Week 29: SAHM

Well this week we begin a new chapter in our life. As of April 1st (no it's not an April Fools Joke) and the first time since I was 14, I do not have job. It is a very strange situation to be in and very surreal. I put myself through college working 2-3 jobs and always valued hard work and getting ahead in my career. So what makes this week so surreal? That you always hear, especially in these times, people who get called to their boss' office at the end of the day to be told that they are being let go and being walked to their desk to pack up their belongings and shown the door.

What is also strange is this feeling that I have total control over my day. And the lack of structure is very scary, depressing and empty. There are a lot of varying feelings that I have on this new situation. Of Course I am elated at being home with my kids, but I also feel disappointed in myself for being one of the people they let go. I think it will be very difficult for me to return to the life in a Law Office. Though the pay is good, I think the sacrifice you must make to your family to advance yourself in a career is not something that I am willing to make in the near future. I think that I would like to enjoy some of my time at home and eventually go back into working for the government or teaching (I have passed my teaching certification for Middle School/High School Social Studies).

So I've gone to a few teaching job fairs and it is crazy! These schools are packed with hundreds and at one location a thousand people looking to get hired for just a handful of jobs that may be available within that school district. I am putting my fate in God's hands and my only concern is that it works best for my family. I have been applying for jobs but given the state of the economy not a lot of jobs are available and I have resigned myself to the fact that though I may continue to apply for jobs there may be nothing available to me for quite some time. Therefore I am embarrassing this new job of mine: Stay At Home Mom (SAHM).

After getting laid off, I drove first to the Library and checked out 15 books on how to entertain and teach a toddler and armed with these new materials I drove to the Daycare to pick up the kids for the last time. We then jumped back into some of my Maternity Leave activities. We have gone back to our Playgroup (all of these ladies have been so great and supportive and I am so happy that they did not drop me and continued to be friends with me even after I returned to life as a Working Mom) and we meet there every Monday at different peoples houses.

Tuesdays are Story Time at the Aubrey Public Library. The Library teacher there, Ms. Herbst is so great; she is like a grandmother to all of the kids. On our way home, since Aubrey is the "Horse Capital of Texas" I decided to pull the car over and SHOW the kids what a Horse is in real life. What an exciting feeling to be the one who gets to show your child what a horse is instead of pointing them out in a book or letting a teacher at a school teach them. Now Marshall is obsessed with horses. How great it is to be the one who made that impact on his life.

Wednesday we just hung out at the house, ran errands, visit the park and showed him what Ducks and Fish are and played with our friends in the neighborhood. Thursday is more of the same. And Friday is the Denton Public Library. Then at the end of each day we all run to the back door as we hear the garage door opening announcing the arrival of "DADDDYYYY!!!"

My big girl is sitting up a lot now to play with her Sit-and-Play-Mirror. She loves it!
What a cute little Goober she is!
Very comfortable on her stomach now!
Some rough cuddling by big brother!