Motherhood and The Rat Race

Last year was my first back in the workforce since making the decision to be a "stay at home mom" 10 years ago. I was only a "full-time stay at home mom" for about half that time. Anyway, now that I am back in the workforce (part-time) I am realizing just how difficult it is to balance work and family.

Being home with small children and running a household was actually harder (emotionally and physically) than managing a bank while working on my MBA. That blew my mind. Now I am quickly realizing that balancing work and motherhood is more difficult than being a stay at home mom, but being a stay at home mom was still harder than having a career and no kids.

I am exhausted. I woke up at five thirty A.M. (which I know hard working men and women all over the world do every day), got the wonderful rug rats to school, went to work and was on my feet for five hours straight in heels (I hate heels!), picked up the kids from school, picked up dinner, came home, cleaned up the BREAKFAST dishes, wrapped the dead pet bunny (yes, he died in the midst of this, I cried all the way to work because I knew he would be dead when we got home) in garbage bags and stuffed his cold dead body in the garbage before the kids could see it, took the garbage to the curb, etc., etc., etc. Now I will help the kids with their homework, try like hell to connect with my husband for at least five minutes, and well, you get the picture... because I am not all that unique. Just a typical day in the life of a mom (parent for you guys that take offense).

I have no idea if the Christmas cards are going to happen this year. Don't be offended if you don't get one, because you probably won't unless we hire help.

All that said, I wouldn't change a damn thing. I feel so fortunate, to both my husband and my parents (thanks Dad for getting my snow blower going!) for loving me enough to help me set up my life so I could make these kind of choices. I see working women all day at work that sure as hell don't make enough to pay for quality child care, and I realize how blessed I am to be able to work part-time and to have enough education and resources that if I went back full-time I could afford to hire a nanny.

Rock on mom's - stay at home or not. You rule.

p.s Am I a bad mom because I didn't take the rabbit to the vet in the middle of all this? I am feeling a little guilty!