If you sensed that I was freaking out a little bit last time I wrote of our lives since our move, you were right. That first month was rough, no two ways about it.

But something happened last week that changed everything. Ever read The Tipping Point? Yep, it was kinda like that — a total game changer for me, and one based on something seemingly insignificant. Wait for it…

I found a school bus.

I may as well have found a pot of gold. 

Clearly, it isn’t ONLY that my kids are now riding a (private) bus (hired by several families), to and from school — freeing me from an extremely stressful two-hour commute. It’s just that that was the last remaining variable standing between me and the pursuit of my life’s passion!! (Ahem, I mean, aside from motherhood, that is.) I’m only kind of kidding…

I have been a stay-home mom for my entire adult life — nearly 18 years with the exception of college. It was super important to me that my kids receive the sort of dreamy play and mama-filled early days that my own mom gave me. (Not that I knew how many years that would add up to.)

Me and one of my sisters. I am in the foreground, which was intentional on my part, I can assure you.

And though I’ve done all kinds of things to supplement the family income while at home, working with babies underfoot is, well, inefficient to say the least (and kind of a joke when you’re talking several babies).

So now, for the first time in my life, I have a full-time, real-deal work day on my hands. And though to some of you — well-versed in the 9 to 5 — this may seem entirely over-rated, let me just reiterate a couple of things…

1. 17 years is a long time to be voluntarily broke.
2. 17 years is a long time to keep your husband on board with being voluntarily broke in the best interest of anything, including the children. (Okay, so it’s only been 13.)
3. 17 years and four kids (calculating conservatively: two years each and 8 per day) means approximately 23,360 dirty diapers.
4. I started this mama gig when I was seventeen.
5. I have other skills that my prolactin-prominant brain has been too selfish to allow much room for before now.
6. Working alone from my home is THE way I would do it if I could choose any workplace in the world.

You see? This is pretty big time for me!

But before I hit the ground running — before I actually make something (like maybe even money) of the years upon years of banked ideas — there’s something I need to say to a particularly amazing and deserving handful of people:

To Sigorni, now only a few short months away from adulthood.

To Taos, who’s right behind her sister, ready to fill the role of the household teen.

To Eli, who’s managed to stay sweet, even sandwiched between two powerhouse personalities.

And to Estella, our tough-as-nails, fearless and feisty finale.

To all my baby girls {Sigh…}…for showing me the depth of love and joy possible in this crazy-beautiful life. For pushing boundaries within myself that I didn’t even know existed and for keeping me from being bored, even once in all those eighteen years. And especially to Hunter…

…my anchor, my gentle, big-hearted best friend. My work horse, my comic relief, my reminder not to take it all so freaking seriously. For busting your tail for our ever-expanding and always-demanding family. For honoring my heart’s calling to be home with our babies despite a heck of a lot of sacrifice. And for all the dirty work that’s accompanied the accomplishment of our dreams to-date.

To my beautiful family, I offer my most heart-felt…

That was one hell of a chapter.