Changing my title

Well, as of this week, I am officially changing my title from stay-at-home mom to working mom. Yes ... it's true. After 12 years of staying home and raising three little girls, I'm now going to take on the challenge of STILL raising three girls while also working a full time job. I know moms do this all the time so I'm sure I can pull it off, but man am I nervous. It reminds me of having a baby ... very excited but very scared all at the same time.

Anyway, I've been working hard these last few weeks trying to get all my ducks in a row and prepare my family about what is about to come. However, I am convinced they have no idea. A million life adjustments are swirling through my head and I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna do this or that, gearing myself up for the upcoming challenges. However, when I try to give my speech to Hubby about the new roles were going to have to fill and all the mumbo jumbo about helping pick up kids, helping with dinner, and so on, he just nods at my existence and pretends to hear what I'm blabbing on about. So far I've got a response consisting of six words, "Guess, I'll be doing more grilling." Hubby's a very busy guy with lots of irons in the fire, but what he doesn't know is the amount of daughter bonding he's about to encounter.

Then, as far as my girlies go, I've tried a couple sit down chats explaining to them about what a working mom means but I still think they don't actually get it. Or maybe they don't really care...not sure. Even though they're excited for me, I thought there'd be wailing and carrying on about how they don't want me to leave and how their life is forever changed since I won't be there to 24/7 to pick up their junk or entertain them when they're bored. But nope! No tears, no nothing.

Instead, when I told them one day at lunch that there will be times when I may be gone or out of town, my outspoken 5-year-old declared, "I don't care if you're gone. Doesn't matter to me."

I jumped in and explained that if I'm gone in the evenings, she may get to missing me and that is okay to tell me and we'll spend some time together. She looked up and said, "Well, I might cry a little bit but then I'll be OK, so don't worry about it."

Alrighty then. Guess I don't need to worry about her.

The older girls haven't really said much either. When I first told my 10-year-old about what my new job entailed and that Daddy would be helping out with dinner and stuff, all she said was, "Guess we better planning on eating more chili." She did ask a couple days later who would come get her if she busted her head open at school, but that's all of her concerns thus far.

My 12 year old really hasn't asked any questions, other than if she could have a friend over when I'm not home "to help her babysit her sisters." If I didn't feel bad about leaving her, I'd probably say no but the guilty me agreed, knowing, however that she's a much worse babysitter with help from a friend than she is alone. I can only imagine what my house will look like after I get home from work. Anyways, she's getting into that busy teenager stage with a crazy sports and school schedule and hoppin' social life, so I think she's fine with me working. Just give her a cell phone and a few bucks here and there and she's good to go.

Anyway, I'm positive I'm the only one in this house that understands what's really about to go down for our family but it's a good change that's about to happen. We'll get it figured out and maybe the girls will have to start using those laundry skills I've been teaching them all summer.

Little did they know!