an eventful week

Monday: took R to play with Kaden while I taught my scrapbook class (next week is the last week for that--I'll be glad when it's done, but I'm also glad I did it). Picked R up and stayed for lunch to catch up with Allecia, who had been out of town. We don't have many opportunities left because she's moving in just a few weeks. But I'm not letting myself think of that until it happens, so let's move on to Tuesday before I start to tear up. (Spent the afternoon in the pool in the backyard, by the way)

Tuesday: went to school (where I used to teach) and talked to my former principal about a job opportunity she presented me with a few weeks ago. She needed to know the next day whether I was interested. Spent the day deciding "what I want to do with my life" (at least for the next year anyway). Agonizing, because it meant leaving my little girl with someone else every morning. Morning is prime time with her, since she naps in the afternoon. I realized later in the day that maybe I could do it in the afternoons instead. Presented her with the idea, and received an email that night that we could probably make it work! So if we can work it all out, I'll be returning to school part time in the fall, working in the library in the afternoons while R is sleeping. Now I'm in the market for a nearby babysitter who can come stay with her while she's napping so she doesn't have to nap somewhere else. Spent the afternoon going to Michael's to get more supplies for my scrapbook class.

Wednesday: took R to play again with Kaden while I taught my class. Spent the afternoon in the pool in the backyard.

Thursday: went to Bible study where I "made a new friend" (I told Allecia it sounds like I'm in elementary school, saying that!) and hopefully some connections for babysitters (she said she may know some people in my area). Picked R up from the nursery, where they told me she was "an angel." Always what you want to hear about your child! I'm glad other people don't see her at home some afternoons.....

Late in the afternoon, when my husband got home from work I left to go do another of the market research things I get called about from time to time. This one was about diapers. I had to stick my hands in a black box and feel a diaper I couldn't see, then feel another one, and tell which was softer. I got paid $50 to do that. Took a couple of minutes. Then they asked me to stay (they only asked a few people....don't know why they chose me--do I look like a diaper expert? ) and do an interview. They stuck a video camera on me (I asked if they were going to sell it and they said no) and handed me a big stack of diapers. I could see them this time. They had me rank them in order of softness, and then asked me questions about why I chose the ones I did, what made one diaper softer than another, and so forth. They asked me to describe how it was soft. I seriously couldn't think of one adjective for the word soft! Have I been talking to a two year old that long that I've lost my vocabulary? I felt like an idiot. Anyway, it took another 10 minutes, maybe, and they gave me another $50. Gosh, I'll do that any day if they pay me $100 to touch (clean) diapers!

After that I met a friend for coffee (a decaf mint mocha frappachino, to be exact). Decaf was because it was evening and I had been up since 2 AM the night before, unable to sleep. When I got home I took a tylenol PM before bed. I was exhausted and wanted to stay asleep as long as possible. Well, staying asleep means GETTING to sleep first. I couldn't. I was up until after 1 AM. I finally went to sleep and then at five this morning I heard some weird vehicle going up and down the streets of our neighborhood. I thought they were cleaning our streets--that's what it sounded like. Brian thought they were spraying for mosquitos. I don't know, but whatever it was, it was LOUD and was interrupting my few short hours of sleep, so I was frustrated.

Friday: went to a MOMS club event at a house across the street. It's nice not to have to drive somewhere to meet people! There are four people in my neighborhood in the club and they were all there, along with three or four other moms from neighborhoods nearby. I enjoyed it, and R enjoyed having new toys to play with.

So there you have it. My week in a nutshell. The highlight (and most unexpected) being the job possibility for the fall. I wasn't really looking to go back to work, but I'm looking forward to it, if it works out. It's strange to me--My whole life I thought I wanted to be a stay at home mom, but now that I've done it for two years, I'm realizing that maybe it's just not for me. It's definitely lots harder than I thought it would be. I don't want to change things a lot, but a few hours a week out of the house will be nice, I think. Especially because I won't miss much of her awake time. If I was missing every morning with her, I don't think I could do it. I'll keep you updated with how things progress.