When I grow up, I want to be...

What an eventful summer to say the least!

Lila apparently is making the announcement at Pre-School so I thought I better get caught up and make the announcement on our blog. When asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up" Lila answered, "Like mama, she works for herself." Doesn't that just warm your heart? It warmed mine!

As you know I recently experienced a traumatic, life threatening health-scare after a seemingly routine Liver Biopsy. Coincidentally, right before this incident I had made the decision to leave my current role as a business partner in Career Movement and start my own company. Career Movement is merging with another well-respected recruitment firm and with the merger it seemed like the timing was right for me to make a change. Thankfully I’m lucky to have partnered with two business professionals and the transition has been nothing but harmonious.

The timing of all of this is perplexing to say the least but it has allowed me to have a month and a half off to heal and recover. During that time I’ve been able to pause and explore what is it that I really want to do. I’ve considered many options though I continue to be passionate about starting my own business. I think it’s the best balance for me and our family.

Without a doubt, having grown-up around entrepreneurs it’s always been a dream of mine to start my own company. Something about managing my own books, earning my own money and gaining my own clients that's appealing to me! And so, I am launching McGeachy Consulting. My focus is HR Consulting and Career Coaching. As a consultant I will have the opportunity to work with many of my existing business contacts and hopefully some new ones too! I will also have the freedom and flexibility to work around the kids’ schedules now and as they grow older. Additionally, it allows me to focus on a variety of HR functions including; training, performance management, employee relations and recruitment. 

So, what is HR Consulting and Career Coaching? My consulting experience is comprised of projects such as; 

• Developing Performance Appraisals and Systems
• Creating robust and interactive training programs
• Consulting on Policy and Procedure development and revisions
• Recruiting the best talent for organizations nation-wide including; managers, directors, and vice-president level placements
• Coaching in-house Recruitment teams on Recruitment, On-boarding and Retention best practices

I hope to continue working with businesses on similar projects both locally in the Portland area and nationally.

As many of you know I’ve been coaching individuals for a number of years. I love this aspect of my job! Coaching individuals one-on-one includes any of the following;

• Developing a job search strategy
• Creating an attention grabbing resume
• On-going job search accountability
• Developing impactful interviewing skills
• Coaching on the ‘what ifs’ that come up in a job search (offer, negotiations, etc.)

Several of you have benefited from this coaching yourself!

So, there you have it. I’m looking forward to a more productive and less eventful Fall! Official marketing material will be coming out in the next 2-3 weeks via email but I wanted to give close friends and family a heads up.

Cheers!
Amy

New Contact Info:
amy@mcgeachyconsulting.com
www.mcgeachyconsulting.com (under development but you can check out my logo!)

Photos of the Girls Room

I took some quick photos of the girls room today while they were gone for your viewing pleasure. 

  

Operation: Room Sharing

Yesterday after a mere 13 months of Eva sleeping in my office we dared to take her crib apart and move it into 'the girls room' (aka Lila's room). This also included moving the twin bed with trundle out of Lila's room and back into my office so the task was not so small. Eva slept in the bassinet in our room until she was 5 months old when she moved into the girls room. She slept for several nights in her crib in there when we realized that staying up all night with one or the other child was clearly not an option for two working parents. At the time Lila was just barley 2. For a short period we set up the pack and play in the landing just outside of our room and eventually settled on moving Eva's crib into my office. This was a temporary fix that lasted way longer than I'm proud of.

The funny thing about the office was that on one side it was 100% office; copier, computer, phone, desk lamp, etc. The other side of the room had a crib, changing table, etc. All that said, it certainly wasn't cozy and I had mom guilt every time the phone rang during Eva's nap time or in the early morning.

It feels so good to get everything put back into place, just like I'd imagined for my two girls. The room is cute and my mom guilt is mostly gone. Night ONE of Operation Room sharing was a mild success. We had  a little difficulty getting them both to sleep but that will pass and we had one incident in the middle of the night (getting up once is normal for us).

Road Trip

Our road trip was really, really fun. We stayed one night in Ashland, Oregon and then drove the rest of the way to Lake Tahoe where we stayed at the Grand Residence Club. It was a fabulous place for our trip. 

  

We're Proud Parents of a Pre-Schooler

Scott and I are proud parents of a pre-schooler now. Lila moved up to a new class with the beginning of the new school year and is now officially in pre-school. We are all really excited for the change, and admittedly a little sad to see her growing up so fast, but mostly looking forward to this new phase in her schooling.

She had a fantastic first day at school, the same school she has been attending her whole life, just a new class, new friends and new teachers. Lila is very well adjusted at The Goddard School. She has been talk, talk, talking about her day since we got home.

Out takes from our photo shoot this morning. Lila looks so small compared to our front door! She'll grow over the years. Eva giving Lila a kiss and Eva and Lila hugging.

 

Part way through our day Scott and I got an email from Lila's school with this photo. Awe - we both loved seeing this!

In addition to this being the first day or pre-school it was Lila's first day of swimming lessons. She's been in swimming lessons countless times but this is the first time that I have not been in the water with her. Prior to this class it was a Parent/Tot class where one of us is in the water splashing around too. Let me tell you, swimming lessons, while fun to be in the water, are much easier on a busy weeknight if I don't have to get into the pool. So our little Lila was in a class of 3 three year olds and we sat in the lobby of the club and watched though some windows overlooking the pool. I wasn't sure how Lila would do after such a long day at pre-school and when her teacher called her name we had to weave through a crowd of other anxious kids and parents to get to the front. I could sense Lila getting a little bit hesitant as we got closer but with a very brief introduction to her teacher she was off. She LOVED swimming lessons today! She wanted to do everything first, got in the water, went under water, floated on her back, etc, etc.

As you can probably tell from this post we are really proud of our little pre-schooler. She's growing up right before our eyes.

It's a Circus!

We went to the circus today in Portland with our neighbors Erik, Maria, Ethan and Thad. Lila LOVED the circus. She loved everything about it and sat the the edge of her seat the whole time clapping with each performance. 

Ethan, Lila and Thad

Thad got a little sleepy and it was dark in the audience. Erik is NOT sleeping but in this photo it kind of looks like he is. 

Lila and Thad

Hospital Bills

We've been slightly amused by the hospital invoices that are coming our way. Thankfully insurance will pay for the bulk of the expenses. I'll sleep better once it's all resolved but for now I'll share our amusement with you. One of the invoices that came was for $146,000! Laughable right? Thank god for good insurance.

Oh Eva!

I'm coming to terms with the fact that Eva eats like this at every meal. When is she going to grow out of this phase? And yes, she went right into the bath after enjoying yogurt for lunch.

Chicken Marbella

A friend recently shared this recipe with me and it was so easy and delicious I thought I'd pass it along. All I did was throw it in the crockpot, turn it on and 5 hours later it was done. Can't beat that!

Chicken Marbella

4 - 6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup chopped pitted prunes
1/4 cup chopped stuffed green olives (I used the garlic stuffed and then omitted the garlic above)
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
10 skinless chicken thighs

Garnish: Chicken with parsley or fresh cilantro, well chopped

1. In a large bowl, stir together garlic, oregano, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, salt and pepper, bay leaf, brown sugar and wine. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

2. Place the chicken in slow cooker, then pour marinade over it. Set to high heat and cook for about 5 to 6 hours, or until chicken is tender.

3. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and spoon sauce over it. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.

An Ordinary Day

Lila has enjoyed making drawings using her hands as the template. Below she made a dog and two bunny rabbits with a little help from mom. We got an awesome book as a gift to help us come up with creative ways to do this. So fun!

A little time to brag...Lila wrote her name for the first time. It may be something that only Scott and I can read, and maybe some proud grandparents, but worth pointing out. In the photo above left you can see the L, the I with the dot at the top, L and a little circle with a tail (the little a).

Below Lila is working on her letters and trying to identify each of the the different letters that make up words in these books. She's doing really well and having fun learning.

Racing up the stairs is always fun for everyone. Look at those skinny legs! I swear Eva eats an amazing amount of food but is a high output model if you know what I mean.

Zoo Trip

We made a brief trip to the zoo over the weekend. The girls had a great time visiting all of the animals especially riding the lion!

Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Lila and Eva got a little wild and had some fun jumping in Eva's crib. Not something we really encourage but it was so cute. See the action photos below!

Health Update

All is going as expected! I know I've been negligent about blogging lately and therefore giving you a health update. I'm healing as expected and making progress. For example;

1) I no longer have steri strips on my incision. I went from staples to steri strips (similar to the old butterfly band aids) to nothing.
2) My incision has gone from a wound to more of a scar with a little bit of healing yet to do.
3) I've been walking regularly and have walked 2.5 miles and on Monday walked our regular nightly loop which includes walking up Utah Street (steep hill!).
4) Most days I don't even think about my lung and can breath 100% normal
5) I've gained weight back and I'm almost back to pre-surgery weight. My weight has been like a yo-yo. Did I mention that while I was in the hospital that I retained about 25 pounds of water weight due to all of the blood transfusions and iv's. Then, within 2 days I lost that weight plus some. Apparently while healing your body will take protein from wherever it can and therefore it robs your body of muscle mass. I need to hit the gym!

I still have some small uphill battles ahead of me but they are really small in comparison.
1) My endurance is pathetic. Yesterday I spent the day with my mom, the last day we get to spend together before she starts school. We did simple things like go to lunch, got our rings cleaned, made dinner, etc. Nothing outrageous but being 'on' for an extended period of time is exhausting. So much so that I woke up this morning feeling hungover and tired. Resting today. This happened last week while I spent some time out and about with my friend Allison. So basically I'm good for about 3 hours and then I need to rest. I'm actually a little surprised by this and disappointed but it has to get better soon.
2) The nerves around my incision/scar are starting to come alive again. I know this because they are zingy and itchy at times.
3) I'm still unable to pick up the kids, they can both sit in my lap which is nice. I've picked Eva up on occasion when she's already snuggled up to me and I'm only using my legs to lift her. I just can't resist sometimes and it doesn't hurt but I'm limiting it as much as possible. Can't wait until this is no longer a problem. It's rough on Eva and she's understandably frustrated. Lila has been fabulous through all of this and seems to understand as much as a 3 year old can.

In another month I should be feeling really good...almost normal. I'm curious about my endurance and when that will increase but really hope that by October 1st this should not be a problem.

Thank you everyone for your continued support and concern. I know it has taken me a long time to get thank you notes in the mail for all of the wonderful gifts, flowers, food, etc. but they did make it into the mailbox this week. We are sincerely grateful for everything!