Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I started to title this "lines written while nursing a baby," and then realized that "while nursing a baby" should just be a given. Anytime I say I am doing anything, you should automatically add that phrase behind it. "I'm cooking dinner" (while nursing a baby) ... you get the idea. Like the game with fortune cookies. As an aside, I have a picture of one of my favorite friends nursing a baby while riding a carousel with her older two children last year, and what's remarkable about that picture now is how utterly UNremarkable it is. Of course she was nursing a baby. What else would she be doing?

I digress.

I'm going back to work next week. Is there anyone else who has ever been excited to see their maternity leave end? I miss my work, I miss the routine, I miss the paycheck. Granted, anytime I'm away from Emmy at all, ever, I miss her, so I know I will miss her those two mornings, too. But she's headed to Grandma's house, where she will be properly adored for the morning. Plus, for ten hours a week everyone in our house does their own thing. That is our normal, and I'm ready for it. Anyway, I'm going back to work next week, and suddenly I have this inane desire to get everything - every closet, all of the kid's spring clothes, all of the errands I've put off, birth announcements, thank you notes - EVERYTHING - completed and cleaned and organized before next week. Have I mentioned I have a newborn? And two other very active little boys under four years old? There's not much time for addressing envelopes or waxing floors in my life.

But ya'll, my floors SO need to be waxed. And baseboards cleaned, closets emptied, toys rotated ... my house is in need of a good scrub, and I simply don't have the ability to get it done right now. Not if I intend for all of my children to live through the week, too, because I have the kind of boys who can SMELL opportunity, and will POUNCE on my distraction in a heartbeat. Not exactly the sit-and-read-for-an-hour types, you know? Which is how it all got so neglected in the first place.

And this is why I've been staring at the budget this morning, wondering what I could cut so that I can afford a housekeeper.

Happy Tuesday.

3 comments:

Danielle said...

I was one of those who was ready to go back to work. I missed the routine too but I definitely missed my little ones too. It's just part of who I am and what I do. It's crazy but I did miss it. It's great that you only have to go twice a week and get so much quality time with your kids. Although I do like my job, there are definitely days when I wish I had more time at home to enjoy my family. At least I get to look forward to the weekend.

Carrie B said...

last spring, i treated myself to one nice big housecleaning from a professional. it was so nice. it was the jump start i needed. =) may still do it again this year. it was so nice to let someone else do my spring cleaning. and easier for me to mantain it afterwards.

Lindsey said...

We might be able to work something out, Stephanie :).