Why I love my jobs

I think it's pretty obvious why I love my first job. This whole blog is dedicated to my first job. What's not to love about these girls and this family? Obviously, my job as a wife and mother is my priority, but I also love my other job.

I'm also a teacher. And, you know what, I love my job. I'm pretty sure the fact that it's only part-time contributes to my love for teaching. I can't imagine trying to work full-time. Another contributing factor is the group of kids I have this year. I have two really great groups of kids! There have been years where I came home feeling defeated almost daily (my third year of teaching!), but thankfully this year is different.

I love interacting with my students and inspiring them. I love seeing them learn and create. I love teaching them about teamwork and fair competition. I also love the sense of comradery that I have with my fellow teachers. I love the instant bond that you form with people simply because you work at the same school; the fact that I'm FRIENDS with people ranging in age from 25-70. I love the sense of accomplishment I feel after my work days, knowing that we (Justin and I) succeeded in getting everyone up, dressed and out the door before 7:15. That I influenced the lives of 80 kids (or more), that I graded over 300 papers, that I survived. :) I love the fun I get to have participating in school again- spirit days, sports, learning, all of it.

There are definitely struggles that come with working outside of the home. Childcare is obviously the main one. And though it has been a struggle in the past, this year has been wonderful. My girls stay with their auntie (my sister) every other Wednesday and only go to child care two days a week. This year, Aubrey is finally enjoying preschool, Juliet loves Leann ♥ and I'm sure she'll love Carrie. Knowing they're loved and cared for is the most important thing. Another main struggle is keeping up with housework, but I've just conceded to the fact that this is a messy season for our family. It's just too hard to keep up with the cleaning and laundry, so we just do our best.

I know that working outside of the home is not for everyone, but I also think most moms need their outlet. For some people it's a creative outlet (photography, sewing, scrapbooking), others have the exercise outlet, for some it's serving in organizations like MOPS, for me, it's having a career.