Decisions

Gosh, my part time job has really interfered with my blogging habit! I think this may be the longest period of time I've ever been absent.
My part time job is with a non-profit agency. A friend from church led me to the position, and it is exactly what I had been hoping for. I work an afterschool tutoring program at a local private school, Monday through Thursday afternoon, and today I started working two mornings a week doing Title I reading tutoring at another local private school. I also have the privilege of working with a high-schooler, tutoring in reading and math, and I go to her home. I really love it, although it is harder to juggle all of the other demands of my life... But, I think, well worth it. I really missed working with kids since I stopped tutoring privately, and I love this job because I get to work with kids grades first through high school. My first priority is my kids and Dave, and then comes all things New Hope... I love my church family and the work I get to do for them. That's why it has been a struggle for me to work, even though it's just part time. I am afraid that the kids are missing out, or that Dave has too much of the workload shifted to him, or that I am falling behind in my work at church, or that my house is messier than usual (which is true). But it all seems to be working out okay, and the nice thing about working is... getting paid. :) And also, it forces me to focus in on just one thing for however many hours a week. Oftentimes, I get all fluttery and all over the place and wind up spinning my wheels and accomplishing very little. I am also working on getting my certification in order, because I think I may want to start work in the fall. This is a difficult decision to make, but Anna will be in school 5 days a week, and Jonathan will be a first grader. And being a teacher will give me a very similiar schedule to the kids, which is a definite advantage. Right now, it's like I pick J up from school and immediately go to work. So, balancing my own career path (or, rather, finally picking one and walking down it) and my family along with everything else, trying to figure out how to do that and also what to do, that's one decision I am working on.
Another decision, far less significant but I think more fun, is what we are all wearing for Halloween. Jonathan will be a black Shadow Trooper from Star Wars (which, I'm sorry, looks an awful lot like last year's Darth Vader costume, but don't tell either Dave or Jonathan this, because they jumped all over me when I said it earlier). Dave will be Captain Jack Sparrow. A PIRATE. He wanted me to be a pirate wench, but all of the costumes were a little too, um, wenchy for me. Anna will be sporting a fabulous light-up rainbow ballerina princess costume (it has fiber optics in the skirt). She was trying to steer me away from the pirate girl costumes, telling me that they were NOT pretty. She wanted me to be a Disney princess. I considered many options, but never made a decision. We ordered the other three costumes. I am thinking I am going to be a black cat again this year. I like the opportunity to wear way too much eye makeup. Because black cats always wear too much eye makeup, right?
Another issue we were discussing tonight is Jonathan's birthday. He wants a Star Wars birthday party. But we are trying to decide what to do about the cake, because Wilton has stopped making their cake pans and they are SUPER expensive on Ebay. Dave thought maybe we should just order a Star Wars cake from Publix, but I think it would be just sad to miss out on an opportunity to stress myself out making the cake and decorating it myself...I am thinking I may just make a cake and put some of his Star Wars Lego creations on top. Would that be gross? What if I washed them off first? Also, I am trying to decide, who to invite, where to have the party, and how big of a deal to make of it. I am a little freaked since his birthday is only a week away. Even though the party won't be till the weekend after, it still seems too late to send invites out, and I don't know how to get specific addresses of kids in his class. These are the things Mommies worry about. But basically, as long as his cousins and family are there, and we have a cake, pinata and presents, I think he will be pretty happy. I just feel like his birthday snuck up on me more than usual this year! And he mentioned that he really wanted to go to Sea World (we have year passes and have not been in months) so I think maybe we should do that too, and say it's a birthday trip!
Right now, Anna is sitting next to me eating her bedtime snack. I thought to myself, what is that I smell? Is that pickled beets? I looked at her in disgust and said, WHAT are you eating? And she said, Just pickles, Mama! Oh, of course. The other day Jonathan had popcorn for breakfast. He thought it was the best thing and was still talking about it when I picked him up that afternoon. Anna's picture day is tomorrow. We need to go look at her extensive wardrobe and decide what she should wear! With Jonathan, it's an easy choice: which Polo shirt should he wear? He's like a mini-Dave.