the girl with no keychain

Hi.

My name is Serena. Yeah, I have one of those names you can’t find a keychain for.

So I have a family of 3…or 5 if you count our furbabies. Ava (my daughter: 10 going on 11), DW (fiancé), Willow (dog), and Piper (cat).

I am an outspoken Atheist and DW is a Non-Theist. We are both analytical in our approach to life and we have very strong values we both teach and model for Ava. So far she is a very fair minded, compassionate,  and smart kid. 

*I am 34 and going back to school again this Spring. 60+ credit hours to go to get my B.A. in University Studies and Masters in Counseling!

*I suffer from Major Depressive Disorder and ADHD (Inattentive). I’m currently medicated but not receiving counseling.

*DW is my fiancé, and stay at home dad, who struggles with Social Anxiety with some OCD features… He stays at home and handles getting Ava up and off to school in the morning and is here when she gets home. He keeps the apartment spotless. Many people aren’t understanding of my being ok with him not working, but really, he takes care of the things I would have a hard time doing along with working.

*As for work I have been Nanny to a little girl the past 2 years. She is turning 3 in February and she is like my second child. We’ll call her G. I will talk about G a lot since she is constantly doing something amusing. Right now we are working on potty training. I’ve been watching her 40+ hours a week since she was 6 months old. I don’t get paid well for it, because it’s family, but it’s rewarding and a very flexible job. This will change when school starts. It makes me sad that I won’t see her every day but I know my limits and working and going to school is too much.

*I’m a heavy reader. By this I mean that I can read between 4-6 novels in a week. I’ve read so many series it’s ridiculous. I’ll link my Goodreads profile eventually so I can recommend some. ;)

*I’m addicted to my phone. I use it for EVERYTHING. The only time I use my laptop is to make these posts…and for schoolwork when it begins.

*We live way below the Poverty line. Always have. I’m not proud of it but I’m not obsessed with money either. I am going to school so that I can be employed in a job I LIKE and WANT to go to each day. A job with sick days and vacation days and health care. I want Ava to see that working isn’t just about getting money but about doing something that fulfills you. What’s the point of working all the time for money you don’t have time to spend? I’m not interested in material comforts as much as a life that is fulfilling.

Have I gone overboard?

Somehow I don’t think I’ll have trouble coming up with posts ;) Narrowing my topic down…that’s going to be the challenge!