A Woman's Life

Happy International Women's Day!  It just so happened that it fell on a day I finally had a chance to sit down and write.  But hey, I'm a woman, so let's celebrate with a glimpse into what life is like as a working woman, and mother of two.

March is here, and spring is in the air...  well, not quite!  Calgary is still under a pile of snow.  It started to melt and we had a glimpse of grass on the lawn, and then a storm came through again, and all hope was dashed.  It looks like it will be that way for the rest of March, but oh well.  Hopefully we can go skating a few more times, and we are planning a trip up to the hot springs in Banff, so it will be alright.  

March is my birthday month (hooray!) and, in the past, has been filled with things like cherry blossoms and daffodils peeking up from the ground, but not so in Calgary.  Instead, I'm freshening up by doing some decorating in the house, and changing up my hair.  

Life and work is going well.  I am settled in and much more used to the workload, and enjoying building up relationship with my team and my clients.  I enjoy the job, and am used to the commute, even though it is longer that I would prefer (50 mins each way).  The true challenges of the job are more to do with home life than work.  We are facing the reality of what life is like with 2 full-time working parents, and 2 dependent children at home.  It's not nearly as insane as when the kids were babies/toddlers, but they still are quite needy.  It was especially tough this last week as both the kids were home sick and one of us had to be with them.  Fortunately Dan's schedule is more flexible, so he was able to take the time off to be with them, as I do not have that flexibility.  

Still, time is much more precious these days.  After waking up early, working all day, coming home to make dinner, do dishes, pack lunches, and get the kids to bed, I am pretty much done with not much energy for anything more.  On the weekends, Dan works and I spend most of the time doing "catch-up" from the week - laundry, groceries, and house-cleaning.  Fortunately, we have time carved out for family fun, and date nights, but other than that there is not a lot of free "me" time.  I make my non-negotiables happen: gym time, walks, and monthly massage, but other things take a lot of effort to plan and make happen.  That is, by far, the biggest challenge with working full-time.  I'm sure as the kids get older, it *should* get easier, but we're not there yet.  Still, I try to make a little time on the weekends to do at least one thing that is restorative, whether it be baking, or shopping, or just a run on my own.  

Also I find it hard to be away from the home for *so* long during the weekdays.  There are just things that I don't get to attend to, and I guess it's hard for me to give up control.  I guess there are little tasks that I normally do that just don't get done, let alone big house projects lol.  I also miss the kids, and being around for those moments after school to hear about their day, or taking them to the dentist.  Those are the things that I have mainly always done, so it feels strange to not be there.  They are adjusting just fine (of course), but it's just a stage of letting go for me.  

Other than that, life carries on as normal.  We have a bit of busier spring coming up, so I am looking forward to a few more different things on the horizon.  First up, is spring break, and I can't wait to have my parents here and spend some time in the mountains with them!  Next is Easter, and a wedding, and a retreat, and more!  I hope to pick up running outdoors again (once the ice is gone) and *maybe* run a race this year. 

And that's a glimpse of life of a mom at this stage in time.  It has its challenges, but also has its moments of awesomeness. I think back to being a child and what life was like for my own mother, and I see that things have drastically changed, and that some things are easier and some things are harder.  I think that is the way it goes as time moves on.  I know that I find it so helpful to hear from others who are in the same stage, and sharing the same struggles... so if that is you, send me your thoughts!  On this Women's Day, I recognize that there are countless women out there doing extraordinary ordinary things, and today I celebrate YOU!