This New Life...It's Ours

I have been a full time working mom for eight months now. I think I'm finally getting adjusted to this new life, and dare I say, even starting to enjoy it. I've solved the problem of commuting from the US border to downtown Calgary, by finding a different job with a sweet office location. I've come to terms with my age and place. I've learned how to be a little better organized and how to speak up when something isn't going well. 


It's very odd though, being back at work full time really makes me think about how it used to be before the baby carriages rolled in. 


These are the things I miss from my old, single, non-parenting life:

1. The freedom to just go for a run whenever I felt like it. 
2. Having the energy to go running 5 days a week. 
3. Signing up for a yoga class without consulting three other people's calendars. 
4. Spending my money on things I want. 
5. Going to get groceries on a whim. 
6. Cleaning the house when or if I wanted. 
7. Eating whatever I liked for dinner, even if it was popcorn and wine. At whatever time I was hungry. Getting to eat it all myself and not have to give away my most favorite things. 
8. Having privacy. 
9. Having quiet. 
10. Being able to sit down and remain sitting, sometimes for hours. 
11. Being able to focus on a task until it was finished. Not thinking about  the enormous list of other tasks waiting for my attention. 

I'm sure I'll get some of these luxuries back as my kids get older and need me less, and I'm sure I'll miss being so critically important one day...but for now I don't have time to lament the loss of these freedoms. I'm too busy. Although working outside the home has definitely added complexity to our lives - and costs - and even more time pressures - I can honestly say I'm really very happy with it. 


I have days when I wish I could choose not to work outside the home. But I probably could make that choice if I really wanted to make more sacrifices. And I'm choosing not to.