Well, I have had quite a break away from my blog just lately - I do apologise to anyone who might have missed me! I mentioned when I first started this blog that I was in the process of trying to get back into the workforce.
What has followed has been months of looking for a job, dealing with Centrelink (and we all know that's no fun!) and trying to figure out how to make myself more employable after so many years at home raising my family.
I finally took a huge step and have started a course at the local TAFE college, studying Aged Care. I was very nervous in the lead-up to the course beginning (hey, it's been a long time since I was in a classroom!), but I am really enjoying it so far. In fact, at the three week mark, I can honestly say I am finding the course more interesting and enjoyable than I had ever expected to. My classmates are easygoing, interesting people and the teacher is enthusiastic and supportive.
What more can a student (of any age) ask for?
There is a lot to learn and at times I feel like my brain is being expected to hold a lot more information than it thinks it's capable of .... but I seem to be managing okay so far! The title of this post is no accident - I really am pleased to announce that my brain does still seem to work. The great thing is, I can feel my own self-esteem and self-confidence improving with each day. As an added bonus, the Caveman has gone back to school with me at the same TAFE college (although doing a different course) and I have seen the same changes occurring for him. It is exciting for both of us and, for the first time in years, we feel like we are doing something truly productive toward our future.
Of course, the impact on our kids is significant too .... they have had to get used to all five of us needing to be out the door before 8.30 every morning. There is more expectation on all of them to help out around the house (which they are doing, mostly without complaint!). They seem quite proud of us too, which is lovely.
Naturally, there have been times the adjustment has been difficult. We've had mornings when I didn't think any of us would get to where we needed to be, on time. There have been afternoons I've come home and realised I have to pop back out to do a little shopping and I'm just too tired to think about it. A couple of nights ago I had to do an urgent load of washing and get it dry the next day or the kids would have run out of school uniforms!
We are getting ourselves sorted out though and the routine is smoother every day. We have our study times and relaxation times ... and everyone is generally excited and happy about this new phase in our lives.
Not to mention, it's kind of sweet to drop your kids off in the morning and call out, 'Have a nice day at school,' only to have them turn around and call back, 'You too, Mum!'
No comments:
Post a Comment