Back to Work

I've started back to work. I love my new hours and schedule! It fits perfectly into our life. I usually get up by 6am and have a few minutes of "me time". Then I get the kids all ready for their day and have them dropped off at school by 8am. This year we're making rounds to the elementary school (Anthony), the intermediary school (Riley, Taylor, Zeke) and the high school (Brittney). Steve drops Sophia off at daycare on his way to work.

After the kids are dropped off, I head back home and spend an hour with a specific cleaning or organizing task. Currently, that involves all the cleaning that didn't get done well over the summer when all the kids were home all the time. We're also in the process of re-doing the hall closet and office by the back door. As the kids are getting bigger, the space needs to be reconfigured. I should have taken a before picture. I'll try to update along the way because it might be a long process. As already noted by the bathroom projects, we only proceed with projects as we have the cash funds to do them so sometimes they take a while.
I go in to work at Headstart by 9:30am and I work one-on-one with a little boy with Downs Syndrome. It's been fun to be back with the kids and staff that I love!

Then by 2 pm I'm done with work for the day so I can go back home and work on paperwork, laundry and supper. The kids all walk or ride a bus home after school so I'm also not spending an hour after school driving around town doing pick-ups this year. As they come in, I have them sit in the dining room and work on homework, spelling and/or reading. When each kid's school stuff is done, they can go into the kitchen for a snack. This is only the third week of school but I feel like it's working well and we're keeping on top of what the kids are supposed to be doing - rather than last year's feeling of getting everything done right at the last minute and not spending the time helping them like I should. It also give the kids time to get everything done before their sports activities and church in the evenings. I'm still working with Dawnna at the produce stand until mid/late October so the kids are on their own on  Wednesdays and Fridays.

I should also mention that I don't work at Headstart on Fridays. Their class schedule only runs Mon - Thurs. There is an occasional Friday meeting and I'll be doing produce for another month, but after that, I'll have Fridays to myself. Kind of. That will be the day I'll schedule most things - like Zeke's doctor's appointments, Anthony's therapies, etc.

So far, I'm loving the schedule! I still get to work doing what I love and I still have time to do what I need to for my family. Granted, money will be a little tighter because I'm not putting in so many hours but it's still the best thing for our family in the long run.