She's Winning

  "You got this, Mama!" has become one of the most comforting phrases I hear these days.  I'm fortunate to be surrounded by amazing friends and family.  They are my village and I couldn't survive motherhood without them. I was texting back and forth with one of my dearest friends yesterday about our normal  mommy stuff .  And at the end of our conversation she sent me this: PS - I just want you to know that I think of you as one of my strongest mommy friends. The way you so selflessly put your kids before your career is inspiring. And even though it so hard and the days seem never-ending, you are truly doing an amazing job with those boys. You can see it in their demeanor, they love the time and energy you give. And even though as moms we don't hear it nearly enough, you are making a huge difference in their lives and giving them something that is priceless. I'm grateful that on the hard, most discouraging days we have someone to vent/cry/laugh with in

I recently  quit my six figure job to become a stay at home mom .  Let me set the record straight that there is no such thing as eating bon bons on the couch and watching soap operas.  Sure, there are quick chocolate breaks while hiding in the pantry but that is purely a means of survival.  This job is hard. I’m quickly learning that in order to be “successful” at this new gig, I’m going to have to learn to be okay with far from perfect days.   This is not as easy as it seems.  When I worked, checking off my to-do list was generally within my control and I could get a lot accomplished in a short period of time.  That felt good.  At home this is MUCH more challenging.  Most days I’m lucky if I get 2 of the 5 items checked off my list.  And setting my expectations too high has only led to an unwarranted feeling of failure.  Because in stay-at-home-mom-land I can only control so much.  My kids don’t always listen, they need a lot of my attention and I have to learn to be more realist

Month one flew by so fast!  It’s crazy!  I’m still adjusting to this new lifestyle but I’ve noticed that with each week I’m learning new tricks on how to be a successful stay at home mom.   And let me tell you, this job is not easy.  It’s hard.  It’s rewarding.  It’s exhausting.  It’s fun.  It’s so many things.  I apologize in advance that this post is all over the place.  It’s very representative of my current state of mind. THE GOOD I still feel that I am less stressed than I used to be.   Now I would like to clarify that this is not to say it’s  easier  or that I don’t have struggles.  I will explain my new struggles below.  We’ve gotten busier and busier as the month has gone on but the actual pace still feels much better than my previous pace.  We take longer to do every step now because I am in control of our schedule.   Well kind of in control.  My threenager would argue that he is.   I’m no longer forcing my kids out the door so I can get to work and running into the hous