A temporary new life

for us.

Temporarily, like I said, I get to work part time.  I don't know how long, so really, I'm just soaking it all up while I can.  I only have to work 2-3 days/week depending on what's going on at work and I can work around what I need for the kids.  This is the first time in my life as a mother I've been able to do this and it is WONDERFUL!

I've asked to do this for years.  I've wanted and prayed for this since Chase was born 10 years ago.  Last week was my first week and it was great driving the big kids to school and then running errands or just going home to play outside with Chelsi and Jaemin.  We got to do fingerpainting, go to the library, cook together and just enjoy each other.  We even squeeze in reading time.  It's everything I ever wanted.  It's a perfect balance for a mother to still work to carry health insurance yet have time to get everything done in a busy household of 5 kids and 2 adults.  Finally, Brian can rest a bit.  He finally gets to come home to supper and then sit down instead of running for yet another load of laundry for the night.  We no longer feel like we're chasing our tales.  We can finally relax and it is the best feeling every.  It's truly perfect for me.

Now, the money...that's another thing.  But, hey, money isn't everything.  When I found out my paycheck would be dropping a whopping $220/month in January due to our insurance changes I realized I was truly working to pay insurance and daycare.  I won't make this about my rants on how my employer penalizes employees with children for working and caring for their children and basically being responsible...which should be the nature of my employer.  This decrease in pay left no money to do anything with the kids with what little time we had to do it.  We're planning to barely squeak by with the decrease.  So, I looked at our budget with a microscope.  We realized we could refinance the house yet again and get a lower payment and forgo some minor things, get rid of daycare (thanks to the Grandmas and a Grandpa) and I could work part time and survive.  It's going to truly be a balancing act with the money, but it was going to be anyways, so it made sense to make the best of it and be with the kids more.

And for now, they're letting me do it.  Hopefully, at least until Chelsi gets out of daycare so it's not quite so high.  I'd love to make it stretch to Cole's surgery and appointments in another 1 or so.  But, I'm learning to find a new definition of happiness.  That's not to constantly worry about tomorrow and the things you can't control.  It's to love what you got while you got it.  And I know God knows my heart and when I say I want happiness it will be by his definition of knowing me and not mine.  So when I pray or wish for anything I just say "I want to be happy".  Happy's a very wide meaning and God knows this of me.  It's keeping my kids and husband healthy and with me and keeping us together.  And getting us where we need to go when we need to go in our lives.


So, this is my happy.  This is me getting to live how the other half live.  Being a part time, stay-at-home mom while providing for her family to help put food on the table.  Thank God for this opportunity!  This is the best job ever and it makes me actually like my paying job a little more knowing they appreciated me enough to see the struggle we were in financially and otherwise.

Here's what we do when we're home.