A Mom's Life

It's the most wonderful time of the year- summer vacation! I am furloughed from my job for eight weeks, meaning that I get to be a stay-at-home momma for two whole months. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the "best of both worlds" by being a member of the workforce, bringing in some income to the household bottom line, and to also spend extensive quality time raising my kids. Not everyone has these opportunities and I try to appreciate both sides as much as possible. I don't want to argue whether or not being a stay-at-home mom is harder, or easier, or the same, as being a working mother. Being a good parent and being a good anything else (including, friend, spouse, employee, advocate, or just being yourself) is very hard. Raising a child is all encompassing; it's 24/7. My knee-jerk response when one of the girls says, "Mommy!?" is, "Yep, that's me. All day and all night." During the summer, I love the change of pace from the rat...

I once read in a fashion magazine that wearing work out clothes when not exercising is a major fashion faux pas. On my days outside the office, a sports bra, tank top, and exercise shorts are my uniform. Is this because I have no taste in clothes? Possibly. Is this because I'd be a great candidate for What Not to Wear? Probably. Is it because I have no money to buy clothes not intended for work? Likely. Is it mostly because I work out each morning and then do not have five minutes to shower or change until the kids go to bed (and then I switch from running tights to sweat pants). Why yes, yes it is. When you have kids, particularly little mobile ones, you must have your eyes on them at all times. Now, my mom is tisking at this post already. I can hear her reprimanding me for not having a play pen. We are not a play pen generation. I've rarely seen a child in a Pack 'N Play for anything other than sleep or a diaper change. We are a continuation of our predecessors-helic...

As we have come to the half way point in the year, I thought it would be *fun* to look back at my New Year's Resolutions and see if I've screwed up minimally and therefore have been able to accomplish any of the heafty goals on my list. Now, you may recall my NYR post in which I explained that I spend my days fudging up life and consequently making new goals for myself: 1. Don't swear in front of children. Or neighor's children. Or children on playground. 2. Turn off car before pumping gas. 3. Clean bed sheets every week. 4. Watch kids more so that they don't climb onto kitchen counter and grab knives. 4. Remember birthdays of everyone; of anyone. etc. etc. It's been a busy year of blundering in these five short months, but I am still curious to see if I've made any progress in the "wishful thinking" category. To remind you, here are the lofty goals of colder days gone by followed by a brief synopsis of my progress toward said goal. 1. Drink mor...