Within the blink of an eye, my day to day life has changed.
I went from being a full-time employee and part-time mom to being unemployed, a full-time mom, and a full-time teacher. The company I had worked at for two years "restructured" and my job was eliminated... I was laid-off with a fair severance and approved for unemployment. Coincidentally, Cormac had some issues at school and it became evident that he needed some one-on-one attention for his education. We enrolled him in K12/ORVA, he moved in with me in Salem, and we started home schooling him. No doubt that this change has been difficult for everyone but Robb and I discussed this for a while and decided this was in Cormac's best interest.
I wish I could say this was easy and seamless, that would be a fib. I am constantly forced to have the patience of a saint, I am relearning 7th grade subjects, and I am forced to keep someone else on task while looking for jobs and taking care of everything else I have going on. But I will admit, even after only a week, I do find it rewarding. I am happy to have Cormac around and be able to spend a lot of time with him; he is finally shaping into a person who is willing to share thoughts and spend time with me. We got his bike fixed and can go for bike rides and walks; we go out for coffee or a bite to eat and goof around as well as take a laid-back approach to his schooling. This has worked well for him! He gets more sleep, he gets to take time waking up, no time constraints; but I still have to direct him throughout the day... I was sure he would be more of a self-starter. He loves taking short-cuts and is easily distracted. Spending my day with him I can see why teachers were frustrated! He fidgets, beat-boxes, gets up, moves around, skips work, doesn't read instructions, rushes through, complains, argues, questions unrelated subjects, and is struggling and giving up on himself. Although this does help me to help him, it is also worrisome. |
| Aidan's drawing of me! Well done buddy! |
Some days we are blessed with our almost 4 year old school mascot, Aidan! He is happy to ask questions and play with Cormac on his breaks from school. Aidan also demonstrates art and keeps it young around here. He likes Cormac and likes to talk to him and participate in the school work. Overall, Cormac also enjoys having Aidan around. This online public school program has allowed us to cater to the needs of Cormac and help him prepare to return to public school in the fall.
Tyler and Robb are my strength; they allow me to vent and express my frustrations without judging me. I can keep my cool all day long; after being yelled at and abused on the phones for two years with my job; dealing with a 13 year old is a walk in the park. However, on exceptionally difficult days, I need to cry or express myself for a few minutes and Robb and Tyler are always there to listen; I am truly blessed! I share this with my blog so it can be better understood why I am not blogging as often about hiking and Owee... the hikes are still in plan and this summer will probably be more active since I have a bit more time available to me for hiking and the kids.
When people say life is unpredictable, they couldn't be more correct! I could not have predicted being here, now, in my life... though I really don't know what I would have predicted in it's place. I am ALWAYS in the right place at the right time... I am so blessed to be surrounded by people I love and now I have the opportunity to be an integral part of their lives too. What will happen next year? I have no idea and have learned that life can change in an instant.
