Wistful Thinking

You know, the longer I am at this full time work thing, the more I see what a sweet deal I had being a stay-at-home-mom.  Of course I didn't appreciate this sweet deal when I was living it. No, I was worried about money or I was bored and a little listless.  I love my job and I see how much I need this interaction and intellectual stimulation every day, but there will always be things I miss about being a SAHM.

1.  Napping.  Oh how I miss a good weekday nap!  Got a bad night sleep?  No worries, a little post-lunch nap will be in order.  Rainy blah kind of day?  Curl up on the couch and sleep some of it away.  Sigh, napping.  Naps are wasted on the Pre-K, let me tell you. 

2.  Coffee/Lunch with Friends.  Those gatherings during the week with my friends where we could talk and catch up and see each other.  Email is a poor substitute for face time and texting is even worse because my fat thumbs constantly misspell things.  My weekends are gone before I get out to see anyone, or if I do, I feel like I am rushing through it.

3.  Shopping during the week.  I used to go to at least three stores to make sure I got the best deal on things.  There were no crowds and I could take my time or rush, depending on the day.  Now there are always crowds, I am stressed because people can't push their cart up the right side of the aisle and if I forget something back in produce, well, we are doing without because there is no way in hell I am swimming upstream to get it.

Not 100% sure, but I think this is our HEB on a Saturday afternoon.

4.  Being up at the kids' schools.  I miss volunteering at my kids' schools.  I miss coming up and chitchatting with the teachers and staff and helping.  I miss seeing my mom friends and hearing the latest and feeling like we are all connected up there.  Right now I feel like the only thing I do to help at school is make sure my kids put on deodorant before they leave. 

5.  Little errands.  You know running the non-essential errands like taking library books back, dropping off the donation stuff before it takes over the laundry room, getting the dogs' nails trimmed.  Right now both dogs are tick-tick-ticking across the floor and it is driving me crazy but by the time I take them to get them trimmed, they might just grow long enough to curl around (like the guy in Guinness Book of World Records) and maybe they will thud rather than tick.  Actually if anyone out there can come to my house and trim their nails, I will make you bread.

6.  Making bread.  How obnoxious was I with my posts of freshly baked bread?  Working friends, how you did not come over and smack me in the face with said bread, I don't know, but thank you for your restraint.  I spent a lot of time baking bread and cookies and muffins and liked to drop extras off on friends' doors like a Baking Fairy. 

This new normal of mine is a frenzied, cluttered place and it makes me a little wistful remembering the calm of earlier days.  Sigh.  Oh well, back to the frenzy.  Besides, Thanksgiving and Winter Break aren't too far away, there will be time for napping then.  

 And I am totally serious about the dog nail/bread swap - let me know.