I'm taking time out of my busy suitcase-packing routine to write this

My children are currently besotted with the movie Ratatouille. I have no idea why. Admittedly, I am the one who ordered it from Netflix and I am the one who attempted to drum up enthusiasm for it before I popped it into the DVD player (“a funny RAT, you guys! A RAT!”), and then it came on and I remembered what it's actually ABOUT, which are all things my children have no concept of, like France and eating politely at nice restaurants and health code violations. AND YET. They CHOOSE it, even when offered other clearly superior choices.

The fact that I am writing about my childrens' poor taste in entertainment proves that not much has been happening lately. Lately, our days consist of errands and television and the occasional Advent activity that I hastily shove into the appropriate envelope about .06 seconds before the kids ask to open it. Then, I hunch over my computer and make packing lists. THIS IS MY WEEK, you guys. Listen, I love taking vacations, but I REALLY love the Prep Week BEFORE vacation. I already made Dave get the suitcases out of the attic. I already packed the snacks for the plane. For heaven's sake, I ALREADY GATHERED AND ASSEMBLED THE TOILETRIES. (We don't leave until Sunday.) I have had a few emails (I mean, I haven't been INUNDATED or anything) from people asking if I'll do a recap of our planning, and I will – after we get back and I see if any of my strategies were successful. I'd hate to prematurely advise you to do something, and then have to put an EMERGENCY STOP on the process once I got back.

Otherwise, yeahhhhh, it's pretty slow around here. Freelance work has all but dried up, too, so lately my evenings aren't even restful, they're just boring continuations of my days. I have been putting some serious thought into pursuing a new direction soon. Next year Asher will be in school full time and Lucy will likely be in preschool a few mornings a week, and I'm not necessarily going to dive head-first into full-time work or anything, but I do want to start preparing myself for something once they're BOTH in school full-time. The thing is, I'm not really sure I want to pursue a writing career. Not that I don't love writing, because I do, but I think I'm better at it when I'm doing it just for myself. And writing is something I like to do in spurts; I'm not particularly excellent at sitting down for an entire day and churning out copy – much less an entire WEEK at a time.

One of the things I've loved most about being a stay-at-home mom has been the MOVEMENT. We're always in motion, always going somewhere or experiencing something – we have very few days where we're just sitting around. I crave that in my daily life now. I want to be out and about, doing things and MOVING. And I'd really like to pursue a new job or career that involves way less sitting at a desk. I'm intrigued by so many things, though, that it's hard to decide which direction I'd like to go. Do I want to try professional organizing? Could I really manage nursing school? Or do I want to dedicate myself to non-profit or charity work? I feel like the options are ENDLESS, but I also feel enormous pressure to choose the RIGHT thing. Anyway, if you've been through something similar, or changed careers after having kids, I'd love to hear about it. I just can't imagine going back to copyediting at a desk for 40 hours a week. If I'm going to work full-time (eventually), then ideally (and yes, I know, IDEALLY), I'd like to find something that appeals to me at least half as much as being a stay-at-home mom does. COPYEDITING DOES NOT.

One cute story BECAUSE I CAN: Asher's preschool does a Christmas pageant every year, and the four-year-old class acts out the nativity. Perhaps you remember this from last year? Last year he was a sheep, a terrified sheep. He did not even look up during the entire pageant. It was heartwrenching to watch, seeing how awkward and out of place he felt. This year, however, is so different. He is SUCH a different kid, so much so that this year he has been cast as Joseph in the Christmas pageant. He came bounding out of school last week talking ALLLLLL about it. “I'm going to be Joseph, but it isn't going to be hard. I mostly just walk and then I pretend to sleep.” (I told my friend Christie that I wasn't sure why Joseph was asleep at any point in the pageant; she's all, “Probably right while Mary was in hard labor. TOTAL GUY.”) Then suddenly, a panicked look in his eyes: “MOM. The pageant is supposed to be a SECRET. I wasn't supposed to tell you who I am going to be! How about you just forget that I told you, okay?”

YOU GUYS. He's so GROWN UP and REASONABLE and HE'S GOING TO BE JOSEPH IN THE SCHOOL PLAY. My work here is done.

Comments

[Hillary]

David Brooks in the NY Times just did a couple columns sharing life lessons from really old people. One of the bits of advice that resonated most with me was that, in his review, the people who were happiest at the end of their life approached their lives as UNITS of time. They never felt like they were going to have to be doing something FOREVER, but just for now, which strikes me as a particularly helpful thought, especially in your situation. Your RIGHT thing right now doesn't have to be the right thing forever.

(Also, enjoy your Florida trip. The weather down here is lovely.)

[Mary]

I finished nursing school when I was 30 and have been a NICU nurse for five years. Best thing I have ever done. I really recommend it! Nursing is a great career, and you can go in MANY different directions with it.

[Megan]

Former copy editor-at-a-desk-job here, and I agree: I'd cry if I had to go back to that job. It's not a bad job to have, but now that I'm writing for myself and have an audience, it would be very, very, VERY difficult to return to editing someone else's work all day. I don't mind doing it for a freelancing opportunity, but I couldn't do it day in and day out for the next 40 years.

I'm kind of "behind" you, in the sense that my kids are younger so I'm not quite "there" in terms of thinking of a career after they're in school all day. BUT I think the same thing as you - what will I do when it's that time?

[Jen]

Kind of exciting to think about the possibilities, right? I was a writer before I had my girls, but I know that's why I could never do any "fun" writing that I would actually enjoy. By the time I got home from writing boring copy all day, I didn't have it in me to do anything else.

My husband and I cannot WAIT to take our girls to Disney for the first time. I am so excited to hear about how your kids react to everything!

[Emily]

I wonder if doing anything along the lines of teaching or working as an educational assistant would work for you. I'm trained as a teacher and working as an EA in a grade one class and absolutely love it. You get to work with kids who are (for me) just the right age AND walk away at the end of the day. Maybe it's good balance for me because I have no kids of my own at home, but it's engaging, you never sit down, and there's always a few fun projects on the go.

[HereWeGoAJen]

Elizabeth loves Ratatouille too, only she calls it "Polette show" and I have to skip over the beginning parts where the rats are in peril and also the part where the dead rats are hanging in the window. Those parts are apparently way too scary.

What do you MEAN that Asher will be in school full time next year? Isn't that impossible? TINY, he was just TINY.

[Julie]

I have two thoughts about your "next steps". My first thought is teaching-(its what I do and I love it)and it def. keeps you moving! And with your bach. degree you would just need your masters to be qualified to teach public school as opposed to nursing school which I assume would be at least a 4 year commitment. But then I thought about your passion for the diaper drive and your strong ties to your church and it seems like a non-profit or charity that addressed the effects of poverty on children would be so fulfilling, although potentially heartbreaking at times. Whatever/wherever you end up I am sure you will be amazing!

[elz]

Full disclosure, I am NOT a nurse, but I work in healthcare. Nursing is a GREAT field. It's one that continually needs more skilled people. Good nurses literally change the way care is delivered and often mean the difference between life and death. Doctors get the glory, but its' the nurses that make it happen. So, go nursing. I think you'd love the movement, the interaction, using your brain in new ways. Plus, it is the epitome of a helping people profession.

[craftyashley]

My girls LOVE Ratatouille. I like it because it's quiet and there's no annoying songs.

[jackie]

Hi ya!
Love your blog, reader forever,
I am a "work-out-the-home" mom here. I LOVE your kids They crack me up! I have a four-year old and a one-year old, and it's HARD. I repeat, HARD.
But, BUT! I love the phase we are heading towards now with my four-year old! She is more reasonable, more calm and... said,so Grown-UP! I thank God everyday for helping me survive three. And that's saying something, because I am a preschool teacher for the THREE'S!!!! haha!

[A'Dell]

OH, I have been thinking about the transition thing A LOT lately. And my kids aren't even getting close to school.

For me, I am pretty sure I will start a business. Having worked the corporate cubicle job for ten years I pretty much will never want to go back to that.

It's exciting though, trying to figure out a new direction and knowing that you're not tied to what you did in the past. I feel so much more qualified to make this kind of decision now than I did when I was 21.

(Really, it's a miracle I stumbled into something I liked and was decent at on my first try.)

[Cara]

I worked for many years doing things I didn't like, ending up more and more desk-bound with each subsequent job. Ugh. I found my new career through the book Do What You Are, which matches careers with personality types. I didn't expect much, honestly, but went through the list anyway. I stumbled upon Occupational Therapy, and since I knew nothing about it I went for an informational interview. Within 5 minutes I knew it was the perfect career for me. Bonus - it's in really high demand!

[karen]

Yea Asher, way to go! I have no advice about a new career, because I lost my job a year ago (actually exactly a year ago today) I was in radio in accounting and still haven't found a job, if you have a good idea let me know too!

[BG]

I am finishing up my last semester in a BSN program, and I can tell you, nurses do not get paid anything contrary to what people think. $23/hour for new grads. I made $2 less per hour WITHOUT A DEGREE. I started back for my BSN when my twins were almost 3, and it's been okay. You need very dependable childcare for long hours (think 12 hour clinicals and 6 hour lectures for 16 weeks at a time, sometimes on weekends even). I'd go with healthcare management instead.

[Sarah]

Dude. Ratatouille is good. Stop right now.

Also, I think you would be a good nurse because you seem to like to be running around and managing like 10 things at once. However, and I'm speaking from years of second hand info, you might not be thrilled with your nurse managers because they are usually assholes.

[Kathy Zucker]

Long-time lurker here. I've been working from home since I got pregnant with my first child(age 5) & have launched 3 businesses (+ 3 pregnancies, but hey, who's counting?) With each one I get closer to my ideal job. I think the key to working at home is to talk to people about ways you can help them using your existing skill sets and then go in the directions that work best for you and them. You may find yourself headed in totally new & interesting directions :-)