Hooray!

Oh hooray! My husband is home! He has been out of town on business this week, and I have been masquerading as a single, working mother -- a job that I am happy to give up! Honestly, I don't know how single parents manage all that they have to juggle in a day -- I am exhausted!

Now, granted, part of my exhaustion stems from my 6 year old wanting to sleep in Mommy's room while Daddy is out of town. This is great, in theory, but she comes with a lot of baggage -- literally. Stuffed animals, dolls, decorative pillows, and there was even a plastic toy "Scooby Doo" van that she got from a recent kid's meal! And then of course, is the issue of her moving around in her sleep. A lot. We have a king-sized bed (my husband is a tall guy -- 6'4") and you would think that should be large enough for Mommy and her 6 year old -- until the child tosses and turns in her sleep and spends the majority of the night sleeping horizontally across the bed. With her feet UNDER my back -- very comfortable!

But all of that aside, I found that it takes a lot of energy and organization to get everything done before bedtime (mine) so that I was not scrambling like a crazy person in the morning (at least not scrambling as much...). I usually get home around 5:30 - 6:00pm and dinner needs to be made, children fed, dishes cleaned up, homework done (occasionally -- fortunately we don't have too much yet), clothes pulled out for the next day, lunches packed, teeth brushed, diapers changed, jammies on, children put to bed, and toys picked up.

Some of this I take care of after the kids are in bed, because otherwise I would not get a single minute to snuggle with them or listen to my daughter's ongoing narration of her day, both in "real" school and the neverending "pretend" school that goes on here for all of her waking hours. And it's terrible to feel impatient with your children, that you have to get things done, when spending time with them is really the most important, and probably most fun part of your day! I've learned to try and multi-task as much as possible -- making dinner, doing dishes as I go along, and usually listening to my girl's stories from her day. The other night was great -- I was cooking and doing dishes, and she sat on the stool in the kitchen and read her library book to me -- it made my time in the kitchen go by so fast, and it was a nice break for her from the Disney Channel and her Polly Pockets!

Tonight, I have my husband home to help carry the load, and I am so looking forward to that! And of course, a good night's sleep -- as long as he keeps his feet to himself! ;)

The Kindness of Strangers

On my way to work today, I glanced down at my wrist and noticed that the diamond bracelet that my husband gave me as a wedding gift, was missing. I wear it constantly and I'm so used to it being there that it's become an extension of my arm I'm afraid I don't always pay attention to it and I had no idea when I remembered seeing it last!

I tried to retrace my steps of the past few days -- I asked the women at the front desk of my office if anyone had turned in a bracelet, I called my church, my daughter's Sunday school, and even my local grocery store. I tore apart my desk, purse, tote bag, and my mother (who was watching my daughter at my house today) was nice enough to look around the house for me. Finally, I got a call back from the grocery store, and they said that someone had turned in a bracelet on Sunday (the day I was shopping) and after I described it to the woman, she was sure that this was mine! I can't tell you what a relief it was to get it back -- I nearly cried at the service desk of the store! What are the odds that you could lose something like that in a busy, public place, and you would somehow get it back?

I am a tremendously sentimental person, and I treasure the things that have been passed along to me by my family -- my mother's engagement ring, my grandmother's ring. Having two daughters, I always think about passing these and my own jewelry on for them to treasure when they are older. And now thanks to the thoughtfulness and honesty of a complete stranger, I have one of my most sentimental belongings back -- I can't thank them enough!

History Lessons

My husband and I are blessed with two daughters. There are a number of things that I have tried over and over to teach to my 6 year old daughter -- potty training was certainly a long struggle, which we eventually mastered. Picking up after ourselves is a lesson that still eludes us.

And then there are the things that my daughter has learned without any effort at all. The most valuable of these is the importance of family. We have a large, but tight-knit extended family spread across several states, and even before having children, we would try to get together as often as possible. We enjoy spending holidays together, having family reunions or just a fun weekend together. No matter which branch of the family tree we are with, everyone laughs and shares family stories.

The other day at school, for an assignment about things that start with the letter "i", my girl drew a picture of a barn and labeled it "Iowa Farm", referencing the state where my father and his family hail from. She has never been to Iowa, and my grandparents moved here when Dad was younger than she is now. It's amazing what children pick up and retain! Last night she and her 1 year old sister were playing on the floor and my 6 year old laughed and said, "I hope she doesn't bite my bum!" Which is a famous, albeit embarassing family story from my mother's youth, involving her younger sister who was a toddler at the time...

My daughter not only feels a kinship to the family that she sees in person, but also with the family that we have lost. She is named after my mother's mother who passed away when I was a young girl, but because of the stories and pictures we share, my girl seems to feel very connected with the great grandmother she never had the opportunity to meet.

Without even realizing it, we have instilled a sense of family pride and connection in our daughter that I am sure she will pass on to her own children someday. And I think that's a lesson worth learning!

Welcome!

Recently I was introduced to the world of blogging by my friend Christine, who started her own blog (http://livingbeautifullyfrugally.blogspot.com). I always enjoy reading her posts, and it has inspired me to start my own blog, to share my thoughts on the most important job I've ever held -- being a mother to my two beautiful girls! So, I would like to share the triumphs and the trials of being a working mother of two.

I do not profess to be the perfect mother, but I love my children dearly and I marvel at the immensely important task that my husband and I have been given -- to help them develop into the amazing individuals that I know they will be. My brother-in-law Joe and I were talking about "career fulfillment" and he said that he has given up the idea that he will change the world with the work that he does. However, he said that he now feels the difference he is making is in supporting his family and his three children, and maybe someday one of them will change the world. That really spoke volumes to me, because I have always felt that my girls are a special gift and I feel that as a parent, as a mother, I have a tremendous responsibility to them, to help empower them to be good, strong, well-rounded, and caring adults.

Hopefully there are others out there who will enjoy reading this and who will perhaps take something away with them, but also leave some thoughts or advice of their own.