What I intended to do: paint more, apply for a masters art program, create a less-stressful environment at home, be available to do client work, be able to stay home nearly on a whim if Skyler or Tasia is sick, go with the kids on their school fieldtrips, paint murals and work on few extra special projects.
What I've been doing lately: get up at 6:30 a.m. just to get Skyler on the bus, go to Gold's Gym, drive Tasia to and from her morning preschool, grocery shopping, check out FreeCycle for free stuff to get/give away, muse, look on the internet, and work on the final details for a client whose Deaf alphabetical book will come out in 2010. The latter I will let you know when it comes out! Still working on special projects, some I have yet to get started with. Skyler has had to stay home due to illness as well as needing a time-out from school (only twice so far, one was our decision and the other was the school's decision). I've also been cooking yummy dinners whenever we're home for dinner; unfortunately half of what I make the kids won't eat so I'm still adjusting our family menu. I have more energy and the family overall is happier. I'm happy with how things have turned out for our family thus far although I know I need to have better focus to work on my personal health and art!
I chatted with a father recently- he'd said he enjoyed staying home with his kids this week, could imagine becoming a SAHF, but also imagined that he'd go running back to work after 2 or 3 months with his pre-school age kids. That was true for me when Skyler and Tasia were much younger- I'd gone back to work when Skyler was almost 3 and Tasia was 18 1/2 months old. It is different now that they're older, though, because Skyler is in Pre-Kindergarten full time at Kendall and Tasia's preschool is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Ah, nearly 3 hours of peace!
Events and choices keep coming up and reminding us what a great decision we made when I said farewell MSSD in June 2009.
Photo at top: We love face painting, courtesy of the FacePaint Lady! At first we'd go to ChickFilA on Tuesday evenings to get the kids' faces painted and later on the FacePaint Lady told me where I could get the TRUE face painting materials and not the crap found in general art stores. Now I can do our kids' faces anytime, anywhere. Below is a video (and not a photo that I thought we were taking) of Skyler and Tasia's faces- I painted them!
First, yay, you have a blog!
ReplyDeleteSecond, amazing work with the face paint on your kids and you too! Did they make you do it on yourself? Hee.
Third, I can relate to what you are saying about choosing to be a SAHM. It is a true challenge to have both spouses work full-time with such tiny kids. My hats off to those who do it with some success. When Henry was three months old, I went back to work FT, with him in tow thanks to my work's benefit of bringing your kid until they're one year old. It was crazy, but I managed. Then I got pregnant with twins when he was 10 months old and now with three baby boys under the age of two, there is no doubt it's SAHM for me and I'm at peace with it. I'm available at a whim for them, I have more energy to be a mother and a wife and do other things too (but feels like barely!). I do envy you for your three hours of peace everyday and look forward to that although that'd mean the boys are growing up, noooo :-)
I am so much better at cooking yummy dinners too. Although I admit there are some days when I just toss a DiGiorano pizza in the oven for dinner!