July 5th
I have a great job offer but it's in Salem and so the drive is three days a week (45 minutes one way). My top priority is homeschooling Galen because one of the many and biggest reasons I chose to move to Oregon is to be a better homeschool mom for him. If I hadn't been able to communicate with the homeschool community there the way I've been doing, the decsion would have been a LOT more difficult.
It seems like such a beautiful atmosphere- I love the aspect of our shared community! And not to mention OREGON. I LOVE how he has responded to leaving the public school system these past couple years, and he's reached his seventh grade level quite easily. Above and beyond that, he is more content with learning what he needs to learn as so many students and school pressures just created ongoing havoc and interfered with his happiness which is number one.
I like the idea of this new job because ultimately I would have a set schedule of tues, thurs and sat 10-10, so I could homeschool him mon, wed, fri and maybe even find a cool spiritualist church or something on Sunday. Any church community might be awesome. I'd have a greater opportunity to meet with the other homeschool families with this set schedule. Also, in the mornings of tues/thurs I could still assign something simple to do prior to . . . and while I'm away at work. These would be his free video times I'm sure.
Ha! I'm choosing jobs based on the homeschool schedule I could potentially have for Galen, though if I take this particular job offer- I would be sent to Seattle for a WEEK- twice- during orientation. Once in the beginning and once at the end of a four month period. Orientation is four months long. The pay is decent, the benefits are beyond good . . . retirement, profit sharing etc., they are a gypsy nurse sort of job as there are clinics of theirs all over the US . . . and the training and education is the type that once you learn this stuff . . . especially the nurse management part, you can pretty much go anywhere and do anything as a nurse. So I might take this . . . as they could help with some of the cost of relocation. The work drive of 45 minutes is the only downfall. I could look around while I'm doing my year long relocation obligation, to see if there is something nicer/closer. It rea lly all comes down to schedule around homeschool, because I'd rather do a three day long hours, than a five day work week - homeschooling would feel impossible to do otherwise. A local Clinic wants to hire me but I think they are a regular day job, I interview with them monday by webcam. But if the schedule doesn't fit homeschooling I'm going to refuse.
I've realized during this moving process, that until Galen is grown, my choices are about schedule so I can keep the good momentum of what has been invested in him . . . and his unique form of education. Success in homeschooling makes anything else, any job I choose, worth it. If I took something that created failure with homeschooling, I'd be chronically unhappy and unsatisfied, it would be the worst mistake I could make. I know myself too well.
SO, this job may be a good schedule for what we both need, AFTER the more chaotic four month orientation lol which will be odd hours and a random three days a week at first. Of all things that are most important about my/our lifestyle at this time, it's homeschooling and schedule . . . everything else is what I do to maintain success with this.
I also need to buy a ticket for KT to fly back to KY before Aug 23/school. I would start my job Aug 4th but my potential new boss would like me to visit earlier at my leisure to introduce myself if that is the case.
July and our big road trip is almost upon us! All of the bigger things to see we will be staying over at least two nights . . . the grand canyon we'll have two nights in Sedona for the south rim and then camp at least one night on the side of the north rim. I've had to make reservations in advance at a bunch of places- to assure that we have a place to go with our big ole golden retriever dog. Wow! Nearly 20 days to explore the southwest prior to Oregon!