My New Life

As many of you know, starting in September I decided to cut my work hours back and work only part time. Although it's been an adjustment financially for us it was easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

My new life goes something like this. I wake up with the morning light about 6:30, and lay in bed until The Husband gets out of the shower or The Little Miss wakes up. It's a crap shoot on what will happen first, but regardless I find myself hitting the floor around 7. I then have an hour and a half to get myself and The Little Miss, fed, clothed, lunches and ready for work/school. Now all you readers that don't have kids will be thinking, well, shit, that should be easy, it's an hour and a half, what could possibly take so long? For those parents out there, you all know it's a bit more complicated because getting a toddler to do anything requires selling the idea and incentives, also known as bribes. Yes, I bribe my child. And those of you who say you don't are either really good sales people or just plain lying. I have a hunch as to which it is, but I'll just leave it at that.

We rush out the door at 8:30, do the drop off at pre-school and I am sitting at my desk at 9a. Whew! It's a tight schedule but somehow, we've made it everyday, except for the one time where she was having the classic toddler fit kicking, screaming, crying and acting as though I had just told her she had to walk 6 miles in the snow and sleet to school with no shoes and not just told her she had to clean up her blocks and walk to the car.

I work until 1p when I then have me, me, me time until 4:30 when I go pick up The Little Miss. The time I have to myself is golden. It's precious time for me to refuel, to recharge and to do my things. Even if it's just going to the grocery store or doing laundry, it's time I can focus and slow down.

My relationship with The Little Miss seems less strained. I no longer resent her for taking up "my time." And yes, I know when you have kids you really forfeit everything, but I still need balance. We play more and struggle less. We laugh more and cry less.

I have to say, I am so much happier these days. It feels as though my life is much more simple and my priorities are more in line with what I value. I never realized how stressed and how unhappy I was before. With the burden of juggling so much lifted, the ease of my life is sharply coming in focus. I have much more patience and I feel as though I can breathe deeply and am satisfied.