" At this point it was five minutes until 8, and the St. Paul location was 30 minutes away. I called the testing site, told them I was on my way, and prayed that traffic wouldn't be too brutal. Well, it was rush hour. But I made it to the testing site by 8:30…30 minutes late! But they let me take my first two tests. By the time I was done with the first test, my ADD had kicked in, and I found myself reading the same questions over and over again, like an idiot. After an hour, I'd finished both tests, and thank goodness, I PASSED. Phew. For real.

But my morning wasn't over. From there, I had to drive BACK to Brooklyn Park for my 10:15 tests, and it was already 9:55 as I was leaving the testing facility. I had my game face on, and made it to Brooklyn Park by 10:20, and got started on my second set of tests. At this point, I was tired, and my morning caffeine fix had started to wear off. I was only about halfway through the first tests, when I started getting antsy, and SO sick of reading on a computer screen. It was funny, because I noticed myself doing some of the things my students do, when they're testing…crossing and uncrossing my legs, sitting on one leg, changing positions…I'm sure I was amusing to watch. Anyway, 100 questions later, I had FINALLY finished 4 exams, in 2 different locations and passed them all. What a relief. After that, I went straight home to eat some lunch, before going back to Forest Lake to get Charley. And you know what? I think I am going to take a nap. Ha!

So, to sum up…since 6:30 this morning, I've been from Minneapolis, to Forest Lake, to Brooklyn Park, to St. Paul, back to Brooklyn Park, and now back to Minneapolis. I felt like a ping-pong ball! I'm exhausted. And it's not even one o'clock! Not the way I planned to start my week….but at the end of the day, it's okay because I've gotten the testing done. Woohoo! Have a great week!

How Did We Get on This Topic?

Okay, so the last few weeks at school have been a little bit wild. In all honesty, this last week was not nearly as bad as the previous week, which was a relief. Until Friday, of course. The last Friday of the school year is always a little bit out of control, and last week was no exception. I found that I didn't have my normal patience for a couple of my students, mostly because they were refusing to work, and pouting because they didn't get the privileges the other students were earning. As I tell my kiddos regularly, "I don't speak whine," and I was just tired of putting in more effort than they were to get their work done. I don't think it's fair for me to give 100%, while they are giving 20%, so I simply told them that I was only going to work as hard as they did. Fortunately, for the most part, they turned it around and got their work completed, but it took all day, and A LOT of reminders to get back to work.

Now, I probably wasn't my regular patient self on Friday, partially because I'd had one of my girlfriends over on Thursday night, and she didn't leave until 12:15. She and I have done this many times before. She comes over, with the intention of staying for an hour or so, and before we know it, 3+ hours have passed, and we both know we'll be miserable the next day. Well, she left at 12:15, and I had to wake up at 5:30, so let's just say I was suffering from a noticeable lack of sleep! It was totally worth it, though. We had one of the funniest conversations. I'm not really sure how, but somehow we got on the topic of kids and giving birth. She'd heard a birthing story from a friend of hers, who happens to be an OB-GYN herself, this girl scared the crap out of my friend. Basically, this woman was given pain meds, but not the epidural, because her labor had gone too quickly, and the meds did nothing for her except make her loopy. That made me laugh, because I know EXACTLY what she meant by that. I remember being in the hospital, on pain meds, prior to my epidural, and having no shame. Literally no shame. I was screaming, saying random nonsense that I don't remember… And I didn't give a crap that there were other people around at all. Which is SO not me. Anyway, my friend's instant response was, "I'm never having children. Ever." Ha! As we continued our discussion, she mentioned that if she DID have kids, she wouldn't let her boyfriend in the room while she delivered. When she told him that, he got all offended, but she insisted that she didn't want him to see all of the gross aspects of labor and delivery. She'd rather have him in the waiting room with all of the other men, holding bubblegum cigars, pretending it's the 50s, than have him see her pushing out a baby! Ha! I totally get that. I never got to the pushing point, because I ended up having a C-section…but I'm not sure I would've wanted ANYBODY around to see that.

So, as our night continued, of course the topic of men came up. She said something that really clicked with me. She read somewhere that the number one thing women look for in relationships is to feel wanted, to feel desired. When women don't feel wanted, they begin to check out. I think that's true. Honestly, I think everybody wants to feel wanted. For me, however, it's very important to get that feeling from the right person. A while back, I dated a guy who was very attentive and he tried hard to make me feel wanted. But he was over-the-top. He brought flowers every time he saw me, and while that was thoughtful, it began to feel insincere, particularly when he said, "I just like bringing you flowers. I don't expect anything in return." Hmmmm. If you didn't expect anything, you probably wouldn't have said that. I love sweet gestures, but I think they mean more to me when they're totally unexpected, and genuinely come from the heart. An occasional compliment is definitely something I need from a man, but I honestly PREFER those comments to be occasional. When they're constant, they don't mean as much. Anyway, as we talked further, I mentioned that another one of our friends wants to set me up with someone. "He would treat you like a princess," she said, "He would put you on a pedestal, and totally worship you." Here's the thing…I don't want to be worshipped. I don't want to be treated like a queen. I feel like being put in that kind of light (on a pedestal) gives me more control than I want in a relationship. I don't want to run the show. I simply want to be treated like an equal. Is that weird? I'm just not the princess type, I guess. I do appreciate the thought, though!

Last night, I met up with some girlfriends and their boyfriends for dinner and drinks. Or should I say A drink. I should never consume alcohol. I barely made it halfway through my margarita, before passing it off to my friend's fiancee, because it was making me sick. Boy, did we have a good time, though. It's always nice to have a night out with my friends! Even though I ended up at home by 10:00 (I was tired, and that margarita was REALLY strong), I was definitely glad I'd gone out and had some fun!

This morning, I went into the gym for a few minutes to open up for the day's birthday parties and private lessons. Generally I have a private right away, but today, I'd rescheduled that for later, so I just went in and chatted with a couple of my co-workers for a few minutes. They asked about my new house, and I explained that I hadn't moved yet. Immediately, they were like, "Let us know if you need help moving anything!" How nice is that? As I was leaving the gym, another one of my coaching friends had texted me, so I called her. She also thought I'd already moved, and when she heard I hadn't, she had the exact same response. "When are you moving? Do you need help? Let me know when, and I can help you move!" I know that a long time ago I mentioned how my coaching friends are really like family, but I haven't really been in the gym lately, so sometimes I forget that I have that support system. They're SUCH good people. And I'm lucky… I know they offer because they genuinely want to help me. So, it looks like I've got a moving crew started! Now I just need a move-in date. According to my paperwork, that date is July 1 (ONE MONTH!!!), but in the off-chance that I can get in before that, I'll jump at the opportunity! It's an upward move for me, and I'm really looking forward to it. Life is moving forward in full swing, right now, and I can't wait to see where it's leading me! Have a great week!