Staying at home- always an adventure.

So I have been a working stay at home mom for 11 years. There has never been a time where I wasn't teaching classes all over Timbuktu. I only ever took off Christmas and summer, other than that, the rest of the year I was kitting and prepping classes to travel and teach. It was a great gig, it allowed me to attend all the kids field trips, events, volunteer in their classes. It was awesome!

I knew that when my kids were all in school, then I wanted to teach full time in schools. I wouldn't give up teaching art classes all over, I just would do less of it. I still love that aspect and the friends I made. So when I went back to University, I gave up all my design teams but Sizzix, just needed to focus on them. I wanted to complete this degree in 8 months. CRAZY. Do not recommend it to anyone. It is hard, intense, time consuming. Do it over a few years, enjoy the process.

All last week, I ran around selling textbooks, applying to graduate, requesting transcripts, etc. Now this week, I have been filling out application forms and resume building. Other than that, it is my first real week where I have actually not done some sort of "work". In all honesty, it has been the cleanest my house has been in 11 years as well-and stayed clean. 

I cleaned like crazy. And it felt GREAT!~ and then since I didn't work, I did spot cleaning where it needed- and it still was clean. I baked, I did the sports mom thing, coffeed with friends, began crazy purging. This domestic gig is enjoyable. But I noticed the catch...

If you are going to be a stay at home mom and succeed at it- then that's the only role you can play. lol. I have been failing for 11 years and have felt overwhelmed. But then again, I like spending money, travelling, you know all the good things you need money for. So I worked as much as I could. Now again, I am trying to apply for a job. So I need to appreciate my house right now. Appreciate how beautiful it really is when it is functioning. :)

So I leave you with my epiphany. Off to blog more crafty fun stuff!

Thanks for stopping by.:)

Leica

 

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=812255471]

I was mostly a stay at home mom for many years - but I always kept busy with volunteering, projects, part time work etc etc -- and never felt like I had time to do what stay at home moms were supposed to do, I was too busy 'working' at other things! I went back to a paying job a little more than a year ago- and I love it! My schedule is such that I don't miss too much of the kids lives, I have a few hours a week to tend to the house etc etc
I just recently had 2 weeks off...the first few days I said 'I could totally fall back into this stay at home mom gig' ..by the end of the first week I was missing work! I'm actually more productive when I work half the day first! go figure! and I don't feel guilty anymore if there's housework that's not done or I choose to scrapbook instead - I let it go :) lol

[Kim M (ZoomZoomZoom)]

Oh Leica I hear you. I'm more of the "creative" mom type and have always had to work. I so wanted to have all the time I wanted to scrapbook and do creative stuff, and it's hard to balance it with other commitments. I had to cut way back on my hobbies in recent years because my family life was suffering...and with also working full time, I had to make some choices. It's exhausting when we try to be everything and it's OK to vent! Thanks for the dose of reality...I always wonder how others keep it all together.