Day Seven: Dream Job

#7 What is Your Dream Job and Why?

When I was in highschool, I had a dream of becoming a dental hygienist. My very first job at 16 was working for my dentist in the sterilization room, where I learned firsthand all about dental intruments, how to clean them and sterilize them, as well as how to dispose of extracted teeth, and later I started helping the dental assistants clean and sterilize their operatories. To some people, just the thought of working in someone's mouth would give you the heebie jeebies, but I guess I never thought about it that way. I was always interested in the dental field, probably because I actually have a lotof congenitally (born without) missing adult teeth. And because of this, I was always a "case"for my dentists and hygienists, because it is so rare to have as many congenitally missing as I have.

But I will save more of that story for another day, and besides, most of ya'll are yawning and probably wondering what all of that has to do with my "Dream Job" anyways. So all through highschool, I took all of the required classes to try to get into Dental Hygiene school. There was only one school for that field in Charlotte, so I applied there, and was devastated when I didn't get in because I didn't apply to a university, because at the time I knew what I wanted to do and didn't want to apply to anything else. So I went with the next best thing. Already enrolled at the campus in Charlotte of the community college, I went ahead and took the classes I needed and decided to apply to Dental Assisting instead, and would then try to re-apply for Dental Hygiene when they started taking applications again.

Long story short (and as most of you read here ) I didn't ever go back to apply for my "Dream Job", and then I was only a Dental Assistant for a short time before working as a receptionist for a different dentist. So I guess the whole moral to my story is that you may find that you spent your whole childhood dreaming of this perfect job and you may never end up doing what you set out to do. And that's okay because you know what? I'm happier now than I've ever been, and that's because I am now living my dream job I never knew I even wanted, as a Stay At Home Mommy.

This was right around the time that I officially became a Stay At Home Mommy. I remember as Scot and I were talking and planning our future, and it became a possibility and later a reality for me to get to stay home with my babies. I just felt that this is what we worked so hard to do, and the funny thing was, as hard as it was to work full time after having Ryder, I never felt the desire to be at home like I did as he got older and the talk of having another baby. I realized that I missed entirely too much of his babyhood, toddlerhood and some of his boyhood inside a dental office all day, giving most of my time and energy to people that I would never talk to outside the office again.

We started praying for ways to make my want and need of staying home with my babies a reality. And God made it happen for us. I know that this may be a dream for some Mommies and that it's not a possibility right now. I was right there with you in the same boat. And it's hard. You have to do what you have to do for your mentality, to pay bills, and just whatever the case may be for your family. I feel so blessed now to be able to see first hand the things Brynley does, rather than having to hear it from the daycare teacher. I love reading and teaching to them about Jesus, and just getting as much quality time with them as I can soak in.

Just seeing these pregnant pictures of me right before having Brynley makes me realize again just how quickly life changed. I was about to start staying home, and had to juggle what to do with my time as I did actually start staying home. How much or little time to spend with Ryder and what to do with him now that he wasn't taking naps. It didn't just happen overnight. It took a lot of patience and trial and error, and we finally have a pretty good schedule. But as most of ya'll know with shedules, the minute you get them just right, your kids go and change things up on you!

I remember our first week together once I stayed home with Ryder. And my first week home with Brynley after that.

So if you asked me in highschool if I thought I'd one day achieve my dream as a SAHM, I probably wouldn't have agreed. But now, I am so happy to be living out this dream of mine and I feel so fortunate. These are just some of the millions of best moments I've made so far. Maybe I'm hormonal right now, but it makes me sad just looking back at how tiny these kids of mine were and how very much they've already changed! I am so glad to have experienced all that I have with them each day. Even the tantrums and tears. So what would your dream job be?