Exhaustion abounds, pt 2.

So here's a funny little story.

On monday I applied online to a child care agency with my friend Laura. I thought, this should be fun. I'll just see what happens... at least we were registered and who knew? Can you imagine my surprise when during class on tuesday they called Laura? Well, despite the fact that I was happy for her, I was a little disappointed that they hadn't yet called me. I figured it was because I answered some of the questions differently (like; no, I cannot lift a child 20kg or more! And no I would not be available to work every single day.) Then I joked that her surname begins with R and mine begins with T, so dur, of course they'd call her first.

And not 20 minutes later, I received a phone call. I got a date for a job interview on wednesday. They asked questions like if I'd be willing to obtain a first aid certificate (it's part of my course but we haven't got to it yet.) and if I was studying a dip 1 or just a certificate qualification (I'm studying dip 1, it's actually a higher qualification involving program planning and all.) and the woman doing the phone interview was lovely which helped. Then, almost ruining it all, she dropped the bombshell that the job would be at the same place I worked on job placement back in May. (Remember, the place I had to call in sick to almost every single day for 2 weeks because some snot nose gave me one heck of a chest infection + tonsilitis and just about anything else that came with it???)

Ok, don't panic, I thought. I just shrugged and thought oh well, I was legitimately sick and I think they realised it. I would have just hated if they bitched about me after I left, cos it seemed like that type of place sometimes. So I went for the interview on wednesday and I was asked to bring all of my ID, my bank account details and such... so I thought hmm, could be good? The director didn't remember me, but I explained who I was with a bit of a joke, "Remember me? I worked here on placement.... oh, you probably wouldn't remember, I was sick 97% of my time here." ...and we all laughed (like the end of a heman episode, lol) and the edge was taken off it.

We talked a bit and I filled out some forms and I gained the idea that she was pretty much happy to take me on as a casual "call-in" staff member (to do relieving duties or to fill in when others are sick) she said she'd send all my paper work back to head office and to come back with a copy of my study time table and my tax file dec and I'd hear back probably to see what happens.

So that was exciting. I went home feeling so confident about it. Then thursday my friend received a phone call from the centre as she is my working reference. She is a child sleep specialist among many other child-related talents, lol. And she gave me one heck of an amazing reference before her phone chugged out and they didn't call her back.

And on friday (yesterday) I had a day off from college --first one in ages and I figured that I'd get all kinds of things done, like go to the bank, drop off some post, study all day and work on assignments and of course treat myself to a sleep in no earlier than 10:30am.

Well.

I woke up at 8 and couldn't go back to sleep. So I laid in bed with my dog and we watched the Simpsons (her favourite is Homer too. I know, she told me.) and my Mum comes racing in to my room with her mobile phone and said it was the childcare centre. I was thinking huh?? Why are they calling Mum? So I answer gingerly, wondering wth was going on. It was the director in a bit of a state, "Jess are you able to work for me today? I have just received all your paper work so you are ready to go if you want to work." ... Of course I jumped at the chance. (And just to explain, she called my Mum because she didn't have my phone number, lol and my Mum's number was written down on the illness' form I'd filled in.)

So I worked yesterday ... my first day as a childcare worker. The pay is really good, I was pleasantly surprised. And the time went really fast. And the kids were so adorable. I had heaps of fun... most of the staff were fantastic as well. I just need to learn some positive management skills when it comes to discipline because I found some of the older children trying to test me to try to see how far they could push me -- I need to learn to be super confident in diffusing situations cos children can smell fear haha like animals, and I don't want them to walk all over me.

Anyway, so look at me go, I'm a childcare worker, officially! Thank you Jesus for answering all of my prayers. :D