Where Have You Been???

Medicare. Holiday Parties. Christmas. New Years Eve. Work. The Gym. MAUI! The Kuhtz Family's busy calendar took the wind out of my bloggy sails (oh- and Pinterest and streaming Netflix are great time consumers if you aren't careful), enough to make me think that I should quit blogging altogether. I just couldn't do it, there is something about keeping a written history of our family that still appeals to me, so I am rededicating myself to my blog. Once a week is what I am going to plan for, just like "Junior League Mondays", Wednesday will now be called "Written on Wednesdays. See you tomorrow!

He is his father's son...

And his father is HIS father's son...

Jack. This boy is going to give me more gray hair than I care for. What happened to my sweet boy who aimed to please? He turned 9, that is what happened. The one thing that I still have going for myself is that I have a pretty keen Mommy Spidey Sense that knows then the little angel if up to shenanigans (most of the time). 

In the past 3 weeks he has driving me crazy with Halloween candy stashed in his backpack, contraband snacks from the pantry, throwing away his retainers at Panera, losing his wallet at the school carnival, and the latest was leaving his retainers in his desk at school right before Thanksgiving break.  Bottomline is that the kid is LUCKY!!! Not very smart, but very LUCKY.

Examples-

• Remember the movie Parenthood when the kid leaves his retainer at the pizza joint and the mom and dad go searching through garbage for the $400 retainer? Every parents' worst nightmare. Jack is so lucky he threw his retainers away, him mom called the restaurant to have them pull the garbage bag, and upon our return the store manager had already found both retainers and had them soaking in a disinfectant... unbelievable- he didn't even understand what that man had done for him.
• After being told at least 20 times not to take his wallet FULL of money to school, Jack loses his wallet at the school carnival. Not only does some kid return it to a teacher, the kid returns it to JACK'S TEACHER, who recognizes the wallet as Jack's because he takes it to school all the time. No money missing.
• On Saturday, Grandma asked him about his retainers. On Sunday, his mom asked him about his retainers. On Monday, his mom finally told his dad that she doesn't think the retainers are at home. Sure enough they weren't, Jack insisted that they were in his desk at school. This morning, as if the school district was paying the custodian to wait for Jack to come back to school to get his missing retainers, she opened the building, and his classroom so that Jack could retrieve his retainers that were safely stored in his desk.
• The icing on the cake... upon picking up my children from Campus Club at 5:45 PM today, Jack informed me that his glasses were broken. The LAST thing I want to do the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is go to WALMART. You ask why WALMART, because that is where Jack's cheap father insisted on going to get Jack's glasses, they are insured by WALMART, we have used the insurance on these glasses to its fullest... I must go to WALMART. FYI- Lucky Jack. We were in and out of WALMART today in 10 minutes. UNBELIEVABLE.

Jack, his father, and his Papa they all are this lucky, it is freaky. While a normal person's parent should freak out, require that they buy a new retainer, or miss out on wearing them for 9 days, the 3 of them would never have the same consequences as the general public. All I can say is he is the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Remind me to tell you about the 20 checks endorsed and ready to deposit that Steve left on top of his car when we first got married. LUCKY!

Very Pinteresting...

The latest craze in the world of social media is a little website called Pinterest. It is a "virtual inspiration / bulletinboard" covering everything from weddings to food, travel, parenting, inspirations, fashion, health, beauty.... the list is endless. I have introduced several of my closest friends to the phenonomenon that is sweeping the nation. You stalk follow your friends' boards to see what they like or may be thinking is cute or funny.

With about 6 close friends and several "friends of friends" and "friends I would like to know better"   who are active on Pinterest, it was about time that we put our pinning into action. I literally threw the party together in 2 weeks.

I started with a simple Paperless Post invite with the party information and the rules "guidelines" for the party.
1. Make 5 of one craft to share
2. Bring a food item and 15 printed recipes to share.
3. Bring your favorite quote.

*** I loosely made it a holiday theme... but of course there are so many themes- health and wellness, kid crafts, gift giving, happy hour... Valentine's Day, beauty, So Simple, organization...

I also let everyone invite their friends, I was afraid of no one being able to come and I wanted everyone to have someone there that they know. It was great to meet new people and get to know others better.

Here are the results- So amazing!

The gift table- I was so afraid that there would be
duplicates of the same item.
Not so!

Nicole and Chee-
Santa wine glasses

Lindsay-
Argyle wreaths

Val made dry erase boards,
all were different and so cute in their own way!

Thumbtack Christmas trees!

Of course, I had to do some Christmas decorating too!

We had a wonderful time. I totally forgot to take pictures of the food and the mimosa and coffee bar. Everything except for my Crockpot egg casserole tasted great. This is my new favorite Christmas tradition.

Momentum...

Mojo. Focus. That is where I am.For the first time in 2 weeks I am done working by 7 pm! 10-12 hour days are energizing and exhausting all at the same time. Medicare season officially opened last Saturday, apps are coming in, agents are selling, I am SELLING, but mostly I am making about 70-100 phone calls everyday setting appointments for agents.

Funny thing about college...
I spent 4 years working relatively hard to become a teacher, but the best training for what I do know was while telemarketing for Mitt Romney during his campaign for Congress in 1994. Yes, I was a "liberal" college student in Iowa from California, making campaign phone calls for a Massachusetts Republican Congressman. Strange, Medicare sales calls is where I find myself now. I guess it was my calling.

Sell. Sell. Sell.

The Time Has Come...

Unless you want to hear all about Medicare (or better yet buy a plan), the time has come for Rachel. Steve. And the rest of the Kuhtz Diehl staff to go off the social grid. 2011 plan booklets went in the garbage today, boxes are arriving daily. 45 days of selling this is what I have worked toward for the last 9 months. Can you handle it?

Things that I most likely will participate in-
1. Going  to the gym. I have to! No Medicare 15 for me this year!!!
2. Tailgates and football games. I can't work ALL the time!
3. Cheer competitions. Plays. School functions. Christmas programs. The swim practice drop off lane.
4. Rushed trips to the grocery store and Target. Don't hate me if I ignore you.
5. And obviously WORK!

I apologize ahead of time if-
1. I forget to send your a thank you.
2. I I flake on RSVPing like I usually do.
3. My Christmas card is late and there are typos on my letter.
4.  My blog ends up on the bottom of your blogroll.
5. You see me and I look tired, overworked, and I act cranky.
6. I complain about work AND my diet.
7. Instead of attending your birthday party, I (we) decide to stay home and take a nap. It isn't you, it is us.

It may seem foreign to most, but we really are THAT busy! See you December 8th!

Nature...

Friday night Steve took the kids to Red Rock State Park for a little overnight adventure sans Mom. They had a great time in the great outdoors- eating all the junk food they could stomach and staying up really late (a treat that they miss now that school has started again).

Steve discovered something new about both kids-

• Jack- "Nature scared me."
• Abby- "I love nature."

I LOVE Cartwheels!!!

Cartwheel mastered!