working mom

Lies I Tell Myself About Summer Vacation

May 27, 2011 By Blonde Mom 6 Comments

Summer 2010, the Slip ‘N Slide Edition

Originally posted July 2009 – Updated for this summer

It’s the last full week of school for my girls and I’ve already caught myself getting weepy more than once as they empty their backpacks of miscellaneous tokens from kindergarten and 3rd grade—photographs, locker name plates, artwork.

I’m looking forward to letting them sleep in and having less harried mornings. I’m looking forward to popsicles, catching fireflies, and even washing sunshine tinged with chlorine scented beach towels.

There are some things, however, I’m not looking forward to because summer also brings with it humidity and ginormous mosquitos with a side of “I’m bored” and “Are we there yet?”

Here are some of the lies I tell myself about summer vacation.

The lawn mullet look is so in for landscaping—business in the front and party in the back.

It’s OK if the girls stay up until 10 because they’ll sleep in the next day.

When the girls say “I’m bored” for the 800th time it’s just a testament to their determination.

The spider veins on my thighs are signs of a life well-lived.

Tankinis are sexy.

I totally look like that 29-year-old mom in the bikini if I suck in my stomach and don’t breathe!

Popsicles are acceptable before 11 a.m., but not before 9 a.m. unless they are fruit flavored.

The girls need one more pair of cute flip flops. And so do I.

The girls are getting all the summer enrichment they need from watching Sponge Bob and hanging out with my 77-year-old dad when he buys lottery tickets at the convenient mart.

Swatting mosquitos burns off all the margaritas I’ll be drinking.

White legs are in!

But the lie I tell myself that really hurts?

I don’t mind being a working mom in the summer.

The reality is I often daydream of being home with them all summer and having relatively lazy, unscheduled days. That is, until they start arguing. Then I’m kind of OK with the peace and solitude my office offers.

What lies are you telling yourself this summer?

Filed Under: Parenting, Working Mom 6 Comments

10 Things I Love About Going Into The Office

October 15, 2010 By Blonde Mom 12 Comments

Fridays are my work from home days for my day job. I work part time as an editor and social media coordinator for a business publishing company and although I love working in yoga pants and flip flops and a t-shirt I also enjoy going into the office. I did the work from home thing when Miss A was a baby and although it was very important for me to be able to do that, I also realized it’s good for me to go into the office occasionally (see also mama goes stir crazy).

Here are 10 things that I love about going into my office:

My morning commute radio time where I can listen to whatever I darn well please without hearing, “Mom can we hear 92 point blah blah blah? Mom can you change it to 107 point yadda yadda yadda? Mom, mom CHANGE IT BACK! I love that song!” every 10 seconds.

No small people walking in on me in the bathroom while I try to a.) pee b.) brush my hair or c.) make sure I don’t have lipstick on my teeth.

Adult conversation that doesn’t center around scheduling soccer practice, car pool changes, or which grocery store has chicken breasts on sale.

Motivation to push beyond my weekend fashion laziness (t-shirt and khaki shorts or capris in the summer or t-shirt and jeans or yoga pants in the fall and winter) and actually wear decent clothing.

The lovely quiet. Oh the sweet, precious quiet.

My office door! My very own door! With a shiny silver door knob and hinges and stuff!

A huge window where I can keep an eye out on the weather and witness the occasional kamikaze bird.

Stashing chewing gum in my desk drawer without worrying that I’ll discover empty wrappers the next day because my girls like to chew the sweet out and move on to the next stick of gum with reckless abandon.

Internet that has never witnessed Club Penguin, Nick Jr., or Barbie.com.

Post It Notes that are MINE ALL MINE minions! (See also highlighter pens and colored paper clips.)

Are you a working mom? Do you prefer working from home or in an office or, like me, do you like the flexibility of being able to do both?

Filed Under: Working Mom 12 Comments

In Chaos There is Comfort

April 2, 2009 By Blonde Mom 7 Comments

I have everything laid out for my morning commute. Miss C’s Hannah Montana backpack is on the kitchen table and I have packed her lunch. The sound of coffee brewing is my morning sountrack. Everything goes according to my morning plan, until Miss A slowly emerges from her bedroom, her bare feet padding softly on the hardwood floors and I am greeted with the sight of a heavy Pull Up that has undoubtedly leaked on to her white eyelet trimmed sheets. I curse under my breath, but see her face drop. She hugs me, her long curly brown hair tousled, her eyes still sleepy. We both smell like pee now, but it’s OK.

This house is home. Lately I feel like it is a crazy chaotic mess, offset by small clusters I have organized in an attempt to regain control. Like a pair of old shoes, it is scuffed. I find myself continually frustrated as I once again step on a Littlest Pet Shop toy, and gather up stray shoes, cups, and make repeated pleas to the girls to pick up after themselves. But it is home.

Finally I am out the door with Miss C and on the way to school, only a few minutes off schedule. She has worn her favorite striped wide headband with a blue polo shirt for the day with her favorite khakis and is clutching her pink and lavender ballerina lunchbox. After I drop her off at school and wave and yell out my familiar “I love you baby! Have fun!” I head down the highway to make the 9-mile commute to work. I scan through the local radio stations and decide to crank a Jimmy Buffett CD. I roll down the windows and open the sunroof to soak up the sunshine and reveal a blue sky.

My life is an unpredictable series of comedies in error, of good intentions railroaded by potty incidents and fevers of unknown origin and fly by the seat of my pants parenting. I am slowly learning to embrace the chaos, though, because it means I have a house full of life, not to mention dirty laundry and dog hair.