Just a housewife...with a blog.

Welcome to 2012! And welcome to Heather's effort to do a better job blogging. In the past I've had many excuses in my mind as to why I was such a slacker on our blog. But truth is, I read other people's blogs and wish I was doing a better job. So it's not that I don't want to blog. Actually, I really want to blog because I feel like it is a good way to keep a family journal. I don't care if nobody ever reads it. And Terry has informed me MANY times that I am in no way funny, so I know people likely won't be reading for my humor and wit! :) I just want to do a better job documenting life at the Leonard house.

So this year is starting off with the big news that most everyone knows by now...I quit my job. Yep! After 11 years, I called it quits. It wasn't an easy decision. And I could probably write numerous blog posts on the reasons why and how I arrived at the point of quitting my job at the end of 2011. But suffice it to say, I quit. This decision didn't come without some interesting reactions from the family however...

First of all, yes, Doug and I consulted together on this decision. But we didn't reach it without Doug recalling what happened the LAST TIME I quit my job. That was in 2000, and was warranted due to a cross-country move to Vermont for Doug to go to medical school. I quit my full-time job, had a baby (Zach), and moved across the country in a 2-week time span. I lasted 6 months. Doug more vividly recalls what transpired that led me to look for a job. But it went something like me meeting him at the door one night with a crying toddler, a crying baby, and a crying mom muttering something about how he has 90 built-in new friends in this strange town, while I just have a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old, my brain is turning to mush due to repeated viewings of Barney and Airplanes for Kids (which truth be told, that airplane video was the GREATEST thing ever and I have saved it to this day because it probably is what maintained my last thread of sanity during those months), and that he COULDN'T POSSIBLY find anything sexy or attractive about me because I spend all day covered in spit-up and and other tiny child messes. It was a bit for him to take in. In hindsight, there are better ways to inform your husband that you need an outlet or a hobby. Nevertheless, I found a small part-time job that was just the outlet I needed. And it has followed me everywhere for the past 11 years. This time around, I told Doug we'd just try it out and see how I do. It's a different time and I'm in a different place in life (as is he and as are the kids).

Zach 11-years-old now

When I informed the kids that I was quitting my job, it was a bit more interesting...Zach asked what he was supposed to tell people now when they asked him what his mom does. I asked him what he was telling them now. He said "I tell them that you are a dietitian." I said "well that hasn't changed. I'm still a dietitian. And I'll be working on small projects here and there. So you can still say that." That seemed to satisfy him.

Terry's reaction was that of a 14-year-old...he promptly asked me to go to the store to get something for him. And then added "and don't tell me that you are too busy because I know you don't have anything else to do now!" Nice Terry. For that, I'm sharing your "look I got braces today" photo!

Terry and the new braces

But the most surprising was Trevian's reaction. I really didn't expect it at all. When I told them that I had quit my job, tears welled up in her eyes and she got a very worried look on her face. And she asked "Does this mean you are JUST going to be a HOUSEWIFE now?!?"

WHAT???? Where on earth did THAT come from? I don't believe that in any way I have raised my daughter to think that women HAVE to work, that there is no value in being a stay-at-home mom. And I've always worked FROM HOME and mostly while the kids are at school. So it's not like I've ever been "gone to work." Plus, she's ONLY NINE!!! How does that come out of a 9-year-old's mouth?

Miss Trevian

So, we are working on the image of the "housewife" at our house. And I am working on acclimating to being unemployed. This is really the first week of a regular home routine/schedule since I finished working, due to the holidays and the kids being out of school for so long. But I'm finding my way. I've made dinner EVERY night this week (even put up 6 freezer meals in the process). I've dejunked the kids' toy boxes (shhh...don't tell them). I've washed most everything I could put in the washing machine. I'm reading a couple of books here and there. Oh, and I've got about 5 different "words with friends" games going on my phone. I'm finally tackling some projects that I've put off for a while (like blogging) and plan to do some backdated blog posts to catch up on key things I want to document on the blog.

So here's to the new opportunities of 2012! And here's to being "just a housewife."