New Adventures Are Upon Us

What a month May was....I started out the month with a field trip with Declan and I am ending the month starting a new job on Monday.  I wish I could say it has been an easy month; but it has been far from it. Shortly after Declan's field trip, some issues came up at work and I decided it was best to start looking for a new position.  About a week after my initial search and with the help of some good connections with recruiters, I was able to land another role fairly quickly and as a result, my time in transportation/logistics is complete.

A few things I've learned over the years about myself -- I'm my own worst critic and my work ethic is far superior to most.  For months now, I've felt the weight of the world on my shoulders and being in an industry that is 24/7, there never seemed to be a time to slow down, stop or enjoy any successes.  Being in the office, there were always mountains of work to complete and never enough time.  And being out of office for a day, I always ended up being so anxious about all of the tasks that were piling up with no help or backup to step in.  Also, I manage people to a super high standard and being so goal oriented and motivated to be the best, it comes off me being better than others and causes tension.  I've been over-working myself due to others not having that same drive too and as a result, it's taken a toll on me mentally, emotionally and physically.

I'm excited for my new role and the challenges it brings.  I'm having to start over in a brand new industry and learn most of it from scratch, but I'm hoping my years of experience in accounting will help me succeed.  I'm also working to lower my standards (just slightly) with my new team.  Instead of having 16 direct reports, there are only 3 and my goal is to be a mentor and colleague to them.  I still am a controller and still have a responsibility to my employer, but I also get to work closely with other like-minded people, which is something I've longed for over the years.  But overall, I hope this change brings back some of the joy I've been missing in my professional life.

Other than that, Declan finished kindergarten yesterday.  I can't believe that his first year of elementary school is now behind us.  It seems like just yesterday, I was dropping him off for his first day!  He starts summer camp on Monday and is looking forward to his own camp adventures for the next 11 weeks.  Today he started a 5 week 8U hockey clinic to improve upon his hockey skills for landing on a team in the fall.  It's an hour of skills and scrimmage each Saturday morning with his coach from all of his hockey and skating lessons.  He's bound and determined to make an 8U team this fall and be a hockey player when he grows up.  I love his enthusiasm and drive...he comes by it honestly!

Connor has 11 weeks in his current preschool class until he moves up to Preschool 2 in the middle of August.  While it doesn't seem like much of a change on paper, the Preschool 2 class is more structured and follows a stricter daily schedule to prepare the kids for junior kindergarten and kindergarten.  He's thriving academically now but I know the move will make him that much more prepared for his future.  

Anyway, that's all I got for now.  I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend and prepare for my new job.  I'm hoping and praying that this change is my "missing puzzle piece."

Winding down the school year

I had the privilege of taking the day off of work today and going on a field trip with Declan's kindergarten class to the Butterfly House and Faust Park.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I can say we all survived and had a bunch of fun and a class of kindergartners is a lot of work!

We left Declan's elementary school at 9:30 this morning and met the bus at the park.  Me and another mom were in charge of 5 of the 16 kids. I had warned Declan ahead of time to be on his best behavior and for the most part he was.  The kids got to ride the carousel first and then we headed to the Butterfly House for a presentation on a butterfly's life.  The kids, who have been learning about butterflies in science at school were so eager to show what they knew.  Then we were able to explore the actual dome and see the butterflies and various plants.  Afterwards, we spent a few minutes in the butterfly garden burning off some energy outside before having a picnic lunch and a short recess on the playground.  Around 1 pm, we gathered all the kids up -- which was a feat in itself with 5 and 6 year olds all over the place on a large playground and we headed back to school.  Overall, it was a fun field trip and I'm glad I took the day off to experience it with Declan.

Other than the field trip today, we've had a pretty busy few months.  We've still got hockey and ice skating on Saturdays, swimming lessons on Sunday and all other sorts of activities and events on random nights of the week.

In early April, we attended the Puck Cancer 2nd Shift at the Centene Community Ice Center.  It was an alumni game between the Blues and Blackhawks and it sure was entertaining.  The boys absolutely love any type of hockey and being able to sit a few rows off the ice is always fun.

Declan had a leadership day at his school also and we got to see more about how they are working with the kids to become leaders not only at school but throughout their futures.  He got to speak in front of the entire school at an assembly and we were so proud of his growth this school year.

At mid-April, we celebrated Easter.  We decided to have a low-key Easter this year and the boys got some small gifts, including some marshmallows and binders for their hockey cards.  They did enjoy finding all of the Easter eggs and have hidden them a few more times since then.  We stayed close to home and just had a family dinner.

That brings us up to May.  We've got a countdown for the end of school and the boys are looking forward to summer and getting some time at the pool.  Declan will be going to summer camp and Connor will be in a summer program at preschool.  It's so hard to believe that summer is almost upon us!  Where has the school year gone?!?  I'm about to have a 1st grader and another one with only 1 year left of preschool...my oh my!

We're trying to figure out a family vacation and some fun things to do this summer and it will be here in a blink of an eye!  I better get thinking and planning!!!