Due to financial situations and my own sanity, we decided that I should get a part time job. This was always part of the deal, if not me going back to full time. It's just when I had her, I cannot even imagine leaving her everyday and having someone else raise her. I know people do it, and it works for them, but I had a shining career already, I made a lot of money already, I want to focus on my family. Easily said, but when you live in the most
expensive area on the planet, not always the easiest option. With that said.... I got a part time job, and a fun one!
I am now a canopy tour guide at Mt. Hermon!! What is a canopy tour? A series of 6 zip lines, and 2 sky bridges ranging from 12-130ft in the air, and from 100-440ft zip lines!! So cool right? Right! and WRONG!!! Zip line will be awesome, I can work anywhere from 3 to 20 hours a week when summer starts, which is perfect.... but training SUCKED!!!!! I will say that again... TRAINING SUCKED!!! When I was hired they said training will be for a week, from 8-5 and they will more than accommodate my need to pump and or nurse my 8 month old..... Well, that is very nice of them to say, but the ones that hired me are not the ones that did the training. ****A important thing to note here is that I have never left Gracie for longer than 6 hours before, and that was once. She also hates the bottle******
Luckily for me, I have a wonderful sister and fantastic friends, who all watched Gracie. This was a big deal for me!!! I worried about her, worried about me, if I will lose my milk, because pumping is not the same...
Ok, so first day started at 8 and are you ready for this?..... It ended at 7:20!!! I was able to go home at lunch to feed her, but there were no "breaks" for pumping, we were in the trees the whole time! What am I supposed to do, take off my harness, pop behind a tree and pump 130ft up in the air? Not an option. So, no pumping was going on the whole week, I was only able to go at lunch to feed her, and she did not take the bottle for anyone!!!!!! So, solid foods it was, but she never had that much in her life, and her digestive system took a toll. The first night she was screaming for longer than an hour in pain.... Horrible mom I am.
To cut a long story somewhat short... I worked 60 hours in one week. Grace was great for all, but came home Friday with a fever and was miserable the whole weekend... celebrating my big 30th birthday with a very grumpy baby:( I think she was a combination of sick, had tummy aches, and just super mad a mommy for leaving her. She has showed a lot of separation anxiety since I have been back. SO SAD!!!
So dealing with Gracie was really hard, and training itself was really hard. I am used to being the trainer and knowing what I am teaching inside and out. With this training, I felt completely incompetent, I don't know anything about 7 by 19 Galvanized Aircraft extra improved plow independant wire rope core cable.... This was so new, so crazy and so hard for me!!! Physically it was hard too, having to rescue yourself, rescue others, doing mid-line lowers from 1ooft in the air hanging from a cable.... CRAZY!!!!!!!! I felt like quitting so often, came home at lunch in tears to my sister because I couldn't rescue someone because I am wasn't strong enough....
AHHHHHH!! Well, it is over, I passed all but one rescue in the time allotted, and just have to shadow 5 tours before I am an assistant guide.
I am really excited about being a guide, this week was just super intense and it made me realize that I don't want to work 50 hour work weeks like I did before I had her. If that means that we are going to be broke, it's worth it. I want to be at home with my children, or Stephen for that matter, for the majority of the time.
Ok, thanks for listening.... off to zip some people around now:)
Petting Oreo in a little Red Wagon
Love her little face!
So excited!!!
