On December 15, 2013, I graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (with Reading and ESOL endorsements). In case you didn't know, December isn't a great time to graduate with an education degree. Most schools have their teaching positions filled, so most of my classmates put in their applications for substituting until something else becomes available. Our financial situation wouldn't allow for me to sub, because our sons would need to be in daycare ($1000 a month), and I would make enough to just cover daycare and gas expenses. I wouldn't be contributing anything to our monthly budget, AND I'd be away from our kids all day. It was a no-win situation, so we decided that we'd pull the boys from daycare (which we'd used during my internship and absolutely adore), and I'd be a full-time homemaker until I found a real teaching job.
Our hearts were sore over this decision. You see, Banana Boy is on the Autism spectrum. Thankfully, it's a very mild case, but it's there, nevertheless. His speech delay was an area of concern for us... until he went to our amazing preschool. Those teachers have worked with him in ways I simply couldn't have. He made tremendous progress in the 4 months he was there, and we were worried that he would regress. We cried and prayed and cried some more. He NEEDED to be in that preschool, but there was absolutely no way we could swing even a couple of half days. Knowing that God is in control, we decided to work our plan and plan to work. I'd pinned tons of ideas for how I'd spend my days "home pre-schooling."
The boys' last day was going to be the day before Christmas break- the day the school hosts a "Birthday party for Jesus." (How cute is that!) After the party (parents were able to come celebrate, too), we went to their classrooms to pick up their stuff and say goodbye to their teachers. As I was buckling the boys into the car, my husband felt the need to go speak to the school's director. The next thing I knew, the director came out the car and told me that my husband was talking to the principal of (insert school here) and that she's keep and eye on the boys while I went to see them. I walked in the door, and was introduced. I found out that the next Monday (December 23rd), they were having a workshop/application for a teaching position and they hadn't had anybody apply. I was one of two applicants that showed up.
I got a call that afternoon asking me to come back for another interview on Christmas Eve, and I was offered the job the next day. This teaching job is a dream come true. I get to work at a small, private school that specializes in teaching children with dyslexia and ADD/ADHD. I teach 6 periods a day, mostly reading, to classes of no more than 5 students. I feel like I fit perfectly! During my student teaching, I thought about my kids all day and how much I'd rather be with them. Truth be told, I rarely think about my kids while I'm at work, and when I do, I don't feel guilty or like I'd rather be with them. I love my job, and they love their pre-school. I get home by 4:30, and I have time to prep dinner and get stuff done around the house before my three favorite guys get home. I have me-time, even if that means getting to fold laundry without "helpers" destroying it all. Would I rather be in a financial position where I could be at home all day and send the kids to preschool 2 or 3 mornings a week? Absolutely, yes. But for now, this gives us balance, and that is a huge blessing.
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