Oh, hey there! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Too long, if you ask me.
So, I figured it was probably time to whip up a little life update and explanation for why I’ve been MIA lately.
Originally, this blog was meant to be a way for me to connect with other mamas and sort of keep myself busy while I was taking on the world of “stay-at-home mom.” If I’m honest, I never really thought I’d be a stay at home mom. My dream was always to become a teacher and have the perfect job that allowed me to be a part-time stay-at-home mom, while still fulfilling my passion for teaching. It never even occurred to me that staying home was an option.
About a year ago, I was just starting to feel antsy with too much time off and looking forward to getting back into my classroom after a long summer break. A week before school was supposed to start, our babysitter contacted us and let us know that she had injured her knee pretty badly. It was so bad that she couldn’t even walk. She had hoped she would recover before school started but as the days quickly passed, she realized she was not going to be capable of chasing a very busy toddler around.
Instantly, we went into panic mode. It was very difficult to leave Vinnie the first time around, so when we were blessed with an amazing babysitter that was a close family friend, it just felt like God had put this opportunity perfectly into place. The idea of trying to find another option, possibly indefinitely, scared the crap out of us. And we had less than a week to figure this out.
In the middle of all of the chaos and panic, my husband blurted out, “You’re staying home!” My instant reaction was, “WHAT?! I can’t stay home! … Can I?”
There was no going back. He said it and now the wheels were turning. We looked over our finances and decided we could make it work. But was this really what I wanted?
So, my husband and I made the rash, emotionally charged decision for me to stay home. We had very little time to digest the idea because the first day of school was days away.
To make a long story short, I applied for a leave of absence, but it was denied, leaving me with only one option: Resign.
I spent the next week sobbing as I packed up my dream classroom. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made but it was the right decision for my family at the time. The whole experience was very confusing because I found myself mourning the loss of everything I had worked my entire life to achieve while simultaneously feeling excitement and thankfulness that I was going to be able to spend my days with my son.
There was definitely an adjustment period. I found myself feeling guilty for staying home. I felt lazy. I hated that I wasn’t contributing to our finances. But I was fortunate enough to be able to spend my days chasing our sweet boy around the park, going on walks, exploring indoor playgrounds and splash pads. My son and I ran through sprinklers, had mid-day popsicle dates, and spent rainy days snuggling. I was blessed an opportunity to do something many moms don’t get to do, and I am eternally grateful to my husband and God for allowing me to soak up every minute of every day with my son. The bond that we have outweighs any job opportunity I sacrificed.
With the new school year approaching, my husband and I made the decision for me to go back to work. We realized that we have goals that we want to accomplish and many of those goals were put on hold with just one income. So, I submitted my application to the district and prayed for the best.
About six weeks ago, I received a phone call informing me that I had an interview with my old district. I spent the next week prepping and stressing, which is about the time I stopped posting here. A few days after the interview, I was offered a job at a year-round school close to home. I had mentally prepared to go back to school towards the end of August and hadn’t considered that I would have to start at the beginning of July.
I accepted the job and decided to spend my last weeks as a stay-at-home mom soaking up every minute with my baby.
It was very difficult to start working again with such short notice, but I am grateful to be rehired in our local district. The good news is, I will only be on track for three weeks before having an entire month off again with my son.
So there ya have it. Life has been a little crazy the past six weeks and unfortunately my blog has suffered because of it. But I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things and back into a routine that includes this blog.
It’s only been two weeks since I started, and our family is still adjusting to this new normal. I am very fortunate to have a career that allows me to have extended breaks with my son and I am so thankful for that.
I’d like to end this with a big “CHEERS!” to all of the stay-at-home moms and to all of the working moms. From someone who has experienced both roles, I can definitely say, they are equally challenging and rewarding. But no matter which job description you have, we all have one thing in common; we’re just trying to do what’s best for our families!
xoxo
J A M I E L Y N N E
Yorumlar