I'm Done...

This is an official announcement. I am finished with my pity-party. That's it. On drive in this morning, it occurred to me that being stressed and feeling sorry for myself does not help me at all. It will not solve anything nor will it make the my life or the lives of my children better. Neither will alcohol or food. None of that would improve my ability to be a mother. And let's face it, the kids deserve the best and I can't give it to them down in the dumps. I recalled the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

So, I can't do anything about the changes that my employer made to my job. For the time being I have to accept this. I can most certainly begin to keep my eyes open for something closer to my home. In this economy I'm not going to bet on it. And even if I do, I would have to keep the benefits in mind: insurance & time off. Those things are very important with children. I'm currently carrying it all for the family. My husbands job offers neither affordable insurance or paid time off (this year he did get 5 days which we horde the final 3 for all their worth). So, when the kids get sick it's all on me to take care of in order for his paycheck not to be docked. So, I can keep an eye out for something else- for him too. My fantasy is that he gets a great job with benefits and I can hop scotch my happy ass out of here. But I digress...

What I can also change right now...and have already started is getting WC back on track with his school work. The first order of business was to shut the tv off on week nights. That's right, the tv does not come on when we walk in the house. We simply don't have time. There's enough to do. He's spent the past two and half hours in after-school care-playing. It isn't like it's just work-work-work. We're working on spelling words and writing. Last night he completed his homework that's due on Friday. Yep, no waiting to the last minute, let's get it over with. I've been online researching extra enrichment activities and worksheets that include things he needs to work on. I've printed off a number of free worksheets from http://www.brobstsystems.com/kids/ 

Tonight on our drive to karate we will work on verbally spelling words. I ordered some phonics readers, a teachers set actually, that came highly recommended when the BOB books are a little too simple. And I ordered the first set of BOB books (bobbooks.com) for CJ. CJ sits at the table when WC does his homework & he has to have pencils and paper too. So, I'm going to work with him too- finding level appropriate things for him. With CJ's ability I think I can have him reading about on the same level as WC in a few months, if I worked on it. The problem is the time. But I am determined to make it work.