Before there was a “we” : there was just a “me”
What Dallin claims he is most attracted to about me is the very thing I have never shared with you, my work ethic. So today I decided to share my “resume” and my past job experiences with all of you.
I think I always shy away from this because I wasn’t the girl that everything was handed to. I grew up great, but if you wanted a lot of extra you worked for it. And I am so grateful for that. Because it shaped me into the person I am today. All of my jobs gave me experiences. So thank you mom and dad. Because I know I never have told you that I am grateful that you taught me how to work at such a young age. If I can teach my kids what my parents taught and showed me I’ll be a very happy mommy.
So lets get started….
My first job was when I was 11. I weeded for Mr. M on his horse property. The money I earned from my first paycheck, I bought my first bikini, ill never forget how thrilled my parents were about that. lol
I got my first real job as a nanny when I turned 16. My sister was a nanny across the street for a different family. It was so fun.
One day, I went to a car lot where I was going to trade in my Toyota Camry for a VW beetle bug. I had no idea the man I was speaking to and trying to negotiate price with, owned the lot. I just got talking with him. He told me, “if I were his daughter he’d tell me that my Camry was a better car, to keep my money, and to be his nanny.”
And that’s exactly what I did. I was his nanny amongst many other things. I worked in his office. I watered the plants, shopped at Costco and stocked vending machines, filed the cabinets, and threw birthday parties for his employees. It was amazing. Being a car guy, he payed me an hourly rate plus gave me .50 per mile I drove while on the clock. And if you know me I like driving a lot! My paychecks were beyond great!
I did this for about 10 months up until it became summer. He wanted to promote me and have me work in the office 40 hrs a week all summer. I declined. I had made more than I thought I would this school year and I just wanted to play in the summer.
I got a once a week job at Abercrombie. Something I could do for fun on Saturday mornings for 4-5 hrs, meet people, and get discounts on clothes. But that plan all changed on my first day of work. I was opening the store when a darling family walked in. Three little toe heads and stunning parents. I greeted them, told them how cute their kids were and asked why the kids looked upset. They said they had just dropped their au pair off at the airport. I asked, like a nanny? And they said yes. I then asked the pretty wife if she needed a fitting room. And she said oh I don’t try clothes on I just buy them. (something I now totally relate to, but at the time I thought was wild). She then asked what I made an hr here and if I liked my job. I said this is seriously my first day, first hr and I make peanuts here. I’m just doing it for fun because I want to play all summer.
They then offered to double what I was making here and gave me a nanny job. I accepted. I got to play harder than ever during the summer with those three kiddos. I got to drive the nanny Escalade, I got a gym pass, an American Express and me and those kids did whatever we wanted all summer , which then turned into 6! fun years. I went on trips with them. I had my picture on their wall. We became a family. It was amazing! I was able to buy a new car, pay for school, rent, life, etc in college all on my own w/o ever once going into debt.
I Danced for The NBA (post here) , MCHammer and Vanilla Ice (post here) and did some modeling gigs here and there.
When I met Dallin he had an assistant who bought him milk, did his laundry, cleaned his room etc. When we got more serious he gave me her job so I didn’t have to work anymore. I remember he gave me a tutorial on how to do his laundry, where he took the dry cleaning, what brands of foods he liked etc. and that’s all I ever did of that job. I would come over, but lets just say it was never to “work”. I was on payroll and used the money he paid me to pay for my part of the wedding.
I had told him I didn’t want a fancy wedding and I would prefer to just elope. But he said that’s not how he does things and he would pay whatever to give me a fairytale wedding. I still would have preferred maybe just eloping lol bc I am awkward like that.
Anyways. I never planned on working a day after I was married. I did a commercial and made $60,000 off of royalties (I thought it was 30, but Dallin just corrected me it was 60). Dallin had an extra car for me so we sold my car and I made another $10,000. And that is when I learned I liked contributing even though it went all to savings lol I graduated college 5 months pregnant with Hudson. I substitute taught and bought my first Bugaboo Donkey with some of my earnings. And then I started a blog. Originally it was “Hudson A la mode” but I got pregnant with Holland right away and changed it to Birdalamode.
And now Here I am today….
TO BE CONTINUED…..
Sorry the old Shannon Can’t come to the phone right now, because she’s DEAD!
I’ve been encouraged many times this week by people who know my experience while dancing for the NBA.
my dress (