My friend over at Mason Moments asked what we did before becoming stay at home moms.  Most of you have heard me mention from time to time that I used to teach in public school, but I thought I would go back further than that.

During high school, I wasn't allowed to work.  My parents believed that it would affect my grades, and I am sure they were right, but during the summers I did volunteer at the day care center where my mom worked. I also did other jobs with children such as counselor at church camps and nursery teacher during camp meeting weeks for which I was paid.

After high school graduation, I got a summer job working at the local Hardee's.  I was a cashier.  My twin brother worked the grill.  We rode together to work.  Many days we would work two shifts because we had the time and wanted the money.  In the fall we both quit.  He went into the army and I went to Florida to a small Christian college called Warner Southern in Lake Wales.  I was so homesick!  I hated the heat and bugs and sand and flat land!  I hoped to find Mr. Right and when that didn't happen, and I received notice that I owed more money unexpectedly, which I couldn't pay, back to VA I headed!

I once again got a job at the same Hardee's and began taking classes at the local community college.  After a year, I decided I wanted to work at the daycare again for pay this time.  I worked at both Hardee's, the day care and took classes one sememster.  That part is really just a blur!   The Hardee's offered to train me for the job of office manager, but I knew that I didn't want to spend my life in that business!  I also could have had full time work at the daycare, but by this time I had decided to go to Radford University and be a school pyschologist.  So I ended all my off campus jobs, entered dorm life, and was assigned to work in the financial aid office with the lady who did Pell Grants.  This turned out to be one of the best jobs that I had.  The people were so wonderful and I learned a great deal about how to be organized and work in an office environment.  I was also offered a chance to become a loan officer here but declined.  I now realized after a few sememsters of pyschology that what I really wanted was to work with "normal" kids and be a teacher.  So in December of 1994 I graduated with a teaching degree and by January I was filling a full time substitute position at Dublin Middle School for the remainder of the school year.  This was a very difficult situation in this 7th grade class for math and english, but it really taught me how to swim as a teacher!  The next fall I had offers from two schools and accepted the one that was 4 hours from home. 

At that school I taught 5th , 6th and 7th grades in all subject areas for the next six years.  I also sponsored and directed a drama club for three years, and served in various curriuclum writing assignments, and taught a voluntary afterschool tutoring program for two years.  When I was married the last two years of my time at this school, I had two baby girls and knew very quickly that I could not do either my job or family justice.  I began praying and a month later my husband asked me to stay home and be a fulltime wife and mom.  I happily agreed!

I am so thankful for the past 7 years of being home full time!  I wouldn't trade it! I do look forward to one day possibly being a secretary again for a wonderful pastor I know!  That is if I am not too busy being a stay home grandmother!

I would love to know about some of you too!  What did you do before now?