One thing I've had more time to work on is maintaining a healthy diet and exercising more. I'm doing it for the health of my entire family. I lost 4lbs, which is a small start. But, it is more about being healthy than becoming skinny, but skinny would be good! (: I currently wear a size 14/16. Within the past year or 2, I've cut down on some flab I used to carry, because now, "Women" size clothes are too big! I can no longer buy many things from Lane Bryant or the Avenue-2 stores that used to be my favorites. I found out last summer that I can now buy clothes at New York and Company. I am sooo happy about that. For the last several years, my lifetime goal has been to never gain more weight than the amount I have weighed since about 1999 which is 180, I'm 5/2 and carry it well, so, like I said I only wear a 14/16. A few weeks ago I weighed 185, so I'm really glad I noticed and lost the 4 lbs. I am concerned with developing a health related condition as I get older, so it is for that reason, I am looking to lose some weight.
Since it is nearing spring, I have been trying to add more things to my garden. Around Christmas time I planted red onions and cabbages. Back in January, I purchased a bunch of seeds that I can no longer find. I also bought a flat of 100 strawberry plants for $20. 2 days ago, Home Depot had some pretty good prices on vegetable plants, I purchased:
- 1 roma grape tomato
- 1 roma tomato
- 1 beef master tomato
- 6 pack Early Girl tomato
- 6 pack Better Bell green bell pepper
- 1 Cherry Tomato
- all for just under $18
I plan to build a tiered strawberry bed and possibly build raised beds for the rest. I already have the wood and I think it would be a fun project for my 8 y/o DS and I. I don't know if I can get my 11 y/o DD interested and DH will probably help once we begin. The kids have a science fair coming up in school and I'd like to incorporate the grade into their science fair project, but that may just be a far fetched dream of mine to kill 2 birds with one stone (;
As far as work, I took some time off during cold and flu season to take care of myself and the kids. I have renewed my state industry certification that I'd previously let lapse after the birth of my youngest son. In the field I'm in, I have to work as an apprentice/under someone else and I researched to find someone to work under who would allow me to telecommute. But it was worth it to me becuase of the flexibility I need in my schedule due to my life with my kids. I am also working to upgrade my certification throguh my state to the sam elevel as the perosn I noe apprentice/work under and have completed half of the educational requirements. I have developed a revised business plan that includes a specific time break down. As a Work At Home Mom, planning for my time is as crucial as a planning for budget in developiong a business plan. I need to update my families budget and update my business plan accordingly. 2 days ago, I purchased 3 books:
-an industry specific e-mail marketing book
-another industry specifc book on direct mail marketing
(by the way, my 2 year old is now in my lap nursing and it is the cutest thing in the world to me. He has been trying to get in my lap the whole time I've been typing, but I was able to distract him, but now he's so sleepy that he just wanted to sit in my lap and go to sleep, awwww)
I haven't read either of those books yet, but I bought another book at the same time called
-Another book, WorkingMother.calm, by D. Kennedy.
I'm not sure if it is aligned with my philosophy as a working mom, though. My life philosphy is all about being a SAHM first and foremost. I don't want to own an empire of money. But I am open to God leading me towards that. But my primary objective isI just want to be an available, involved be a mom. I want never to have to say, I can't be there for you, or I can't make it to your ___ or You can't go to ___ because of my schedule to my kids. I also want to not have work stress me out to where the stress impacts my parenting.
But I also want/need to earn some money. However, I don't need to be defined by my work. In our American culture, I think people are often defined by others by their job/work and that we often internalize that and begin to judge ourselves based upon our work performance and I think that is not what I want to be defined by. I think that is why working moms say they need to go to work and get adult interaction and to feel a sense of accomplishment and all that stuff. Being with your kids should make you feel good. And if it doesn't your priorities are screwed up. But, I know that a lot of moms don't do this on purpose, our society does it to us and many organizations that support working moms fo do it to us as well. For example, working mother magazine. Working moms do need support, but I don't think that all of the propoganda they push is healthy to moms and children.
To me, my "work" as a mom is the only work that defines me. My other work is just on the side to support me in my other work. I strive not to allow myself to be defined by my job. But I do think my job is very cool and I feel very blessed and fortunate to have the best of everything, in my opinion. To me, the book talked about women liberation themes and had a feminist slant. The book mentioned the opinion that I used to hold, that women shouldn't stay at home because they need to be capable of self support in case their DH leaves them or dies, and that is not a concern of mine. I know I could support myself if I needed to, even though I am not the primary bread earner at home. The book also mentions how some moms travel a lot and put their kids in daycare and that is not something I'm willing to do. I wished their was a book or magazine for moms like me who want their kids with them all the time and will only work if it meets the needs of their families. WorkingMother.calm does mention moms who have the same goals as me, but their is also a bunch of other stuff that doesn't pertain to me. But I'm, going to finish it anyway, I think, because learning even 1 piece of useful info to help me as a working mom would be great.
