While waiting for the ortho to open, I sat down to print a shipping label so that I could mail that shirt I would be getting done today. The printer is schizophrenic and is having an off day. There was no printing of labels, so I spent the next fifteen minutes arguing with PayPal shipping that I really didn't print the label and that I do need reimbursed for the money they took out of my account. I won. I think. The transaction is currently pending.
I got through to the ortho who said to come in right away, so I did. Or at least I tried. The heavy frost (have I mentioned that we're in the grip of a winter freeze here?) didn't thaw off the van for some reason (no heater, isn't that just grand?) and I couldn't find an ice scraper for the life of me. I tried a broom (don't tell Sam) but that didn't work well. I resorted to my old standby of tossing hot water on the frosty windows.
The ortho said there is nothing wrong with the braces. All that for naught.
I've realized that the orthodontist's office is the meet-and-greet of the county. It's like Wal-Mart that way. Today I met a friend that I hadn't seen in a few years and we chatted extensively. She's always been a working mom, and was telling me the story of her scratched cornea and how she had to take a week off work because she couldn't see to read or drive or function in society. She said by Day 2 of house arrest she was bored out of her mind and wondered what stay at home moms do with their time.
I tried not to glare at her.
I did question myself, though, on where I went wrong. Why do I not have tons of free time, being a stay at home mom and all? Why am I not bored with my life after two days, much less two years, of the kids being in school and me being home alone all day?
I have managed to mess up being a stay at home mom. That takes some talent right there. *sigh*
10 comments:
sounds like you are doing it right!
I am a working mom as well and I can see after 2 days home being bored b/c we don't have time to start any projects or have a life outside of work.
yOu have your sewing and the kennel and all that goes along with your country living!!
I wouldn't bet too much on the fact that you messed up being a stay at home mom. I would be willing to bet that you are an over-achieving stay at home mom which is why you are so busy! Don't be so hard on yourself! Other people always think the grass is greener but I can tell you - there is a LOT to do when you stay home. AND I don't have Kids! I can't imagine how you do it!
I have this magical mystical dream of what being a SAHM would be like. And then the weekend comes and I chase Peanut constantly and try to catch up on cleaning and silently wish for Monday to arrive so I can take a break.
A SAHM mom I know tried to complain to me about never having any time to get anything done and her life is so hard and oh woe is her. On that day I hadn't seen my son in 4 days because work kept me past his bedtime and I wanted to punch her. Both roles have their own beautiful shiny moments and their own colossal suck. So long as no one tells me that their suck is worse than mine, we'll all get along just fine :).
She was bored out of her mind because she couldn't read, or knit, or anything. Not because she was home alone.
This is Joyce. Speaking from someone who has jumped on and off the career train many times, it has always taken me a few months to truly get into the groove of which ever role I am playing. When I was working I too would be bored after two days only because I was out of sorts with what to do with those two days. I am confident that she would ease into it after a few months.
Hear is an example. I would never have done this while I was working, but now that I am back home, I just had four of my sewing machines tuned and serviced. Wow am I having fun. I can't wait for the bus to pick Sarah up, then I become a stitching wiz. And I just found a new embroidery card on ebay. I am so excited:) This time last year when I was working full time I would never even have thought to look on ebay for a sewing machine card.
Truthfully, I would love a new embroidery machines but Matt just went to the ortho yesterday too. The kid assures me with perfect teeth he is the next Abercrombie & Fitch model because he has well defined abs and a perfect jaw line, so who am I to argue. Maybe he can buy my next machine:)
Uh, I'm pretty sure that you haven't messed up anything, especially when it comes to being a SAHM. Just because someone that doesn't stay at home says that hse was bored, doesn't mean that you are doing anything wrong. So I would quit being so hard on yourself and rejoice in the fact that you don't have to deal with all the non-sensical crap that she has to on a daily basis. Heck, if she looked down deep in her soul, she would realize that she is missing out on a whole lot more than you are.
The important thing is that you are happy where you are at in life and everything. That is the only thing that really matters. Oh, and maybe the laundry. :)
I'm going to ditto Karen. Seh said exactly what I wanted to say.
But I'll add that I think people who are SAH parents and are bored on a regular basis have probably screwed up being a SAH parent. Not you.
I'd like to know where all the free time is too - mine only appears after 8pm when kids are in bed!
When I was a working Mom, days off or days out sick were days spent running around trying to get everything accomplished in as little time as possible - I had incentive to get things done because there was NO OTHER TIME. Now that I am home fulltime, I don't really have a lot of 'deadlines' and can spread things out to keep myself busy. I can also start way more projects and tasks . . . now if I could just find the motivation to finish them!
I think if she was a fulltime SAHM, she would kick herself for having said that!
You are messing it up in the best way possible, NOT BEING BORED.
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