So. My kids come home from school and, being the overbearing mother that I am, we sit down right away and have a snack and do homework. I’ve tried the “lets run off some steam first” approach. I’ve tried the “let’s do it after dinner so daddy can help too” approach. There is no better method than immediate tackle – and yet. There are rarely days that we escape homework time without a tear shed, small fists pounding, sand poured on the heads, rent sackcloth.
Today, I feel like my kids at homework time.
I have to do what?!
I have spent three hours the past two days on a strict job search (no Facebook! No Twitter!). Guess what? I have applied for two jobs! TWO. My friend Corinne (remember her from waaaayyyy back before the summer?) had said that I needed to look into Creative Hiring Agencies (and Linkedin!). Today I signed on to Creatives on Call and Qualified Creatives. Guess what? They want a picture! (so does Linkedin!). I paged through my iphoto archives. Guess what? I took all the pictures.
Fortunately, just like everyone is a writer these days, so is everyone a photographer. I am going to give my friend Laura a call and have her take a few “I am a writer” shots so that I may knock off some socks.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Relauch This!
O.k. so.
According to “Relaunch” professionals (and my friend Jessica), I needed to get myself over to www.linkedin.com and set myself up. So I did that.
Now, back to this “Relaunch” thing. I read Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-At-Home-Moms Who Want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin. (V-8 Smack: shoulda wrote a book about It! – let’s relaunch by writing a book about relaunching!). The website http://www.irelaunch.com/ attached to the book has lots of helpful hints. Loads. It’s jam-packed!
For people who used to have an awesome career they would like to rejoin.
For example: “Mary Spectacular was the Chief Executive Blah Blah at Such in Such Inc. She took two years off to stay home with her twin daughters and is now ready to relaunch her career.” Mary’s worried about how her workplace has advanced since she’s been out. (Will her two MBAs apply?) She’s in touch with former colleagues but only through Facebook so they can see how blessed adorable her twins are. She’s hemming and hawing. Should she or shouldn’t she go back?
You know, Mary, save it.
I had barely scraped out of an internship when I left the work force. I have ONE career reference from before I had my first child (it was all retail and reception before that!) and have only done minor freelance writing work during the TEN years I have been home. I got married while in college, had one job using my degree, and then I’m barefoot and pregnant! What a throwback – June Cleaver tries to get a job!
I know I’ll write a blog about it!
P.S. I wouldn’t change a single thing.
According to “Relaunch” professionals (and my friend Jessica), I needed to get myself over to www.linkedin.com and set myself up. So I did that.
Now, back to this “Relaunch” thing. I read Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-At-Home-Moms Who Want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin. (V-8 Smack: shoulda wrote a book about It! – let’s relaunch by writing a book about relaunching!). The website http://www.irelaunch.com/ attached to the book has lots of helpful hints. Loads. It’s jam-packed!
For people who used to have an awesome career they would like to rejoin.
For example: “Mary Spectacular was the Chief Executive Blah Blah at Such in Such Inc. She took two years off to stay home with her twin daughters and is now ready to relaunch her career.” Mary’s worried about how her workplace has advanced since she’s been out. (Will her two MBAs apply?) She’s in touch with former colleagues but only through Facebook so they can see how blessed adorable her twins are. She’s hemming and hawing. Should she or shouldn’t she go back?
You know, Mary, save it.
I had barely scraped out of an internship when I left the work force. I have ONE career reference from before I had my first child (it was all retail and reception before that!) and have only done minor freelance writing work during the TEN years I have been home. I got married while in college, had one job using my degree, and then I’m barefoot and pregnant! What a throwback – June Cleaver tries to get a job!
I know I’ll write a blog about it!
P.S. I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The More Things Change, the More Things Change.
Here we go again. Another summer has come and gone. Here we are again together.
This summer was, um, not the same. My nine-year-old, while, at times, was pleased as punch to hang at the beach or at home with the Wii, was for the most part: over it. He and his brother (who is six and still all in for a summer home at Camp Mommy) fought like Armageddon.
It took me until the end of the summer to realize that, uh oh, Mommy’s not happy either.
Bummer. I’ve always loved summer and have mourned its passing. I’ve seen the start of the school year as the death sentence of fun. This year I welcomed it as the return of my sanity.
A lot of this change of heart comes from the fact that so much has changed in my Mommy Friend circle. Gina bails every summer anyway because that’s when she reconnects with her college buds and their kids. Jessica sent her kids packing to Camp Grandma most of the summer because she’s really working full-time now. Julie. She had a baby this summer and, well, ya, know. It’s like she got the card in Candy Land that sends your little plastic player back to the start of the board. There are no more of that kind of card in the deck for me.
Without those girls around for distraction and support, the summer lost a little luster.
So. Here I am again at the beginning of another school year with no work and no prospects. But, I am hopeful. Big changes are about. Or maybe small ones. God has given me no choice but to fully rely on Him and rely on Him I will.
This summer was, um, not the same. My nine-year-old, while, at times, was pleased as punch to hang at the beach or at home with the Wii, was for the most part: over it. He and his brother (who is six and still all in for a summer home at Camp Mommy) fought like Armageddon.
It took me until the end of the summer to realize that, uh oh, Mommy’s not happy either.
Bummer. I’ve always loved summer and have mourned its passing. I’ve seen the start of the school year as the death sentence of fun. This year I welcomed it as the return of my sanity.
A lot of this change of heart comes from the fact that so much has changed in my Mommy Friend circle. Gina bails every summer anyway because that’s when she reconnects with her college buds and their kids. Jessica sent her kids packing to Camp Grandma most of the summer because she’s really working full-time now. Julie. She had a baby this summer and, well, ya, know. It’s like she got the card in Candy Land that sends your little plastic player back to the start of the board. There are no more of that kind of card in the deck for me.
Without those girls around for distraction and support, the summer lost a little luster.
So. Here I am again at the beginning of another school year with no work and no prospects. But, I am hopeful. Big changes are about. Or maybe small ones. God has given me no choice but to fully rely on Him and rely on Him I will.
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