On the lighter side

OK so this morning's blog post was so gloomy and icky, that upon posting it I was immediately ashamed and was compelled to write something happier.
So this post will be all about dream jobs.
What is your dream job? Well since this is my blog and you can't answer me we will talk about my dream job. Muha ha ha ha!!
If you would have asked me that question when I was 6 the answer would have been an emphatic "Jedi Knight!" No, not princess. I knew you had to marry a prince for that or be the daughter of a king. And since my dad was only the king of our house and princes being in short supply I was pretty realistic about my chances of ever being a princess. Jedi Knight however, was fair game one only had to learn to use the force. "The energy force created by all living things, surrounds us, penetrates us, it's what binds the galaxy together." Hey what do you want from me I was six.
If you asked again at 8, you would have gotten "archeologist". In fact I was so serious about being an archeologist that I checked out every book in my elementary school library on the subject. And upon doing so discovered that it is not NEARLY as exciting as Harrison Ford made it look and the idea was abandoned for being a spy just like Mrs. King! At some point, I am not sure when, I learned that being a spy isn't really all that glamorous either and most spies are never wives, let alone mothers because of the whole national security thing. One thing I did know for sure was that I did want to get married, and I did want to have babies, so spying was out.
So after a spy I wanted to be a writer. I won some sort of creative writing medal at a competition which of course meant that I was destined to be a famous writer. I think part of me never really gave up on the idea of a writing gig. In fact a good portion of my high school career was devoted to writing my novel, my magnum opus. I devoted hours and hours to typing out line after line of story written out in my spiral notebook when I was supposed to be taking math notes. Which in hind sight may be why I flunked algebra.......
Where is said novel? Don't ask. It will never see the light of day. Yes I still have it, no you can't see it.
In the sixth grade, taking a cue from my modeling days as a small child. I was in a handful of local bridal shows as a flower girl. I looked up at my daddy with stars in my eyes and told him that I wanted to be a model, just like the girls on the cover of my Teen Vogue magazine. Bless his heart he looked right back at his short, skinny, greasy, acne covered, glasses wearing daughter and replied with a straight face that if that was what I wanted to do, he would certainly support me. It didn't take me very long to figure out that I wasn't cut out for the modeling scene.
Right about then The Learning Channel started running shows about surgical procedures. This was pre John and Kate, when you could actually learn something from watching a channel called, The learning, Channel. I watched every single one of them with rapt fascination. Much to my mothers horror. She was never really good with blood. I was going to be a doctor! Yeah, that didn't last very long. I was not a very dedicated student.
Are you seeing a pattern yet? I have career ADD.
When I was 15 I went to work for my grandmother at her bridal salon. I instantly fell in love with it. All of the lace, organza, satin and silk. The smiling women trying on gown after gown, each more beautiful then the last. (OK some of them were ugly but I was 15) Ah ha! This was it! I wanted to design bridal gowns! (At least until my novel was finished and made me millions!) So it was with this in mind that in my senior year I took my career aptitude test. Imagine my surprise when the results came back "carpenter". Huh.
I decided to throw caution to the wind, and the results of the aptitude test, my mother and I took a tour of the newly opened Art Institute in Portland. I was going to be a designer! The tour left me dizzy with visions of the beautiful gowns I would create swimming through my head. Then the tuition numbers brought me to my senses and I politely declined. Opting instead for community college with my boyfriend at the time. My parents insisted that they could send me to U of O to study apparel, but my career ADD and the idea of being so far removed from my boyfriend convinced me that community college may be the better choice. Turns out it was, cause that's where I met the new love of my life, sorry boyfriend :(
Eric was beautiful. With his goatee and his van, his backward page boy cap and flannel shirt. He was an artist! It was love at first sight. I don't seem to have the same sort of ADD problem with relationships, just careers. We were inseperable from the beginning.
Eventually for me my career ADD and the monster called money won out over school. Since I had been unable to make a career decision I opted to go to work. Not that I hadn't been working this whole time, but rather work as opposed to school. My friend Kellyn got me a job at Nordstrom and that was it. Here was my new career. I was going to work for Nordstrom forever! Not as a sales person of course, I would be a buyer! And I did work, for ten years. I got promoted, and demoted. Then promoted again. I got married and had babies.
Time changed, priorities changed, I changed.
After Tessa was born, working for Nordstrom lost it's appeal. Retail hours were taking their tole. Retail in general was loosing it's luster. Most of the shiny had rubbed off and the ugly profit driven monster was peaking out. I decided it was time to go back to school.
I pleaded my case to Eric who agreed that I was unhappy at work and should do what I needed to do to be happy, we would make it work. Apparel design was the name of the game. I interviewed, I applied, I payed a but load of money. I worked full time, was a mom full time. I could only take two classes. I studied harder then I ever had before. I got A's in both my classes. I was happier then I had probably ever been. I never once questioned whether or not this was the right choice for me until finals day of that first term. When I found out I was pregnant. Game over.
So here we are present day. Back to square one. My career ADD is in full swing. I could argue that I am working my dream job now as a stay at home mom. It certainly is the most rewarding position I have ever held. I feel closer to my kids now then at any time during my working career. I feel a little guilty that I worked so much when Daden and Tessa were babies, but they don't seem any worse for the wear. Being at home has given me the opportunity to explore more career choices. I have discovered cake decorating, and to my delight I am good at it! Is there a bakery in my future? Maybe. Part of me never gave up on the idea of being a writer ( hi blog). Part of me never gave up on being a designer. I wonder if I could be all three?
SO back to my original question. What is my dream job? Hell if I know.