I've Been a Little Busy. Working!

It's official. I have a job...a professional career kind of job! WHOOOOHOOOO! This girl is the new Assistant Director of a Child Development Center in Birmingham! 

As I write this, I am realizing that I have had this job for exactly two weeks today! Time flies, doesn't it? It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks. Before I explain what I do, I should probably mention how quickly it came about. (well....sort of.)

There was a night about three weeks ago, where I was just "over" job-searching every single night at home. It gets exhausting...quickly. I had arrived at exhausted. It was then that I found myself expressing my frustrations (and my hopes) to the Lord, once again. At this point, I had had a really great interview with the Director of the CDC and had been told I would be called for a follow up interview with the Board of the CDC. Well, it had been over a month and I hadn't heard anything. The praying continued...even as my hands typed and sent an email to the Director. It couldn't hurt, right?

I received an email response the next day explaining that the process had been taking a while due to summer vacations, etc., and that I should hear something soon. She wasn't kidding. 

Two days later the Director called me to schedule my second interview. Yay! I hung up the phone, and then it hit me that the interview was a day and a half later?!

Fast forward to interview day, and let's just say that I was happy to be occupied with a bedroom renovation (appearing on the blog soon) that kept me busy for most of the day. After all, the interview with the board wasn't until 5:30 that evening! Torture, I tell you. 

Prepping for the interview included throwing on my cutest leopard print dress, a black cardi, some cute red heels, and praying the whole way there. 

The interview lasted about 45 minutes and went extremely well! (I thought so, anyways.) It was comfortable and easy, in the sense that I wasn't really nervous and was able to communicate my thoughts clearly. Towards the end I was told to expect to hear back in about a week. They had a few applicants to consider and would make their decision as soon as possible. Shwew. That part was over. I went home to fill roomie in on what had happened and continued on the with my evening feeling a sense of peace and confidence about the whole experience. 

What happened next was completely the work of the Lord. I was told to expect a week, and no joke...the Director called me back in LESS THAN 24 HOURS to offer me the position?!?!?! What?! I couldn't believe it! Pretty sure I was in shock and even shaking in awe and excitement all at the same time! I think I even asked if she was serious, over the phone?! Obviously, I said yes, and what was even better is that she was just as excited as I was! Surreal. This was a Thursday, and I started the following Monday! 

Can I also say, that the Lord has a sense of humor as well...
Out of all places to work at, who gets a job at a center that has not one but three butterflies in their logo AND butterflies in various areas all over the building?!?! This girl. It is SO not funny. I hate them all. Word is though, that the logo will be changing...that cannot happen soon enough! Anything, besides those horrifying creatures! Back to what I was saying...

The past two weeks have been a controlled crazy and I have been busy learning and working each and every day. A position as an Assistant Director of a child development center had always been one of my goals, after Graduate School. (Much of this due to an awesome Assistant Director that I had at my very first CDC job in college. My hope is to implement many of the things I learned from her, into my job now. She and the Director were such great inspirations and role models!) So, I am now actually getting to live out this goal/dream, and it's great! 

I have A LOT to do, and EVEN MORE to learn, and all in a very short amount of time. As an Assistant Director, some of my responsibilities include, staff scheduling, office work, scheduling field trips, planning extra activities, answering phone calls, handling paperwork, giving out medications, subbing in classrooms when needed, payroll, creating the newsletter, and taking a lovely stroll down to the bank every day. (Being in the heart of the city has its perks...a lovely walk in the fresh air and easy access to food trucks being a few of them!) That really is only some of the list! Not only do I have the day to day duties to perform, but I also have a great staff to get to know and to support! The Director and I get along beautifully, and I am so glad that we share both the stresses and the laughable moments of the job together every day. 

I love waking up in the morning and being excited about being at my job! It's not just an "oh, it's new" kind of joy, but an honest "I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing" kind of joy. I love what I do! I also adore loving on some children each and every day! They're the greatest!

I only have a few pictures to share, and this one is of my desk area in my half of the office. Let it be known that this was task numero uno my first day. Get my desk and office organized, and CUTE of course! I can't work in a messy, cluttered space. (Haha, that organization is still happening and it's now the end of week two...it has just spread to different areas of the building.) I can't help it! Every room should by organized, right?!

Yes, it all matches/goes together! People were so surprised by this. 

I even updated the cuteness of my office key ring...a little bling never hurts! 

in the front entry way (excuse the tousled papers)

Hallway

A really cool view from my work place. Hello, Downtown!

I find that I wake up every day feeling just as honored, humbled, privileged, and thankful to have this job as I did the day before! It doesn't bring me closer to friends and family back home, as many had hoped, but it is clearly where the Lord wants me to be at this point in my life. That's really all that matters! 

In the coming weeks, I will try to make sure to pass on great stories. Until then, you can find me wiping noses, giving meds, depositing checks, reading a book to a child, filing, and stealing pink lemonade from the kitchen. Yes, all at the same time of course! Did you even have to wonder?