Working 9 to 5

Finally! I have caught up to the right month. It was difficult getting to this point. I was not expecting to go back to work before the end of the year. With the stock market on the decline Papas worried that our future plans could be deferred.

I had to find a job, interview, find a Nanny and transition from SAHM to 9 to5 mom. The good news was after being at home for fifteen months I knew what I was looking for in the workforce. I felt confident of what I was worth, the type of schedule I wanted to keep and how much I wanted to earn.

Trying to find a job that would allow me to have some flex time was not very easy, but definitely worth the try. As an Interactive Producer it was hard to imagine a new employer would allow me to work from home 1 or 2 days a week, even though I think it is possible. I interviewed with 3 companies including my former agency. In every interview I laid down my cards, but only one employer was willing to negotiate and finally accept my flex time proposal. We settled on hard stop time at 5:00pm. Not so bad considering one can stay in the office until 7:00pm or even 9:00pm easily these days.

We decided Nanny care would be best for Marley. I had to search, call and interview again, this time for the right caregiver. At first I considered a Nanny finding agency like Absolute Best Care. One of the owners was kind enough to walk me through the entire process and his experience finding a Nanny. The bottom line was this option was too expensive a one tine payment of 15% of the Nanny’s annual income + application fee. Following the recommendation of another mom, I posted an ad on craigslist.com. In the end I found taking the time to read through the postings of various Nanny’s was the best way for me to find possible candidates. I met 6 to 8 people who were all wonderful. When I found the right person, I cried. I just knew in my heart I had found the person I could leave Marley with.

Since our Nanny was not available to start until the 1st of the month, Marley’s grandmother came to visit the week prior to our Nanny’s official start date. Leaving Marley with her Abuela my first week back to work also made the transition smoother for both us.

I was able to transition myself and Marley into a new routine, but there was one thing I could not get off of my mind. What about my blog, my photos, my dream to being a Momtrepreneur. Everyday I walked to the train I would daydream of what I thought I wanted for myself, my family and how I could get it. Going back to work gave me an urgent desire to follow through.

A Step Back

Semana Santa
Marley, Papas and I visited Guatemala during Easter Week (Semana Santa). We visited Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan and Antigua. Antigua Guatemala hosts a religious celebration with huge processions through the town’s cobblestone streets. Hundreds of purple-robed men move slowly through Antigua streets, their feet cushioned by carpets made of sawdust, flowers and other decorative materials used to create mosaics and murals along the routes.
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A Potty for ME
May was the quiet before the storm. Marley turned one. We celebrated her birthday in Boston with family. We started potty training.

Z is for Zoo
Plenty of visitors during the month of June and I went to the Bronx Zoo and Children’s Museum more than I care to recollect.

Sub Prime Blues
July was not so hot.

“The market is not looking so great. Suz, you may have to go back to work sooner than later”

-Papas

August was even worse...
“Have you sent out your resume yet?”

-Papas

Back Online

It has been a long while, but I am back online. The last few months I have been thinking about my blog. Where did we go wrong? How come our relationship did not last? I have had interesting thoughts to share, progress to report, but I just let the days go by in silence. Well, no more!

I’ll learn from my past mistakes and take a stab at creating a new and lasting relationship. Allow me to bring you up to speed on what has happened the past months over the next few days.