It has been a few years since I last blogged. I am not sure why I stopped. So many things have changed since I was last here. I have a feeling the newest arrival at that time (Katie) was keeping me pretty busy at home, and I didn't make time.
Our little family of 5 moved to Manhattan, KS for my husband's job, in June 2017. It is a really neat little town, with a population of around 50,000 people. It is the home of K-State Wildcats, so we have a college-town atmosphere. Though small, we have everything we really need here. There is a mall, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc. We don't have a Sam's Wholesale, but there is one in the next city which is only an hour drive. Our neighborhood is amazing. We can actually walk down the street without fearing. I have taken runs by myself two miles without feeling the need to carry pepper spray.
The kids are now in 4th grade (Jeanne), Kindergarten (Hunter), and pre-k (Katie)! Time has gone so fast! The oldest love Amanda Arnold school and Katie is learning to love her UCC Preschool. She has her moments. I can't believe I haven't been posting all these things! I feel like there is so much to catch up on, so much missed with these kids alone!
*Jeanne is 9 now, a beautiful young lady. She has had struggles in school but we are trying to keep on top of that. She is enjoying soccer this Fall as her extra-curricular activity. She does really well with it (she played in Little Rock and here before), when she is paying attention.
*Hunter is a natural born story teller! He is still the sweetest boy and loves to be around his dad, Pop, and other men doing men things (sports, hunting, fishing, etc.) Hunter also is enjoying playing soccer for the first time. Watching 5 year olds learn to play is entertaining.
*And Katie is still a firecracker! She came into the world during a tornado warning and hasn't stopped since. She is the light of my life, though, and was home with me when we first moved here, until she started pre-k this August. Katie is taking pre-ballet for her after school fun. And that will give me plenty of writings, I am sure!
When we decided to move here, I looked for jobs with my background in Forensics. There was nothing available in an hour distance, and even splitting the half hour was too long of a drive for Shawn's work. So we decided I would be a stay at home mom. I did look into substitute teaching, as a small paying job to keep me busy (because going from 8-5 for as long as I can remember to always being home was overwhelming). I figured it would be perfect, because I would be on the kids' schedules, and could say no if someone was sick. When we first got here, Hunter and Katie were in daycare 3 days a week, and I would sub those three days.
After a month or so, other bills started burdening us (had to get a new truck because Shawn's died), and I could see I needed to help out more. So I became a work from home mom, starting my own business as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. So I toggled between subbing or having a facial on MWF, or doing a facial while my littles napped on Tuesday/Thursdays. It was going ok, but by Christmas that first year, we realized how much we were spending on Katie to be in daycare, and how little subbing was taking in. And my Mary Kay business hadn't really boomed yet (I still didn't know many people here and I am not one to walk up to strangers and start up a conversation). I would have had to substitute every MWF and still wouldn't have covered her bill. So we made the decision that she would stay home with me, I would no longer sub, and I would push a lot harder with my business to try to make it worth it.
After a few more months, my business had gotten better, and I was getting lots of referrals, however it was to college students who don't buy much. So after another year, we re-looked at how much we were spending on daycare, and decided to switch Hunter to UCC pre-k program and was so happy with that choice. The reason we didn't do that one from the beginning is that it is from 9 AM-1PM, so I couldn't have substituted with those hours. My business is making enough to cover daycare, so I feel happy about it. Now that Katie is in school in the mornings, I am going to try and boost it again, and we will see where it leads me.
I joined a Thoms Moms group here in Manhattan, we have have Bible Study (which I now help lead) and play dates alternating throughout the month. There are also fun events we plan during the year. This group has helped me grow so much spiritually, and I would be lost without them. This group was a God-send for me being stay at home mom. I have made great friends and get to have adult time while the kids play during the week.
Well that is a pretty decent "Welcome back" and update, I think. My plan is to write 2 blog posts a week, one being the online Bible study post (I am still happily in that group), and the other being a post of relating to life here, including all the fun stuff our Thoms Moms group is doing. Till next time, see ya later alligator!
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