Not-So-Working Girl

A week and a half ago, I was let go from my part-time job. I knew our company was struggling and had lost a couple major clients, but I didn't realize a third of the company was going to be let go, or that I was one of them.

Even though I've never been fired or let go before, losing your job is never fun. You tend to think it had something to do with you, even when they assure you it didn't. And since it was a family friend's business that I worked for, it is also hard knowing they are struggling to keep their company afloat.

For me, though, it was almost a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I have been feeling discontent in my position for awhile now. I was nearing the two-year mark in this position, and I was restless. I don't do desk jobs well. I enjoy writing, proofing, and design, but I felt like I was doing very little of that in my job and more just the stuff no one else wanted to do because I was the part-timer. But even if I was doing more of the things I enjoyed, it would only prolong the inevitable stirring I always feel about a year into a desk job: this is not my purpose, not why God put me on this Earth. And the longer I stay here, the longer it will take for me to figure out what that purpose is.

Even though I was struggling with this job, I couldn't justify leaving. It was a great set up for me working just part-time, the hours were flexible, and the company is very family-oriented so I always knew if my family needed me, they could still come first. I felt pressure to keep my work skills sharp, contribute to the income of our household, use the education my parents paid for, and be "successful" at something other than being a mom (as the world tells us we need to). All of this meant I would continue to try and convince my increasingly-unhappy self that I should keep my job.

I don't think it's a coincidence I was let go last Monday. While I don't yet know the reason for it, I really hope this time I figure it out. But in the meantime, I am going to really enjoy my summer at home with Brady, just being a mom.

Let It Grow: Garden Update #3

Last weekend, my dad, brother, and mom came over to help Joel and I construct the garden. Well, my mom didn't do any digging, she watched Brady....but someone had to do that rough job :) Since the garden is being built into a hill, we dug various holes around the field by our house to fill in the lower part of the hill and create a flat surface area. Then once the wall was built, we found that we actually needed to dig OUT the top of the hill, not fill in the bottom. So we had to haul away the dirt we had worked to bring in plus  dig out the top part of the hill. You live, you learn I guess.

The cold weather and rain delayed further progress until late last week when it was finally completely dug out. Next we have to lay down a barrier cloth to keep weeds and walnut tree poison from creeping into the vegetables. The last step before planting is to layer about eight inches of topsoil on the cloth, pack it down, and wait for some warmer (and hopefully less windy!) days to plant. After a mostly gorgeous April, May is turning out to be cold, windy, and rainy. I am hopeful once we get past this week, that will change. Once they are in the ground, I'll have to be sure to cage and stake them accordingly. No wild animals will get to enjoy the fruits of our labor!!

I got my mom one of those upside-down hanging tomato grower things, and I got one for myself as well. Due to limited garden space, the prospect of wild animals, and the walnut poison lurking below, I thought it would be a good idea to at least try this with the tomatoes. I'll let you know how it goes :)

Lock the Doors

I exercise at the YMCA after work on Mondays, so that means I have four bags to haul with me in the morning (purse, lunch bag, diaper back, and gym bag). I always take them out to the car first, then go back in the house to get Brady. On this particular Monday morning, Brady was extra tired so we let him in his pajamas. I left Brady snoozing on the couch, went out the garage door, and placed the bags in the car. Upon hearing the door shut, Brady started to cry, so I went to the door to get him, turned the knob, and....nothing. After a half-second panic, I remembered my keys were in my purse in the car. So, I grabbed them, turned the key, and....nothing. NOTHING!

My mind raced as I thought SURELY there had to be a way in the house. Brady's screams got louder as he heard me outside the door. I quickly determined there was no way in the house, so I'd have to call my parents and hope we had given them a key to the house. I went back to my purse to grab....nothing. My cell phone was in the house (not that it works where we live, anyway!). No phone, no key, Joel was driving to Ames, and I had locked myself out of the house with a screaming toddler inside.

Normally, we dead-bolt our garage door, but don't turn the lock on the handle. For whatever reason the night before, I turned it. And Joel normally works from home. And normally, our garage door doesn't even shut behind you; you have to turn around and pull it shut. For whatever reason, all these "normallys" disappeared to create one big mess.

I called my parents from a neighbor's house; they didn't have a key. So, I called Joel to come home and unlock the door. In the meantime, my neighbor, my parents, and I all took turns trying my key in different doors, talking to Brady, and trying to coax him to open the garage door. I'm not sure why he thought he had to stay on the couch at first, but once he was up, he stopped crying as long as he could see someone through the front door window. While my dad knocked on the garage door, I peered through the front window trying to get Brady to open the door. He'd get about one foot away from the garage door, then he'd stop and just look at it. Little stinker! Finally, daddy showed up and saved the day, only to determine I didn't even HAVE a house key. I have no idea what key I was trying to use to get in the house...

Thankfully, it wasn't the worst possible way to discover I didn't have a house key! It was nice outside, it wasn't cold or rainy, Brady was safe inside, and being a 1/2 hour late to work wasn't a big deal. The ironic thing is all along I've been so cautious not to lock Brady in the car when I guess I should have been paying more attention to the house!