Now that I'm back

So I'm happy with my life. I really am. When I came back from Arizona I was confused. I had majored in education because I knew that I was supposed to be an influence for good in the life of children. And being as that there are at least 2 generations prior to me that were teachers I was pretty confident that was the route I was supposed to take if I wanted to work with kids. There was no way I was going to be a Child Development major- those classes sucked the life out of me!

And so I went 7 full semesters as an education major and was starting my 8th and final education semester as a student teacher and the impression came that I needed to be done with student teaching and that I needed to come back to Idaho. And it was hard to follow. I'd already made several friends down in AZ and I was in the middle of student teaching. I was just going to buck it up and finish what difference did 2 more months make, but the feeling kept coming. I needed to be done, that wasn't where I was needed. And although confused with the impression I was recieving, I looked into the option of not finishing student teaching and just getting a university studies degree. And I found out that I already had enough for it. So I decided that if that was what Heavenly Father wanted I'd move back.

Well I moved home and all of a sudden I was really grouchy and grumpy. I was happy to be back with my family close- my mom was THRILLED! but personally I felt like something was missing. I was so happy in my house in AZ, and now I was just hanging out in my parents' basement something I'd always promised myself I wouldn't do.
And I couldn't do it. I'm just to subborn, independent, whatever you want to call it to move back home and have my parents support me until I figured out what I wanted to do with myself.
So I called back to good ol' TLC and I was going to ask for my old job as a Developmental Therapist back until I figured out something more permenant, and at least this time I'd get a raise because of my degree. So I called and all I got was a voice mail box so I left a message asking if there were any job openings.
Well later that day I actually get a text from my cousin who works for the same company saying that she'd heard that there were some job openings, and not just as a DT. Would I be interested in working as a Lead Tech or a Developmental Specialist. I said possibly I'd need more details.
Well the next day I got a phone call from Lisa (my boss) and she had a couple of positions to offer me. Both had a ton more responsibility and one in particular much better pay and supervisory responsibility. And the one she thought would be most appropriate for me required a Bachelor's degree and based off of what she'd seen me do over the last few years she definately thought I was up to the job. I said I was definately interested, but I had to think about them because they both required a lot more paperwork/desk time and a lot less interaction with the kids. And coming back I figured I should just save as much money as I could in 8 months and head out on a mission come fall.

I thought about it over the weekend and felt like the Developmental Specialist position was what I was supposed to take. And by the next week I was hired as an Assistant Developmental Specialist. (basically the assistant just means that I do more of the paperwork and less of the management). But basically that means that my responsibilities require that I keep the files for the kids that come to our center current. I meet with their parents, administer SIB-R tests, (assesses developmental milestones), write IPP and PIPs basically states what a child needs to work on and how to teach them those skills. I also review the progress that the kids have made and then I fill out the formal paperwork to send to their parents. I also contact the clients schools, doctors, PTs, OTs, STs etc to get updated treatment plans or IEPs from each of these places.

And I've been back about a month now and I feel ever so blessed that I came back when I did. I still have to take a couple of tests with the state so I can be a certified Developmental Specialist, but now by the time my graduation rolls around I will have already taken one of the tests and be taking the class to take the next test. Which otherwise if the job hadn't been filled by the time I got back, I would have missed the cut off date for the class to take the test.

And now I'm a salaried employee and I work 4 ten hour days. And I make about double what I used to make in my old position.

Which thanks to that pay raise I decided I could afford to get an apartment. And I found one and a roommate and with rent and utilities I'm paying less than I was paying for a shared bedroom in Rexburg and I have my own room and a huge apartment.