Thankful to be a lunch lady

As I've been reflecting the past few days on things I'm thankful for, I of course think of my family, friends, home, etc.  However, one new thing in my life has been at the top of my mind.

I know I wrote about being a lunch lady a few posts ago, but I really am incredibly thankful for my job. A few weeks ago, I took on a new role in the kitchen.  I'm now the clerk, depositing lunch money into accounts, contacting parents when accounts are low, scanning lunch cards as the kids come in to eat, etc. As I was asked begged to take this position, I just didn't think I could possibly take the job, because it would mean going from the 12 hours a week I was working, to 30 hours. I loved my very part-time hours!  In fact, in my first month, one of my supervisors said, "Don't worry, you won't always have to work the 12 hour/week shift."  To which I replied, "But I love it; I don't want to work more than that."

As the time to decide came to an end (there were several interested parties scheduled for interviews the following week), I made a last-minute decision to take the job. Today, I'm so thankful for the way things just work out!  I've been in my new role just a few weeks, and while it's still new and exciting, I don't think I'll ever regret taking it.  Sure, the 2.5 times more hours I'm working have been exhausting, but I know I will build up stamina and it won't seem like a big deal at some point (I hope).  As luck would have it, I also started an early morning (5:40 am) fitness class the same week I started these new hours, which isn't helping.

My new shift starts at 7 am. I'm usually the 2nd car in the parking lot in the morning. But what I love about this, is being one of the first faces students and staff see every morning as they start to trickle in.  I get to greet them all with a cheerful "good morning".  It's a small thing, but that means a lot to me.

One morning, a 4th grade boy came up to me at 7:30 and said, "Do you want to know what my goal is?"  I said, "Sure, Connor, I'd love to hear your goal." He proceeds to tell me that his goal is to have a smile on his face every single day for the rest of the year.  Of course I smiled and told him what an amazing goal that was and what a great gift he would be giving to others as he looked at them with his giant smile.

A couple of days later, Facebook was a sad state of negativity (right after Trump was elected president).  I drove to school that morning feeling so sad for everyone who was being so negative (and extremely glad that I don't care an ounce about politics). And guess who came to my thoughts as I sent positive vibes to all of the negative people??  Connor.  So, when I saw Connor that morning, I told him, "Connor, I thought of you this morning on my way to work."  He gave me an inquisitive look.... "You did?!?!" he asked.  I told him that I wished everyone could have a goal to smile daily just like he did.

Already, the kids are touching my heart. I get several hugs daily. Yesterday, one sweet little girl brought me a chocolate Hershey kiss.....now, THAT made my day!!  Normally I would eat chocolate the second it's handed to me.  Not this time.  This time, I looked at the candy and knew that it was meant to be a reminder of how lucky I am to have such a special job.  I put the candy on my desk in my office to serve as a daily reminder.

I have learned so many of the kids' names in the short few weeks I've been in this role. Being able to call them by their name, or have them call me by mine, makes my relationship with the kiddos feel so much more special.  And while I was so hesitant about working more hours, being in the building for most of the school day allows me the opportunity to see some of the kids (including my daughter) multiple times a day. I feel like a part of the community within the building now. It's a great feeling.  I never dread going to work. Working in an elementary school has so many more ups than downs and it feels like all of the adults in the building are all there for the same reason......and it isn't the pay.

James and I have had many conversations in the past few years about how much more important it is to love your job than to make a lot of money.  This job is a true testament to that for me.  I made 2.5 times more money at my last job before I became a stay-at-home mom than I'm making now.  But, I don't do this job for the money and I wouldn't take a corporate job for more money again.

Today, as I was out and about with my husband and kids while so many others were working, I thought about what a great job I have in terms of days off.  I only had 2-3 weeks off a year with my corporate jobs.  Working in a school, I have summers, Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, spring break, snow days and all of the in-service days off.  I also get some paid time off as well (surprisingly, quite a bit). It's really a perfect job for a parent who wants to be home at the same time as their kids. I get done at 1:15 every day, so I still have a couple of hours to myself before the kids are done too. It couldn't be more perfect for me. I'm so thankful for this new role coming into my life.

I'm also still writing for the magazine, though I had to cut back on the number of articles I was writing each month. I've had a really great fall, meeting some wonderful people with this job and getting to do some really fun shoots.

I got to go for a ride in this car!

This was a remake of a photo taken years ago...I enjoyed this one a lot!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!  I hope your holiday is spent with those you care about and you have many things to feel thankful for.