And just like that – I have a job.
This is what I want everyone to do right now: stand up and start clapping.
No, not for me, for all the working moms out there making it happen every day. I seriously don’t know how they do it five days a week, year-round.
This sh*t is tiring.
Oh sure, I went back to work right after my daughter was born, but she wasn’t sleeping through the night at that point and my boobs were like cow utters, so I had no idea what was going on. Then I quit four months later.
Now – I am wide awake and have realized a few things:
1) I have no pants. Who doesn’t have any pants? Me apparently. Well, I have one pair of pants which are slightly large and have a late nineties vibe to them. That goes for most of my dress clothing I try to pull off as “business casual.” I miss my uniform of jeans and a t-shirt.
2) Those who go to a workplace must shower and be presentable every morning. I cried a little when I couldn’t just show up to school in my pajamas and shoo my daughter out of the car. I also have to brush my hair more.
3) Nightly baths for my daughter are a crap shoot. After preparing dinner, making threats to complete homework (“All you have to do is color every other triangle for Chrissake!”), throwing in a load of laundry, and trying to clean up said dinner; child cleanliness goes out the window. Don’t call CPS.
4) Dog? What dog? Sorry chump, your daily walks take a back seat to dinner. Which leads me to…
5) …Dinner – you evil b*tch. It shows up every night, pans naked and waiting. I’ve been making a lot of pasta and pre-made skillet meals. The inmates are planning a coup. I’m not fooling anyone.
6) Remember when I could flex? Work outs have gone from a pleasant hour of body pump to, “If I skip lunch, maybe I can run around the parking lot for twenty minutes.”
I know all you mommies who have been at this game since the beginning are laughing at me. But I am getting the hang of things. I show up to work on time (I know, I can’t believe it either!), I am earning a paycheck, and it feels good to be using parts of my brain that were once solely reserved for: “Did she eat? Did she poop? Are we out of Goldfish? Wait, did you say that she ate?”
While it is a change to my routine, my family’s routine, and can be a bit daunting at times, it feels good to be back in the saddle.
That and I bought two new pairs of pants.
Am I Really? 
Hi Catherine!
A STANDING OVATION FROM ME TO YOU RIGHT NOW!!!!!
I am so proud of you! i feel the same when I think about moms and both parents working full-time and I have no idea how they do it. I have watched my friend Sally, whom you met at Taylor’s B-day party/playdate with Samantha last September, transition from a super-hockey mom of 3 boys and 1 girl to a full-time ad sales super saleswoman in less than 2 months and I am awe-struck by how smooth it seems to have gone. Another friend, new to St. John’s decided one day that she was starting a business and just did it and it is working out great. Meanwhile, I am feeling like the only mom I know without a job and have gone through a little thing about that lately and have just been exploring and reaching out and seeing what comes back to me. Well, a lot has come back to me but not necessarily an amazing career, YET!
Anyway, you really crack me up with you’re posts on you’re blog. How do you do that!! This is really inspiring to me and to many people. You are really doing a good thing and it makes me feel like I can let my guard down which allows others to let their guard down and opens up relationships that would never have been there previously. This is all part of getting older as well. It all seems to be coming together later in life for me.I think?
Pleae write back to me if you can, even if it needs to be brief, about what you are doing. How you came about the job, just like that! I’d love to hear about it as well as have Samantha and Taylor Facetime eachother at some point. Or, send some pictures and fill me in on how she is doing!
I love you’re writing and love being able to relate to so much of it. Keep it up! Best to Samantha & family.
Dori Grenert (Old St. John’s, Beverly, MA Pal)
Dori:
Thank you so much for the kind words! Your comment got lost somewhere and I just found it! Samantha and I miss you guys so much! I hope Talylor and the boys are all have a wonderful year at St. John’s. Man, we miss that school and the community too.
I will send you an email and we can set up a time to talk – it has been waaaaaay too long.
Wishing you the best on the job hunt. It’s crazy, but take your time and take something that fits for your. Working has made me realize how important TIME is!
Love to you!
Catherine