Friday, February 26, 2010

Working Moms

So since Dana linked me in a post I feel pressured to update my blog.

Ok, this is not one of those working moms vs. stay at home mom posts. I am a working mom. I love my job. It is more than a job... it is a work. However, I work out of necessity. It is a work that I believe if done correctly could have eternal siginifigance. So if I have to work... I want to work where I do. But of course... who wouldn't want to see this face all day everyday of course I do... but I can't.

(no... it isn't always this sweet!)

I would love to be a stay at home mom, but unfortunately that is not the hand I was dealt. It isn't because of decisions Clint or I made. It isn't anyone's business as to why I have to work. Trust me, if we were able for me to stay home, that is where I would be... but we aren't. Don't judge me for information that you don't have about the situation. (Sorry to be harsh here, but it happens and isn't fair.) Not that it is anyone's business, but Wynn wasn't a "planned child." I am so grateful for her, and wouldn't change the way that God gave her to us or when he gave her to us for anything in the world. His wisdom is far greater than mine! (And yours for that matter.) I am greatful my child! She is a blessing. I am grateful for the fact that since I have to work, I am afforded the wonderful opportunity to work at Alabama Christian Academy.



The working/stay at home battle is not one I am going to get into. I am pretty sure most people do the very best they can for their own child. If you are convicted that being a stay at home mom is best for your child... great... stay at home with them. I know some working moms give SAHM's a hard time, and that is just a bunch of junk... you are just as valuable as someone who works outside the home. The whole SAHM have a lack of ambition is a bunch of junk. If you want to do that but can't... you aren't scarring them for life... you are still doing the best you can for them. (This is the group I feel I fit into... and probably empathize most with) If you are a working mom, you are no less fit of a mother. Whether you choose to work or have to work it is fine. As long as you do what is best for YOUR family it is YOUR choice. (And you have all available information about your family... there is often stuff others don't know!) I am so tired of moms feeling like they have to justify themselves and put others down to defend their own choice. As long as you love your kid and do what you really feel is best for them... I have no issues with you.


Anyway... that being said... this last week has been really tough from a working mom standpoint. Not only am I a working mom, but I am a working mom who is also a coaches wife (sorta the same deal as a preacher, youth minister, or anyother really demanding family involvement job). During football season and baseball season... if Wynn is sick, it is up me to take care of it... Clint just can't get off. Anyway, here is how this week has gone...


Sunday afternoon we took Wynn to the playground. We are trying hard to be intentional about family time. So we walked to the park and played and played. Wynn is a huge fan of slides so we spent a long time there...

After we walked back from the playground, I went to the grocery store and Clint took Wynn inside. In the hour it took me to go buy groceries and get home Wynn developed a high fever. From Sunday around 5ish to Wednesday morning her fever stayed between 102-104... This week I think i have had about 20 hours of sleep total (Sunday night through Thursday night.) We had lots of spongebaths... motrin... doctor visits... long week. Monday I stayed home with Wynn. However, due to the fact that she has had H1N1, stomach virus, fever virus, ear infection, and other fun stuff this year... I am low on time off. (Although ACA has a very generous sick leave policy). So after a long visit to the doctor and a lot of blood work... he told me it was a virus... to treat the fever... and wait it out. So, Tuesday, I couldn't take her to her normal hangout lest she infect Juliet with whatever plague was upon her... so I called my wonderful aunt Kathy. It killed me to take my very sick child to someone else to watch. I am pretty sure I called every hour or two. I have one sick day left (I think). I had to go to work. She was very well taken care of... honestly she slept most of the day. Only to be woken for motrin or something to drink. Aunt Kathy has 2 daughters, is a retired kindergarten teacher, and grandmother to 4... she is well qualified to watch my sick child. It isn't that I didn't want to... I cried because I had to. She was still ok. Aunt Kathy has watched her everyday this week since Tuesday. We did finally figure out what was wrong with her due to the rash she broke out with last night.



She has roseola. It is a normal most kids get it at some point. It is characterized by a really high fever followed by a rash. She is fine now... just still a little fussy due to the rash. The fever is now gone. Yes Wynn has been sick a lot this year. No, she is not in daycare. (Not that I am judging those of you who put your kids in daycare... this is another instance where there is info you may not know.) She is with my great friend Hilary and her one year old Juliet during the day. I don't know why she has been sick so much... I don't know if it could have been more if she were in daycare... home with me... never went to sunday school or what. My best guess is that it is because Clint and I both teach at different schools... who knows... We eat lots of super foods (blueberry, strawberry... all that jazz)...

Anway... I don't know how to end this other than to say... I hate the judging of other regardless of situation... as long as you love your kids and make the best decisions you can for YOUR family... and don't judge things you don't know about.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Quick Feet

Ok, so maybe we take training a little too seriously, but footwork is important in every sport. :)

Friday, October 2, 2009

Wynn's Day Job

Here is my little girl at her day job. Wynn loves "Jet" and Hil very much and we are blessed to have Wynn being taken such good care of during the day. What an answer to prayer! Thanks for the video Hil! It made my day!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Singing in the rain and more

ok... So this was entirely too cute to pass up!


Things around our house have been crazy, but for the most part good. My hour commute isn't too bad. (It is only bad on days when Wynn is teething). Most days Wynn sleeps on the way to work and I talk to Dana and catch up on life. On the way home, Wynn and I sing "E I E I O" make animal sounds, sing Jesus Loves Me, the Hippo song and many more favorites. I gotta tell you... Wynn's monkey sound can make me smile even on the worst day ever.

We are just about settled into our new routine. Clint has been really busy. He is coaching the Varsity and the Jr High now too. (He took over the Jr. High in order to build his program. He broke a 3 year losing streak with them, so the future looks bright!) Wynn has learned to do the touchdown signal and thinks that her dad is at all things football... sparta games, fort dale games, any game on TV. She sees football and starts asking for her daddy.

I am hoping to get some video up soon! Check back later in the week.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Coming soon to a mailbox near you




at least if you bought Wynn a birthday present it is... Thought these were super cute! As usual Dana does an excellent job with photography!


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The one that was really hard to write

OK... so I have been missing in the blogosphere for a while now... I know... Honestly, it is for a lot of reasons. Most of them you will read about in the post to follow. Parts of the last year I am not going to go into... Parts of them I will. Read at your own risk.

In the last year I have:
had a baby (by emergency c-section)
moved (x2)
lost a job
got another job
clint lost a job
got another job
changed churches (x3)

I counted my stress points... at 200 I should have been hospitalized according to the health text book. I stopped counting at 500.

We will start with Wynn. We are both so in love with that little girl. She is amazing. It kills me to be away from her while I am at work. I live for days I don't have to take her to the babysitter. (not that we don't like the babysitter, she is great, I just want that time.) Who knew you could love someone that much... I always thought I understood that before. I didn't. In the last year she has smiled, rolled over, talked, crawled, and is almost walking.

The first move... our apt flooded... for the fourth time. Wynn was three weeks old.

This one is tough... I won't go into all the details. There are lots of reasons I won't. I lost my job. Lost is the only way I can describe it... I wasn't fired... I didn't quit. I just somehow lost it. A job I had sacrificed for for 5 years. I went to work the day before my wedding. I worked 18 hours a day 9 months pregnant 6 days a week. I went to work the day I checked into the hospital before I had Wynn. They called me... I stopped by again on the way to the hospital. They called me again a day after I had Wynn. I let my job take over my priorities. That was wrong. I was wrong. Turns out, either it didn't matter... or maybe God knew I needed a change.

I got a new job. This one was tough too... I knew I wanted to be there... I knew that they wanted me (which meant a lot after all the other had happened), but Clint was still looking. I knew God had a place for him, but it was scary for me to take a job not knowing where his would be or what would happen. I was happy about the job, but scard that it might mean a sacrifice for him. He might have even had to get out of coaching for a year. I knew he needed to coach, but we needed a job for at least one of us. I took the job... I cried. I was happy, but still worried.

Clint and PCA parted ways. It has been better for us. There are still some people there I love very much. There are other things I won't get into. I am tired of it.

Clint went and interviewed and took a job at Sparta Academy in Evergreen. He is so much happier than he has been in 2 and a half years. I praise God for that. He called me after he took the job; I didn't care. He was happy. He already is doing great things there. It is good to see his excitement back. The commute to work everyday is worth that to me.

We moved to Greenville. It is our version of meeting in the middle. Nice city... kinda clint's home turf. That is both good and bad. We live in a house. It is nice to have a yard. It is not nice that the dishwasher is broken. I like having more space. I hate moving.

We have found a new church home. That has been good. Who knew we could go to a church of Christ where Clint was more connected than I am. Funny how God works.

The last few months God has really been working on my faith. I will be honest that it has been severly shaken the last several months. It is good to be healing.

These are the highlight/lowlights... or at least the big ones. I pray for a less stressful year. I am thankful for God and his continued care (even when I didn't see it)