R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Dear Ian,

Recently, I have been privy to how the other half live where it comes to family and child-rearing.  I am such a lucky Mommy in that I have found a great school where I work part of the day and then get to spend my afternoons with you, playing, cleaning and cultivating our little family relationship.  But lately, I have been working a full day.  Eight to Six.  Ten hours away from you, our house, our life.  It has really given me a new-found respect for mommies working outside the home.

I mean, I respect all mommies, whether they stay at home or work away from their home, because just the act of being a mommy is hard work.  But those mommies that combine taking care of their babies, their husbands, their houses and a workload that demands them to put everything else on the back burner are something to behold.

Let's take a peek at this insanity, shall we?  We get up at 6:45am, rush through breakfast, showers and getting dressed in matching clothes and out the door to school.  I have learned to pack your lunch the night before, so I at least have that together!  Then you're away from me while you're in class and I'm teaching, and as of late, Grandma Brooks has been picking you up to go home.  I then head off to Cairo to work with their band program until five in the evening.  I then fly back to Tallahassee, snag you from Grandma's and then we head home to start dinner.  By then it's six-something, time for dinner, baths, books and bedtime, and once I get you down, it hits me:  I've spent exactly two hours with you all day.  And that makes me so sad.  I am spoiled with the fact that I usually get to spend tons of time playing and working with you.

Then there's our house.  You get down for bed somewhere in the neighborhood of eight pm, and after that, I typically try to get a few chores done.  Lately I've been so worn out from running around all day that all I want to do is flop on the couch and call it a day.  Our house at this moment looks like a small bomb went off in it.  Laundry is folded, but still sitting around, the dishwasher is in dire need of being emptying, and our dryer just might go on strike if I start it up to just "get the wrinkles out" one more time.

How do those Super Moms do it?!  I am just barely holding it together over here!  I feel like a total crazy person as I try to balance everything at once.  This is just nutty! 

Hats off to all those Mommies working double duty with full-time work and families.  They are most definitely my heroes right now.  This is my last week of running around like this, and I am so incredibly thankful that I can get my afternoons with you again.  I actually can't wait.  

But for now, I need to get off the couch and do something around here.  Where to start?  Laundry?  Dishes?  Dusting?  Getting things prepped for tomorrow? Or perhaps I should just give in and see what the Tivo has to offer...

I love you, Little Man,
Mommy