Work at Home?

I am a teacher, therefore there are periods of the year in which I have extra time on my hands.   Recently I've had a lot more freed up time as I'm done doing work for my Masters program.     Enter huge sigh of relief.

That free time, while it may not be a lot, it is still time I would like to consider productive.   I recently delved into the world of article writing.   So far I've written six articles for a fantastic website all based on education.

www.brighthubeducation.com

This has given us a bit of extra money to put towards the random things that come up around the house.   These articles are based on my full time job, teaching art.

 I've also been looking into other ways to make a bit of extra cash on the side and have found myself addicted to Varagesale.   Buying and selling things around the house for the boys has become a little hobby of mine.  

The other day I found 8 pairs of pants, and 8 shirts that fit H for five bucks!  What a deal, especially for a little boy who just destroys clothes.  

Keeping myself at home with the boys, while generating extra income is ideal.  The blogosphere has many great ideas, yet I find myself worrying about the legitimacy of these opportunities as many of them are scams.

Someone has to stick around to wrangle these little monsters!  Have any of you found legitimate ways to boost your income while at home?

Life with two sons.

Harrison has always been true and blue 'boy'.  Ever since he was little he loved trains, loved sports, and is obsessed with his Daddy.

Harrison man.

  

It still startled me when Thomas became such a 'boy' so early on.   I remember posting an Instagram video of them when Tom was around 4 or 5 months and he was giggling and laughing with joy when big bro was trying to roll around and tumble with him.

Fast forward a couple months and Tom is almost one, Harrison is 3.5 and they have become obsessed with one another.  My  momma heart loves this.  However, no matter how often I watch it is still surprised me to see how early boys play rough.  I will look over and find the two of them pig piling on one another, and rolling around on the carpet.   

Look at those rolls!

Tom thinks it's great, Harrison is having a blast, and I'm happy they're happy.  Especially because it give me a couple moments of Mommy time.   

As I write my post I'm watching sweet Tom making cringe beautiful music by bashing a toy screwdriver on a coffee can, and the oldest is sitting among a pile of matchbox cars and construction equipment.

Tom was so small., and H had short hair.

Growing up I was surrounded by much of the same toys as I had a younger brother.  But, there was always a Barbie or doll infused with the play.  My matchbox cars had to stop at the grocery store on the way back from their police chase.  I have storage containers full of my old stuff, dress up clothes and cabbage patch galore.   Perhaps it's time to purge.

In the mean time, another post cut short as I must stop Harrison from chucking a ball at his little brother.  Ohhh Brother.

February Vacation

The boys and I have started our February vacation.  Up early, 5:30 to just have a quiet moment for me.  
I've mentally checked a couple of things off my checklist.   Laundry, paint touch up's in the hallway, paint touch ups on a desk, and vacuuming.

I am thankful Tom is becoming a bit more independent so I can get these things done, yet it is bittersweet as I long to be trapped under that infant again.    Don't get me wrong, I most definitely take advantage of the occasional dual nap.  We almost had a successful one today, but the dog barked waking Thomas.   I guess it was better off as I was watching some trash television anyways.  Catching up with the first Teen Mom's Farrah....  Eeeeep.  

A couple snaps from today...

Back again?

Back on the Bloggy train.  My how things have changed.  My sweet family welcomed another joyous boy into our clan.  My last cryptic post was regarding the news we found out we were pregnant.   

Thomas and Harrison have become the joys of our lives.  It is amazing seeing two brothers play, and love on one another.

Grad School is over, HURRAH!   I officially hold my masters of arts in teaching.  I am grateful it is over now as I would never have the time to do it now with two active boys.  It was hard enough to finish with a three year old and two week for my last six week course.

Harrison has grown, his vocabulary has expanded, and motherhood has become harder.   How simple it was with one child, and how complex it has become with two.

Balance, and Patience have become my center focus as I seem to have little of both.  

 Sweet Thomas is almost walking at 11 months old, and he truly brings such sweetness to our lives.

 Harrison has entered the 'terrible threes' but man is he cute as ever!

To a renewed focus!

Another Summer.

Technorati Tags: Summer,Harrison,Art Teacher,Job,Vacation

I love my job, even though I’ve hated the recent budgetary issues and pink slippage.   I love it for many reasons…

Summers off with my baby.

Vacations with my baby.

Holidays with my baby.

I guess the trend is the time off, I admit it, I love it.  I also love that day in, and day out I’m doing what I love.  Creating art with others. 

This year is a  bit different for me as it is July 18th and I still don’t know what school I’m going to be teaching at this coming school year.  My city is in budgetary turmoil, and has been for the past six months.   I thought I was going to come out of it unscathed, with job in hand (not much of a crazy thought as I have five years in the system).  But, I was very wrong.   This May I received a pink slip, a reduction in force notice, that I wasn’t going to have a job in the fall.   How scary when we have a child, a mortgage, and bills to pay.   I never thought I was going to be one of those people that was unemployed (how judgmental on my part).

I did the whole thing, applying everywhere, interviewed at one school only to lose the position to a friend from college, and applied for unemployment.  Losing my job was incredibly disappointing as my husband and I literally just came off the Birth control boat and were ready to give Harrison a sibling.

Fate works in odd and amazing ways, and last week the mailman hand delivered a certified letter to me reinstating my job.  I literally jumped and yelled out in joy.  

What sweet sweet relief to have my job back.

        

Now I can go back to having my

Summers with my baby

Vacations with my baby

Holidays with my baby

All while having a job I love.

 

-Ashley

So What Wednesday

This week I’m linking up with Shannon at Life After I Dew for another So What Wednesday…

I’m saying So What to…

If I’m actually pretty bummed that I’m missing out on the Real World and Teen Mom shows.  Getting sick of these Directv disputes.

If I’ve secretly loved that my son has a bit of a fever, an excuse to stay indoors and not feel guilty.

I’ve completely given up on running this summer, this New England heat wave is killing me.

That I’m incredibly relieved to finally have done the ‘phone call’ to my sitter, letting her know we’re going with someone else this fall.

If I am terrible at keeping really fun secrets!

I’ve been more lax with spending money this week, finding out you have your job back does that to a lady.

I’ve used the saying, “I deserve this” more than once this week.  I usually hate that sentence as I feel it’s so entitled, but this week I really have ‘deserved it”

Harrison has stayed up late this entire week due to mommy guilt.

I have absolutely no bedtime routine, naptime routine, or daytime routine.  Hey, it’s working for us.   (kind of)

 

That’s what’s going on with us this Wednesday, what do you have going on?

 

-Ashley

So What Wednesday.

I’m linking up once again with Shannon from Life at I Dew for another
So What Wednesday.

So what if…

-I put the toddler to bed early tonight.  Kiddo  was out of his mind he was so overtired.  Sprinting through the kitchen, then crying hanging on my leg. 
-I just heard H woke up and did a silent prayer to myself that he falls back asleep.
-I only clean my car out if I know someone other than my husband will be riding in it, (and only then does ‘cleaning’ entail brushing the goldfish cracker crumbs off the seats.
-I always leave the bath toys at the bottom of the tub for my poor husband to clean up, almost every time.
-Everything in my house has some sort of leveler under it.  Gotta love a 100 year old house with crooked floors.
-If that also means that if you position yourself correctly you almost always end up winning that game of pickup hockey in the kitchen.
-I can’t say no to projects at work, and am becoming slowly frazzled by the deadlines looming over my head.
- I skim, then pass over the last WAHM VS. SAHM VS.Working mom post.  Parts of me have been so conflicted lately that reading another will send me over the edge.  As a guilty party myself, I need to gather my thoughts before I post again about it.
- I let my voicemails sit for weeks at a time. 
- Don’t immediately (if even) respond to texts within the same day.
- I am loving my husband now having his first ‘smartphone’.  BBMing has never been so fun!

Thanks for reading, and link up with us for So What Wednesday.

Ashley