Work Life Balance...

Something wonderful happened for our family this week. As anyone who really knows me knows (which should be all of you...since you're here and all), I have a constant battle over balancing my work life and time with our kiddos.  I love my job and they have always been very flexible with my schedule, from the time Ben was born until he was 3 (and Brooke was 1) I worked 3 days/week which was really great. But a year ago I felt pressure to bump it up to 4 days and have struggled with the transition ever since. That put Brooke going to daycare 4 days a week, and as much as we all adore Miss Sally it has always been more than I'm comfortable with and I've really missed them both.  I wonder constantly whether we could make it work if I stayed home full time, but fear finding my place back in the workforce if I left such a great job.

On Monday I had my yearly review with my boss, who has been there about a year and a half and has been really awesome. He is very happy with my accomplishments over the past year, and asked how my schedule is working out. I told him how much I value my Wednesdays at home and left it at that, for fear of sounding demanding to ask for anything more. Then he was the one to bring up, "well I want you to know that I am fine with you working from home any time." He's said that before, so I clarified..."Really?  Like you're REALLY okay with that on occasion?" He said yes and that he actually thought it would be better if I picked one day each week that I stayed home so that it was planned and everyone would know and expect it. Now, anybody who has kids of their own, or has met my kids, knows that not much of anything can be accomplished with a very busy 2 and 4 year old around. And he recognized that, and said that he understood it would be tough but as long as I kept my phone on me, was available, and logged in to check my e-mail a few times throughout the day he was okay with it. SERIOUSLY?!??!  Nicest. Boss. Ever. I've thought about hiring somebody to come spend the day with us so that she can keep them busy when I need to get work done, but I can still see them and have lunch with them, etc. AND my kids get to stay home (no crazy morning rush for us) AND I still get to keep my job I love and get paid for four days...seriously best of both worlds!!

This is the way it's going to play out, and it makes me so overjoyed to think about. Brooke will go from spending 4 days at Miss Sally's to TWO (yahooooo!), and will spend Mondays with her Mormor and Morfar. She loves being there with them and my mom is excited to spend more time with her. Ben will continue to go to school 3 days a week but drop his Mormor day in exchange for Fridays home with me. He's grown to enjoy school and is doing so well, and Mike and I feel 3 days will be good for the next year to transition into kindergarten 5 days/week.  Fridays I will stay home and have talked to the the one sitter we've ever used outside of the family (Kathryn) to come hang out with us from 9-1 until the kids take their nap.  The kids adore her, she's 17 and has her own car...perfect!  So, not sure if I'll go it alone come fall or find someone else to help, but it's going to work GREAT in the meantime.

SOOO happy for us, I've felt this huge relief all week that this is the perfect scenario for us at the moment. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that after so much worrying things always work out so well...we are so very blessed.