This is What I Choose

Every job I've ever had, I hit this road block at about 18 months.  By then, I know my job and I do it well.  I've figured out all the tips and secrets.  I've got the routines down to an art.  I could do every detail of my job in my sleep if I needed to.  The problem is that I get complacent and bored.  Waldenbooks?  18 months and I moved on to the medical field.  Sandpiper Bay Retirement and Nursing Home?  18 months and I started looking for a different location.  Haysville Healthcare Center?  18 months and I stopped working to follow my husband with the Air Force.  I was a stay-at-home mom for 6 years.  When my husband separated from the Air Force though, it was time to return to the workforce.  I started working with the school district..... wait for it.... 18 months ago.   

I have no problems with work.  I like to work!  I have wonderful work ethic and am very devoted to my place of employment.  When I'm working though, I'm so devoted to my job that I sacrifice time with my family.  I'm a great multi-tasker within my daily routine, but for some reason I can only do one thing really well at a time.  Since someone is paying me and investing a lot of time/money into me at a job - I feel some kind of obligation to give them the majority of my efforts.  That job is the one thing I do really well while my family gets what's left over.  <---- That breaks my heart.  Some people are fantastic at balancing work-life and family-life.  They are super employee from 9 - 5 and super mom from 5 - 9  I'm, unfortunately, just not one of those people.


Looking back at all the things I've done, I always get bored and start itching to move on.  The one thing I never itched at though?  Motherhood.  Being with my family.  It's the only "job" I've ever done for longer than 18 months and didn't get bored.  I never hit that rut of feeling like I'm not growing or that I'm not making enough of an impact.  I think it's because parenthood is always changing and I'm always having to figure out new things.  The "job" of being a parent never stays the same for long.  Just as I start to master one skill, the kids get another year older, encounter new things/people and I have to keep up.

If I'm going to do one thing really well - I choose my family.  Which is what makes me say with confidence and with no regrets that I'm going to resign from my job and be a stay-at-home mom/wife.  I'm going to be 30 this year and it's time to focus on us as a family.  I want to be there for school plays, parent teacher conferences and to help with school projects.  I want to be available at the drop of a hat to talk, cuddle, discipline or console.  I want to be able to sneak away and have lunch with my husband while the kids are at school.  I also want time to figure out who Glenna is!  This could be my time to go back to college, volunteer and get more active with the kids' school and our church.  There is just so much I can be devoting my life to other than a paycheck.  That is what I choose for me. 

Planning a Vacation..... Optimistically!

Holy freakin' cow is it difficult to plan an extravagant family vacation for 5!  Not that it's that "extravagant", but we want to do a lot of things.  We're going to California and, for the first time EVER in my life, we're going to Disney!  None of us have ever seen Cinderella's castle nor hugged Mickey Mouse.  I'm so excited that there are no words to even begin to capture how I feel.  Planning it all out though?!  Wow.  It's a lot of work.

I've spent the last year researching, weighing the pros and cons, building a budget and various other tasks.  I have several books on my nightstand and countless blogs pinned on my pinterest account.  There is just so much information!  Which is both wonderful and overwhelming.  The more I look and dig though, the more I find. 

We're finally starting the process of purchasing airline tickets, hotel rooms and attraction admission.  It's exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time.  I'm thrilled to go on the hunt for deals and discounts.  It's probably my favorite part about planning and what has taken me the most time in my research.  For instance, our bank offers rental car discounts; I found "CityPASS" that is going to save us $600 on the price of our attraction tickets and I got a great deal on airline tickets after researching when the perfect time to buy is.  It's so much fun!  Others may find the word "obnoxious" more appropriate, but it's all one in the same in my book. 

I've been obsessed with this Disney trip since last spring.  I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing about it by now.  You think I'm bad today though?  Just you wait until I actually go!  I'll have blogs galore about how fantastic it was.  Get ready for videos of me crying because I'm so happy while the kids (and husband) are in the background staring at me like I'm crazy.