Well, Today is the Last Day

Today is my last day of paid work.  I had started to say "my last day of work" but if you've got four kids that is so not true.  And my kids are thrilled because they don't get it.  They think everything will be coming up roses because they won't have to go to a sitter and they'll have homemade treats every day.  Of course that last part is kind of my fault because I went on this massive baking spree right after graduation to make up for the fact that I hadn't baked anything since Christmas 2009.

I realize that obstacles are either barriers or opportunities to do something different in a glass half-empty or half-full mentality.  The other day when I was gathering some research materials (because that's what I learned to do and it would be incredibly stupid not to use it) for my evolving business idea, I grabbed a Law of Attraction magazine - though I'm not sure why because that has nothing to do with my business.... or maybe on some subconscious level it does.

In the first few pages I read about vision boards.  I have vision boards in my head but it's pretty chaotic in there and I'm thinking of making one that has actual density.  If you don't like the term "vision board" you could call it "planning" or "goal setting" or even "brainstorming".  In any case, it's not going to hurt to move that chaos into the realm of reality - like a to-do list with pictures for an eye-popping view of your future.  I've said it before, planning when you have children is more like a wish list in my house anyway and pictures just make everything better.

Of course, I also have a plan for the interim of being unemployed and business...less and I've come up with something I think is substantially possible. Because I don't have nearly enough kids of my own, I'm going to offer before and after school care.  Being that it's pretty much impossible to find here (and I know because I've looked!) I figure that might provide some much appreciated income.  Geoff suggested I make an ad that says "I'm staying home, so you don't have to" or "I don't have a job so I'll take your kids and you can keep yours".  He's such a smartass.

Even though I have a plan for continuing to get paid while I figure out my business, I'm well-versed in the whole "plans can change" predicament.  My children, however are optimistic about my joblessness.  Ocean says "yay! That means you can spend more time with us!"; Ethan concurs with the exact same sentence and Aaron said "good-ish?" Why? "Because we won't have to go to a babysitter - I hate that." Hunter?  Well I didn't expect a detailed oral report but upon hearing that I wasn't going to have to go to work anymore he said "so can we go to Grandma's?"

My brother-in-law's (still think it's neat to say that) birthday celebration is going on this evening and although I originally thought we wouldn't make it (because we pay sitters $10/hour and by tonight I will be officially unemployed), Nana has offered to come by after dinner and stay with the kids.  Things should be pretty calm by then because dinner doesn't start until 7.  And as I think about my last day of work... well I've come to the conclusion that I should have some fun.  All this mature planning crap can be tough and it's my brother-in-law's birthday; it would be totally self-centred to wallow in self-pity and not celebrate others' joy - in costume.  That's just common sense people.