Tomorrow

Tomorrow isn't just the start of a new work week, it's the start of a new adventure around here for us.  Through a whirlwind of circumstances and conversations and with a lot of prayer, we'll wake up tomorrow to some new firsts.  I start at a new job. The kids start at a new school.

As can be expected, the emotions floating around are a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and sadness.  We're excited about the new, anxious about the change, and sad to leave the old.  Change can be so, so good, but so hard at the same time. I could probably write for hours about all that's going through my mind: how we got here, how we processed the decision, what this means for our family.  If you know me, you know I processed this thing to death and squeezed a good pros and cons list out of it.  I won't get into all of those and won't go into a ton of detail (after all, I do have a big day tomorrow and need my beauty sleep), but here are the main points:

The old:

• I liked my job.  I enjoyed what I did and I was pretty good at it.  I had worked at the University for 10 years so naturally I had a lot of history, institutional knowledge, friends, and comfort in that environment.


• There was a lot of flexibility there in terms of the kids. If I had to stay home with a sick kid, I could. If I needed to bring the kids in at some point when I needed to check on a building or an event, I could. I liked the balance of time with and time away: mornings at the office, a couple of hours in the afternoon at home, so only away from kids for a few hours in the morning.


• Recently though, things started getting a little busier. We had more buildings and more programs which meant more events for me.  Great and exciting, but stressful and tiring. I was either having to take the kids more or having to tuck them in at night and leave or go back in on the weekends and leave them with Mark.  Also around that time, Mia dropped her nap (why can't they nap until they're 12?) so while I was supposed to be working from home, I had a 3 year old who was wanting company (since Finn was sleeping).

The opportunity:

• During check-in one night at church (I've been working the preschool/kindergarten check-in for a few years now), I found out that the Preschool Director was taking a different position at the church, that they were looking for someone to replace her, and a little about the job.


• In the space of about a week and a half, we talked it over, I interviewed, accepted, and resigned.  The timing of it all seemed a little crazy, but really it couldn't have been better.  There's really no other time that I could have left my job and not panicked (summer is fairly slow). Just like that, I was wrapping things up, saying goodbye, and telling our dear teachers at the school we love that we were pulling the kids out. Not going to lie, those were some tough moments.

The new:

• I will be the Preschool Director for our Saturday night services at our church.  I have loved being a part of the team on Saturday nights just as a volunteer, so I'm really looking forward to being on staff and working alongside them more.


• I'll work about 15 hours a week: two days a week (9-2) and then Saturdays. That's it. No work from home every day. No late night events that start at 11pm. Part of working with preschoolers is you know that you're job will pretty much be done at a fairly decent hour.


• It's a perfect blend of logistical, behind-the-scenes organizing and working with people, with a good dose of opportunities for creativity and hospitality thrown in.


• The kids will attend childcare/preschool at the church on the two week days and then Mia has actually moved up into my building this month as a preschooler so I'll get to see a lot of her, especially.


• So, that means we're home 3 days during the work week.  Something so new for us but so exciting to think about. I'm sure there will be days when we'll all be itching to get out of the house but we'll have walks to the park, play dates, and story times at the library.

So, now you see why tomorrow is a big day around here. I'm excited about the new job but anxious about the transition for the kids. Mia is beyond excited and has been talking about if forever (a new lunch bag really helps) and she knows that she won't go back to her old school, but I'm just wondering if once we've been doing it for a few weeks if it will really click for her. Finn....oh, Finn.  I'm just praying that he'll do ok.  He is just coming out of separation anxiety stage and was not crying at drop-off anymore.  But now with a new room, new teacher, new kids... I know he will be fine and I know he'll learn to love it. It's just hard when they're so little that you can't really process it and talk it through like with the 3 year old.  He loves his new nap mat though, so at least there's that...right?

Let's hope I have lots of positive things to say the next time I post.