The Modern Woman Working

So as mentioned before, I'm a working mom these days.

Not that I wasn't "working" before ... I'm just getting paid for it now.

(And I get to leave the house. And drink fancy coffees. And wear nice clothes with very little baby food splatters.)

It was initially supposed to be only 12 or 15 hrs a week, which was great. Have my coffee and drink it too.

And it was going great. But now a couple more projects have come up and I'm finding it all a bit much, with Nathan blessing us with a 4 am nursing session and a 6 am wake up.

Poor little guy definitely has a tooth breaking through, though, so he's suffering more than anyone (I keep reminding myself).

On one hand, it's great (money! experience!) but I'm discovering that working has an ugly side as well (kids go a little mental, I get physical pangs if I'm away from them too much, house doesn't clean itself, we do actually have to cook a meal eventually, etc).

So I've now learned that I need to put some limits on my involvement, which is hard when you're a yes-man (yes-woman?) kind of person and really need the money (move across the country! buy a new car! buy a house!).

It's one thing to put in some time now (guiding motive = packers!) but once summer really starts, I want to enjoy the great weather, in a great city, with great friends and family (once school's out!) and two great kids.

It's too much for me to come home and see that my daughter played with sidewalk chalk for the first time today and I wasn't here.

As my little sister reminded me the other day, though, it's not like I was away from my kids to work a 9 hours shift at MacDonalds.

We are rich indeed.

Say click:

Nathan plays piano in the early morning hours:

Mela gives some pointers:

Fat Nate is starting to lose some of his rolls but still looks good in his "g's":

Reading a book with dad, rockin the Baby Legs:

Mela playing "pretend" with her new penguin, mama monkey and little bird's nest:

Tale One:


Take Two: