Occupation: Mom

Alex starts kindergarten tomorrow. We met his teacher on Friday, and then I started to fill out some forms. Normally this would have been a mundane task, but there has been a big change around here. A simple line on a form got me thinking.

Occupation___________

I was easy to fill in my husband's occupation on the form for Alex's teacher, but I left mine blank. My last day at work was July 31. I quit my job.

It was a decision that was brewing over the summer. I was dragging my feet to sign up Alex for the before and after school program even though we had a good visit. I wanted to pick him up from school. Not at 5:00 PM or later but when the school bell rang. I wanted to walk him to and from school. I wanted to pack his lunches instead of automatically signing up for the easier option to buy them. I wanted to be able to volunteer at school or go on a class field trip. I wanted him to do after school activities. I wanted us all to be less hurried and less stressed.

Our kindergarten is only a half day, but Alex has been putting in full days since he was 3 months old. My work schedule did not mesh easily with the school schedule. My husband's spread sheets gave us an accurate view of our finances, and our interests in minimalism and mustachianism certainly have helped. The door seemed to be opening, and I just needed the courage to walk through it.

The events unfolded in a surreal manner. I needed to meet with my boss for my annual review, so I went in with a letter of resignation. I gave three weeks notice and finished up my ninth summer of freshman orientation as an academic advisor. I wrapped up my last day, and then we got on a plane the next morning to visit family in Indiana and Ohio.

We returned a week before Alex's first day of kindergarten, and I savored this little bit of summer.

We spent a lot of time at parks: playing in the water, running around, Alex climbing, and even grilling out for dinner.

Now the blank of that form seems less intimidating after some thought. I will fill in my occupation as "Mom" and see what else comes along in the future. I've been a mom for the past five years, so I think that I can handle the job.