More on the Job and other stuff

I'm sorely lacking on the picture department these days, even though we have been filling our lives with very photo-worthy events and adventures. I failed to bring my digital camera to Idlewild when we took the kids there with my parents and brother last weekend, and failed once again on our trip to Maryland where we visited Michael's family and celebrated our nephews 4th (holy cow!) birthday at the local PumpItUp. My mother took pictures at Idlewild, but don't ever expect to see them on this blog. She loyally keeps all of her pictures on her camera flash card, never to budge. (I think she's on pic # 746 or something.) And my mother-in-law took photos at the bday party, but I don't have access to them either, so maybe someday we will develop some from Michael's old school film camera and I will oblige you with all the missing photo treats. Until then you will just have to be content with more stories about my job, and a few about my family.

I will begin with an exchange that happened in the car on the way home from Maryland, a 2 hour ride. The boys were in the back. I was driving. Kindred was quiet. Elias was yapping. We heard:

Elias: "Jidgie! Jiiiiiiidgiiiiieeeee!"
Kindred (softly): "I'm tired."
Elias: "Jiiiiidgiiieeee! Jidgie! Jiiiiiidggiiieee!!" This continues.
Kindred (bellows): "I'm going to sleep, Elias!"

(Now that I write this, I think it was one of those "you had to be there" moments. I promise, it was hilariously funny and surprising when it happened. Sorry you missed it.)

Now more about me. Me Me Me. So I accepted the job. I am a housing counselor at a center I will refer to as CITP. I will start on August 25th, a few days after I return from "Grandpa sitting" in Florida while my in-laws cruise the high seas and my husband finishes the last weeks of his theater camp. Now there are a few interesting mentionables to share about my job and my landing it.

A long time ago, when I was first thinking (and only thinking) about getting a job, someone asked what I wanted to do. Having not worked for several years (besides that brief stint at TSW last year), I had no idea what I wanted to do. I didn't think I wanted to jump back into the mental health field. (That is where I have the most experience and training, but there is a level of intensity that comes with those jobs that I wasn't sure I wanted to sign up for again. I would like to be able to leave my work at work.) So I flippantly said, "I don't know. I kinda want to just be a housing counselor at CITP." Now here's the catch. I didn't know A THING about CITP except that it was very close to my old apartment, and that somewhere in the process of buying our house, I noticed that CITP offered housing counseling. I didn't even realize at the time that they only offer counseling to people 55 and older. But the thought stuck in my head.

A few months later, I popped onto craigslist to look at job postings. Still had no resume prepped, but wanted to see what was out there. Wouldn'tcha know, two days previous there had been posted a need for a Housing Counselor at CITP. I was a little floored. After taking the next 2 weeks to get a resume together and customize a cover letter, I applied for the job. I also applied for about 15 others in varying positions all over the city. So it was both ironic and shocking that my first interview was at CITP for the job I'd said I wanted. Then it was even more ironic and shocking to discover that CITP has ONE housing counselor, and her last day was Friday. You already know how I felt when they called two hours after I got home from my (two hour) interview and offered me the position. I felt like the hand of providence was somehow moving all of the pieces of my life into a checkmate and I was the winner. Now how often does that happen?

People have been asking me if I'm excited about my job. The short answer is, well, no. I mean, it's fine. I'm sure I will do a good job, and I will learn a lot, and I will make us some money. But I'm really mourning the loss of time spent with my kiddos. Although I often long for breaks, I can't imagine not being with them for hours and hours every day. I fully support Michael wanting to have his shot at SAHD (stay at home dad) before the boys go off to school, and I know he is going to have a great time with them. It is just a hard adjustment for me to make mentally and emotionally. I take solace in the fact that not only will I work in a park that has a playground almost outside my office window that the kids can play in and visit me, but I will also be close enough to home that I will try to take lunch with my guys. I have a negligible commute, and might even try to get a bike to get me there and back. (There will be days I will need the car for home visits, but I can leave the car at home most days.) It is really ideal for the most part, and I have no real reason to complain too loudly. But I will miss my boys.

Thanks for everyone's support in this process. Your comments have been appreciated.