October Goals
Hello October!
Today officially marks one year in my new role at Duke! I guess I can't still call it "new," but it still feels mostly new.
The pros?
I work on a great team with really good people. I have really enjoyed the freedom and flexibility it has provided, especially with young kids. I get to participate in all their activities, volunteer at their school/daycare, walk Cam to school each morning and most afternoons, drive them to activities - all without the burden of it cutting into my workday. I get to spend extra time with my dogs and often start preparing dinner earlier. It's much less stressful than when I used to arrive home and everything needed to happen at once: the dogs needed to go out, dinner needed to be made, etc. I get to wear my gym clothes all day long. At Articles Club, I've really upped my game when it comes to the dishes I bring to our dinners. My friends have been so impressed - they didn't know I could cook until this year, ha!
The cons?
I miss the socialization in my old role and being with people all day long in an office. I don't stay on top of household chores as much as I thought I would when working from home. It's more difficult to establish a consistent daily routine. I feel slightly more pressure to get household things done or more guilt when I don't do certain things. I am actually amazed at how quickly the day goes by, and yet I often have feelings of not accomplishing much on the home-front. I definitely did not feel these emotions when I was in the office each day; I think this is a "work from home" mentality. I prioritize my work during the day as I should, but it's at the expense of feeling like I am letting other things go. I sometimes miss the chaos, energy, and drive that comes with having a demanding job and a demanding home life. At least for me, I think there's some science behind it. If there's a force in our lives requiring us to do more, we respond by doing more, and my personality is suited for a busy and active lifestyle. I don't do well with boredom!
I'm excited to see where the next year takes me. I definitely have no regrets of switching jobs at Duke. It felt like I was giving up so much when I left my comfortable role of almost 15 years, but I feel so much more content now. I do not take this for granted.
On the Calendar this Month:
1. Lots of fun, seasonal activities with the kids!
2. A Duke basketball Blue & White game with Cam! So excited for this "Countdown to Craziness" night because I know the energy in Cameron Indoor Stadium will be wild! This will be Cam's third Duke game.
3. The State Fair! I know we'll go, but just not sure when. We usually go on a weeknight, but Cam has a day off of school that falls during the Fair, so maybe we can switch it up this year. TBD.
4. Halloween! Cam adores this holiday and the trick-or-treating! As always, he does not care about his costume so he will wear a mask we already own. I will probably pick up something for Brooke at the consignment store where I buy all my cheap, used kids' clothes (Once Upon a Child). I'm going to put up a few of our Halloween decorations this weekend, including a new life-size skeleton I got this year to sit on our front porch!
What I Read in September:
Shockingly....nothing. I did read the Bible daily, along with my devotional in the morning, but no other books which felt odd. I picked up five books from my waitlist at the library yesterday, so I'm headed into a busy reading season!
What I'm Loving Lately:
1. Making lots of apple recipes! We visited an apple orchard with the kids a couple of weeks ago so we have had a surplus of apples to use.
2. Brooke has been saying "Happy Birthday Sasha!" on repeat, and I heard her singing the happy birthday song in her crib last night after I put her to bed! :)
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