Each day flies by, leaving me without enough time to get everything done on my to-do list, causing me to wonder how I ever fit two jobs into my life. I mean, I worked all day long AND a couple nights a week AND cooked and cleaned and cared for four kids and a very large house. Now, with one child left at home (less cooking) and a much smaller home (less cleaning), I find it difficult to find time to vacuum. Something is wrong about that.
Working moms (remember, I was a working, single mom for quite a while) can become very efficient at getting things done because (a) in survival mode, they squeeze in chores wherever possible (like doing two loads of laundry before going to work in the morning), (2) the things that get attention are commmonly referred to as "fires" (emergency chores), which usually need to be completed before bed (like baking cupcakes for school the next day) and (3) they learn very quickly to pick their battles (ironing was no longer a priority for me).
That being said, I'm actually quite thankful to have had my experience as a working mom. I learned what was possible, and even though I felt insane (or at least sleep-deprived) at times, I found that I was capable of doing the impossible.
So what exactly has been taking up my time since Eric and I got married and I am a stay-at-home wife and mother? Hmmm.
The internet. I mean, there are sooo many cool websites about knitting and quilting and gardening and homemaking. (Of course, each website also links to more website, and the time-sucking begins.) And I DO realize that reading on the internet about other people doing those things takes away time from my doing those things.
Cooking. Shopping for ingredients. Looking at recipes. I cook dinner every night now, which I didn't do when I was working and frozen lasagna was as close as we got to homemade. Even though I'm cooking for less people, there's prep work involved, and the cooking time remains the same despite number of portions one is preparing. I suppose I shouldn't feel "lazy" when I'm looking through cookbooks for a new recipe...it's part of my job now.
Sewing and knitting. (I'm feeling less lazy and less guilty now.) I've completed four Christmas presents (in my working mom life last year I finished two) and have made significant progress in piecing a quilt that's been sitting for four years. Good stuff.
Spending time with friends and family. Two entire days with Julia last week. Almost every evening with Eric. My knitting group once a week. I have a lunch date with someone from church next week. And my friend Linda is coming to visit for a couple of days, with her daughters. None of these things would occur in the midst of two jobs. Relationships are important. Jesus told us to love one another. God commanded it more than anything else. This is really good stuff.
I'm really blessed. I think I'll be able to make time to vacuum this week.
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