"Workin' NINE to FIVE"

Well, I guess I forgot to include a huge piece of info on this here blog, so I thought I'd catch everyone up... (whoever reads this thing, that is.) Jeff and I have been praying about my return to work for several months now. We both agree that Mommy working full-time is not for our family; we are not ready for Jack to be in full-time daycare/preschool, especially as his health has so dramatically improved over the past few months and winter is approaching. I cherish my time at home with him, and the pros far outweigh the cons. However, financially, working part-time will help us get back into saving/investing more actively. (Dave Ramsey is making us do it!) It's also fairly obvious to us that Jack is not learning to share very well here at home, so it is our decision to outsource this part of parenting a three-year-old.

I brought home an application to work at Hallmark Greetings, and another from Barnes and Noble. I thought it might be nice to get just a fun job, for a change of pace from corporate America. I considered working nights and weekends while Jack Everett would be home with Daddy. We prayed about it, and never felt a peace about it. We both remember the days when I was at school while he was home at nights, and it is way too hard on a marriage. We won't do anything to get back to that place of simply passing in the night. We want Jack to see us work together, eat together, and play together.

Well, God answered our prayers recently when my good friend Tracey was in an HR meeting at Harcourt Assessment and the Recruiting Manager mentioned needing help. Tracey told her, "I know just the person for the job!" So, I sent over my resume, interviewed that week, and started work as a Recruiter working Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. It has been wonderful. The team is great, I am learning a lot, and I am furthering my career while getting to enjoy being home with Jack Everett two full days per week and every weekend. My boss, Robbi, is so incredibly nice, and we work very well together. It's a dream situation for us, really.

I am working as a Contract Recruiter on 6-month contracts. At the end of this contract, I will renew if the opportunity remains. Harcourt is in a time of transition as it was recently purchased by a competitor. Who knows how long this amazing position will be available, but I will soak up the knowledge and experience and enjoy the ride while it lasts. I was excited to work with Tracey again (a coworker and friend from Human Resources at American Funds), and my mother-in-law works there too, so it's good to have familiar faces there.

It's funny, the first few weeks on the job, I had to shift gears from Mommy to HR Professional. I heard myself ask Tracey, "Do you think I have enough time to go potty before the Staff Meeting?" I was tired at my desk one morning and thought to myself, "I really need to go night-night." Another funny thing was when I drove my coworkers to lunch one day and they couldn't get out of the back seat of Honda because of the child locks.

So, that's the scoop on the work situation. Jack Everett will be in Preschool Mondays and Wednesdays, and continues to stay with Meemaw (My grandma) all day on Fridays. I feel so lucky to have such an awesome arrangement.