I need a translator

My daughter usually speaks pretty clearly. Granted she has a few speech impediments that are typical for a 3-year-old:

Negs = Legs

Spwaenet = Bracelet

But in general, she is relatively easily understood.

... until she's on the verge of tears.

This morning, she woke up crying, and when I went into check on her, she said (with crystal clarity): "I want sdfalkmweoinoasd."

Me: "What do you want?"

Her: "I want qoinwoefmzxedn."

Me: "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't know what you're saying."

Why is it that tears automatically make kids tongue tied?

How To Article of the Week

This week: How to Plop Your Hair

I think they need a name change for this method of hairstyling.

Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing

Have you ever noticed that "Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing" has the same melody line as "Go Tell Aunt Rhody?" (At least it does in the Mormon hymn book)

Every time we sing the former in church, I can't help but think of dead geese.

If you hadn't thought of that before, you're welcome in advance.

How To Article of the Week

This week: 9 Tips for Making Running More Enjoyable

Tip #1 should be: Don't go running.

Wow.

This video makes me realize how easy I have it.

Potty Training

News: My daughter has been completely uninterested in potty training. We finally coaxed her into it by bribery for a good job. Unfortunately this didn't work for "Number 2."

Yesterday, however, I got a call telling me my wife and daughter finally had success.

I'm grateful. I was just about to start looking into the social ramifications of Depends for 18 year olds.

I still feel like I'm floating about an inch off the ground

The last few weeks have been a new level of crazy. Between shutting down my old job responsibilities and training for my new job responsibilities, I've completely neglected everything that wasn't essential.

However, despite all the craziness, I'm still on Cloud 9.

My job is perfect, and I couldn't be happier.

However, after seeing about 8 iPads in two days, I kind of want to bring my Nerf bow and arrows to work tomorrow so I can take shots at all the students who think they are now superior to everyone else, just because they have a flimsy computer that has a retail price tag exceeding the amount anyone would pay for my own life.


I'm all for people getting cool gadgets. It's when they start to believe it entitles them to super-human status that I start to wonder if they should be taken down a peg.

And the Nerf Avenger might be just the guy to do it ...

The Dirt about My Job Change

Ok, so here’s the scoop (it’s pretty boring and lacks my usual sarcasm, so feel free to skip this one).

My current job is great. I had a number of clients, and it was always thrilling to help them be successful. I worked for a public relations agency in Provo. One of the things I always appreciated about the company is the work ethic exemplified by the company’s partners. In other agencies, it seems like the main item on partners’ calendars is their golf schedule. In this company, the partners are the busiest people of anyone getting a paycheck.

I also loved (and I mean LOVED) the people I worked with. Over time, these people became like family and my job slowly seeped its way into becoming part of my identity.

But then my neighbor told me about a job at the local university. He currently works in a department where I used to work as a student employee.

I worked there for three years, and I can truthfully say that I felt like skipping to work every morning. When I graduated, I jokingly told my boss that if she could give me a salary and let me work full time that I would stay, even though I knew that was impossible.

When my neighbor told me about this job, the impossible suddenly became possible … even probable.

There were some definite cons to the job (reduced salary, less vacation time, less flexibility regarding work hours or work location, etc.), but there were also a number of pros (getting my masters for free, working in an amazing environment, doing work I never thought my current education would allow, etc.).

In the end, my wife and I prayed about it, and it felt completely right. The peace of that decision washed away all my anxiety about losing part of the identity I’d cultivated for the last four years. Even now, as I stand on the edge of making the flying leap into a major career change, I feel completely calm.

What will I be doing? Academic advising for students on academic probation.

When is my last day at my current job? August 10.

When do I start my new job? August 11.

While I’m sad about what and who I’ll leave behind, I’m a little giddy about what is ahead. Okay, more than a little giddy.

New Job

So ... I have a new job. Or at least, I will next week.

I'll have more details in a little bit, but right now I'm running around trying to get all my clients transitioned to other employees.

It's crazy, but the bottom line is, I'm thrilled and couldn't be happier with the shift ... although it will be sad to leave my current job behind.

Until I come up for air, it may be a little sparse on here.