Deep thoughts...

As I am enjoying my last full day home with the girls, it is starting to hit me. Tomorrow, I begin a new adventure. I am no longer going to be a full-time mother, part-time wage earner. I am no longer going to be my own boss able to set my own hours. I am venturing into the world of corporate employment with time clocks and schedules and bosses and coworkers, a world I have not been a part of for over five years. I am nervous, self-conscious, excited, scared, and ready for this challenge. To celebrate this, I have decided to reflect on some things that I will miss.

• Waking up slowly with the girls in bed, watching morning cartoons with Allie while nursing Claire.
• Going to morning playdates and being able to talk with friends over coffee while our kids play
• Going outside on the patio and enjoying the crispness of the morning or the warmness of the afternoon
• Going shopping with my favorite shopping buddy at our favorite stores
• Laying around the house in the late afternoon relaxing after running around all morning

And as a mother I am wondering...how can I tell people how to take care of my daughters? How will they know that...

*Allie likes her PB&J sandwich cut diagonally,

*When she asks to watch a movie and have a sippy that means she's tired,

*Claire gets sleepy and takes a nap almost exactly two hours after she wakes up in the morning,

*And she likes her bottles lukewarm,

*And her favorite place to nap is in her bouncy, with a blankie, and with the vibration on,

*Allie likes to get up into the car by herself...or else,

*Claire sits on the right side and Allie sits on the left side of the stroller,

*Allie's favorite color Icee is blue and she will *always* pick chocolate milk over regular milk,

*One of Allie's favorite things to do is sit and sing songs with her Elmo CD player,

*Claire *loves* peekaboo,

*If you ask Allie what she's doing and she says reading books, she is really just reading books,

*That her favorite websites our skyfall and sesamestreet,

*She loves to press the start buttons on the washer, dryer, and dishwasher,

*Claire's favorite toys are her keys, elephant, and monkey tree,

*Which CD she's talking about when she says "car CD", "fish CD", and "cow CD",

*Knowing the hidden places to look when she says that she's lost something,

*That Claire will *always* fall asleep in the car,

*And on and on and on and on.

I guess I will just have to give in and let go of some of my motherly power. They will survive and be cared for well, just maybe not in the exact way I would do it, and I will gain so much in return. So I am going to put on my big girl panties, dress up in business casual clothing, and go do it. We may not get a homemade dinner every night, and the girls may wear mismatched outfits every now and then but we will get through this. Just because we're us. And we are awesome.