Appointments
There's a lot of things about staying at home with kids that I think working moms have easier. Or at least ... have a way of dealing with.
Appointments. Making an appointment for myself takes an act of Congress. It was easier when I just had one kid (and my friends just had one kid) because I could drop one off with their one and they'd play and it was no big deal. Now? Well my good friend has two and my other good friend has one and another in utero. If I drop off my two that takes one to four and the other to three and it's pretty much a lot to ask someone. So it's just not that easy. Add to that that if you're trying to make a doctors appointment around two families schedules ...
What ends up happening is I bring the kids. G went to many OB appointments. G and Chalupa went to all of my post partum appointments (2?). Chalupa has been to the dentist with me. It was not pleasant. And I love that the office says "oh yes it's fine!" (what else can they say?) and then treats my baby like he's behaving unnaturally by crying.
Today there was another appointment and I couldn't delay it and there was no help with childcare. They both went. I went with toys, snacks for both, an iphone filled with toddler apps. The funniest part about the whole experience was they both stared at mommy, on the doctors table, being inspected with huge wide eyes. G's widest of all. Do you need a band-aid mommy? I had to smile at them. They were very curious and anxious about the experience.
There are other things about my day that I think working women are smart to avoid. But this appointment thing is a beast. Quality doctors don't work on Saturdays. But that's a beast too because that's about the only quality time we all get with Daddy and I don't want to take time away from that and go get my hair cut even.
I'm typically not a fan of bringing children to things where they don't belong. But how else do I manage? I could spend money and find a sitter but I only need a sitter one off; like maybe once a quarter. How do you find someone that's willing to help you so sporadically?
I am complaining, but not really. Because I wouldn't change anything. I think my decision to stay home is way way way better than going to work. Insert usual disclaimer about your choice is your own and all women have to make the right decision for their family blah blah blah.
The rest of my day ... wake up, feed baby, feed kids, make mental note to take the chicken for dinner out of the freezer, coffee, toys, break up about twenty fights over toys, keep Chalupa from sticking something - anything - into the electric sockets, or crash into the fire place, laundry situation evaluation, organize the kids things for the millionth time, ask G if he needs to go potty. Be told no. Again. Baby's first nap, time with G, ask him again if he needs to go potty. Be told no. More games, toys, maybe a shower maybe, G now doing strange rhythmic dance that confuses my brain for a second than I shout go potty G! Baby wakes up, more food, insert activity for kids or grocery shopping, home for lunch, another thirty minutes of activity (depending on how long it took G to eat and how late we were getting home), or straight to naptime, involving reading of books, playing a game, begging G to get into bed without tears, take a little rest G!, feed the baby, put baby down for nap, walk silently but quickly out of the room while inwardly saying over and over again please dont cry please dont cry please dont cry, sit down and waste valuable time I could be doing my chores or prepping dinner on the computer and type up a blog that no one will read or that I wont publish because it's too personal or too opinionated, baby wakes up thirty minutes before he's "supposed" to, G wakes up either by magic twenty minutes later or from hearing the screaming, insert another kid activity or playing with train table or begging the kids to play nice and watching G for potty signs and begging him to go if he needs to go while hustling around putting laundry into it's various stages of completion, unloading the dishwasher, clean up the spills from this morning that I either neglected or just now discovered, mentally check the clock and think about when I need to start dinner. Think of about fifty things that I forgot at the grocery store. Remember that I did not feed the dog that morning. Feel bad about that and throw a double scoop in her bowl. Remember that I did not, in fact, take the chicken out of the freezer and can either put it in the mircrowave or figure something else out. While I've been standing in front of the freezer G has stolen yet another toy out of Chalupa's hand and yelled Mama, he's trying to eat it! And said No, yet again, to requests to watch Chicken Little or Little Einsteins. Realize it's midmonth and I need to check the bank and start the bills and next months budget. I dread the electric bill. We need to talk about our investments. Do we have investments? This is a joke. I am not a financial simpleton. G screams that Chalupa is trying to swallow a lego. Crap it's 5PM. I have to start dinner. Chicken still frozen. Where did this day go? Suddenly exhausted, put kids at table and look for appropriately nutritious ingredients that they will both eat. Realize that's a joke and prepare two meals for both kids while mentally preparing a third for the adults that does not involve frozen chicken. Also start wondering when my husband will get home. Both kids fed. It's 6PM. Someone is melting down and wants to be held. Could be either one. I'm getting tired just writing this and I should be doing something else, by the way.
That's a good day.
Appointments. Making an appointment for myself takes an act of Congress. It was easier when I just had one kid (and my friends just had one kid) because I could drop one off with their one and they'd play and it was no big deal. Now? Well my good friend has two and my other good friend has one and another in utero. If I drop off my two that takes one to four and the other to three and it's pretty much a lot to ask someone. So it's just not that easy. Add to that that if you're trying to make a doctors appointment around two families schedules ...
What ends up happening is I bring the kids. G went to many OB appointments. G and Chalupa went to all of my post partum appointments (2?). Chalupa has been to the dentist with me. It was not pleasant. And I love that the office says "oh yes it's fine!" (what else can they say?) and then treats my baby like he's behaving unnaturally by crying.
Today there was another appointment and I couldn't delay it and there was no help with childcare. They both went. I went with toys, snacks for both, an iphone filled with toddler apps. The funniest part about the whole experience was they both stared at mommy, on the doctors table, being inspected with huge wide eyes. G's widest of all. Do you need a band-aid mommy? I had to smile at them. They were very curious and anxious about the experience.
There are other things about my day that I think working women are smart to avoid. But this appointment thing is a beast. Quality doctors don't work on Saturdays. But that's a beast too because that's about the only quality time we all get with Daddy and I don't want to take time away from that and go get my hair cut even.
I'm typically not a fan of bringing children to things where they don't belong. But how else do I manage? I could spend money and find a sitter but I only need a sitter one off; like maybe once a quarter. How do you find someone that's willing to help you so sporadically?
I am complaining, but not really. Because I wouldn't change anything. I think my decision to stay home is way way way better than going to work. Insert usual disclaimer about your choice is your own and all women have to make the right decision for their family blah blah blah.
The rest of my day ... wake up, feed baby, feed kids, make mental note to take the chicken for dinner out of the freezer, coffee, toys, break up about twenty fights over toys, keep Chalupa from sticking something - anything - into the electric sockets, or crash into the fire place, laundry situation evaluation, organize the kids things for the millionth time, ask G if he needs to go potty. Be told no. Again. Baby's first nap, time with G, ask him again if he needs to go potty. Be told no. More games, toys, maybe a shower maybe, G now doing strange rhythmic dance that confuses my brain for a second than I shout go potty G! Baby wakes up, more food, insert activity for kids or grocery shopping, home for lunch, another thirty minutes of activity (depending on how long it took G to eat and how late we were getting home), or straight to naptime, involving reading of books, playing a game, begging G to get into bed without tears, take a little rest G!, feed the baby, put baby down for nap, walk silently but quickly out of the room while inwardly saying over and over again please dont cry please dont cry please dont cry, sit down and waste valuable time I could be doing my chores or prepping dinner on the computer and type up a blog that no one will read or that I wont publish because it's too personal or too opinionated, baby wakes up thirty minutes before he's "supposed" to, G wakes up either by magic twenty minutes later or from hearing the screaming, insert another kid activity or playing with train table or begging the kids to play nice and watching G for potty signs and begging him to go if he needs to go while hustling around putting laundry into it's various stages of completion, unloading the dishwasher, clean up the spills from this morning that I either neglected or just now discovered, mentally check the clock and think about when I need to start dinner. Think of about fifty things that I forgot at the grocery store. Remember that I did not feed the dog that morning. Feel bad about that and throw a double scoop in her bowl. Remember that I did not, in fact, take the chicken out of the freezer and can either put it in the mircrowave or figure something else out. While I've been standing in front of the freezer G has stolen yet another toy out of Chalupa's hand and yelled Mama, he's trying to eat it! And said No, yet again, to requests to watch Chicken Little or Little Einsteins. Realize it's midmonth and I need to check the bank and start the bills and next months budget. I dread the electric bill. We need to talk about our investments. Do we have investments? This is a joke. I am not a financial simpleton. G screams that Chalupa is trying to swallow a lego. Crap it's 5PM. I have to start dinner. Chicken still frozen. Where did this day go? Suddenly exhausted, put kids at table and look for appropriately nutritious ingredients that they will both eat. Realize that's a joke and prepare two meals for both kids while mentally preparing a third for the adults that does not involve frozen chicken. Also start wondering when my husband will get home. Both kids fed. It's 6PM. Someone is melting down and wants to be held. Could be either one. I'm getting tired just writing this and I should be doing something else, by the way.
That's a good day.
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