Reflections

Andy and Cecilia -A Girl and her Daddy
Collin's Park June 2010

I love to work. I like getting out of the house, doing something productive and I love my profession, teaching. It is what I do, and I am good at it. I have always said that while I admire stay-at-home mom's I could never do it, that I would go crazy with bordem.

Becoming unexpectedly unemployed has been a huge stress on my family and especially me personally, but it has also been an unexpected pleasure too. It has allowed me to slow down and really enjoy mommy-hood which is something I have never really been able to do.

When I was working full time I would jump out of bed at 5:30, shower, get ready, get Celie ready, pack our bags, jump in the car to be to work by 6:45-7, give Celie breakfast at work while I prepared my room, worked till 5:30, home by 6, quick dinner, clean up, bath for Celie, some TV, bed for Celie and then pretty much bed for me not long after. Weekends were lost doing all the things there was no time for during the week, chores, visiting, housework, homework. GO, GO, GO, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!!

Now-a-days while Celie still gets up at 6 (would you expect anything less from a 5 year old), we cuddle in bed till we feel like getting up, or till Charlie starts screaming for food. We do things WE want to do. If we want to stop by the park, we stop at the park. We stay at home in our pajamas if the mood strikes us. We have re-discovered arts and crafts, quality time and each other. I became a teacher because I love working with kids, now I have the time to work with my own.

I am not going to say that I don't miss working. I do, I like the challenges and changes of work and I enjoy being productive in that way. I'm also not saying that I won't be going back to work because we could never afford that. What I am saying is that when I do go back, I will make sure that I don't lose what I have learned about myself and my family this summer. I won't run through life rushed and flustered, I will continue to take the time to enjoy these precious years with my babies. I will make sure the memories they have are not of nothing but work and school
but quality time with us.