Our sitter we'd been using for three years closed because her eldest son developed severe health issues and she needed to focus on him 100%. My girlfriend had taken over caring for the boys during the day and they adored her. My wallet adored her too because she let us pay her the same as we were paying our former sitter - which was a steal! With our daycare lady's son being so terribly ill, it had my heart focused toward home. What would I do if one of our kids got sick like that? How much time will I wish I had spent with them? It made me ache. I reminded myself constantly that God had me exactly where I needed to be. I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I began to pray... God, would you ever let me stay home again?
It was texting with my sitter and she mentioned she applied at a local preschool a while back. A little birdy had told her that a position at the school had opened up and they would be reviewing resumes (apparently turnover for this school is very low, so open positions are rare and fill quickly). She wasn't sure if she would even get a call about the job, but she wanted to mention it since she knew that we needed time to look into childcare options. My blood ran cold; I couldn't imagine having to find total strangers to watch my children all over again. Why do I always forget that where God guides, God provides? It's not like he hasn't proven it over and over.
I decided maybe if I ignored this whole thing, it would go away. Fast forward to where the same tweety bird told my girlfriend that she'd probably get a phone call very soon regarding a position with the preschool. OK - denial does not work; making a mental note. :( God, what are you up to??
Dear Husband (DH) and I started talking about options. With one child in school and another pre-school age, childcare at a center was going to be astronomical. Then there was an issue of transportation for the eldest child from school to wherever he was going to go. Someone suggested we could put our oldest in the after school care program, but that still left my preschooler to find all-day care for. Plus, I wasn't sure I wanted to have the kids separated until I made my rounds picking them up. I prayed.... God, if you're going to give my friend a well-deserved job at the preschool, what is your plan for me? For the kids? Yes, I was selfish and prayed for me first - I'm still learning. Don't judge. ;-)
I called around and as I expected, prices were high. DH and I started seriously reviewing our budget and quickly realized something we never noticed before. We were doing OK financially since I had backed down to only a day job, but we never considered how much I was ACTUALLY bringing into our household. We immediately noticed that 1/2 my meager earnings were going to childcare. Half! And I wasn't exactly making six figures a year. With the most resolve I have felt since DH said he was going back to school, I said "If [Girlfriend] gets hired by the school, do I give notice at work and just stay home?". He looked at me and said "I think that's exactly what that means." 0.o We spent some time in prayerful reflection over the situation. God...... is this real?
We spent the weekend thinking on it and praying over it. Come Monday I was bursting at the thought - Could this be possible!? I talked with my friend and let her know what we were thinking. Then the thought started to settle in - friend's job aside, wouldn't this be the best choice for our family in general? After some back and forth discussion, we decided it was. I put in notice that week. My boss realized that I'd be there long enough to help out through the week she traveling and was relieved. I was amused at how well everything worked out.... the timing gave the company enough time to find a replacement from a temp agency and for me to get the replacement trained to do the job I was doing. Everything fell into place almost immediately, that just reaffirmed for me that all this was God's perfect plan for us all. As I get to know my replacement, I realized he was exactly where he needed to be too and I felt strongly that he could be the permanent help my boss was needing.
August 23rd was my last work day and today DH, little man and I had lunch at the restaurant. That's when I let them know I wasn't coming back (I've been on pick-up only for nearly 8 weeks). I am officially a full time stay at home Mommy (SAHM). As you can tell, the kids and I hate it. ;-)
I was a SAHM with my oldest for his first four years and, although rewarding, I did get bored. Not the kind of bored when you don't have anything to do, but the kind of bored you get when you aren't able to challenge and use your creativity. I'd have gone crazy if it weren't for some of the most amazing friends and neighbors a girl could ever have. This time around, I have this blog and some freelance work lined up to give me a creative outlet and make sure I don't build up too many cobwebs - just in case I need it one day!
My goal is to be a SAHM with a servant's heart. One who's homemaking for every working Mom who can't - because I've been those Moms. The friend who'll watch your 14 kids when your sitter is sick and you have to be at work to meet that deadline. The Mom who's not going to judge you because you have six months of dust on your mantle. You know what? I'm pretty sure there still parts of my house that haven't been dusted since my Daddy did it while I was on bedrest in 2011!! That dust and dirt are badges of honor; I put more emphasis on spending time with my family than making sure my house is presentable. It reminds me of a sign I've seen many times on Pinterest that says "Please excuse the mess, we're busy making memories." So while I am putting my house back in order little by little, my family still comes first.
I really thought this blog post would become the end of this series, but it's not. God knows exactly what we need and never fails to provide. My last week as a working Mom came with some lasting surprises! More to come about those....
I decided maybe if I ignored this whole thing, it would go away. Fast forward to where the same tweety bird told my girlfriend that she'd probably get a phone call very soon regarding a position with the preschool. OK - denial does not work; making a mental note. :( God, what are you up to??
Dear Husband (DH) and I started talking about options. With one child in school and another pre-school age, childcare at a center was going to be astronomical. Then there was an issue of transportation for the eldest child from school to wherever he was going to go. Someone suggested we could put our oldest in the after school care program, but that still left my preschooler to find all-day care for. Plus, I wasn't sure I wanted to have the kids separated until I made my rounds picking them up. I prayed.... God, if you're going to give my friend a well-deserved job at the preschool, what is your plan for me? For the kids? Yes, I was selfish and prayed for me first - I'm still learning. Don't judge. ;-)
I called around and as I expected, prices were high. DH and I started seriously reviewing our budget and quickly realized something we never noticed before. We were doing OK financially since I had backed down to only a day job, but we never considered how much I was ACTUALLY bringing into our household. We immediately noticed that 1/2 my meager earnings were going to childcare. Half! And I wasn't exactly making six figures a year. With the most resolve I have felt since DH said he was going back to school, I said "If [Girlfriend] gets hired by the school, do I give notice at work and just stay home?". He looked at me and said "I think that's exactly what that means." 0.o We spent some time in prayerful reflection over the situation. God...... is this real?
We spent the weekend thinking on it and praying over it. Come Monday I was bursting at the thought - Could this be possible!? I talked with my friend and let her know what we were thinking. Then the thought started to settle in - friend's job aside, wouldn't this be the best choice for our family in general? After some back and forth discussion, we decided it was. I put in notice that week. My boss realized that I'd be there long enough to help out through the week she traveling and was relieved. I was amused at how well everything worked out.... the timing gave the company enough time to find a replacement from a temp agency and for me to get the replacement trained to do the job I was doing. Everything fell into place almost immediately, that just reaffirmed for me that all this was God's perfect plan for us all. As I get to know my replacement, I realized he was exactly where he needed to be too and I felt strongly that he could be the permanent help my boss was needing.
August 23rd was my last work day and today DH, little man and I had lunch at the restaurant. That's when I let them know I wasn't coming back (I've been on pick-up only for nearly 8 weeks). I am officially a full time stay at home Mommy (SAHM). As you can tell, the kids and I hate it. ;-)
I was a SAHM with my oldest for his first four years and, although rewarding, I did get bored. Not the kind of bored when you don't have anything to do, but the kind of bored you get when you aren't able to challenge and use your creativity. I'd have gone crazy if it weren't for some of the most amazing friends and neighbors a girl could ever have. This time around, I have this blog and some freelance work lined up to give me a creative outlet and make sure I don't build up too many cobwebs - just in case I need it one day!
My goal is to be a SAHM with a servant's heart. One who's homemaking for every working Mom who can't - because I've been those Moms. The friend who'll watch your 14 kids when your sitter is sick and you have to be at work to meet that deadline. The Mom who's not going to judge you because you have six months of dust on your mantle. You know what? I'm pretty sure there still parts of my house that haven't been dusted since my Daddy did it while I was on bedrest in 2011!! That dust and dirt are badges of honor; I put more emphasis on spending time with my family than making sure my house is presentable. It reminds me of a sign I've seen many times on Pinterest that says "Please excuse the mess, we're busy making memories." So while I am putting my house back in order little by little, my family still comes first.
I really thought this blog post would become the end of this series, but it's not. God knows exactly what we need and never fails to provide. My last week as a working Mom came with some lasting surprises! More to come about those....
I love your little cliffhangers! It has been a joy following your story. Can't wait for next time!
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