School has begun and as soon as children were shooed into brick-lined buildings we've been blessed with a September of perfect summer weather (warm days, cool nights, the sun shining brightly but in that tired autumnal way that signals a change is in the air, and no tourists to wrestle for parking spots in front of the Post Office. Perfection!). Both kids are adjusting beautifully and have absolutely no complaints (okay, except for homework) and I have started a new job.
Yes. That's what I said.
Here's where you must know that I am certified to teach language arts and Spanish at the middle school and high school levels. I crammed 4 years of college into 6 for that degree. And I used it for 8 years. Then I had kids and was so, so lucky to be able to stay at home.
I love being home. I'm envious of Kate and her homeschooling rhythms. Just check out The Blankie Chronicles and you will want her to adopt you. I love not having to be somewhere at a certain time. I love animals sleeping at my feet, tea and a cookie (okay, several cookies), Norah Jones wafting through the house (or if she's busy, her music on the stereo will do), a fire in the fireplace, a good book...you know, all of those things that signal peace and quiet and more of an exhale than an inhale.
I love that. But it's so not productive.
So it's time to start a new job. There are very few teaching jobs in Michigan. Okay, let's rephrase that. There are very few jobs in Michigan. But I think I found a pretty good one.
Here's my office:
This is Paws and Claws Boarding and Bath where I sometimes walk dogs for 4 hours and clean up a lot of poop. And I look at a different version of this all day:
I can honestly say I have never seen Kooda roll his eyes at me. And I have yet to ask him to spit out his gum.
When I'm not at Paws and Claws I've been filling up my waking hours tending to my Etsy shop. If you've never had an Etsy shop, you might not believe the time and effort that goes in to making it successful. My Etsy shop isn't even successful and I put a ton of time into it. The jewelry market is so saturated that you must find a niche. So I've been working on these guys:
with the hope that they're unique enough to get my shop noticed. But even with this, Etsy success means constant vigilance, exceptional photography, time in forums and on blogs and teams and virtual labs, cute boxes, great customer service, people who order things but don't pay, and terrifically supportive people who love handmade items (that's a shout out to you, KathiD!).
I also have two children. I don't know how your children work, but my two require attention. So, often I'm dropping off one here:
And another one here:
And hopefully they both don't have to be somewhere at the same time. And hopefully I don't drop off the wrong child at the wrong place. Anna would look funny trying to play soccer in riding boots.
And I have a pretty constant underlying sense of concern for parents who are getting older and one who has major health concerns. I don't have a picture of that. I don't think there is a picture of that.
So, I've been busy. I'm inhaling a lot more. Sucking it up, moving forward. Less Norah Jones, more caffeinated Kid Rock. I'm getting things done. Me, who could sit and read a book all day. Because what else is there to do?
And the blessing in all of this is that nothing is taken for granted. The tea, the cookies, reading...I appreciate it more because it's no longer the usual, normal routine.
And that's a good thing.
Now if I could just get Norah Jones to stop wandering around my house...
...alison...
