Last Thursday started out as an ordinary day. I did all of those things that I do in a day--things that I have pretty much done every day for the past 11 years, with some variations to the theme as we have added children, decided to home school, etc. All of that began to change at 5:30 pm with a phone call.
I am a stay-at-home mom. Even though I have, at various points in my life, held part time jobs, or done extra things to make a few dollars here or there, I have defined myself as a stay-at-home wife and mother for the past 11 years. (Please note that the term "stay-at-home" was used, as opposed to "full-time." It is a HUGE pet peeve of mine when people refer to themselves as a "full-time" wife or mother. A woman who works outside of the home is not a "part time" wife or mother. Anymore than I am a "part-time" sibling to my brothers and sister, just because I don't see them every day--but I digress.)
So, I was cooking dinner, and, of course, Chaos was reigning, as it always does at that particular time of the evening. And the phone rang. My youngest answered it.
I am a stay-at-home mom. Even though I have, at various points in my life, held part time jobs, or done extra things to make a few dollars here or there, I have defined myself as a stay-at-home wife and mother for the past 11 years. (Please note that the term "stay-at-home" was used, as opposed to "full-time." It is a HUGE pet peeve of mine when people refer to themselves as a "full-time" wife or mother. A woman who works outside of the home is not a "part time" wife or mother. Anymore than I am a "part-time" sibling to my brothers and sister, just because I don't see them every day--but I digress.)
So, I was cooking dinner, and, of course, Chaos was reigning, as it always does at that particular time of the evening. And the phone rang. My youngest answered it.
"Mom, it's for you." she said. "It's...I don't know...somebody." I took the phone, with my "no nonsense" voice ready to go. At this hour of the day, and with my daughter not recognizing the voice, I was all set for it to be some telemarketer, or the Republican party, wanting to know how I feel about Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate.
"Hello?" I said, into the phone, over the whirr of the food processor.
It turns out, this wasn't a telemarketer. It wasn't a good friend wanting to ease the pain of trying to cook dinner alone with no one around but little people by chatting for a few minutes. It wasn't my mom, checking to make sure I was still planning on coming for a visit. It was the administrator of the virtual school that we home educate through. And since this is a virtual school, as opposed to a brick-and-mortar school, he was not calling to inform me that one or more of my children had been caught fighting, or being disruptive in the classroom, or any number of things that start to accelerate heartbeats in parents when principals call. He was calling to offer me employment.
And thus began some of the craziest days that I have had in a long time, and--to wind up this short story that has gotten really long--I am now employed. By a school district. With a job I can do mostly from home. And still educate my own children. And, for the first time in a long time, use my college degree to actually help earn my keep around here (which I think makes my husband smile, even though he has been one of my biggest supporters on staying home).
And I am actually excited. But mostly petrified. The "stay-at-home mom" label is very comfortable. The "working mom who-is-lucky-enough-to-be-able-to-work-from-home" label is going to feel rather strange for awhile, I am thinking.
1 comment:
You are going to do great! This job is perfect for you.
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