Thoughts From a Working Mom...

For the first time in almost 8 years, I am working a 5-day week.  I usually work one day a week (which I LOVE and hope to never give up).  Sometimes I work 2 days a week, rarely 3 days a week and NEVER 5 days a week.  Well, it used to be never, because this week I'm putting in 5 days. 

I was discussing this rarity with a coworker and she commented on how she wished that she had had the "luxury" of staying home with her children.  Luxury.  A very interesting word to describe quitting my job to stay home with my kids. 

As a result of staying home and working 7 hours a week instead of the 24-40 hours I used to work,
-I dye my own hair
-My kids wear mostly used clothing
-We save up for a family vacation... to Minneapolis or DesMoines, not Disney World or the beach.
-I wear clothes that I don't really like, but can't afford to replenish my wardrobe the way I'd like to
-I make my lattes at home.
-We almost never eat out. 

However, I don't know that "luxury" is too far off.  Also at work, I was with some nurse practitioners chatting before a meeting.  The conversation turned to age and they started to discuss how they had worked so hard for so long and achieved so much in their careers, but didn't feel like they had had enough fun.  They felt like they had lost the last 10-20 years.  And this is why I quit my job four years ago.  I didn't want to loose thisincreadibly unique and precious time.  I knew that I couldn't wait another 10 years and decide to stay home with my kids... because they wouldn't be there.  So instead of new clothes, fancy vacations and a Starbucks in my hand, I get to go on walks on a Tuesday morning.  I get to do finger plays at library storytime and have mommy- toddler playdates with my friends.  I have time to make my own bread and to make homemade treats for preschool.  And I think that "luxury" might be just the word to describe what I have.

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