A Long Overdue - and Just Plain Long - Update

Because tomorrow is the last day of September...
Because life goes too quickly...
Because if I don't write it here then it will probably not be written down at all and it will fade into a distant blur...
Because I probably should update this space at least once in a while...
Because our lives are so *very* interesting....

...I feel the need/desire to update a little on the past few months - otherwise known as the summer (remember that season?).

As summers go, it was a fairly uneventful one. There were no trips planned, no large celebrations, no holidays...just "life." We have been finding our time has been kept busy with house renovations - yup, still ongoing - church involvements, work (x2) for Rod, raising two little redheads, and the normal, everyday "stuff."

Early summer (April/May)
-Included an intense weekend or two of re-roofing our house. Although our house was sold as "newer roof" it soon became apparent (from the inside) that a new roof was becoming an increasing priority.


I do need to add that we have *the best* system of family and friends possible. Thank you to all.
-My brother and his wife arrived back from a two+ year trip to the Pacific side of the world.
-We went to my cousin's wedding
-My parents take us to Ottawa

June
-I went to one of my favourite birthday parties ever - a friend of G turned three, and two other moms and I sat under a large tree conversing and eating cupcakes. The kids seemed to have fun, too. Bonus.
-After dropping off some baked goods for a bake sale, I am offered a job - an answer to prayer!
-We celebrate six years of wedded bliss
-I take this picture:

Not life-changing, I know, but I had to share it and I didn't know where else to put it. It makes me laugh every time....what was G thinking when he asked if he could put nunners on her head? What was I thinking when I said yes? How completely unflattering can headwear be? What desperate thoughts of escape and of humouring us are going through her head? The poor girl...

July
-I begin to watch a friend's adorable children a few days a week.


See? cute, eh?
-My wonderful, servant-heart husband takes part in the church intergenerational service project.

August
-We get to go on the annual long-weekend family campout.



-More of these cute kids:

-G turns three

September
-I start my new job! It is a busy class, and yet full of wonderful students. I am really looking forward to getting to know each of them better, and am already so appreciative of the staff and of the school community as a whole. What a blessing this has been!

Captivating ... and Captured

Conversations with a Two-year Old

After coming inside from "being a boy:"
G: This hand is a little bit dirty.
Rod: What about the other hand?
G: It's VERY dirty. I was itching dirt.

Me: I love you.
G: I love you, too, Mummy.
Me: Who else do you love?
G: Women.

Quotable

Me: G, are you hot?
G: Mmmmm, yeah, I am. [Does] Mummy need to put me in the fridge?

Part Three

Which brings us a little more to the "now"....
Since well before N was born, I have been struggling with the question of “do I go back to work?” It has been a very difficult question, for many reasons.
I do need to note, though, that I am very, very thankful that I even have the freedom, flexibility, and ability to even ask that question. It is not something that should be taken for granted.
I have talked about the idea of being a "working mom" with many women whom I deeply respect. Every mother said that the years went by too quickly. Some made the commitment to stay home; others made the commitment to return to (paid) work.

Do I go back to work? I love caring for my most precious possessions. I love being a mummy; I love watching my children grow and learn and develop. Why would I spend my days with a classroom of thirty other children? The busyness of teaching, of last minute phone calls, of dealing with certain classroom behaviours was hard with one child – how would it be with two? Add to that the fact that Rod – and life in general - is even busier than last year. Do I really have time to do it all: to be a wife, a mother, a friend, a church member, a teacher, to care about the food I eat and feed my family, to do laundry, buy groceries, clean the house…There is really only so much that one person can do.

Do I stay home with my two beautiful children? I worked hard for many years to become a teacher. It was a miracle that I have a position in the board and have a job. It was a miracle and an honour that I was given an LTO. It was a miracle that I had so many days of work. There were classes and students that I thoroughly enjoyed. Do I “throw” all of that away?

I truly enjoy being a teacher; in many ways it is a life dream fulfilled. True, supply teaching is different than "regular classroom" teaching, and with that comes certain benefits and certain drawbacks. As a supply, there is very little preparation time; lesson plans have usually been done for me, and there is very little take-home work. Report cards, meetings, classroom set-up, and establishing routines are not expected of me. And yet....I was young(er) once, too....I think we can all agree that we don't use our best behaviour for when the supply comes 'round. My days of "teaching" were often babysitting....barely. They were often completely exhausting days of doing all I could to maintain order....let alone teach. There were some days that I thought that *no* amount of money was enough for what I did. Alternately, there were days when I literally could not believe I was actually getting paid to do what I did.

In the midst of all of this self-questioning, a friend asked if I would be willing to let my name stand for becoming a board member on the city's Christian school. I was intrigued and very interested. In the end, because I wasn’t sure if I would go back to work, I said no – a very difficult decision. And yet, it reminded me of the fact that, as something I believe in, I can at least help and support Christian education. And so, shortly after, I brought in a few baked goods for an upcoming bake sale. I chatted with the secretary, who happens to go to our church, and she mentioned that I should apply for supply teaching there. And then, something triggered her memory… She quickly went to get the principal so that he could tell me a few more details. Within five minutes I had introduced myself to the principal and was sitting in his office, having an “interview” in my jeans and t-shirt, with two children and a loaf in tow.

And so….here I sit….overwhelmed again at how God’s hand has worked so many details, how He has worked another miracle. I am now the recipient of yet another “perfect” job for me - for our family, really - at this stage of our life. I am to work one morning every week in a grade 1 / 2 classroom, alongside a seasoned teacher. I have consistent hours, consistent students, and a staff who is more than encouraging and supportive. Sadly, this does mean that I will need to lay down my position with the public school board (for “busy” reasons, rather than “official” reasons). At this season of our life, it is a choice that is not too difficult to make. God has already opened so many doors over the past few years, in many ways it seems as if I just have to wait and see all the good things that He has in store for me (us.).

Part Two

When I returned to work after my year of maternity leave, God blessed me in the teaching realm and continued to work miracles there. I started my first year as an Occassional Teacher completely unsure as to how many calls I would get. I knew I had to work a day a week to pay for daycare; two days a week would make it somewhat financially worthwhile.
And the work came… And came. Every week, I at least received one phone call. Many weeks it was four or five. There were some weeks that I complained of being “too” busy. What a problem.
At the end of the year, I received an even greater compliment. I received a phone call at home from the principal of one of my schools – most unusual, since all calls are now automated. To make a long story short, a teacher had suddenly left (for unforeseen circumstances); the principal had received specific permission from the Human Resources at the board to request and choose *any* teacher within the supply list. She immediately thought of me. I was not only given an LTO – a position that many spend years trying for – but was personally asked and sought after to take it on.
I will be honest: it was busy and difficult. Even though it was a “half time” LTO, I was still doing lessons preparations; report card assessments; dealing with a *very* challenging, busy, over-enrolled, and ethnically diverse kindergarten class; and learning the ropes of a new school, while still supply teaching on the alternate days. I was also trying to maintain home life: G was learning to push boundaries, I was pregnant with N, and Rod also had a lot going on. It was not a “long-term” lifestyle, but it was a huge boost to the self-esteem and confidence and to the resume.

Part One

Many, many moons ago I mentioned that I would like to put into words some of the many miracles that had happened to us in a short amount of time. Somehow, over the course of those moons, life has not gotten less busy, and the promise has not actualized. But, one of those miracles – that is, the provision of a job for me – has led to so many other blessings and opportunities that I find myself needing to write one down in order to better share the continuing saga.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness; let us exalt His name together.

So…if you will….this is the “Prologue” aka Amazing Job Miracle #1

Throughout teachers college, the statistics were grim – something like one or two out of ten graduates found work as a teacher. Thanks for the encouragement, oh wise Statistics-Givers. I remember going to the job fair and thinking, “Why would school boards send representatives if all they were going to do is hand me a pen and say, ‘Hi. We’re not hiring.’?” I felt especially unqualified, since I was a female, qualified only for Primary/Junior, with no additional qualifications, and no French. In short – I was a dime a dozen.

Added to this milieu of discouragement was the fact that it was a time of life when much was up in the air. We had moved to the King’s Towne for my schooling. When we moved we had no friends, no family, no church, and no job. Within a very short amount of time, God blessed us in so many areas: Rod had a job; we fell in love with the city; our church embraced us and became our family; and we met wonderful new friends. Not knowing what else to do, I applied at one school board, and only one.

Amazingly, I got an interview.
I panicked, and when a friend reminded me this was *good* news, I rejoiced.

[For those who don’t know, generally there is an application process to the school board, not a specific school. Generally, it is understood that you are hired to be an Occassional Teacher, and after several years, you can apply for more permanent work, starting at Long Term Occasionals (LTOs) and then moving up to part-time permanent or planning teacher, and after several years a ‘regular’ classroom teacher.]

It was a nerve-racking few weeks as I prepared for the interview: What to wear? What questions should I ask them? How can I possibly convince them to hire me? What in the world would I do if they *did* hire me? I didn’t know the first thing about teaching….

And so, I showed up to the interview. I should also note that in addition to my “dime a dozen” qualification previously mentioned, I was also 5 ½ months pregnant – with a due date a week before the start of the school year. Try hiding that underneath a shirt and a confident smile.

In the end, if you have been following this blog or know me at all, you will know how this story ends. For whatever reason - let’s call it a miracle - they decided to hire me. I say this not in false humility but with honesty: I can’t take any credit. I found out later that there were about 750 applicants, with about 40 hires.

As a footnote, so many other finer points need to be mentioned. The way that all the details worked out was such a gift: I had thought of begging them for two months maternity leave, but was told that I would be given a full year (although with no pay), with my position waiting for me. I was given the chance to be on the emergency supply list, which gave me just enough days to get my feet wet so that when I did go back, I had gotten over the initial hump. When I did go back after a priceless year with G, God gave me the most amazing daycare provider who was flexible beyond measure and accommodated so well the supply-teacher lifestyle. Each unknown, each worry, was more than taken care of.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?