Sorry to be absent so long, I have been working about 60 hours a week lately and don’t have a lot of time to think of clever things to say, much less write them down.
It would seem working away from home has caused my practice to reach a frenetic pace. I have been racing to catch up on things that were seemingly miles away before I accepted a 40 hour a week job elsewhere. I spend most of my evenings and weekends working. Last night I spent a thrilling evening working at the home of a similarly situated friend. We worked until about 10:30 p.m. before calling it a day and sitting down to watch Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and salvage what was left of our Friday night.
My working has brought changes to the house too. My kids are eating frozen dinners or PB&H sandwiches most nights as I have basically stopped cooking. (The frozen dinners are an upgrade from the takeout they got to consume all last week.) My groceries get to dire straights before one of us replenishes them with the trip to the store. I had forgotten how much time a grocery trip can take when you don’t get to go during the day! I guess when this Mommy goes to work, the home cooked meals and fancy snacks go with her!
Oddly, our house is generally cleaner and the laundry is done. I think Lee and I are frantically trying to keep up with it both each night, bit by bit, and therefore succeeding more than we did when I felt as though I had all day to accomplish our household chores.
The temp job is perking up, still dull work but I really like the other people doing it. I am fighting a never ending battle against superfluous calorie consumption as each day someone brings in donuts, cookies, or cake. (Not to mention the vat of pretzels next to the coffee maker.) My coffee consumption has gotten to dangerous proportions. I went and bought designer tea at the new fancy tea shop in Cherry Creek so I could have some tempting alternative to the dark caffeine brew.
I miss my kids, and long for them the whole time I am at the office. Otter clings to me like a monkey from the moment I get home until the moment I leave for work the next day. He has gotten right back to co-sleeping. It seems to be his coping mechanism. (Sadly, Mommy and Daddy may never have sex again.) Monkey is even getting snuggly again, a change to her uber-independant 8 year old-ness. She also wants to go with me everywhere I go, sit with me when I sit, and do what I am doing.
It’s sweet, they miss me.
Six more weeks left. Then I will get to slow down for a while.
What? No mention of fabulous Hatchet Snacks? : P
I apologize, the snacks are clearly the best part of my workday. Keep em coming!!
I’ve never understood how a working mom does it all. There just aren’t enough hours in a day. Kudos to you for all you do. The kids don’t know it but you do it for them.
some thoughts from my previous work-outside-the-home-with-two-small-children life: the crockpot is your friend, door to door organics is fantastic because you get a box of fruits & veggies weekly delivered to your house, if you drink milk also have it delivered (this ensure that you have milk, fruits & vegs at least weekly). But really, the crockpot is a fantastic invention. And since Lee WFH most days, he can be sure the house won’t burn down (that was always my fear). Pretty much anything can be made in a crockpot, there are many many sites about people’s foray into crockpot life.
Good luck!
Cat,
We have gotten into the crockpot again, and it is helpful. Sadly we can’t have anything delivered unless we can guarantee we will be home for it, as there is nowhere to have them put the milk and yummies where they won’t get stolen.
But I can definitely see where it could be helpful.
it is difficult. i was working saturdays and sundays for about six months, now i am down to saturdays. this has been going on for almost a year. most of our sundays are filled with family catch-up, the occasional family outing… i don’t make enough to justify paying for daycare, so at least my normal 24 hour baby care week days have been untouched…. if by untouched one means i run around batshit crazy most days trying to keep all clean, fed, at school.
we get milk delivered now to a milk box one day a week. it is the same price as the organic stuff we were buying at the store, and local.
we do not have any babysitters except my mom (free). we’ve been concentrating in paying debt, getting cheap or free outside fun when we can.
so, i totally understand!
good luck!
Hang in there! It’s bound to start getting better eventually. Only a few weeks left!