Skip to main content

Crossroads

So much is happening in my life, yet I feel like nothing is getting done.  Ever feel like that?  You are so busy yet nothing seems to be completed.  I had big plans for the end of this year and here it is Sept. 15th and I don't have many of my goal items even started.

I am at a huge crossroad in my life.  One of going from stay at home mom to ______      that is the question.  What am I going to do next in this so called life?  I have been blessed to be a stay at home wife and mom for almost eight years now.  WOW, eight years!  I have been a mom for longer than I taught in the classroom.  I call it my second profession.  Teaching was my first profession, Motherhood second profession, and my third is in the balance.

I could very well go back to the classroom.  I know without a doubt that I would be a better teacher now that I have been on both sides of the teacher / parent relationship. We have always had the plan when the kids are all in school that I would go back to work.  At this point in my life it would be financially smartest decision to make.  Especially now we really want to pay the house off ASAP.

On the flip side is that I have not worked in eight years and we live a debt free life (other than the house) and we live a GOOD life.  I don't need to go back to work.  The best part about it is if I told Mark, "Hey, I just don't think me going back to work is best for our family." He would be totally okay with that, but I want to do something.  What is the question.

Then there is this pesky thing called public school in which my children attend.  I like our school and I value the school system to some extent.  I know first hand what a waste of time school can be and I see that my kids are falling in the cracks at times.  I am blessed to have two very good students.  I also am peeved that my kids get "punished" for the bad apples in the group.  I have struggled with the homeschooling issue for years.  Now more than ever since I have two in public school.  One which is rocking her teachers world.  Great stuff to have a kid that keep the teacher on her toes but I see her days filling up with fluffy stuff.  Anyway, I don't want to afford private school for three kids.  I don't want to give up my potential salary to homeschool because quite honest it would cost almost 3 times as much than private school to not bring in that salary.

So much is going on upstairs I am not sure how to figure it all out.  I can't wait forever on some matters.  I have to take the Praxis teaching test and a basic skills test in order to get certified here in this fine state of Alabama (a little sarcasm there).  The people are nicer here, but the standards for education seem to be less strict which in some areas is good, but I see too much fluff at times.  My hopes are once I get back into the school system that my kids schooling will change for the better.  Maybe I try to get a job at a private school?  I am not sure that I want to teach again, but I know that I went to school for 6 years and have two degrees in elementary education that at this point in my life teaching might be a means to my end.  (Which is to pay off the house ASAP.)

Well, writing about this has help sort things out in my mind.  I really do need prayer for the next year as I HATE taking tests and I have a lot of paper work to complete in the next six months.  I want it all done before June of next year.  My goal is to be certified to teach early spring so I can apply for jobs come July/August.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Low Expectations

Mark and I took the kids a couple of years ago to Orlando for a weekend.  Nathan was less than a year old, Alexandra must have just turned 2 and Madison was 4.  I look back and laugh but at the time it was anything but funny.  A trip to Disney would be fun and relaxing right?  HA!  We never even made it to Disney because Madison was so ornery the day we were going to go I couldn't justify going.  We learned a lot about being parents of three young kids that weekend.   During our stay we took the kids to the Rainforest Cafe.  Nathan was terrified the whole meal and after our $75 lunch Madison threw up all over the table and floor.  That is when Mark made the rule we don't take the kids to a restaurant unless it has a drive thru, curbside doesn't count.  We really do stick to that rule and the only sit down "nice" restaurant we go to with the kids is Sonny's BBQ.  Before we left I wanted to get the kids a little something from the Disney Marketplace.  I took the...

True Friends

I am on Facebook daily and love flair.  I had a local friend send me flair that said , " True friendship isn't being inseparable. It's being separated and nothing changes."  I'm hoping that once I leave this area I have many friends that are true friends.  This post is an ode to such a friend.  One friend of mine moved away many years ago and I realized the other night that she is that just that friend.  It doesn't matter if time or many miles separates us she is a true friend.  I realized after a long conversation on the phone with that person (her mostly listening) that I have a gem of a friend and I am so grateful for her.  I just wanted to send out a shout to that person, you know who you are and let you know I think your the best!   Maybe one day God will let us live in the same city.   It is funny as you get um... well.... older you start to have friends all over the country.  I do have many friends all over the place and each of you are special to me.  ...

Intentional Spending

I first want to say I am not cheap!  I don't buy the cheapest item just because I want to save money.  I do like finding a good deal on things that are high quality.  I don't like sacrificing quality for price.  I try to never pay full price for anything.   When I say our spending it intentional what I mean is that Mark and I sit down around November and hash out the budget.  Some things are constants in the budget.  Mortgage, phone, insurance pretty much stay the same.  Some vary like gas, water, electric.  After years of budgeting we can average out what we spent the year before and add if needed to the new budget.   Here is what we do know we have to pay something first so they go in the budget first.  Then what is "leftover" is up for dividing.  This is not a fool proof plan. Medical never gets budgeted enough money.  Which is why you should have a savings account.  Every category gets a set amount of money tha...