WMW: Working Life as A Mom

I'm an internet failure. Just saying. This blog needs some work. And I promise a massive overhaul soon, but mommy needs some free time to get online and research things like html codes and designing my own webpage instead of using Blogger's templates. Here is why: I suck at pictures. It's a pain to add them through Blogger, they always end up at the top and I have to drag them down to where I want them. That's why you rarely get any from me, and also why I don't post snazzy LOLCats or participate in any kind of blog hop requiring a badge to be made. Sad, I know.

It's also because if you use the Mozilla browser, apparently my page doesn't load right and you don't get the nice dark grey background that should be behind these words, making it extremely difficult to read and nearly impossible to find links or comments. Oopsie. And lastly, because while I'm at work I cannot post the badge for Working Mommy Wednesday, so a link will have to do. Count the days until basketball season, ladies. I will have 5 free nights all to my own while hubby is supporting our team (so, by November 13 I should have a new look).

I guess that means today I'm answering number 2: Working Life as a Mom versus a Regular Human.

Obviously, there's no question that life is more fulfilling now. But, in it's own way, life was very fulfilling pre-husband-baby. And working full-time was easy. I have to work Black Friday? No problem. I can work the 6AM shift and then already have my parking space at the mall. Two weekends a month? And at least two closing shifts a week? Awesome: that means 4 days I get to sleep in. Plus, there's nothing I quite enjoy like going to the $1.50 movies by myself at 2PM on a Thursday. When you work retail, that's a typical schedule.

Now? 5:10, I'm out the door. I've got a smiling, bubbly, sweet little blond that wants to hurry up and get home so that he can request (in words, now) "yogurt" for dessert. Nothing can beat that, which is why I work a "normal" career in an industry that keeps banker's hours. I gave up my high-paying, exciting, flexible, creative, and enjoyable career in retail management to work at a desk doing various paperworking activities all the live long day.

That doesn't give my job enough credit: I actually enjoy it very much, look forward to the challenges of work, and feel that I am in a good position to figure out where I really want to go from here. I have learned a ton in the four short months since my last promotion and can't wait to see where it takes me. I just don't get paid enough to feel that working more than 40 hours in a week (or on a Saturday) would ever be justified. And it is a struggle to leave that sweet boy at daycare every day, even if he loves being there.

But still, if this is what is has to be, I will suck it up and love it. No questions asked, I was always made to be a working mom. I'm just still trying to find the balance.