Bored Busy

This is a common feeling I have.  I'm busy pretty much all the time.  And if I'm not busy actually doing something, I'm busy being "on call" because it's rare to go more than 10 minutes without a kiddo asking for something.  "I'm hungry", "I'm thirsty", "I need to go potty", "Get that toy for me", "Play with me", "Here's a booger", the list goes on and on.  That's just how this Mom job works.  I love that I get to be here for all of this, boogers and all.  But I also spend a lot of the day feeling bored.  I think it's because so much of the work I do is often tedious, kind of mindless stuff.  Food prep, filling sippy cups, wiping little tushes, following little people around... all pretty simple stuff.  It's the days that we have to go out and do something, like a trip to the doctor, speech therapist, sports classes that feel best for me.  Those are the days when I pat myself on the back and say, "Hey, you made it!" at the end of the day.  

Sometimes I miss working in corporate America.  I loved my job as an Admin, they loved me, and I was really good at my job.  I had challenges every day that I had to come up with solutions to.  I had other adults that gave me encouragement and told me that I was doing a good job.  It felt challenging and rewarding.

This job is challenging in a different way.  I'm constantly on the move doing things for my kids.  And the rewards are awesome.  When one of my babies climbs into my lap and lays a big wet kiss on my cheek and smiles at me... oh man... that just melts my heart!  

I have to make an effort to have hobbies for myself to give me the mentally challenging part of my day now.  I'm currently learning how to sew, which is cool.  I know the basics of knitting, but I think I'll start working on the fancier stuff in that area.  I love to read, and have fortunately gotten back into the habit making time for it.  And now this blog.  Even if no one ever reads it.  It's a place for me to continue writing and editing and typing.  It's therapeutic. 

Out of the Gate

I am a stay-at-home-mom to three kiddos.  They are 1, 3, and 4 years old.  I love them dearly and I am so happy, thankful and truly blessed to be able to have my dream job.  But it is HARD.  

I have long wanted to start a blog about parenting.  I know there are tons of parenting blogs out there, and I am by NO MEANS any sort of expert in the area.  Mostly I want a place where I can express myself creatively.  I want a place where I can express my thoughts and views and vent about parenting difficulties. 

My blog is currently titled, Parenting: The Great Divide.  I chose this name because I had no idea that becoming a parent would feel so incredibly isolating.  Your friends without kids don't quite get how restrictive having little ones can be.  Although I have to say, I do have a few non-parent friends that are awesome!  But your time together has still become limited because you now have a brood of toddlers in tow.  And other parents... oh... well really, every single one of us knows how to do this whole parenting thing better than anyone else, right?  

There are so many hot topics out there.  Co-sleeping, nursing vs. formula, working vs. stay-at-home parents, choice of schools... just to name a few.  And of course everything is a competition.  Oh your little one isn't potty trained yet?  You don't feed your kids organic food?  You feed your kid McDonald's?  Oh your kid doesn't know his ABC's yet?  Yeah... I've already had my fill. 

My circle of friends has changed in recent years.  I still have most of the post-college friends that I made, and I love them dearly.  But we're spread out all over the place now, so even the ones that I feel like I connect well with are only seen at our occasional ladies night, or the chaotic breakfasts that we bring our whole families too.  I haven't really acquired many new friends to fill in the gaps though.  My two very best friends, of course, are my dear sisters.  They are really the only people that I really feel like I can totally be myself around from a parenting standpoint.  Because I know that they love me unconditionally and they won't judge me because I hate breastfeeding or because I let my little ones sleep with me when they are little.  

As a child, I remember having a community of parents that had a hand in raising us.  Our neighborhood was full of parents that cared for each others' children as if they were there own.  I don't think that exists the way it did back then.  I often feel like I'm out on my own little island.