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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Working Mom Wednesday

Linking to Work, Wife,Mom...Life! for Working Mommy Wednesday. For this week the prompt is: Working life BEFORE kids vs. Working life AFTER kids

BEFORE KIDS
It's been 3+ years, because I count pregnancy so let's say most of 2007 was my last free year. I remember starting the day with a one hour workout, 3 miles of walking and a 1/2 hour swim followed by a large 16 oz mug of coffee and I'd buy the good stuff from Buck's County Coffee, mail order - usually paired with a large muffin because I wasn't too worried about weight gain after that workout. I'd lounge in front of the internet till 8am and then rush to get ready for work.

I traveled to Asia 3 times that year along with multiple other client trips.

I'd spend my weekends going to the beach or reading magazines for hours at Barnes and Noble. Cleaning the house was part of the weekend rhythm and usually husband and I would go out for the evening to one of our favorite restaurants.

I worked late hours, 12+ without much concern for time. I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere but maybe home in time to watch certain TV shoes, probably 24 and The Office.

I collected cooking magazines and practiced gourmet meals every week. I'd go to great lengths to collect ingredients for complicated recipes.

But in summary, my life was boring. You can read about it in the 20 posts I wrote that year - clearly I didn't have much to say. In hindsight, I wish I had at least documented the simple things like a one line post reading "note to future mommy, went to the beach AGAIN and read for hours, ha!".
AFTER KIDS
Now I have two kids, son 6 weeks old, daughter 2 years 2mo old. I try my hardest to wake up before everyone so I can fit in a half hour workout and 10 minutes of quiet prayer time. As soon as my workout is finished, or sometimes before it starts, I feed Sam then pass him off to my husband. I rush to take a shower with daughter clamoring behind me to be held or request for gummies and Toy Story. Post shower I make a breakfast that daughter is most likely to eat with me, scrambled eggs and yogurt, and sit to eat with her.

I try my hardest to keep work hours limited to 8 so I can get home to help husband with the last two hours before Charlotte's bedtime.

Once she's in bed one of us holds Sam while the other one runs around the house cleaning dishes, bills, doing laundry, taking out trash, picking up toys, etc.

Weekends are spent entertaining the kids.

Reading & TV is done after the kids are in bed.

Having kids is exhausting and days like to today make my head spin, I couldn't even think clearly with Charlotte screaming and pulling at me, demanding her shoes to be taken off or put back on - terrible two's are in full swing. But even with the chaos I have a far more interesting and fulfilling life than ever before and I enjoy it but I'm so glad I waited 8 years of marriage to have kids.

Husband and I enjoyed 8 full years of quiet time and yearly vacations that we no longer take. I'm glad we waited until we were so bored of all the quiet time that we now really enjoy these noisy times.

9 comments:

Miss. C said...

There is never any boredom once you have kids!!! Amazing how things change, become crazy, but yet still become so complete!!

kt moxie said...

I'm so jealous of being bored now! No time for boredom.

BigD said...

Visiting from Working Mommy Wednesday.
Sounds like my before and after... I didn't know how much spare time I had until I didn't have.

https://whoisthegrownup.blogspot.com

BigD said...

Visiting from Working Mommy Wednesday.
Sounds like my before and after... I didn't know how much spare time I had until I didn't have.

https://whoisthegrownup.blogspot.com

Julia Ladewski said...

i think every couple should take at least 2-3 years of being married before having kids. so so important. you guys had 8... wow!!

Susan DiMickele said...

My husband and I were similarly married for almost 9 years before we had kids! What a big change, but wouldn't trade it for anything. Yes, reading must be done after bedtime (a big change for me). Great post. (And thx for your comment about the stripy tights.)

Louise said...

My husband I were together five years - though not married for all of those - before we had kids - and agreed, it's nice to have before adult time with him.

My life isn't as hectic as yours yet - but I know it's coming and I'm tired just reading yours. I have these memories of coming home from work pre-kids and thinking "Wow, I'm exhausted, what would I DO if I had children?" The answer is, of course, I'm adjusting - but I'm still worried for those tired days during the toddler years which I know are coming....

Emily said...

Your post made me tired and happy all at the same time. It's pretty much how I feel about my life. Tired, but happy. :)

crazywildberry said...

I was just reflecting on this similar thing today. Somehow I missed reading this post a few days ago when I visited then.

I was married at 22. Waiting 5 years to get pregnant. Wish I had used our pre-kid years more efficiently. Taken more vacations. Now that I have three kids and I am in my mid-30's, I feel like I wasted so much precious time.