Back to Work!

Before my maternity leave was up, I had been looking for a part time job. My goal was to find something I could do in the mornings while Aidan was in school and then hopefully save a bit on childcare expenses. I didn't find that perfect job, but I did find a number of casual jobs which allow me to mostly stay home with the kids. I'm so thankful we're able to make this work - even though sometimes they drive me crazy I'm glad I can be there to walk Aidan to school and pick him up and just hang out with them.

One of my casual jobs is for a temp agency so every once in awhile they'll call me up to fill in for someone who is sick or away on vacation or if a company needs someone to be at reception while everyone else is in meetings. I've got 2 great babysitters - one who lives close to us and who can drop Aidan off or pick him up from school, and one who will take Keira for the day and Aidan after lunch. Anytime I have to work it's kind of crazy if I'm working a full day because I have to go pick Aidan up from his afterschool babysitter and drive him over to babysitter #2. Usually I just work one or two days here and there as a temp but last week I got called on Tuesday to work Wed-Fri, and then it got extended to all of this week as well. I guess the receptionist left in a bit of a hurry and they didn't have time to pick someone, but I've been told a decision will be made today and the new girl will start tomorrow so I'm crossing my fingers that today is my last day!

I've been working in a lawyer's office and it's been really interesting and kind of cool to see things from the 'other side', but it's a whole different mind set when you work full time! Getting lunches ready the night before, laying out clothes, fitting all the errands and running around into the couple of hours after Michael gets home and I need to get to bed plus getting out the door in time in the morning! The kids haven't been handling it too well either - Keira wails when I drop her off and she's exhausted all the time. She usually goes to bed at 7, but by 6 she's wandering around making the sleep sign and is excited when I suggest that she go to sleep. Aidan doesn't like going to the babysitter's because there's no one his age and he's been acting out and misbehaving like crazy! We've had lots of talks and made new rules and promised rewards, so hopefully today he behaves!!

The other part that makes my days crazy is that I'm still babysitting! Last Wed and this Tues and Wed I leave work at 3, rush over to babysitter#2 to pick the kids up, and rush home to be there in time for Sarah to drop her kids off! The best part of all this working though, is that I really appreciated the long weekend and the time off I got. It was such a great relaxing weekend, and Michael said that I made my 'best turkey yet' - it was pretty good, and I'm looking forward to making soup tonight or tomorrow!

Doormats??

To set up today's sermon, our pastor showed a short clip with a statement (like "If I don't get a pay raise, I'm going to QUIT") and then a picture with a caption (like "Over 1 billion people worldwide are without jobs") and I think the point of showing the clip was to put our grumbling and complaining in perspective and make us realize that most of the time we really have nothing to complain about. I think it's good to put stuff in perspective but there was one statement-picture combo that I wasn't really sure about. The statement was "I can't believe we had to wait over 30 minutes for our food" and then the picture was a picture of a malnourished child with a caption about how many children die every day from malnutrition. I'm not trying to diminish that in any way or say that we shouldn't be thankful for the food that we have. I am extremely thankful (especially this weekend with such a wonderful turkey dinner) that we have the means and opportunity to buy pretty much whatever food we want. The thing I'm wondering about is are Christians supposed to be doormats?

There was also a verse - I think Pastor Anthony referenced it later in his sermon, I don't think it was part of the clip - Phillipians 2:14 which says "Do everything without complaining or arguing"
Once again, are we just supposed to 'take it' - whatever 'it' is - and NEVER complain?? There's the time that Jesus kicked everyone out of the temple because they were selling stuff and trying to make a profit and that may fall more under rebuke than complaining, but it kind of got me thinking this morning. I have complained about waiting too long for food in restaurants, as well as many many many other things but is anything justified, according to this verse?

I guess it's a question of balance and commonsense - like most everything else in life!