Coming at you from a pretty gloriously lazy day. Ivan took Asher off to his first soccer tournament since he had declared himself “retired” from soccer back in late 2019. I guess he is like Tom Brady and just can’t quite give it up, because he’s back….. Games are at 9:00 and 1:45, about 1 hour away. We made a deal that Ivan would go today, and I’ll take tomorrow.
I slept poorly last night so I’m hoping for a nap at some point. I just finished loading the entire season of soccer practices and games into Google calendar and have some other misc. admin stuff to do.
Quickly though, I wanted to document a couple firsts from this week:
First Day of School 2022- 7th and 8th Grade:
And the combo picture:
Ethan’s First Day of Work!
Ethan had his first shift last night. Sounds like it went great! Of course, they were severely understaffed, as all restaurants still seem to be these days, so he got a very brief intro and then was essentially tossed into the drive-thru to work. HA. A bit of “baptism by fire”. (He said it was fine- “pretty easy”.) I asked if he liked it, and he said yes, so, so far, so good.
One thing I hadn’t even thought about, but that I’m REALLY happy to hear: a bunch of the staff, including his shift manager, are Hispanic! He said the manager asked if he spoke Spanish, and when he said yes, she then switched into Spanish with him for the rest of the night!! (Sounds like her English might not be that strong, from what he said.) SCORE. It’s like work + Spanish class all in one. This is a major perk. What he really needs right now is lots and lots of practice speaking Spanish, so this is perfect. He said the manager commented that he was picking the job up very quickly and that he was “muy inteligente”! 😉
I can already sense that this job is going to boost his maturity a ton. Just having to interact with (adult) customers, other staff, managers, etc. will push him out of his comfort zone and help him grow in communication skills. I asked him what he would say to the drive thru customers as he handed them their food, and he said, “Well, usually I would say, “Here you go, have a nice evening!” And if their food wasn’t ready yet, I would hand them their drinks, and then say, “The rest of your order will be up in just a moment.”” 🙂
He had also considered applying at the movie theater (they also hire 14 year olds), but I’m glad he landed on McDonald’s. I personally think the fast-paced environment there will be a lot more fun. The cinema seems a little boring, to me.
Our 15th Anniversary
And finally, a couple pics from our 15th wedding anniversary! It was very nice. A relaxing, laid back evening- just what we wanted.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful that Ethan had a good experience on his first day of work. Hoping that it continues to be a positive experience for him.
GRATEFUL KAE 
So amazing that he will get to practice his Spanish! It’s like tutoring but he’s getting paid instead of the other way around. I definitely hope my kids do some retail work in their teens. (I worked at a video store … a job that no longer exists, haha!)
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Yes!! I am so excited about this unexpected perk. I do think it’s so good for kids to have some kind of retail/customer service experience. Hopefully he learns a lot from it! And I miss video stores!!! Going to browse the store to pick out a new release on a Friday night… that was the BEST.
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woo! such a good job for kids. I am definitely going to look for opportunities for sofia to “work” as soon as she can get a job. I started working very early, first to help with family business (groceries store) then as translator, and as waitress. It taught me to appreciate work and money.
happy anniversary!!! what a lovely couple pic.
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I was just about to ask about those signs and if you did the lettering yourself! What a cool set and a great idea. I didn’t start with signs with the kids and it feels a bit late to get in on the game now…but I am always wistful when I see pictures of kids from primary through to Grade 12 holding the same type of sign each year.
That is SO great about the Spanish exposure at work. What a great environment to work on his language skills + it will really set him apart.
Congrats again on your 15th. Looks like a fun (and delicious) celebration.
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That is very cool that he is going to get an opportunity to speak Spanish at work! Win win for all! I worked at a restaurant all through college and while that is very different from fast food, it’s similar in that it is very fast paced which I loved. The busier I was at work, the happier I was.
Your boys look so cute in their first day of school pics!! And you and Ivan look great in your anniversary shots, too!
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You have two very handsome boys. I love how confidently Ethan is approaching his first job! Sounds like he’s doing really well (and gets to practice his Spanish on top of that!)
Happy anniversary again 🙂
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Thank you! I think they’re pretty handsome, too. 😉
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