I have a dream

I have a dream ... that one day, I'll be able to sleep past 7 am. That I can wake up, wander to the kitchen in my PJs, and sit at the table sipping coffee and reading the morning news in silence.

I have a dream ... that my entire house will be clean, all at the same time, and will stay that way for a few hours, at least. That I can fold laundry without it being immediately unfolded. That I will never again have to re-wash something because it's been thrown on the floor by a toddler and subsequently picked up by the puppy and dragged around the house.

Job or career?

There is a very big distinction made between having a job or having a career. It's one thing for a woman--a mother, specifically--to work outside of the home. It's entirely another thing for her to have a career.

First, let's make sure we're on the same page. A job is work that you do for financial gain. You go in, you do something that someone finds valuable, and you get paid. A career is more than that. A career is a long-term plan. A career has a goal in mind; you are not showing up simply for the paycheck, but you have longer term goals in mind. You want to move up. You want to develop. If the career is the strategy; the jobs are the execution of that strategy.

I've always been very career-minded. I'm a go-getter. I want to be best at whatever I do, and, once I've conquered a process or situation, I am ready for the next challenge. This is probably why I've been able to move up the ranks at the places where I've worked so quickly. I work hard and find enjoyment in a job well done. I've mentioned before, but I have a high need for achievement.

The end of a long Wednesday

My husband had to bring the dog in to the vet for a regular check up, so I am doing dinner alone tonight.

I bribed my 3 year old with an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine so he would stop jumping on his brother long enough for me to finish cooking.

I also told the 3 year old that we are having spaghetti for dinner, when we are, in fact, having spaghetti squash. Close enough, right? He did not fall for it.

I'm drinking wine out of a tumbler. At least it's not straight out of the bottle?

Cheers!

What I do love about working from home

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is to get my thoughts out and organize them. I suppose I could do that in an old fashioned diary, but something about the fact of writing publicly--even if no one is reading (yet?)--keeps me much more accountable.

So after I wrote yesterday's post, "I work from home, and I don't love it", I have been thinking about a lot of the reasons I do really appreciate working from home, a counterpoint to myself.

I work from home, and I don't love it

It's supposed to be the epitome of work-life balance. The best way for busy mothers to balance both work and family is to cut out the commute entirely. Make teleworking appealing and all of the women will want to come back to the work force in droves, right?

Well, I work from home.

And I don't love it.

On "Having it all"

"Having it all" is a common topic of discussion these days around my professional circle, specifically whether you can or cannot achieve that nirvana of having your cake and eating it too. A year ago, you may have found me to be one of those obnoxious people that were telling you that I did somehow manage to have it all. Now, I would have been honest with you and myself, acknowledging that a fair amount of luck and just being in the right place had gotten me to that point. But, regardless of how I got there, I was there! I had it all! A great husband. An adorable 2 year old and a sweet, squishy newborn. The perfect house in the perfect town with the perfect school system. What else could I want for?

Then my maternity leave was up. I headed back to work. I was actually excited to get back, put my brain back to work again. But during the time I was out, something had changed. Not with work. Work was the same litany of meetings and work drama and decisions. Whereas, before I enjoyed the challenge and the new ideas, now it all seemed as silly as a pretend tea party, except not nearly as cute.