LIFE'S NOT SO EASY

     That's right, I used to have it easy.  I had it made and life was easy. I was a manager at a major retailer working Monday - Friday 7am. - 4pm. putting in 40hrs a week.  My day would start off with me waking up at 6:00am , getting my kids dressed, dropping them off at daycare, and then I would head to work.   My job consisted of me managing my department, ordering merchandise, controlling inventory, assisting customers, and I can't forget to mention those daily meetings.  After working on this job just 4 months shy of 11 years, I started getting bored.  After a while, I felt like my life was a movie that was stuck on repeat. I would do the same thing every day.  Get up, take the kids to daycare, and go to work over and over again day in and day out. I would see other mothers in the store shopping with their friends and kids and I would envy them and wish that could be me.  Oh, what I would do to get away from this job that had already consumed 11years of my life.

     Then it happened, I got pregnant with my third child.  My doctor put me on bed rest in the seventh month so I had to take a leave from work.  This was it, this was my chance to get out.  After talking things over with my fiance, we decided that it would be best for me to stay home with the kids while he continued to work and support our growing family.

    Yes, finally the vacation that I always wanted.  I could get up when I wanted, hangout with my family, do my shopping, and plan my day on my time.  WRONG, I was so silly to think that being a full-time mommy would be easier than working a full-time job.

     See, when I worked a regular job I could take a break every two hours but being home with the kids, there is no such thing as a break.  If the baby isn't crying, I'm dealing with the older two and once I get things situated with them and think that I might relax a while and take a break the baby starts to cry.  Being home with my 3 kids is also more challenging then my former job because we no longer have them in daycare. Now not only am I the mother but also the teacher.  My days are full of teaching them their numbers and ABC's, singing songs, coloring, and doing other children's activities.  I have them on a schedule.  School starts at 9:30am and out at 12:00pm which gives me enough time to cook lunch and do any house work before daddy gets home.

     But wait, I thought I would get to go shopping and have lots of free time for myself and my family and not be bound to a job and have others set my schedule.  How wrong I was.  This is no piece of cake.  I don't get a break every two hours, I no longer work 7-4, and I sure don't get every week-end off any more.

     Having a job does complicate things and limit the time you get to spend with your family. You may not be able to go on vacation when you like, get certain days off or even get that perfect schedule you always hoped for.  Yeah, working a full-time job may be hard, boring,and repetitive, but nothing is harder than being a full-time mommy.

     The days of shopping and having free time went out the window when I had kids.  Instead of having a boss dictate to me I have 3 kids controlling my days and setting my schedules.  They let me think I'm the boss, but they really have control over my day.

     Don't get me wrong, I love being a full-time mommy and I sure wont be going back to my old job anytime soon.  Yes, it's harder much harder than I thought but I wouldn't change a thing.  I love my life and I absolutely love my family.  I'm truly blessed, but It's hard being a full time mommy.