Working Mom

After about seven years of being home with little children full time, I have started working again. It is a great job with wonderful hours and plenty of time to do most preschool and elementary school drop offs and pick ups. I even have some time Friday afternoon to take the little two swimming, but I am away teaching one night a week and on my computer after bedtime and before breakfast every day. It works out to just about exactly 40 hours a week. My sweet husband has made the transition so much easier than it would have been otherwise. I have barely been able to do a thing around the house, but he has been taking care of the kitchen and laundry so efficiently that the kids have not missed a meal or a favorite pair of pirate underwear. The kids have been wonderful too. I was not worried about Dominick because he is very ready for the full days of first grade and my work hours are when he would have been in school no matter what I was doing. I was often gone one night a week in the past anyway, to exercise or some kind of meeting, so that is not a big difference either. Amata was going to go to morning preschool before the job came along, and I think if I had the money I would have put her in a full day. She gets quite bored at home. She is so ready to do the Montessori works and learn. However, a big wrench was put in her plans for Fall when she learned that her little brother would be going to her school as well. She was mad. "If Felix is going to my school, then I am not!" I bribed her. A skill I am using more than ever now that I work. I wanted Felix to go to school with Amata because I was so worried that at only 3 he was too young to be away from me all day. He cried the first full day at nap time, but that might have been more about the concept of sleeping (his least favorite activity) than about missing me. Each day for these first two weeks, Amata and Felix have held hands and walked into their classroom without looking back. Thank God for that because I do not know what I would do if they wailed like other kids I see at drop off. It would be like my endlessly pathetic and unsuccessful attempts to get my little babies to sleep in the unused crib. It would not end with me on time to work and happy, that is for certain. The best part came this evening. When we were walking into the bowling alley Amata said, "Mom, you know how I did not want Felix to go to my school?" I bent down to look at her face and nodded, unsure I was ready to hear the rest. "Well, now when he is in the other room for nap I feel sad and a little scared. I miss him." I teared up. Then I had a blast bowling, partly because my kids are getting bigger and being in public is not as hard as it used to be. Also, partly because I am not burned out from a week of catering to endless demands and self loathing for not having the house clean, for screaming and for turning on the TV because I have no idea how to make the little fights over everything stop. I am thankful for those stressful and wonderful times I had in those seven years at home. It was hard. I wanted to go back to work a few times a day. I missed everything about work, even the parts I never thought I would miss. Every day I was brought to my knees in prayer. I was tired, frazzled, bored while somehow also overwhelmed. I felt like the demands never ended and I did not adequately fulfill any of them. My husband often came home to either a grouch ready to scream or someone so overworked she could barely move from the fetal position on the kitchen floor. I am glad I did it though, because there were mountaintop moments that I will not forget. I am sure working parents have these moments too, but they were the only paycheck I got for a very long time. I am hoping that in having this job and this time to be in a world apart from caring for my family's needs, I will be more appreciative of the moments I have with my precious kids. This week I have truly enjoyed playing catch, kissing boo-boos, swimming at the Y and giving back rub gardens at bedtime. They are no longer parts of my day, they are now the magical parts.

tailgate

 

We went to watch the chaos, then walked home to watch the game. Go Blue!

not again

 

Party Time

 

Amata had a castle party. We were all treated like royalty!

Birthday Girl!

 

Amata turned 4 October 2. What a princess!

Trick or Treat

 

We had a fun Halloween. Our buddies, Princess Kate and Prince William, went out with us.

Family time

 

Wonderful Sunday afternoon at the apple orchard

Busy Dom

 

Dom makes another feat of engineering

campout

 

Dom and Dad set up the tent for our night under the stars in New York this past August.

Painting in Pittsburgh

 

Tongue out for concentration (just like mom)

Painting in Pittsburgh

 

I love the face Amata makes when she paints!

Apple Orchard

 

Isn't she lovely!

Tree Climber

 

Dom is an exceptional tree climber and the Arb is his favorite place to show off this skill. It makes us nervous, but it is awesome to watch.

Helping Out

 

Felix decided to help at the park work day a few houses away. I followed him while he pushed his wheel barrel and shovel to the park and got right to work. It was precious.

Watering system

 

Dom is working on inventions to make our lives easier. Here he is tinkering with an advanced watering system for my garden.

Dom and Joah Creating...a mess

 

Dom and Joah saw a truck with pipes on it and discussed what the truck might be doing. When they got to Joah's house they decided to create their ides. They found a hose and connected it from the bathroom sink to the laundry sink using the truck to move the "pipe" and support it. It was a big mess.

Two fisted!

 

Amata likes Cholocalate ice cream...a lot. We had a quick Ben and Jerry's trip to celebrate Amata'a first day of school and did she ever celebrate!

Chasing Butterflies

 

Felix and Leena chased a few butterflies at the botanical gardens for about 10 minutes. I was so bummed I did not have the video camer, just the cell phone. It would have been one of those videos that could brighten any day. For all the trouble these two can cause, they are capable of immense preciousness!

 

The kids LOVE the beach. Amata and Felix swam in brand new clothes while Dom built an engineering feat of sand, water and hard work. We stayed until the sun went down and the car was a mess of sand. Mimi helped us clean the kids for bed.

will sleep anywhere!

 
Amata will sleep anywhere. I think she was waiting for something and got too tired, but when we found her asleep like this we knew she was gifted in the sleep anywhere skill set.

flying by

summer is quick. and long. amazing how days can lag, hours can creep and then you look up and summer is over, your little girl is almost 3, your oldest son is about to start going to school every day and your itty bitty baby is huge. we had such fun. we went to grand haven for the entire coast guard festival, we spent two nights in chicago. there were a lot of park playdates and water play mishaps. we loved being around family best of all.

My knight in shining armor

Dominick the knight on his horse.He quickly put this ensemble together after playing with his new knight figurines from Joah.

play all day

The kids are having a great time this summer. We hit the parks and cool off at pools. Sometimes we hang out at home and make a mess with the sprinkler, watermelon and Dom's kiddie pool lifeguard stand. We have more fun planned with a trip to Chicago and Grand Haven coming soon. Amata is getting ready for her first year at Triangle and Dom is thrilled to be starting Fumfives five mornings a week. The kid loves school. Felix and I will be playing with a couple buddies while Amata and Dom are in school. It will be a busy Fall, but full of fun.

happy birthday fe!

felix is one! he can walk and now has a little more attitude. he likes to drum on my pots and pans, knock over his sister's towers and throw food across the dining room. we are having a lot of fun!

Super Boys!

Protecting Captain Baby and his Princess Sister, these heroes alert the Queen when the gate to the stairs is left open or when a choking hazard is on the loose.
Just wondering where Dom and his friend Jonah went...