Working the Dream

         Life has been shaken up for us a bit lately! Last month Bluegrass Eye Centers (where Andrew has practiced since graduating last year) merged with another ophthalmic practice - Bennett and Bloom. Turns out what sounds like a children's boutique is actually a very large, successful eye care group featuring some of the premier doctors in Louisville. They really are all exceptional. And while Andrew certainly is too, he's very lucky to have joined them, given he's pretty new to the game. He's completing an ocular disease residency there, and we're so proud of him. He'll no longer do vision exams, only medical...which is a little sad, but really what he loves doing most anyway. 

          He'll make more, but work more. In fact, we'll have about 15 fewer hours together as a family most weeks, which feels like a lot. I won't lie, the first week I teared up a couple times. Our kids are little and these years are precious. Also, doing after school madness (that storm of homework, dinner, and children that combine forces to test your weekday sanity) and then bedtime on my own several nights in a row gave me so much respect for single parents. I know I can never complain...we're not dealing with death, divorce or deployment. But it was still hard.

         It's been a few weeks now, and I honestly feel fairly adjusted. I'm getting better at managing things, and love feeling my capacity increase. Instead of waiting for Daddy to get home, we go and do things on our own. Tuesday night I realized I had put kids in and out of car seats alone a total of 12 times that day. Quite an accomplishment for a scatterbrained co-dependent. :) 

         I still get frazzled, but even in the midst of the craziness feel blessed to have a fantastic husband who has an incredible job doing exactly what he loves. We live in a safe neighborhood and all our needs are more than met. There is chocolate waiting to greet me when the kids are finally down. Life is really good.

        And I'm learning that sometimes, even our blessings can be hard. Living the dream takes work.

We'll miss you, Bluegrass Eye!

You too, daddio! ;)