Monday morning begins a new era in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Doran Barton.

Christine starts her job at my former stomping ground Sorenson Media tomorrow as a quality assurance engineer. She’ll be working full time there from now on.

Our neighbor Lindsy will be watching the kids in the mornings and on Monday afternoons. On Tuesday and Friday afternoons, my mom will do it. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, I’ll be assuming my role as dad.

This means we both need to get up early in the morning to get ready to go to our respective jobs/contract sites, get the kids ready for school and/or Lindsy’s house, and get breakfast.

It should be interesting.

Christine and I are both feeling some degree of nervousness about it. Christine asked me today if I was sure we were doing the right thing. I told her I didn’t think we’re doing the wrong thing. I mean, the right thing would be for me to be the sole breadwinner for the family and Christine to stay home and be a mom. However, we’re both sick of being in so much debt and not having money for much more than to pay bills (if even that).

Our primary goal is to get those debts paid down. Then, once that is done, we’ve got a growing list of other things that need to be done like finishing our basement, replacing our Mazda Protege with more of a family vehicle, fencing in our backyard, landscaping the backyard, and buying some new clothes.

Along the way, we are going to put some money away and save up for a vacation this summer.

Well, it’s midnight already and I’ve got to be up in seven hours. Ole domestic me must go to bed now.