A Week of Firsts

We experienced A LOT of transition all at the same time over here. I started coaching and working for 2 new ESL companies in addition to VIPKid and Scott started his new job and the kids started school in their new grades with their new teachers. Phew! That's a lot. We are still adjusting to everyone's new schedule. Ryan seems to be fine without his siblings at home. He is starting preschool the first week of September which he is very excited about. The kids all seem to have gotten good teachers. Scott feels pretty good about his job. We hope it works out.  

 I taught my first class with Gogo kid. I was very surprised to even be booked and it was a trial class and the kid actually showed up. If I teach two more classes in the next two weeks I'll get a $300 bonus (that tells you how hard bookings are). I'm not trying to stress about it much but it would be sweet to get the bonus. Fingers crossed I get booked some more! 

I messed up big time at cross country practice on Thursday. We had the kids run a mock course and took their times. The head coach handed them to me and told me to put them in my fanny pack. At the end of practice I forgot to give them to her. When I got home my fanny pack was EMPTY! Panic! I went back to the school and re-walked the entire course and I actually found the results near the end of the course. I couldn't believe it! PHEW! I had forgotten they were there and they must have fallen out when I got my phone out. That was a stressful half hour. I mean it wouldn't have been the end of the world but it wasn't good! 

Piper first day of 1st grade.

Gabby first day of 3rd grade.

Corbin first day of 5th grade. This is his last year at Summerwind. I can't believe it!

I decided we would have breakfast at the school together on the first day.

Ryan and mom selfie being home alone.

The lost time results! I found them, miracle! 

Crazy Week!

Well as you may recall last week I wrote my blog post after a very impromptu job interview with another ESL company, well I got that job. I also started coaching cross country on Monday (one of three coaches). Within a week I started working at two new companies and coaching. Crazy timing. Even crazier Scott applied for a job at Mountain America (it's a credit union) a few months ago and heard back that he got hired! So we are in crazy transition mode over here and school starts in three days. I realized how coaching is at the worst possible time (no wonder they can't find coaches and hired me, ha). Anyway I've had to make arrangements with my kids and figure out things like dance lessons and other after school headaches. I think I've figured it out.  Fingers crossed.

With my ESL companies I'm not necessarily working more than I was, I'm just trying to figure out how to get the most bang for my buck. Dada lessons are terrible and take a lot of prep work. Gogo has few bookings (as a company in general) but provide subsidy pay just for opening slots. I'm just trying to figure out the different course ware and classroom functions and the ins and outs of the different companies. Facebook groups are a COMPLETE lifesaver. They help me out so much.

We never did make it camping so we had a camp out in our back yard. I made tin foil dinners and we had s'mores and set up the tent. The first night only Corbin and Ryan slept out in the tent. I was reading scary campfire stories from my phone search and one was super scary! Ha. I scarred my kids for life. Gabby was freaked out. Last night Corbin, Gabby, and Ryan slept in the tent. We haven't put away the tent yet so we will see if any kids want to sleep out again. I can't believe they can sleep out there. The crickets are soooo loud. We have an open field area behind our house and I can hear the crickets inside my house. I would lose my mind! Ha.

I think we crossed most things off our summer check list. We still have to get some snow cones. I'm trying to think what projects I can do after the kids go back to school. I won't be subbing so I'll have to figure out something to do. Maybe I can pick up my furniture up cycle hobby.

Ryan wanted to whisper in Scott's ear. Ha. So cute.

Yum!

I finally had my first s'more of the summer. Eating a s'more is always on my summer bucket list, along with tin foil dinners.

Quick tent snuggle and then PEACE OUT, I'm sleeping in my bed. Piper did not want to sleep out either night. She does tell me she is an indoor person. Ha. 

Cascade Lake

It's late and I've had a busy day. This past week has been busy getting hired on and starting with Dada. I had to watch what felt like a million useless training videos and then figure things out pretty much on my own with the rest. Luckily I found a Facebook group that should be helpful for getting information. Things are not usually very clear. I'm sure it will take me awhile to get settled with them. I have a lot of things to figure out still.

I just finished a very impromptu job interview with another company. I was interested in GoGo Kid but haven't been able to find an available interview slot. The times I have seen have been in the middle of the night and I can't quite care enough to do that. I clicked on it tonight and there was an opening at 9:00 pm. I had to fix my hair and put on my make up and figure out the stupid lesson WITH props and rewards. I just finished with that. It went pretty well. We will see how it goes. It's a new company and apparently the bookings are terrible but they are supposedly growing and they are supposed to pay more. ANYWAY, whatever. Ha.

We were supposed to go camping but Scott and I both ended up having work conflicts so we didn't go. We did a day trip at Cascade lake today. We had a great time except that Corbin was really sad that we don't have a jet ski and then he was willing to settle for a canoe. Ha. He wanted us to rent one but we weren't up to doing that without more of a plan, (like how to get the canoe on the lake from the rental place in town). Okay that's all. I'm spent!

Tree Climbing

Ryan is becoming a climber

Our neighbor Malaya moved back next door and she invited the kids to swim.

Picnic!

Our pump didn't fit the holes and Scott blew it up! Amazing!

That watermelon is big and awesome! I bought it just for this trip. 

Corbin moping because we don't have a jet ski.

Cute!

Stress!

This past week the kids and I had some good social time. We had several play dates which was fun. Corbin really wants to go camping and we are not really campers. I asked my sister in law if they were going camping again by chance and they were! Perfect. So we will be go camping next weekend to get that last summer thing crossed off the list. I've started buying school supplies. Summer is quickly approaching its end.

I have been researching other online companies and Dada ABC was at the top of my list. It seems like they are number 2 behind VIPKID. I sent in my application and they set up an interview with me. I did my research and prepared myself for what was expected and how the application process would go. First off I discovered that my internet speed was not fast enough and that I would be eliminated immediately. Scott called our internet people and they said they can't fix our speed until the 15th of August. These companies are not flexible or understanding (they are swimming in applications). I decided I would do the interview at my friends house. I spent the night at her house and woke up to do my interview. From my research I was just planning on a 30 min interview and after that time I would set up a time to do a demo lesson. So I do my interview and Jimmy (interviewer) says he needs my passport, picture, and TESOL certification. I'm thinking cool, easy. I'm also thinking I have 24 hours to get him the info. NO! He wanted them right now. I call Scott, it's 5:45 in the morning and he is a very deep sleeper. I call, no answer. Call again, no answer. I am DYING! I don't have time to drive home and get it. I would just have to scrap this company. Finally after 5 agonizing minutes Scott answers!!! Hallelujah! He sends me the docs, I message them to Jimmy. Then I get a message back that I have 40 min to get ready to teach my demo class. WHAT???? This was not how this was supposed to go down. I call Scott again. I tell him to bring me about 10 teaching aids and props. He drives them over. I tell Jimmy I am ready. He sends me to a classroom with the wrong PowerPoint. I am stressed. I just wait 15 minutes and he finally comes on. He shows me how to use some tools in the classroom. I guess I was supposed to be reading the 55 page PowerPoint to familiarize myself with things but I was too panicked thinking the wrong thing was loaded. He tells me to enter the classroom to teach the demo class. I do so and it's the same PowerPoint! I message him and he tells me how to get into the demo class. Finally, I am in the classroom and I teach him the 10 min lesson. By the way ALL the videos said I would teach the demo to an actual student and not an adult. Nope! All said and done it took 2 1/2 hours. I thought it would be 30 minutes max. I'm so glad I didn't book any VIPKID classes that morning. I almost did thinking the interview would be 30 min and that I could still teach some classes. It was such a stressful and unexpected  process but I made it through. By the way there is no way I could have done that had I not already been doing this for 1 1/2 years. I need time to prepare.

I had to wait a day to hear back and they offered me the job at $19 an hour. I was hoping for $20 so I decided to try to negotiate. They did not accept my offer. He assured me that no new teacher was getting paid more than me and that most get between $13-17 an hour starting out. I don't know if that's true but at least I tried. I'm still mid process of being hired. Everything takes time because of the 15 hour time difference. Communication is slow. My bank is closed until Monday and I can't give him all of the bank information he needs. Yesterday I spent time recording my intro video. We will see how this goes. I'm not sure how soon I'll be up and teaching, I might have to teach at my friends house if it's in the next two weeks. This company gives you students but you have to work a set schedule and you basically are expected to always teach it. These companies can be SO ridiculous and unreasonable. I think I will have to work one morning while we are in Disneyland which is super lame. Anyway the pay is good for a stay at home mom and with VIPKID I have complete flexibility which is amazing but I don't have reliable income. I am only working the minimum 4 hours a week with Dada because they are so inflexible but then I will have a set income. ANYWAY we will see how it all goes. Who knows it could still all fall apart. Ha.

I will probably a little stressed until I am up running with Dada. I'm also nervous that our internet still won't be good enough by the 15th. Oh well, honestly the worst that happens is I get fired or quit. But still, all the unknowns are a little daunting.

My friend is out of town camping and she asked us to go hang out at their house and check on her dogs this weekend. We went last night and played and watched a movie. We are going back over today. They have a great yard and theater set up so we are having a great time dog sitting. Ha.

Here is a link to my intro video.

I forgot Ryan's puddle jumpers. Doy! He was a happy camper in the kiddie section though.

Corbin busted out our old laptop that Nicole loaded all kinds of videos on. The kids have been watching her St. George videos. They love to see pictures of themselves when they were little.

Dog sitting. 

Fun roller coaster ride.