Being Home

Many people have been asking me what it is like now that I am home full-time, so I thought I would write about a few things that I have experienced. (Disclaimer- none of this is meant to be a judgement about staying at home, working, or both. It's just a glimpse of my story. I didn't realize until I became a parent what a sensitive topic this is!)

As many of you know, my part time job ended in September. Although I enjoyed working along with being home, I hadn't realized how difficult this is to do until I had more time to reflect.

When people would hear about our schedule, they would comment that it was ideal. Chris stayed home with Josiah while I was working, and some of my work could also be done from home. It was a blessing in many ways, but I never realized how busy and stressful it was too. I found that writing psychological reports was very difficult, especially if I was tired or if the house was getting out of hand. The pace was a little crazy too, and I always felt rushed and like I had a million things on my 'to-do' list.

Here are a couple of pictures I took of my office before I left (does the 'client' look familiar?!):







It was a positive experience overall, and I am thankful to God for the opportunity and provision.

Things have slowed down a lot in the past month! Here are some of the positive things:

1) I have had more time to enjoy Josiah, and I am trying to make the most of each day.

2) Because my mind is not preoccupied with reports, I can think of more interesting things for us to do and I am able to be more present.

3) My free time is actually free! (Some people work from home easily, and some type of work is easily done from home; however, I did find this a challenge).

4) Nap times and after bedtime is now spent on cleaning more, baking, and other domestic tasks that were often ignored before. Other times I am able to read/reflect on parenting skills so I can become better at my job. I also find that I have more time to think, write, and be a little creative.

5) I have more time to schedule play dates and spend time with friends.

6) Potty training has become a priority. Josiah is now sitting on the potty several times a day, and he uses it about 1-3 times each day...progress! I didn't have the time or ability to be as consistent when I was working too.

7) I have been more deliberate about taking pictures and videos again.

8) I am working out a lot more.

9) I have had time to read books!

10) I have more head-space to organize and plan. Also, to work through some personal issues that have been on the back burner.

11) I have more time to spend with Chris, and I'm not so tired on our days off.

Overall, I am really enjoying these changes. Part of me misses getting dressed up for work, and not having anything spilled on me all day. I miss talking with adults on a regular basis. I miss the paycheck! I miss having something all to myself that was not touched by anyone else in my home, like my clean office! I am also struggling with adjusting my expectations. I feel that I should be super-mom now, and I really struggle if my house is messy at the end of the day since I am home to clean it! At least before I had a better excuse when I was struggling! I am also surprised by how many things are still on my 'to-do' list. I used to hear adults say, "There just aren't enough hours in a day..." I didn't get it, and thought it sounded silly. Now, I understand! I don't think it matters what we do or where we work or what phase of life we are in, it can get busier than we'd like!

But there are just too many moments to be missed for spotless kitchen floors (and I LOVE spotless floors!).

Here are a couple of pictures that I took of Josiah on our days home. We made a tunnel out of a diaper box that made for hours of fun!













Oh, and did I mention that we have WAY more time?! Come on over and visit!