Should have been a nurse

In the throws of the Great Recession, Scott and I couldn't have two worse occupations. Construction has tanked and journalism is dying. Scott sadly lost his job about a month ago due to the fact that his company suddenly realized they had only nine projects on the books. He'd already survived one round of layoffs, but ultimately the new guy had to go. He hit the ground running, and I've been proud of him for that, sending out nearly 60 resumes and landing about half a dozen serious interviews, plus a handful of second interviews. But, so far, nobody's taken a bite. He's either too qualified or the competition's too stiff. Meanwhile, I've been seriously re-evaluating the family situation and would love to get everyone under the same roof again, but with major newspapers folding left and right, there are just as many journalists on the street banging doors as contractors. Scott's three-week severance has run out, and Virginia's measly unemployment (Scott hit the top of the pay scale with a weekly allowance of $300) is supposed to kick in here at some point (any day now. . .). Times are definitely tight. I was down to one diaper and no milk last night when some money came in, but woke up this morning to realize I'm out of coffee (equally as dire). Mommy blogs tend to be about happy times- first steps and funny moments. But, the truth is that, here at least, these aren't the happiest of times. I hope that down the road we'll be able to look back and tell our kids stories of how we made it through. One thing I've learned about myself in recent years is that I'm surprisingly stoic in the face of crisis. What I've realized lately, however, is that I don't have to go through these things alone. I have incredible friends and family, some of whom have been around for decades. We are getting ready to step into the void here, and I invite you to hold our hands.