Six weeks as a single parent and our new adventure
Six weeks of single parenthood. That’s what I’ve been up to since you last heard from me.
Yes, this was all planned. Yes this was all done for good (and happy) reasons!
Save a few weekend reunions with Dad, it was just me and my small human for all of May and the first part of June. During that time we called poison control once; made approximately eight trips to Chipotle for dinner; Face Timed Daddy at least twice a day; spent countless evenings “snuggling in Mommy’s bed” on demand; and developed a mildly concerning addiction to Thomas and Friends. In the midst of our day-to-day survival, we also sold our house, packed up all of our possessions, and then two weeks ago, left Milwaukee and moved-in with my in-laws in Michigan.
You see, not only did I decide to pursue a career in the sports industry, but I also happened to marry someone who wanted to do the same. Since we’ve been together my husband has moved twice for me, and when an amazing opportunity came up with his hometown team, we couldn’t pass up the chance for him to make a great career move that also brought us closer to family.
So, my “Sports Biz Dad” is now a Corporate Partnership Activation Manager for the Detroit Tigers and I am searching for my next professional opportunity. My last day at DICK’s Sporting Goods was June 7th, and after coordinating our move, I am now a full-time parent, job-seeker, and part-time Coursera student working on a Digital Marketing Specialization.
I’ve spent much of the last few weeks searching for a new daycare, pediatrician, and scouting potential neighborhoods. Once I do find the right fit, we’ll be off to the races on the home search – something I am both dreading and can’t wait to begin!
It’s been a crazy exciting, tiring, emotional, and yet hopeful transition. One that I know we’ll be glad we’ve made once we’re officially settled. It was much tougher than I expected to say goodbye to our first home in Milwaukee, the friends we had made there, and my job and the awesome people I worked with at DICK’s Sporting Goods. It was NOT hard to say goodbye to being a single Mom. This entire experience has made me that much more appreciative of my husband and I’ve developed a whole new level of respect for any parent who is raising kids on their own full-time. RESPECT.
While the uncertainty for me in this transition has sometimes been scary, I am excited about the future and grateful that Ben has landed in such a great organization. The people there have been incredibly willing to help me in my search (including past interviewee, Molly Wurdack-Folt). I have to remind myself constantly that some part of this craziness is all a big lesson in patience – a lesson that some days I’m absorbing better than others. In the meantime, I’ll be soaking up the extra time with our sweet two year old and re-engaging with the many projects for Sports Biz Mom that were put on the back burner while we attempted to sort through the messiness of our move.
I could write a whole post on self-forgiveness, mental health, and my guilt about not keeping up with the blog for the past 6 to 8 weeks. I was pretty hard on myself early on, and eventually I realized I was the only one setting those expectations. My theme while flying solo was “one day at a time”; and between working, house-selling, and toddler parenting, there were just not enough hours in those days. I thought anyone reading this could easily understand and emphasize with my reduced capacity.
With that, you have your official Jacobs family job and location update. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever find yourself in Michigan. Shamelessly, I’d also appreciate any personal or professional connections in Detroit. Not only do I need a job, I also need friends – so please send them my way!