The Luckiest: Big News: Happy Housewife

It is official--I am retiring this week!!

Well, retiring from working outside of the home, that is [or for at least the next several years].

Over Christmas break, after a lot of thought and prayer, Luke and I decided that we should start moving in the direction of having me home full-time. [It has always been our long-term goal, but my job is great, and it made sense for me to continue working until now]. Not wanting to leave the family I work for high and dry or rush them into choosing a new nanny, I put in my "2-4 month notice" at the beginning of January...and now, just one short month later, my and Luke's dream of having me home has become a reality.

As excited as I have been about this news, I didn't want to make it public until it was official. And two days ago, I found out that two days from now would be my last day...so that's official!

While Luke and I are both very happy, the initial change will be emotional. It is never easy to leave a family who I have worked for, and I am sure my last day will have its share of tears. Yet, it is comforting that we will continue to be in touch [Augustine will surely miss his playtime with the kiddos].

I also have a bit of anxiety about the financial aspect of staying at home. It's intimidating to cut back to just one income [definitely more in theory than in practice, as I wasn't exactly the bread winner--still, it is natural to wonder how badly the missing income will be missed!?]. Luke is great, though, and he has assured me that everything will be fine financially and that he is more than happy to find more work if needed.

But enough with the bitter part, let's get to the sweet part! And, boy, is it SWEET!! My heart is overflowing with joy at the thought of being home everyday. I know a part-time job, in which I get to take my baby with me, may not seem like a big deal, but it was still work. It's hard to explain, but I felt a little weighed down knowing that two days of my week were committed to work [work that I cared about and wanted to do well] and that aspects of our day and Augustine's schedule would be compromised accordingly. Although it was a great job and I could.not.have asked for a better set-up, 15 hours away from home at work is 15 hours away from home at work. Being a full-time Mom has always been a desire close to my heart, and I feel so blessed that I get to begin this new journey now.

Keeping active/productive/not bored around the house won't be a problem, as I am also Luke's "secretary," handling much of the administrative tasks of his coaching business. Though I have always held this role, Luke is loving the repriorizing of my time lately, requesting yesterday that coffee and kisses be delivered to his office upstairs. I am also looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen, as trying new recipes has become a new hobby. There is a good chance, however, that "Wednesday night frozen pizza night" [initiated due to me working all day on Wednesdays] will stay in effect, as one night out of the kitchen a week can't be a bad thing, right?

My other job: Working on registrations for LittleKicks last fall.

Augustine and I will enjoy more time for play dates and walks with the neighbor boys, crafty moms meeting once a month, play group when Augustine doesn't nap through it, and maybe we'll even pick up a few new activities, like story time at the library.