5 short weeks

I’m in the 5th week of being jobless and staying home with my girls. Everyone asks me how it’s going and if I like it. First of all, it is really going great. I’m settling in and getting used to it. The first 2 weeks were hard, mostly because I didn’t really venture out much, except to go to the gym. That third week, I started to go places and bring the girls. I was nervous, but my nerves have since calmed. I was so scared of the unpredictability of 2 kids under 2 years old. I mean, I’ve got to have diapers for 2, formula, baby cereal, animal crackers, sippy cups, bottles, spoons, towels, etc. Trust me, the list goes on. Depending on where I’m going and how long I’ll be gone, I have to plan and bring so much. But really, I can’t go far and I can’t go for too long. Aliza still takes 3 naps a day, and she won’t sleep on me or anyone else. She has to be REALLY tired to sleep in the car. So I can run about 1 errand at a time and go to the gym in one interval, and make sure I’m back home for the double nap. Which I love. And I pat myself on the back for making sure Aliza’s middle nap and Marielle’s one nap are at the same time. I would not make it if they didn’t nap at that time together. That’s what they are doing right now – I wouldn’t be able to write this if they didn’t have a dual nap!!

Second, as far as “liking” staying home, I would say yes, I do. I had decided not to make a decision or think about whether I “liked” it or not for the whole summer. I wanted the new-ness to wear off and to get used to it before I “decided”. It didn’t take long to see that being at home means LOTS of housework. Washing dishes and clothes, picking up, organizing, and cleaning. Not the part I look forward to everyday, but I can already say that I like it. I have seen more smiles and giggles from my girls in these 5 weeks than I ever have. I have heard new words from Marielle, and more sentences, and seen Aliza start pulling up and start crawling better and faster everyday. I get to leisurely put them in bed together in the mornings. Marielle LOVES to get in bed with Aliza.  I think Aliza likes it too. I hear Marielle ask tell me, “Mommy, color some-mmmm” 20 times a day. I’m not sure she knows that the word is actually “something”. I may have never gotten to hear that had I not decided to stay at home and turn our dining room into a kid-proof wonderland, complete with primary colors and a table for coloring. That’s the dining room. Yeah, I won’t be inviting you over anytime soon to see it. Unless you have toddlers!!

Then, I have also have had too deal with break down’s, crying, (simultaneous crying - the worst kind), tantrums, and I have seen Marielle push Aliza down and hit her. Marielle telling me “No Mommy” hundreds of times, already. Listening to the Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack in the car everywhere we go, getting two kids in and out of car seats everywhere I go, Marielle wanting her shoes on and off, on and off, on and off numerous times a day, Aliza not wanting to go to anyone but me, all of these things would be the negative side of not having a real job. It’s all me all the time. But, it’s also the positive side of it. They have me all the time. And Marielle misses her friends at daycare, she still talks about them. But I know she is really happy being at home with me and Aliza. Sometimes when we go somewhere, she’ll say, “ready to go back home” – ugh, its heartbreaking, but then I know she likes it. When Aliza was crying the other day, I heard Marielle tell her “It’s ok Aliza, I’m right here.” It was absolutely priceless. Here is a video of her saying “I love you little Liza”

Tuesday night, my mom got Aliza for the evening and Jon’s sister, Deidre, got Marielle. It was the first time they have not been together since I have been home. Marielle was sad to see Aliza go, she watched my mom’s car going down the driveway saying “baby…baby”, and my mom said Aliza was lost the whole evening. Jon and I went out to eat and picked them both up and I think they missed each other!! It was a cute little reunion. I guess we’re meant to all be together!

So yes, I like being a Stay-At-Home-Mom. And I thank God that Jon has a great job that allows me to do so.