[M.M.17] still holding on...

Welcome back to Monday Mamalogues!

'Linking up to share the beauty and breakdowns of motherhood'.

Yes, this bundle of pudge still falls asleep in my arms.

Yes, it melts my heart every.time.

The hardest part is heaving him into the crib letting him go. 

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Thanks for all your encouragements last week, when I announced my partial return to the 'work world'.  So far it's been a nice transition.  I enjoy my work and am eager to play with colour!

Coming home to my family is like Christmas every time too... this lil' guy comes racing (crawling) over to me and clings like a koala around my neck.  Daughter Azriel tends to pretend she didn't even notice I was gone... yeah, that stage.  Either way, I soak up all the snuggles I can to last me through the work days... and savour time spent with them all the more (except when the whining drones on.. that's still hard to enjoy).  But I adore them!

So, here we are - both parents working'ish... both home with the kids'ish.

Two - or three - shifts a week, just enough to keep the balance.. balanced.

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This blog may seem a little topsy-turvy as we all try to find our rhythm here.

Days at work means spending the days in-between on household duties/visiting/everything else!  Blogging will be the bonus when/if I have the energy for it.

But I hope you'll stick around, friends - you're still a sweet part of my world here!

*Stay tuned for tomorrow's giveaway too!* 

Feel free to link up to today's random mama rant with anything on your mama heart,

Mel ;o)

seasons change.. and so do we:

 I guess it's fitting that I just got this tree mug for "Mother's Day"...(the leaves change from brown to green when hot drinks fill it).  Because the times, they are a-changing.

As I hinted at last week, there's some new developments happening here.

Namely, this stay-at-home-mama is now going back to work!

Only part.part-time that is.

But, literally back to work... at my past workplace ~ Benjamin Moore Paint Store!

It's been a recent whirlwind of coinciding coincidences that brought us to this point.

+ Our baker Ben has been trying to find more work in a city (in)famous for unemployment.

+ Both our Mom's suggested that maybe I could pull a few shifts somewhere - and they would help watch the kids.

+ My old boss kindly (generously) took this prodigal worker back (after the various times I have 'quit/traveled/left' in the past nonetheless!).

+ Ben is also home early enough in the morning to watch the kids for the couple days that I go in to work now too.

So, yah, that was all a bit sudden.

I'm still processing how I feel about it all...

 The mushy-sentimental-mama-side of me is feeling some abandonment issues.

(Yes, especially when I picture them sitting at the window awaiting my return..!).

I want to be home with them.

But sometimes I remember these moments too....

...and am eager to have a small escape from the chaos.

Heh.

But, I do know that I will be so eager to run home and hold them extra tight on work days.

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So, back to work.. for the first day - TODAY!
(So, of course the babe has been up every two hours since 2am.. woo!).

Back to work also means BIKE to work... so that's going to be a great motivator to get me back in shape!

Paint is in my blood.

I'm a 'colour geek' and still have so many names/codes locked in my head.

So I am excited to be back in that creative element.

With ol' co-worker friends I know.

Back downtown in my home city.

A lot of familiar things to return to.

But I feel different.

I've changed... it's been about 7 years since I've been there.

(I ran an art studio for youth after this job, before having kids).

 I've grown, stretched, lived, learned.

Maybe I'll be a bit less of a dork this time around... maybe.

(Oh, and thank you Value Village 50% sale for supplying my back-to-work wardrobe... no more yoga pants and snotty sweaters for me!).

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You mamas out there, do you remember your first day back to work (if you've returned?).

I'm really curious - if you need to have you kids watched (i.e. PAID care, daycare, etc) how does it even add up?  I don't get how one works, and pays someone to watch their child.. but still makes a profit in the end to live off?  Am I missing something?
Unless your job pays double what your 'sitters' hourly wage is I suppose?

Just wondering.....

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Ok, so there you have it!

Interior design, colour consultant, paint mixer - mama:

Mel ;o)