I think some of my friends wonder what I do all day now that I’m not teaching. I’ve heard cracks about all the naps I must take, yadda yadda yadda. And seriously, since I’m basically a cross between a stay-at-home and work-at-home mom, it can be hard to explain without being met by blank stares that are most certainly thinking I hang out on the couch all day.

So, this was my day today (in bulleted list form):

• Got up and hunted around for toothbrushes after our weekend in Manhattan (more on that in another post)
• Got H dressed, fed, and off to school
• Interviewed a toymaker for GeekMom
• Confirmed a meeting for tomorrow about a local project I’m starting up
• Folded laundry
• Somewhere in there showered, I don’t remember when
• Picked up H, fed her, put her down for a nap
• Dishwasher, lunch, picked stuff up off the floor
• Emailed with two board members of my sorority alumnae group (I’m the programming chair) about our big September event
• Fielded emails from 3 separate PR firms about other GeekMom reviews and articles
• Was contacted by another parenting site to see if I’d like to become a contributor
• Worked on new business cards (really need to finish those)
• H woke up, I changed her and got her dressed
• We practiced using the potty
• Took her to the playground for the first time since her grandparents were here for Christmas (melted snow, huzzah!)
• Fed her
• Had an Early Intervention meeting at home with 3 EI folks and Adam about the start of her speech therapy (she ate through most of this meeting)
• Did the week’s grocery shopping with H. We played one of our favorite games, “Clark Kent Superman.” How to play: Your toddler steals your glasses and tries to put them on her own face. Helping her get them on is a legal maneuver. When the glasses are on, you say, “Clark Kent!” When the glasses come off a millisecond later, you say, “Superman!” Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until you need your glasses again to see. Take photos of the shenanigans like the one above.
• It’s my week to schedule posts for GeekMom (part of the Content Editor gig), so I read through and scheduled stuff for tomorrow
• Worked on 2 quilt sketches while she ate dinner
• Bathtime, storytime, bedtime (with Adam)
• Made dinner
• Finished those quilt sketches while watching TV with Adam
• Also updated my task lists for the week
• Dishwasher, tidying, etc.
• Updated the invite for H’s birthday party
• Sat here to write a blog post

Not every day is exactly like this. Some days I’m working through the chapters in the web design course I’m taking, some days I’m actually writing stuff, some days I’m sewing, some days I make it onto the treadmill. Some days H is sick or just not having my attention placed anywhere else, and I get nothing done other than snuggle her and watch toddler movies while maybe doing some laundry.

That’s my life right now.

And I really like it.

Sometimes I can forget how much I like it, or I’m bugged by comments or looks from people about my new reality. Like it’s somehow less worthy than my old reality. It is in fact the opposite of that. So I need to take stock once in a while.

I’m juggling a lot of stuff, and I’m always worried that I’m falling behind on one thing or another. I might not be the best friend in the world these days. I definitely wonder if any of this will ever sort itself out into a sustainable career. Every night when I tick off the things I accomplished I remember something else really, really important that I forgot to do.

But everything I’m doing, or forgot to do, or need to do tomorrow is something I chose. The circumstances that led me here weren’t my choice, but I’ve decided that will be the last time that ever happens. If I can help it.

I did not have a nap today. But I did play a mean round of “Clark Kent Superman” at the grocery store, so that’s just as good.