Morning Fun

In the mornings, Rowe, Charlie, and I have a lot of fun.  I've never been the stay-at-home mom type.  With Delaney, those first four months were tough on me.  None of my friends had kids, I was home solo with an infant and was bored easily.  I didn't know how to join a mom's group or club other than MOPS-which is not my style--too big and too religiously based.  So, I became lonely and frustrated.  I worked part time from the time she was about 4 months old.  That is all I need--a part time job where I can feel like I'm giving back, contributing to the world, and having some adult interaction that is not surrounded by bottles, diapers, and babies.  Then, I went back to school--most wonderful decision I made, despite the job availability (there are jobs, but so many people right now apply to just one job.  It's hard to even get an interview).  I loved grad school, my professors, learning, being challenged, and meeting new people.  So, after I finished grad school, I found a job that I go to on Mondays.  I love my clients, my work, my career.  I would love to have two very full days, plus 2 groups on Saturdays.  That is my ideal job--private practice on Mondays and Thursdays seeing individuals, couples, and families, and then do two groups on Saturday.

I digress (no kidding).  So, if I'm home all day long, I basically get bored and irritated.  I need to be home by 12:15 every weekday because I get my neighbor off the bus.  She is here for about an hour before her mom picks her up.  She eats lunch here and then happily plays in the basement for an hour with Rowe.  Around 1:30, Rowe is down for a nap until about 4/4:30.  Charlie usually takes his second nap around 2/2:30-3:30/4:30.  Delaney and Katie get off the bus around 4:15.  Then it's time to start thinking of dinner, cooking, homework, baths, and reading. So, that's my afternoon to evening--at home, and I'm fine with that.  However, I love getting out in the mornings.  Since I work on Mondays, that morning is spent at home.  I'm hoping to soon volunteer in Katie's class on Monday mornings before leaving for work.  I did that last year for Delaney's class and I loved it.  I loved being able to know her teacher better, see the kids she shares her days with, and see Delaney in the scholastic environment...I hope to have that same opportunity with Katie.

I digress (again).  So, I use the mornings to get out and about with Rowena and Charlie.  We don't have a set schedule except that on Thursdays we always go to the library for LapSit.  This is where we sing songs, see friends, and read stories.  Oh, and there are bubbles.  Bubbles are always a favorite!  Other days we'll do things such as long walks, go to parks, grocery shopping, the mall--for walking and the play area, and sometimes we'll even take big adventures, like to Chicago.  I will update with some posts and pictures from our recent walks at Rock Run and our trip to the Adler Planetarium. 

Although in my posts, I talked about being overwhelmed, each individual day really isn't bad.  We get out and have fun in the mornings, I get downtime in the afternoon, and the evenings are all business.  I guess where I get caught up is my time management during my downtime...I should be reorganizing things, paying bills, reading, filing, exercising, or cleaning.  However, in the moment, I think "I'll do that tomorrow.  Today I just want to sit and watch tv and relax."  I do that a bit too often! :)