Workin' It

Before I contracted pregnant-belly with Elise, I had a professional job. Something that used my graduate degree. I didn't love my job, but I guess I didn't hate it, either. I actually had to use my brain a little bit and that part of it was nice.

Then, once a baby was on the way, Husband and I decided that I'd stay home for a year with Elise. We thought it would be the best thing for her, and honestly I was kinda psyched to be a stay at home mom for a bit. I worked up until the day before Elise was delivered and I quit my job after Elise was born.

After a few months, I started babysitting a couple of days a week. Elise would come with me to play with her baby friend. As the year mark started getting closer, I decided I should look for a slightly more lucrative job-- something I could do that would get me back in the workforce. I applied to teach at a community college and I was offered a job. Pretty cool. I decided not to take it, though, because we'd just gotten some foster kids that were requiring a lot of my time and energy and I wasn't 100% ready to go back to work, especially since it was before my year with Elise was done. I kept babysitting, and that was my only outside-of-the-home work.

Then I got pregnant with Clark. And not long after that, the family I was babysitting for moved. So for a while I didn't do any extra work. I was contacted a few months ago by the lady who had offered me the job at the college and she asked me again if I'd come teach. I was so happy and flattered that she'd asked me back, but it was an offer to teach during the semester that I am due to deliver, so once again I had to decline.

All of this time out of the workforce has made me feel a little weird. I mean, I have real skillz but all I do all day is sing the ABC song and read "Goodnight Moon." There is nothing I'd rather do than take care of my babies... but at the same time, I don't feel like that's ALL I want to do, either. I need something for ME.

I decided to sell some of my books online. I have a pretty sizable collection of books, many of which I got in college. If I didn't read them then (when my grade depended on it), I reasoned that I probably wouldn't read them now. I sold a few and then I started trying my hand at buying books cheap and reselling them for a small profit. I've been doing this for a few weeks now and I've had a very modest success at it. It actually takes some know-how and I'm learning how to make good choices when I buy used books and price them for resale. Mostly, this is just something that's fun for me. It keeps me busy, gives me something to do, and makes me feel like I have a real hobby. And if I can make enough money to pay our Netflix bill each month, or fill up the gas tank in my car, or save some money for a family vacation, then even better.

Also, I recently applied to and was offered a position blogging for a website dealing with adoption. It doesn't pay. Well... they give you a free subscription to their magazine, which isn't nothing, I guess. But mostly I want to have the experience of blogging for someone else. I felt like it was a good opportunity to get some writing experience. And I'm only required to post once per month, so I can totally swing it.

Anyway, that's what I do for "work" now. #1) I'm a Mommy to four babies-- two foster kids, one biological kid, and one kid in my belly. #2) I'm learning how to resell books-- not a long-term career goal, but something fun to do for now. #3) I'm gaining experience as a writer by blogging for a media company.

One day I might go back to my graduate-degree oriented career. Or I might teach. Or maybe I'll find something else I'd rather do. Don't know right now. Now that Clark's on the way, I guess I have about a year to figure it all out, while I stay at home and give him the same time and attention that I gave Elise when she was born.