That all being said, I definitely had a lot of apprehensions about returning to work after being home for the last 2 1/2 years. The biggest was probably the morning routine of getting out the door in the morning. Getting up early wasn't an issue; I've never had kids who sleep in (much to my bitter dismay). But even as early risers, we've usually never had to go anywhere very early and so spending that day in our pajamas was usually an option (and occurred more often than not!). And while it takes an EXTREME amount of organization, we've somehow managed to get into the swing of things very quickly. (Of course I can't credit myself TOO much; Disney Playhouse plays a major role in keeping my tiny tyrant of a daughter happy until I can carry her out the door). No kicking, no tears, no major meltdowns over shoes YET anyway...
My other largest concern (FEAR) was then the daycare. Both kids are going to the Rainbows daycare where I work so I knew they were going to be in good hands, but their acclimation to the daycare concerned me quite a bit. Bo Bo had had experience with daycare before and so I felt like she would probably do okay, but she's also extremely temperamental and would be capable of a meltdown of catastrophic proportion. Crisis averted, however. She showed up the first day ready for action, and now usually gives me a small wave to acknowledge that I'm pleading with her to give me a kiss good-bye, and then gets to work (play). In fact, the meltdowns sometimes occur when I go to pick her up, and I'm afraid I may be hearing from Child Protective Services within the week since my kid always cries about having to go home. Oy vay.
Babt has done great as well, although he has gone on a sleeping strike the last two weeks. I wish I could somehow explain to someone the bizarre little routine I have for getting him to sleep, but that is something that is so hard to pass on to someone else. I feel terrible that he is struggling so much to sleep, but I'm confident he'll get it down eventually and he has been a very happy and playful boy otherwise, and so I try not to worry too much. If ever there were a child that could truly be considered low maintenance, this kid is it.
Finally, I was a teensy bit concerned about whether I would actually LIKE my job or not. It felt fairly inconsequential because it was just too good of a fit for our family to pass up, regardless. But much to my delight I actually really enjoy it, and am actually feeling very invigorated to be back at work (as painful as the decision and process to return was). I get to essentially meet with families and perform assessments on their kiddos (birth to 3 years old) to check for developmental delays or behavioral issues. Its super challenging and interesting, and more than anything I actually get to use my brain for more than outwitting a 2 year old or making the conversions to double a recipe. The people I work with are super competent and on top of their game, and its just amazing to be a part of the adult world again. Not to mention that I'm kind of enjoying getting to dress up in the mornings again, and carry around my super cool faux croc work bag that I picked up from Target (I'll have to get into my love affair with that store in another post). Oh to feel fashionable again!
I'm fairly certain that the novelty of all of this will wear off at some point, and the drudgery of being a part of the working world will set in. And I do miss being at home for a lot of different reasons, not the least of which of course being seeing my kids so much. But Bo Bo is having a blast at 'school' and Babt loves having such a huge playroom to crawl around. I have to believe that things happen for a reason, and this seemed to be exactly what both me and my family were needing right now. Its nice when things work out like that. Now if only I could get potty training to go so smoothly...
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