Working it

This week has been a blast! It has been so fun to get back into the swing of things a-working again. I had 4 days of work ~30hours, including 45-60 minutes each way for the drive. I am so thankful to have a position with Kaiser. The learning curve with a new team, new computer system, and using brain cells which have been dormant for a while has been a fun challenge.

Gotta say I didn't plan things too well. I was pre-scheduled all of these days, which I said I could work ahead of time, but Chris was working 2 of the 8 hour days. To most working parents this would sound like a normal day, but to us, this was a big deal. Owen has had many sitters in his day, mostly my sisters, my mom, my mom in love, Bryce & Savannah, and my aunt. But these times have been usually once a month, maybe for a date or for my weight loss support group meeting once per month. Owen hadn't been left for 8+ hours with anyone else except RN's when he was hospitalized.

I really don't have a problem leaving him, that parenting "issue" was worked out the first 6 weeks of his life when we left every night to go stay at Ronald McDonald's house. I miss him, for sure, and yes I wonder what he is doing, and yes I text and call and check in, but I am happy with a break, for sure! The weird thing is leaving for work. It feels so grown up to have a babysitter while I go out and work. I have been working this last year teaching classes, but the demand was so low that it just felt like a few hour break to chat about nutrition. This week was WORK!

Next week is a little less work~ 16hours. That is just about right. Owen gets another day with Grandma. Owen slept so well the nights when he had Aunt Kim and my Mom watch him--new playmates who go above and beyond tired him out--thank you thank you!!! He was all about his cars for a while, but now he is OBSESSED with books and reading. It is such a wonderful thing, I hope this obsession continues!

16 hours per week is just about right for our family. There is another on-call who is going on maternity leave in a few months. I know the demand will increase and the calls will be a-coming my way for more shifts. I will need to remind myself that I am not my 3 year ago self, who would say "Yes!" to every work opportunity. That drive is still inside me, and I love that. But that priority is much lower now. Wow, I think back 5 years when we lived down in Sac, I would be working all the time at this job. I even got called in last week on my day off. It was easy to say no, as the other on-call below me in senority was available, and I was already working much more than I wanted to. But I need to remember my own boundaries and expectations that my new boss is aware of. Haha, I have been saying for a while, the stay at home mom job is one where you work overtime! This is true, and it is hard work but it isn't work.

Chris's last weekend "off" he worked straight on through around the property. He pulled fence, welded some gates, and was working on the garden getting it ready for planting. I am proud to say that the front yard is now deer proof! Are you reading this?? Deer CANNOT get into the yard!!!! My existing raised bed is now free of the lasagna layers of chicken wire and fencing that were hap-hazardly arranged to protect the loot underneath. Ironically the arugula, kale, and mesclun lettuce mixes were so challenging to get to that they have become overgrown and recently bolted! I yanked most of them out the other day, and even found some fingerlings that had been under the dirt since last summer! MMM! Out with the old, in with the new. When Chris's dad comes up in a few weeks I think he is going to build some raised beds for that yard. We talked about 3 4X12 beds like the current one. This will keep some produce up by the house since the garden is about a 5 minute walk, which does include the steep driveway, which isn't too convenient for a little pinch of basil!

To end on a garden note, if you are interested in planting potatoes, now is the time. You can get them at a local nursery, or just buy some organic ones from the grocery store. Cut em up so each piece has an eye on it, each piece around an inch. Put in a dark place for it to sprout and the cut side to heal over. I use an egg carton and put it in a closet or garage, or your pantry even. Planting time around here is St. Patricks day, and they are ready come June/July. You really don't need too deep of a pot to plant them in, 10-12 inches is sufficient. When you plant, just plant one potato chunk with the sprouted eye pointing up, and the rest is history. A friend of mine blogged a great post on this topic, and re-used plastic tubs for pots! Nice work, Mama Ty!!!

Here is the link: http://www.rylantylyn.blogspot.com/2011/03/potatoes.html