Life is full of changes AKA The BIG announcement

Yes, Chris, I stole your last blog posts title. Cause it works for me.

So, up until now, I have been living in the best of both worlds. My very flexible 3 part time jobs have allowed me to work and socialize with adults while still staying home with the girls - they go to school three days a week, so I've been home on their days off, and sometimes on their school days.

This life has been a struggle financially, and scheduling can be a nightmare if one gets sick and it is the ONE day that week I HAVE to work. But it has been utopian in the sense that I have been with my kids, having pj days, going to the zoo in the middle of the week, deciding at 10 am to go bike riding in Sydenham, exploring Lemoine's Point on the only sunny day all week. I am so thankful that I had the good sense to construct this fairytale existence for myself and the girls. But all good things must come to an end eventually.

So, life being full of changes, in the spring the daycare I work at announced it was expanding - building an entire new centre- for everyone this was great news, everyone except me that is.

I knew the moment the announcement was made that my part time existence at the centre would cease in one way or another as my position existed because of specific circumstances at the centre itself. I have spent the last few months agonizing over how to handle the situation when it occurred. One thing was obvious - I would not be able to take a regualr full time teaching position with the centre for two reasons: #1 the kids, their schedule, and the fact that it doesn't mesh with the daycare's expectations of a full time staff, #2 SCHOOL, like the big deal school, not the online stuff I've been doing to catch up. One night a week I would need to leave for Ottawa by 2pm at the latest - no way would that fly.

My choices; hope for a permanent part time that worked with the schedule we keep here, move on to another centre (or back to an agency I worked for), or.....wait.... I see a light..... what if I cooked?

The cook position at the old daycare centre could be done in about 30-32 hours per week. If I could just convince everyone that I could still be on schedule while starting later on school days, it might work. Just might.

Hmmmm.......

Long story short, I applied for, was offered, and have accepted the full time cook position at my daycare. This will mean HUGE changes around here, as I still plan to keep my store job - every other weekend I work 12 hours- and my other part time job. I will also (hopefully they don't cancel it this time) be starting Canadian History in January. Then grad school/teacher's school in September.

How I am going to do it, I don't fully know yet, but I have lots of ideas. I already have been making use of the girls' one hour gymnastics lesson by studying in the parent room (and I'm not the only single mom doing that !). I will also have a 45 minute lunch break, and likely time after work before having to pick up the girlies, in which I will get groceries, study, SLEEP even. I think I can make this work, with the added support of my family, and close friends.

Stay tuned, I am sure to be posting more on this topic, as my first day, January 4 nears.