Work for me this morning, which was good, plenty of laughs. There is a lovely festive feel to the library which I remarked on lots when I started there this time last year. The staff room is already filling up with boxes of posh biscuits, chocolates and cakes as gifts from borrowers and the counter is starting to have lots of cards on display. Last week was the one year anniversary of me starting there and whilst I’m not going to do one of my sentimental photo blog posts about the job and how much it means to me I probably should mark it with a bit of a mention.
I think the job came at the perfect time for me and for our family as a whole. Financially of course it has eased the burden on us by helping to make proper inroads into the debts and it also gives me a good feeling to know I am actively financially contributing too. I think that although I have had wobbles about the childcare the time was right for me and the children to have more regular breaks from each other each week and although it is *just* 11 hours a week I know it has done me the world of good to go off and be someone else during those hours. I think that while the variety of childcare has not always been precisely what Davies and Scarlett would have chosen their relationship with my Dad has strengthened and grown as a result of him having proper sole care for them one afternoon every week instead of just seeing them when I’m around. It is a very recent revelation but I do think he is starting to get to know them as people and odd things Davies and Scarlett have started to refer to demonstrate that they do sit and chatter to him about all manner of things too, just as I hoped they might. I think Dad, although he would NEVER admit it, has at the very least been reassured that I am not doing any dreadful harm to them with Home Educating them either and several times during the summer he was heard to comment about them positively (things like their enterpreneurial streaks with the lavender selling for example :lol:) and I know he ‘teaches’ them things like fractions and telling the time. My Mum has had them only a handful of times over the course of the year, which is sort of what I expected really but they have enjoyed it when she has. They love having Julie and Jack and Maisie over once a month and over the course of the year, as they have all gotten older and used to the arrangement I think all the children have got a lot out of having Lucy and The Rs here weekly (thanks Luce x). None of the arrangements would work on a higher frequency than we currently have going on but then that would tip the balance away from home education and into a bit of a pillar to post why not just send them to school type arrangement anyway but it all seems to be working out for now, most of the time.
I think the whole role model working parent doing something they enjoy and get a lot out of in exchange for earning money has been great for Davies and Scarlett. Although Ady certainly has his share of stressy days at work he has a very varied job with plenty of perks and mine is pretty similar, I like the fact they see us growing into our job roles, getting training and doing visible work (Ady obviously slightly more visible by virtue of being on telly, but they have been round his workplace several times and both been out on the road with him a few times too, they obviously come into the library lots, have seen me working there myself and are aware of it as a community service provider too) and getting a lot out of our jobs. Obviously the perks of mine in the shape of free films and music are very well received!
About 18 months ago I blogged about having a life plan and thinking about what I’d be up to when I was 40 – Davies and Scarlett will be 13 and 11 and likely to need me around ever less regardless of where we are home ed wise, I will still have 25 years of working life ahead of me and at that stage would have been out of the workplace for ten years aside from odd dabblings. I was pondering on what I could be doing with myself in a low key, very part time basis to ensure I didn’t suddenly have no idea. I considered OU education or similar retraining but really ground to a halt until the library job came up and it all just seemed to slot into place really.
I don’t think I want to work in a library forever, or even full time for a short time as although the work can be varied and interesting I think it is a fairly static environment which I know from past experience doesn’t suit me long term. However, the chance to put on grown up clothes, banter with customers, get to know workmates, have in jokes and a whole new work persona has done me the world of good. I have not been stretched particularly but I am picking up new skills all the time, getting loads of relevant training for all sorts of spin off stuff, getting loads of positive feedback, strokes and appreciation (which can be lacking in the life of a home educating parent short term even if you are confident long term that it will pan out for the best) and having my ambitions for the future stoked up again for something that makes me strive to meet a challenge, do what I am good at and learn new stuff. I’ve a feeling that somehow this little part time job will be instrumental in some next stage bit of my life as and when it comes along.
I came home, got changed, peeled and chopped veg to slow cooker a stew and then as it was ‘bring a plate of food to share’ at Badgers tonight and for the first time I had two attending children I made two plates of food for them to take. Cheese scones and some more of the Pioneer Woman egg yolk glazed Christmas tree biscuits, which this time I even fashioned an icing bag and piped white icing over them – they looked all nice and home-made-y :). Scarlett came and helped with the baking – and the painting the egg glaze – she did rolling out and cutting too which was a first although she added rather too much flour to the cookie dough by having to re-roll it lots so the last bit was too dry and flaky to use. But I did get to explain what had happened though and she seemed to get the idea that the balance of ingredients had changed so it changed consistency too. Davies played with the geomags.
Lucy and The Rs who had been here for the morning looking after Davies and Scarlett went off to the dentist and then came back again so the children mostly played while Lucy and I chatted in the kitchen. Then the children moved to the other rooms when we came into the lounge. They played spies which mostly involved stringing a whole reel of cotton around the downstairs of the house to create laser beams 😆 which was fine until they needed to open the front door to let Ady in!
Lucy and The Rs left and we went to Badgers. Ady came along been as he was home to sit in the car with me and keep me company, but when we took D and S in along with the food and some poinsettias for the Bagder leaders they invited us to sit in the coffee lounge and drink tea and sneak some of the party food instead which seemed way more appealing :). Actually they said we could watch the film the children were watching (Shrek 3) but we knew if we were in there D and particularly S would want to sit with us instead of the Badgers so we declined that offer and sat and chatted instead. Scarlett had a great time although not desperately indicative of what Badgers is all about but she is really looking forward to going back in January properly with black skirt and shoes :). Davies did a fine job of being all watchful and ‘looking after her’ too which was nice. I like the idea they’ll go to this together for the next 3 years, there are a couple of other siblings there too which is great and the badge for next term involves lots of crafty activities which Tarly will adore. She is equally keen to start swimming but a little more apprehensive about Rainbows.
When we got home they both were very shivery with cold hands and feet and very warm bodies and foreheads and both suddenly flopped. Hopefully it was a combination of sugar high from party food, cold night air and stacked up late nights tiredness but they both had medicine and were asleep in minutes (very early for D – before 9pm!). I brought home a stack of Christmas movies from work so tomorrow is a home day with films, maybe some Christmas decoration making, a bit of baking and perhaps a visit from Lucy and The Rs if they are up to it.