Archive for May, 2011

What would you do with more time on your hands?

Friday, May 6th, 2011

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
This week has been interesting. It’s my first week home between jobs. I wasn’t sure how I would do with this much time on my hands. I’m the kind of person who just needs to do stuff – anything – or the lack of inertia drives me crazy.

Turns out, I guess I needed the break, because I’m loving it. I’ve had the opportunity to do as much or as little as I wanted without the stress of having to worry about the office, clients or billable hours.

For the first time in a long time, I’ve been able to do a little something for myself each day. I can workout whenever I want. I started doing yoga. I’ve been wading my way through a stack of books I previously didn’t have a chance to open. I even started writing again.

But most importantly, each day I’ve picked Andrew up from daycare early, and we have gotten to spend more time together. We’ve done something special each day. Yesterday I took him to go see a movie. We’ve played for HOURS on the playground. We read stacks of books together.

I’ve loved being able to spend this extra time with him. And I’d like to think he’s enjoyed having me around more too. Yesterday, he grabbed my hand and told me how much he likes spending time with me. (This kid is going to be SUCH a heart breaker…)

Have a great weekend everyone. And to all you moms, a very happy mother’s day.

Teacher Appreciation

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
This week is teacher appreciation week.  I hold a special place in my heart for teachers.  From Preschool through College, I had teachers who opened up my mind and made me a better person.  My mother was a teacher, as was my grandmother, aunt, brother-in-law and mother-in-law. Later in life many of my friends became teachers too. I know how much professional effort, enthusiasm and personal sacrifice they make to educate our kids and invest in our future.

Jack’s school year is quickly coming to an end.  His teacher, Mrs. Paula, has been exceptional this year. She gave Jack a wonderful first school experience.  I know how much he is going to miss her.  I am going to miss her too. Mrs. Paula made the school year enjoyable for both the kids and parents.  She will always be Jack’s first real teacher.

So this week try and remember your first great teacher. If you are that teacher I hope you celebrate extra this week for all your hard work and motivation you provide for your students.  This is your week, but this family will celebrate you all year.

Missing Out

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
A friend of mine got married this past weekend (and no, her name is not Catherine Middleton). In fact, she is one of my closest friends. But I was not in attendance. When I became pregnant with Haley and I started to do the math, it became obvious that going to the wedding would be tricky. It required travel to a city that is kind of remote, and it would have been pretty hard on a newborn baby. I also felt the baby would be too young to leave with her grandparents. Now that I am exclusively breastfeeding, I see just how difficult it would have been. So I made the decision that I wouldn’t go. Now that the wedding has passed, my absence is weighing on me.

There are many more occasions coming up that I will miss out on because of my little one. Summer is approaching, and there are more weddings, girls’ trips and adult outings to enjoy. You understand that you are going to miss out on things when you have kids, and you think you will be prepared for it. That you simply won’t care at all, so great is the love you have for your child. But that’s not really the reality. You do think about what you are missing. You do wish you could be there. In fact, in many ways, you need to be a part of those activities more than ever. Ironically, when you are parent to a young child, participation is often not an option.

When my husband and I were figuring out when we wanted to have children, we took into account things like our career status, our financial picture, and our living situation. We discounted the notion of being ready to give up the flexibility and fun of being childless. We loved children and family life so much, we couldn’t imagine putting off having a family to selfishly enjoy ourselves. Now I realize that that was a romantic, but crazy, notion. I love Haley with all my heart and I wouldn’t give up having her for anything. However, the degree to which she needs me (totally) is very palpable and there is no escaping it. While it is rewarding to be a parent, the sense of responsibility weighs heavily.

You wouldn’t think it would be a huge sacrifice to give up dining out, enjoying a movie, meeting a friend for a drink. What you don’t figure is how much those things help you maintain your sanity. And when you have a baby, you feel particularly insane. Haley is very young, and I know it won’t always be this way. I’m encouraged by (yet very jealous of) Janelle’s recent trip. Hopefully that will be me soon, and hopefully “soon” will be less than eighteen years from now.