When I Grow Up

Ok, first of all that Pussy Cat Dolls song pops into my head! Remember that jam??  Anyway.  Once upon a time, I was a little girl and I wanted to be a Veterinarian.  I just loved animals (still do) and I wanted to take care of them.

And then I shadowed one day during high school, and learned the ins and outs, the real deal of what it was to be a vet.  

A catheter?

Putting animals to sleep?

Smelling like a dog all day and night?

I just realized after that one short day, it was not for me.

So then my guidance counselor said, "Oh, you've always done really well in English, what about being a teacher?"

For some reason, in my 16 year old mind, I had never once thought that I could be a teacher.  But here she was telling me that I very well could.

Fast-forward to my senior year of high school, I decided to do an independent study and in fact help "teach" a ninth grade English class.  Now, I didn't really make up lesson plans, but I did read the books and lead discussions and help "grade" papers.  I fell in love with it.  I knew that going off to SUNY Fredonia and studying Secondary Education English was exactly for me.

I loved being in the classroom; mostly I loved the kids.  I haven't talked much about teaching on my blog, but mostly because of the the sour taste it began leaving in my mouth as I neared the end of my 'career' as a teacher.  NYS has [from the sounds of things] only made things worse and I cannot imagine trying to teach, when my heart was so into teaching at the time. 

People ask when I will return to teaching, and the answer is most likely, I won't. 

What will I do when the kids are both in school?  

Great question! 

Joe and I talk a lot about where we will be in 6-7 years.  I believe he will own his own company and we will work together.  {Our little four home rental company, Fave Properties will hopefully have tripled over these next few years!}  Our dream is to have a nice big office building and a company filled with amazing workers.

Maybe I'll be into something else.

Perhaps I'll sky rocket with my AdvoCare biz.

For awhile I thought about owning a little boutique, but I am not sure that would give me enough meaning in life…I really do like helping people better themselves.

The beauty of this is, I used to think "I can only be a teacher." And that my friends is just crazy.  We have ONE life and we can do WHATEVER we want with it!  

I do know, and I've stressed this to Joe many of times, I will not be out of this house when those kids come home. I firmly believe that when school is out until bed time is so critical for children.  Even teens! I know some people have to work and cannot be home, but it is that important for us, I will make sure that I am home no matter what.  I want them to have supervision, a caring person to make sure they're doing their homework or taken to their sports, whatever.  

My job as a mom is a serious one and no paycheck will ever replace that.  I also know that I really want to be a close family; I know I can't control it, but I hope that when our kids have kids, they leave near by and we see each other weekly.  Joe and I talk so much about how we hope for family dinners with our children and that our home is always open to our kids and grandkids.  

At the end of the day, family is everything to us and so when I grow up, I want to love and be loved.