Karen's New Job

Well, this is something I didn't ever think I would be writing about at this stage of my life! A couple of weeks ago, we still didn't have a job, and I was starting to freak out. (Trent wasn't so much--I am much more paranoid and get more worked up about things in life than he does. He really does balance me out!)
I had the thought to just update my resume and write a cover letter and just check out Craigs List to see what was there. Before I had Cory, and after I graduated from BYU, I worked as a full-time secretary in one of BYU's Advisement Center offices. Before that, I had been a receptionist and held a variety of office jobs. So I thought--why don't I just check things out and see what happens?

So I applied to several jobs on Wed., Feb. 17. The next morning I got a call from one of them. Actually, it was a recruiter for their company. The company is called Gen-Probe--about 20 minutes away from us. They are a biotech company that produces and manufactures nuclic-acid test kits and several other tests that have early and more accurate detection of human diseases. Ironically enough, Trent had applied to them once or twice since we've moved here. (But didn't get any because of lack of experience.)

After the inital phone screening interview (for the receptionist position), they called me the same day to set up a face-to-face interview. I went in the next week, and a few days later, they called me with a job offer asking when I could start. I started on my birthday, Monday, March 1. They are paying $6 more per hour than any other receptionist job I saw here-and twice my hourly wage at my last job 6 years ago. So it's good!

Things are going so well. I really like what I'm doing. The company is great--voted one of the best places to work in San Diego. And they are one of the most successfull and fast-growing biotech companies in the area. I only work part-time--it's 7:30-12:30, so I'm only gone in the mornings. Trent gets Cory ready for school and then has the girls in the mornings. He's even taken them grocery shopping, went to their first doctor's appointment since moving here (so LOTS of paperwork to fill out!) and Hailey's speech therapy meeting on Friday. He's been so positive and helpful and wonderful since I started working! I don't like calling him Mr. Mom (plus he is only by himself with them in the mornings--and he still is going to school AND looking for a job still) because he's not Mr. Mom. I mean, what does that make me? Mrs. Dad? He's our children's FATHER and he's extrememly capable of feeding them, cleaning up after them, doing our laundry, running to the store, taking them to appointments, etc. Just because he might be home with them more, doesn't mean he's a mom. It means he's a really great dad who pitches in when the family as a whole needs something.

Sophie has definitely formed a special bond with him this week (as if our girls weren't already daddy's little girls). She will bring him book after book and plop herself down on top of him and scream and grunt if he doesn't immediately start reading books to her.

SO my first week of work went really well. It's so refreshing having something else to do during the day rather than straightening, cleaning, cooking, and changing diapers. And I still get to do those rewarding and important things all afternoon and evening! Trent is still applying to jobs--in fact he has a very promising second interview early this next week. So if he gets it--then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Our very good LDS friends that live just around the corner from us have their own in-home daycare. I've spent many hours in their house observing their daycare and how things are ran (mostly because Hailey and Cory LOVE to play over there--so I just go to hang out and bring Sophie too, and it's like a big party.) They are great with kids and you can really tell they love children. They've been doing it for the last 2-3 years since her husband got laid off doing construction work. Anyway, I casually mentioned to them last week that if Trent finds a job soon we may need to find somewhere for Hailey and Sophie to go for a few hours in the morning. They said they should be able to take them, and they've actually been hoping for a couple more kids lately to help make ends meet. Chad (the dad) takes Sophie sometimes at church for us and she goes to him so well. I would have no qualms at all about leaving the girls with them for half a day. I mean, this isn't a permanent thing with me (working part-time). Once Trent does find a job and once we get our credit card debt paid off, I'll want to return to the home full-time. I mean, Sophie still is my little baby (even though she's one) and I really have started to miss her in the mornings, even though it's only been a week!

We'll see what the Lord has in store for us. But I really love being able to step outside for half my day. It makes me really cherish my kids more--I'm happier when I am around them--and I gladly want to play with them and go outside with them--instead of just doing it so they'll stop begging me.

So that's it for now! I would love to hear feedback from moms who have worked either part-time or full-time outside the home and how they felt about it.