Yes, I understand that the trade off will not be that simple. I will be giving up precious time with my fast growing daughter. I will be trading in that time for extra helpings of exhaustion, aggravation and grief all due to having to keep schedules and show up places on time both dressed and fed.
Yes, I understand that a LOT of people would give their eyeteeth and possibly their second-born* to have the opportunity that I have had to stay at home (*obviously not the first-born, since that's the one they want to stay home with...)...
Yet the siren call of bills paid on time and disposable income (hellooooo clothing that fits, is hole-free and vaguely fashionable!) draws me ever closer to the workforce...
I also feel like my Little Missy could benefit greatly from a day care program that is a pre-pre-school (a program that will actively teach things other than social skills and manners), and there happens to be one around the corner from us. Plus, well, I think she might be tired of me...
Here's how it goes down these days:
Day 1) After keeping me up for the majority of the night, both the dog and the toddler wanted to be up for the day at 7 am. I bribed the toddler with tv, and shut the dog out of the bedroom - thus buying myself another 45 minutes of sort-of sleep broken by pleas for food, diaper changes and 'watch some-fing diff-ent'.
Once truly awake, I changed and fed the toddler and booted the dog outside. Negotiations began for the day's activity schedule. I opened with 'what do you want to do today, Boo? Dinosaur bones (the museum), zoo, play with friends?' She countered with 'nothing. I want to stay home today.' After five minutes of zero progress, I called a break for bath time. For me.
Side note: I really do have an awesome kid. I can usually put on PBS and be bathed and moisturized before she needs something. She doesn't even make crazy messes or cover the dog in juice. She's amazing.
I jumped into the tub and began my ablutions. I had just completed the 'lather' portion of 'lather, rinse, repeat' when she came in holding her diaper in her hands proclaiming 'I pew-ped.' It was true. She had pooped. I managed to convince her to 1) throw the diaper in the trash, 2) bring me some toilet paper and 3) allow me to wipe her - all without leaving the tub. See - she's awesome.
She vocalized about the poop and stared into the trashcan for the remainder of my (very hurried) bath. I dried off and got her dressed. I sent her back in to watch 5 more minutes of tv while I dressed and (sort of) dried my hair. She came back in covered in yogurt and demanded that I clean her off :-/
Day 2) While I was busy throwing on an old T-shirt and slapping on some concealer in a haphazard manner, my daughter carefully laid out a wet wipe then meticulously covered it with a thick, even layer of hand sanitizer. When asked about her project, she shrugged and requested to take said wipe and the container of hand sanitizer with us in the car.
*sigh* See, nothing awful. Just an extremely active toddler brain and an exhausted mama. Now I feel like a jerk for complaining. She's so incredible! Funny, silly, cute...
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