As usual, lots of stuff is going on, so I haven't been able to make the time to post anything. Sorry to all of you who have been wasting away from lack of cute pictures and updates! In my defense, this IS Advent-- I mean, the Christmas Shopping Season-- sorry, the HOLIDAY Shopping Season, so we've been busy trying to get everything together so that your Christmas presents will actually reach you sometime before February.
Also, in other big news, I am now gainfully employed! I've started watching a little boy for a few hours, 4 days a week. It's very Providential how everything happened. His parents had become dissatisfied with his daycare situation and were looking for a Catholic home to place him in, preferably a stay-at-home homeschooling mom who was looking for a little extra income.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pickles and I had been talking (due to the influence of some friends) about trying to climb our way out of debt more quickly. We're at that phase now where we've got student loans, home mortgage, new car loan, college savings, and retirement to think about all at the same time. We felt like we were just throwing money at each of those things and not really making any headway on anything. I had just been trying to think of ways that I could ease Greg's burden of being the sole breadwinner when I received from a friend the email detailing this family's situation.
After discussing it with Mr. Pickles, I contacted the mother. We met a couple times and then had a trial run, and after two days I knew it would work out. The little boy is a few months younger than Katie, and has a very sunny disposition. He's
so easygoing, and fits right into our family. He's really cute too -- if his parents give permission I may post a picture or two. It's actually been a delight to watch him. Along with Katie he's at that fun stage I love, one of discovery and exploration and budding personality.
He's here 8:30-2:30, which at first seems like a long time, but our day progresses rapidly from activity to activity. With meals and naptime, there're really only 2 hours that I have to fill, and often we spend half of that outside.
This situation is actually going to be very good for me personally, for a lot of reasons. For one, while he's here, I have to focus on the kids. I'd always wanted to spend more time with the girls every day, and less time doing "my" things, but was never able to work out a schedule that worked. But now, all the morning is kid time. While the little ones are playing I can do school with Miriam. There are lots of interruptions of course, but that won't last forever. And Miriam's attention span is still such that she can't concentrate on any one thing longer than about 5 minutes.
Sometimes it feels weird getting paid to play blocks and sing "Ring a Round the Rosy." :) But I'm happy that in a way I'm "forced" to play with the kids. A better way of saying it would be that I can play all morning long and not feel guilty that I should be doing something else more important.
Tied into this is the fact that I'm forced to be more efficient with the spare time I do have. No more wasting hours on the computer! After his mom comes to bring him home, I have 2 hours to get anything done that I can't do while he's here. This includes trips to the library, grocery shopping, running errands, baking, and cleaning the house. I've always worked better with deadlines, so this arrangement really simplifies life for me! And I'll try to make good use of my "day off" -- we'll probably be using that for playdates so the girls can get out of the house to be with friends.
Speaking of which, how are the girls adjusting, you ask? So far, great! Which really surprised me. Well, initially they reacted the way I thought they would -- Miriam acted like a second little mommy by offering toys and making funny faces to get him to laugh, while Katie stood off to the side and frowned at the interloper who kept playing with her stuff. But after about a day Katie accepted him, and laughs at him & offers him toys now too. They've only had a few squabbles about the baby doll stroller. Miriam continues to be my reporter, letting me know when he's getting into trouble. She's also my diaper alert. :) She's such a good helper -- I'm so blessed to have had a daughter like her first! I think if he were here all day it would be hard, but since he's only here in the mornings, they still have me to themselves in the afternoons, as well as three whole days a week.
I have to say again how Providential this was. It just fit my situation perfectly -- I'm home most of the time anyway, and because it's only part time I don't feel like my freedom has been restricted at all. Granted, unless morning activities (like playgroups) are on my day off we won't be able to attend, but this won't be forever -- once my charge is old enough we might go on field trips and to library programs and things like that. The only thing I do miss is the freedom to go to daily Mass, but I hadn't been going regularly anyway.
And to have had this situaiton just dropped in our laps like this -- all I can say is
Benedicamus Domino!
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This post has been brought to you by the letters N-A-P and the number 2 (as in, hours).
