Los Porchs

Charlotte isn't a morning person either.  She doesn't quite have my love for sleep (there's still time), but she is certain that 5:30am is for the birds. Today was our first opening shift, a shift we rotate to every other day.  It was hard on me:  I hit snooze 3 times and then sprang out of bed thinking it was like 7am and I was going to be fired.  It was 5:11.  I had myself together and the car running (it's still pretty cold here at night, which I consider 5:30am to be) by 5:30am so I ran inside, put socks on Charlotte and swooped her up in a blanket and out the door we went.  She either slept or stared sleepily out the window the entire 15 minute drive (this is where I'm actually kind of missing the 30 minute drive as it made for great cat nap material).  I rolled through the Starbucks drive-through (thank you, Starbucks) and was in the parking lot of the center by 5:50am.  Not too bad, right?!  I took Charlie inside as she was now awa...

Today was a very, very long day for Ms. Charlotte as she started a new school.  We had spent 3 days last week visiting so she would be familiar with faces and the environment, but she was still an exhausted hot mess when I walked past her room around 5:20pm and I just couldn't ignore the crying -- I had to go in and acknowledge what a long day she had been having and that her Daddy would be there soon to pick her up.  Luckily, Porch walked in the door just a few minutes later.  She was a sobbing, screaming puddle of toddler as he walked out of the door with her and without me & she realized I was staying behind (I worked until 6:30 tonight). Thankfully, I am right there and know that she had an awesome first day.  She was apprehensive and cried a few times, but all things considered (she's 19 months, hasn't been away from me since December (seriously), and was exhausted going into the day) -- she rocked it.  Transitions and change are hard for toddlers and...

It's no secret that I've been loving the SAHM life since December but my student loans & credit card debt demand that I make a return to my role as a working mama. That's not to say I won't be able to return to this gig later in life (no, I am not pregnant). This is a disclaimer I feel I have to include in all posts that in any way suggest I may be expecting.   Thank goodness for daylight savings! It'll still be light out when we get home from school most nights! And we'll still have time for walks when we get home! I think I'm going to miss our morning walks the most. Charlie and I have enjoyed going to school together every day since she was 6 weeks old. Sure, she's been on the bench for a few months,  but I'm sure she's more than ready to get back into the game. It's me.  Guys, I'm just so anxious. Always. I worry the days will be too long,  that she'll be hungry, that she won't be as loved up on at sch...

Being unemployed has given me time to enjoy my daughter in a way most working parents don't often encounter.  It has felt like an extension of maternity leave but rather than a crying infant whom I barely know, I have this energetic toddler who clings to my leg and now freely leans in to give me sloppy kisses (or melts her entire being on the floor when offering a tantrum).  This time has been frustrating, exhausting, and yet totally amazing. I've been interviewing for jobs and enjoying the chance to reflect deeply on what I'd like to do next.  I wasn't sure where my train was headed next and I even considered going back into the classroom as an infant teacher as the "easy" solution.  Nothing about being an infant teacher is easy.  And I'm not sure I could work in an environment where I don't have the authority to be an agent of change. I like being a leader.  I love working with teachers to help them grow as professionals.  There's nothing I l...