Saturday, January 8, 2011

Balancing Act

Work-Life Balance. It's a term they use a lot at work. I have to admit, I am very lucky to work for such a family-friendly corporation. That is definitely a rarity these days as corporations become greedier (often at the expense of their employees). However, as I approached the end of my first week back after Maternity Leave I can't help but think I failed miserably at balancing my work life and my home life. Each day this week looked something like this:

5:00-5:15 Wake up/ shower (takes me 45 minutes to dress/ hair/ makeup)
5:30 Will wakes up Olivia, dresses her (she is often still asleep during this task)
6:00 Will feeds Gabriel/ Dresses him (he often waits to puke until after he gets his clothes on and before he gets a bib)
6:00-6:30 Olivia eats breakfast while I "do" her hair, car is warmed up, bottles are made, coats on, Gabriel is put in his car seat (he usually vomits again, warranting a fresh bib)
6:35-7:00 Travel time to work
7:00-7:15 Drop kids off in their rooms, which are on OPPOSITE wings of the daycare!
7:15 Turn on my computer at my desk... work... work... email... request... email... work... work... FIRE DRILL... email... work... lunch... work... you get the point.
4:30-4:55 Head downstairs to pick up kids, pack up the 50 pictures Olivia drew that day, load kids into COLD car (I sure would love a car starter)
5:00-5:30 Commute home, unless it snows. Then I can tack on an additional 15-30 minutes to my commute.
5:30 Home. Gabriel is usually crying at this point. I have to give him his Acid Reflux medicine, then he has to wait 20 minutes to eat.
5:30-7:30 Feed baby, answer Olivia's MANY questions, make dinner, more questions, clean spit up, burn dinner, respond to Olivia's MANY requests (juice, chocolate milk, cartoons, apples... peeled and cut of course, candy, etc...), change diapers, wipe butts, eat dinner, bath time.
7:30 Gabriel's bedtime.
7:30-8:00 Read Olivia 3 books. Bedtime. (This is when Will gets home).
8:00 I go to sleep, wake up a few times to feed a hungry baby and start it all over again the next day!

I'm exhausted just typing this. I feel horrible spending so little time with my children every evening. And don't get me started about how many hours Will works every week. But, I actually enjoy my job. I like to go to work and interact with adults, see my friends, have lunch uninterrupted. I don't get puked on at work and luckily I never have to clean my boss' butt! One of the benefits of my position is that I do get to leave at noon on Fridays! Which gives me extra time with the kids during the weekend. I know it won't always be this insane. One day it will get easier. I'm hoping, anyway.

1 comment:

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