Off to 'work'

Yes - that's right - I got a job!! I'm soooooo excited about it. I haven't actually done any paid work since Jalen was born, but I definitely consider being a full time Mum for the past 8 years, plus being a carer as hard work - often harder than going to work full time, and definitely harder than the job I just got!

Nicki and I have this joke together - she says that 'everything falls into my lap'. She thinks that I get whatever job I apply for, and everything works out for us! She changed her views once Noah was born, but when I found out that I got this job, she joked that once again something has fallen into my lap, and in some ways I have to agree with her.

For the past few school holidays we have been going to a school holiday program which is run by Family Based Care. It is funded by the government and you nominate two activities you want to participate in as a family - per week, and then you go along and everything is paid for and you have support workers who help you in whatever activity it is. The main activities are always the movies, swimming, ten pin bowling, kids paradise and roller skating. Other times they also have activities such as cruises up the river, beach trips, square dancing, and camps.

Last school holidays I was thinking about what a great job it would be and asked one of the if they volunteer or if it was paid work. They told me they were paid and I joked with Aaron that I would LOVE to do that job. Not long after that it was actually advertised in the newspaper.

I talked it over with Aaron and ended up ringing the number in the newspaper. At first I wasn't that serious about it - I guess I just wanted to see if I had any chance of getting work and also to see if I could determine how many hours I did, as I still wanted to participate in the program as a family as the boys love it and it is a good chance to do things as a family as we have an extra pair of hands if and when we need it.

The woman who runs the program knew me because we go to the activities, and she rang me back and asked me if I had any qualifications - other than the obvious one of being the Mum of a child with special needs. I told her I was a teacher, but haven't taught for a long time and she was very excited. She told me to send in my C.V. and we would go from there. A couple of months later I went in for an interview - just as a formality. The next week I had my roster and today I started 'work'!

It is the PERFECT job for me! I can tell decide how many hours a week I want to work and even if I worked all of the hours it is only 10-13 hours per week. Because it is just for school holidays it is only for the next two weeks and then again in the Summer holidays. We can still go as a family - I just don't work those times. The most I have to work in one day is an hour and half in the morning and then two and a half hours in the afternoon - so I am home in the middle of the day. Aaron is home with the boys, so I don't have to worry about them and he also gets time away from me nagging him all day :) I also don't usually start till 10am which means we can all still sleep in during the holidays. I didn't really want the job because of the money - I actually will lose my carer payment for the two weeks because I will be working, but the money is great so that is a bonus. I really just wanted to do it because I thought it would be fun and it is a great opportunity to do something while Aaron is off work. It only runs for a month during summer and if we go away during Summer I just have to tell them the dates I can't work.

Before I left for work this morning I told Aaron that Monday's were my big cleaning day in the house - it was the day that I cleaned the toilets properly, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom properly and mopped the floors. All he kept saying was 'good on you'! I kept making a big deal when I was leaving saying 'bye, Mum is going to work now!' and Aaron just said 'yeah right' because my job is so great!!

Today my first job was helping out at ten pin bowling. I was assigned to a lane who had two families - one boy in a wheelchair and his family, and also a teenage girl who is has a mild intellectual disability and her family. It was the easiest and funnest job I have ever done! All I had to do was help the boy in the wheelchair with bowling his ball and got to spend lots of time talking to the kids and parents. There was a boy in the lane next to me with Downs Syndrome. He was a teenager and very cute. He kept on tapping me and wanted to give me kisses on the cheek.

Some of the other kids are more full on - there are a few kids with autism and their support workers spend most of the time chasing them around, but that won't bother me. After working with Corom it will be a breeze :)

Tomorrow we go as a family to the Kids Paradise activity and then in the afternoon I am 'working' and am helping out at swimming for two and a half hours. The down side of it is that I won't get to go to the gym over the next two weeks. Lucky for me it is only a two week job! It really doesn't feel like work and I actually feel bad that I am getting paid for something that is so easy and fun!