A Long Overdue Update

Okay. Time to update this blog and let everyone know how life is a lot different from the last time you heard from me.

In July, we moved from our little town of Franklin to East Nashville in order to finally be closer to work. For the past two years, I had been commuting 1/2 hour to work (not too bad) and 45 minutes home (traffic!) each day in order to work at a small independent middle school in East Nashville. We loved Franklin, so it was a hard decision, but one made easier with the fact that my children would have free tuition this year. Since, as a whole, Nashville public schools aren't the greatest (and Franklin Elementary was fantastic), this was a big part of our decision. Also, Josh had been offered a part time position at my school as well, meaning my whole little family could go to school together everyday! I had always hated being so far away from my family when I crossed into Nashville each day.

Then, my small independent school closed due to financial problems. This happened less than a month before school was set to begin. Fortunately, the school we are zoned for in our new house is one of the best in the area, so my kids would be okay. Unfortunately, I had let my teaching license expire a few years ago--it wasn't necessary at my private school, but it is necessary to get another job teaching at a public school.

So, I am now currently receiving unemployment checks. It is surreal. I go from feeling like a loser who can't find a good paying job despite my education degree to a happy mom who gets paid to stay home! I have very productive days where I bake stuff for the ladies at my kids' school, clean the house from top to bottom, take the dog to the dog park, read books, and make delicious meals that I would've never had time to make before. I also have very unproductive days where I get out of bed long enough walk the kids to school then crawl back in until it is time to pick them back up.

I have been lucky enough to keep my waitressing job on the weekend-the one where I've worked for 6 years. Unfortunately, the way unemployment works, is that if I make more than $68.75 a week, the overage comes out of my $275 unemployment check. Since I usually make closer to $100 each day, I only work on Sundays. Josh has been able to pick up a few odd jobs every now and then, which helps to supplement our income as well.

I'm working on getting my license updated. I have to fight through some red-tape, though since my license is in Indiana, and we live in Tennessee. I guess the most discouraging part is that once I get my license, I can't really expect to find a teaching job in the middle of the school year. I can sub, but unless it is full time, it isn't really worth it. Here is my dream: get my license updated and then transferred over to this state and then get a teaching job at my kids' school, which is a mere 5 minute (or 15 minute with the kiddos!) WALK to school. Since that is unlikely to happen in MY timing, I will do my best to get some subbing jobs there so the principal gets to know me, and my face pops into her head when a position becomes available.

I am enjoying my time, although I feel guilty at times. My house is cleaner than it has ever been--people could even stop by without warning, and I wouldn't be too embarrassed! I've spent a lot of time volunteering at the kids' school (which is good for them, but makes me kind of sad sometimes). Overall, my life seems a lot more...calm, but it is only a matter of time before I start to get stir crazy. I might me alphabetizing the soup cans soon.