How it all began

Here is how it all began. I had a great part time job-seriously I loved it.

It was a 2 day a week job, what's not to love? After working full time while the kids were very small and putting them in daycare everyday (and watching my entire paycheck go to daycare), I had an opportunity to switch to a fun part time job.

I earned a decent amount of money, did work I loved and had time with the kids.

Well, then the economy started to go...I worked for a very small company, in a very specialized industry-earlier this year I watched co workers getting let go, budgets being slashed, I knew I was next.

I would have been blind not to see the writing on the wall. Just as I guessed it, I got let go in Feb. My bosses were very sweet and they really seemed to regret having to let me go, and it was weird even though I knew it was coming it still hurt.  There I was unemployed at age 36. what a bummer.

Now, I am thankful that I had three years at this job. I was able to spend a lot more time with my kids and my life was a little less stressed. When I worked full time I felt I never spent enough time on anything, work, kids but man is was a huge blow to our finances.

We are always short of money always, somebody always needs shoes, clothes, doctor, or it its not that its car repairs, home repairs....grrrr. My check may not have been huge, but it was steady and it paid for the groceries.

I did have a little side job, little over a year ago, I started doing some writing-paid writing.

I never considered myself a writer, I just happened to spot an ad for the local papers writing contest, I entered it and I won!

It was so amazing, I got to write a piece for the local paper, get paid and have my opinion read by others...really cool. The kids loved seeing my picture in the paper.

So I decided to look for other writing jobs.Let me tell you it has been slow going. I have a few freelance clients that are regular, but I always need to find more work. And I don't have that much time to work, I squeeze it in while the kids are in school. On vacations I need to work long into the night. Every other freelance writing mom I know does the exact same thing.

You think you will have more freedom, but you end up even more regimented then when you were working full time. Plus, the added panic (that is constant) about money.

This was great I worked for a steady paycheck and i could write to earn a little fun money, then I lost my job and all of sudden I had no steady paycheck.

I had to decide if I wanted to try to be a full time freelance writer or if I wanted to find another part time job.

I tried to find another part time job, but it was no luck. I have such a limited schedule, I do the kids drop off/pick up and I am the designated parent for all vacations and sickness...I am not anyones idea of an ideal candidate, plus, I really didn't want to put the kids back in after/before school care. It is so expensive.