The four of us are about to embark on a new journey, one made up of two laptops, two phone lines, over 400 students, a few work-related "get-aways," sharing household responsibilities, double-teaming a soon-to-be-crawling Lucie, anytime trips to the grocery store, two parents meeting Ava when she gets off the bus, grading essays and math tests and...leisurely drinking coffee together in the mornings?  Nope, I'll have to do that last part alone - my husband is one of "those people" who doesn't like coffee. Boo.

Bobby and I have chosen to both work for the Agora Cyber Charter School (www.agora.org) - I have been with Agora since October, 2006 and Bobby was just offered a position less than two weeks ago.  Of course, he accepted a job at Frick middle school (and signed a contract, holding him to the 4 longest weeks of his life...) just as Agora was about to make him an offer.  At first, we both said, "No thanks," but then, a strange thing happened.  He came to me the next morning at 6:30 and said, "I don't like this, I don't want to do this."  Having had no coffee, I thought he was joking.  "Ha, ha, see ya later, honey - have a good day!"  He was serious standing before me, asking me to consider the possibility of another kind of life for our family. 

And so here we are - Bobby got his computer delivered today and he is about to begin an online training course.  As we sit with our dueling laptops on the couch even as I write this, I am excited about the possibilities that this career move holds for the four of us.  Yes, we might want to kill each other after one week.  But, like any good negotiation, we will have to give and take a little.  Maybe I will actually get one or two days a week to...work?  For a solid 8 hours?  Uninterrupted by a child?  Sounds good to me. 

I actually felt afraid when Bobby said that he wanted to leave Frick.  Wait, isn't he supposed to be the "man out of the house" while I'm here, holding down the kids, laundry, dishes and a full-time career as an English teacher?  It occured to me that I had a lot on my plate and that maybe I could use some help.  We always dreamed of the ultimate lifestyle as teachers - doing something we love and getting home by 3:30 every day.  Summers off with our kids.  Holidays off.  But getting all of that and not having to leave the house?  You're kidding.  I felt that we were given a wonderful gift when I was offered a job with Agora, but now the two of us?  It sounded too good to be true. 

I cannot lie - I LOVE working from home.  No getting dressed up every day, no commute, noone telling me to do what at what time.  Having breakfast with both of my beautiful daughters every single day, playing with Lucie in between calls to students, running errands when I please, connecting with kids who really want to be in school, learning about their lives through their writing, teaching an online class in my jeans and slippers.  It is awesome, it is a privledge.  And yes, it's also stressful sometimes.  My students need me and my children need me - sometimes at the same time!  But with the two of us working together, raising children together, managing the house together, supporting each other, leaning on each other, understanding our similar paths, I think that we are creating a new kind of family.  One that refuses the stress of leaving our children at a day care, a long and wasteful commute, feeling sad that we have only limited time in the evenings with our kids.  I do not want any of those things - I can't imagine that anyone does.  Not all couples have the choices that we do and so, as we venture into this new territory together, we can only feel so thankful that we have, once again, been given everything that we have asked for.