For most of us, during the work week, the majority of our waking hours are spent at work. Like everyone else, I look forward to the weekends. Call me delusional, but even after 2 years of motherhood and 5 years of marriage, every Friday night I still imagine that I’m going to sleep in until 10 am the next day. I was wrong!!!!! Of course, it never happens. Most Saturday mornings, I’m up by 7 am, and by 9 am I’ve made breakfast, done a load of laundry (or two), cleaned the kitchen and the stove, cleaned around the house, started an art project o music session with my 2 year old, and looked the paper to find something exciting to do with the family. We like to go to the flea market, public auction or to garage/yard sales.
I suppose it’s the same for many working mothers, this transformation from Monday to Friday career woman to weekend domestic goddess, but until recently, I wasn’t much aware of this transformation in myself. Then one Saturday evening, happy and exhausted, I reflected back on my day and giggled at the thought that my colleagues at work would never recognize the woman who spent that day doing 3 loads of laundry, cooking French toast or a healthy warm oatmeal for the guys, gardening / harvesting / storing products from our organic garden, coloring children’s book, jumping and clapping with the music, planting herbs, making homemade tomatoes and mozzarella wheat pizza for lunch and walking the dog while I am pushing the stroller to exercise and entreating my little man. I was exhausted, but completely fulfilled.
The morning was off to its usual start – laundry and Greek yogurt granola snacks – and then my son toted out the crayons and paper and began to draw. Minutes later I heard a frustrated whine and the tears began. He had decided that today was the day he was going to draw a perfect circle, only it wasn’t working out very well. I drew stars with pencil for him to trace, I guided his hand, I did my best to explain that circle come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes they’re so round that they look just like donuts or crazy dots! I am not quiet sure if he understood me that well but at least he stopped crying and maybe my attention toward him with some instructions gave him the security he was looking for. Then I asked him to help me to finish laundry, he put his clothing in his wardrobe and throws the blankets and socks at his baby bed but it was magical. I had managed to usher him through his frustration and find something that we could do together, that he could do well, the end result of which was a teamwork effort! It was empowering for both of us. Why I did not think about this before, something this simple and not complex such as finishing laundry and folding clothes, we love it.
My Quote of the day: You are acceptable and you are valuable!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Work-Life-Balance
What to write for you all?
About working, what I can share with all is that I have been working since I was 14 years old and that is the only thing I know real well. Until I got married, so working passed to be my secondary job. Marriage is a full time job with an unpaid over time but a lot coming of revenues and rewards.
About motherhood, what can I share with all? Oh yes I know: “I didn’t have a clue” how tough first-time motherhood can be. “I don’t think that’s something you can know,” “There’s no way to prepare for the challenges, the immense joys, the surprises, the disappointments and the shocks. Your heart just rips open.”
But we all will get the rewards as a surprise and unexpectedly like me, “my kid has helped me be more patient, have more empathy and be more nurturing."
Now getting more serious in the working mother topic; working moms talk about being overwhelmed by competing demands on their time. And, what happens when the kids get sick or gets rejected by day care, all the working schedule get moves and it turns in a health alert and/or bio-hazard watch for the family and the most close peers. I am very blessed that I have the support from my Company and my boss but guess what, many U.S. working mothers still don’t have workplace flexibility, let alone paid sick days or paid maternity leave. So let’s be appreciative and grateful for what you have and to embrace more the flexibility of being a working mother will bring to us!
I am always reading real mom stories that are working public’s jobs to get some wisdom and moral support. And I really need to find the magic key to reach the ability to keep perspective about what’s important and has a great sense of humor,” but for now I am still working on it.
My Quote of the day: Time for myself?” That’s really funny, LOL. “Time for myself!”.
About working, what I can share with all is that I have been working since I was 14 years old and that is the only thing I know real well. Until I got married, so working passed to be my secondary job. Marriage is a full time job with an unpaid over time but a lot coming of revenues and rewards.
About motherhood, what can I share with all? Oh yes I know: “I didn’t have a clue” how tough first-time motherhood can be. “I don’t think that’s something you can know,” “There’s no way to prepare for the challenges, the immense joys, the surprises, the disappointments and the shocks. Your heart just rips open.”
But we all will get the rewards as a surprise and unexpectedly like me, “my kid has helped me be more patient, have more empathy and be more nurturing."
Now getting more serious in the working mother topic; working moms talk about being overwhelmed by competing demands on their time. And, what happens when the kids get sick or gets rejected by day care, all the working schedule get moves and it turns in a health alert and/or bio-hazard watch for the family and the most close peers. I am very blessed that I have the support from my Company and my boss but guess what, many U.S. working mothers still don’t have workplace flexibility, let alone paid sick days or paid maternity leave. So let’s be appreciative and grateful for what you have and to embrace more the flexibility of being a working mother will bring to us!
I am always reading real mom stories that are working public’s jobs to get some wisdom and moral support. And I really need to find the magic key to reach the ability to keep perspective about what’s important and has a great sense of humor,” but for now I am still working on it.
My Quote of the day: Time for myself?” That’s really funny, LOL. “Time for myself!”.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Discovering the real purpose of LIFE
What to say and what to write for you? Well, let me start saying that was very difficult to make the decision of creating this blog account but I finally made it. So, I am sharing my thoughts and experiences with you all as I try to find the perfect spot and equilibrium in Life.
I am mother of a 2 year old son named Joseph Frederick, he is a perfect creation of God and wonderfully funny and I am wife of a great and thoughtful husband born and raised in Kentucky (country side). I love the life in Kentucky and I will die here. I am a working Mommy and was very difficult for me to decide and to accept this challenge; me and myself with another role on life that was scary, I really enjoyed very, very much been a career woman but after motherhood entered and touched my life, I always try to put my husband and family first and just make good choices so that it is all in balance.
How I do the balance, if there is any? Well about balancing my life as a mom and working Mom and wife. “It’s just balance. You have to take it day by day. I’m just like another working mom; some days I’m really good at balancing it all and some days I’m not very good at it.”
My Quote of the day: Yanna’s Pieces of Life.
I am mother of a 2 year old son named Joseph Frederick, he is a perfect creation of God and wonderfully funny and I am wife of a great and thoughtful husband born and raised in Kentucky (country side). I love the life in Kentucky and I will die here. I am a working Mommy and was very difficult for me to decide and to accept this challenge; me and myself with another role on life that was scary, I really enjoyed very, very much been a career woman but after motherhood entered and touched my life, I always try to put my husband and family first and just make good choices so that it is all in balance.
How I do the balance, if there is any? Well about balancing my life as a mom and working Mom and wife. “It’s just balance. You have to take it day by day. I’m just like another working mom; some days I’m really good at balancing it all and some days I’m not very good at it.”
My Quote of the day: Yanna’s Pieces of Life.
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