Well, next week marks a momentous occasion in my life. For the first time in over 7 years I will
begin working less than 40 hours a week.
I don’t count my maternity leave last spring, because I was sleep
deprived the whole time and can’t remember most of it…therefore, it might have
actually never happened.
Hansen started a new job last August with the hope that he
would eventually start making the kind of income that would allow me to stay
home with Sammy at least part time (and
hopefully full time for at least a few years) in the future. This is the first step in that
direction. I will still technically be a
full time employee, but earlier this week the Vice President of HR at the company I work for approved the request that my hours be reduced from 40 to 32 a week.
First of all, I want to give a huge shout out to my
hubs. He has been busting his butt and I’m
never quite able to express just how proud I am of him, or how much I
appreciate all the hard work and sacrifice that he is making for our
family. He frequently puts in 12 hour
days. It’s not even unheard of for him
to put in a 16 hour day. Every morning
he has to get up at a different time, so it’s not like he can just train his
body to get used to waking up earlier.
Some mornings his alarm goes off at a relatively reasonable 5:30 AM, but
more often it’s like 2 or 3 AM…and sometimes even earlier than that. He never knows when he’ll have to start each
day until the afternoon before when he receives the next day’s schedule from
his office. Then he puts in long hours…lots
of walking, lifting heavy fire extinguishers, inspecting fire suppression hood
systems in restaurants, paperwork, and driving.
One day this week he told me that he had walked 22 flights of stairs
that day. He does all of this with
remarkably little complaining.
And it’s not like he has days to recover from this crazy
schedule. On the weekends he helps me
clean the house, care for our son, does yard work, helps me grocery shop, attends
to random projects around the house, and maintains relationships with our
family members and friends. On top of
all that, he has been the one preparing most of our family meals on a daily
basis because when I’m working in the office I don’t get home until around 7 pm,
and when I’m working from home I have to use every minute that I’m not caring
for Sam to focus on work stuff so that I can get all of my hours in each day
(something that has turned out to be much more difficult than I originally
imagined).
So…he is basically amazing… worthy of all the thanks and
praise I can give him. And I also thank
God for sustaining him and giving him the energy and perseverance to do all
this for us.
Now…to answer your most burning question…what will I do with
this luxurious additional 8 hours of free time each week? Well, I can think of SO many things. It’s going to be tricky, though, as these hours will be broken up and spread across the whole week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, both office days,
I will reduce my time in the office by 1 hour so that I can get home earlier to
prepare dinner and take care of Sam.
That way Hansen can hopefully eat and get to bed at a more reasonable
hour. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, both
work from home days, I will work only 5 hours.
Fridays will remain 8 hour office days.
So, I have to be strategic with how I use this time. I’ve
given it some thought and here are my 8 goals for my 8 hours that will be redirected
from "work life" to "home/personal life":
1) I will spend more quality time with Sammy. We’ll go to the park in the middle of the week, rather than waiting for the weekend. We’ll go outside more. We’ll read more books. And I will cherish every additional moment that I get with my sweet little boy who is growing up faster than I thought was possible. Or I’ll try to. I’m not perfect. I still find it hard to relish the times when he throws food all over the floor I just swept, or fights me as I try to change a particularly messy diaper. But by and large, I think you probably understand the goal…cherish. CHERISH, I SAY!
2) I will make dinner (or sufficiently heat and re-serve edible leftovers) every night. I am determined to take this burden off of Hansen’s shoulders. I may not have it on the table when he walks through the door, and I certainly won’t greet him at the door in a dress and heels with a cocktail in hand, but there will be food. And there’s beer in the fridge.
3) I will pay my bills on time. I haven’t been great about this lately. And this is less a cash-flow issue than it is a time issue. There is money in my account. Sometimes it’s just enough, but it’s there. I just need like half an hour each week to sit down with my bills and checkbook to make that magic happen. Poof…the money is gone. And there is great…um… rejoicing?
4) I will keep my house clean…er. I don’t think I will ever be able to promise a spotless domicile, no matter how much time I have at home. It’s just not in me. Plus…I have a toddler now, so unless I just keep him in the backyard all day like an outdoor pet, I don’t think it’s physically possible. But I can do better than I’ve been doing lately. I have done better. I am committing to less chaos and that “comfortably clean, but lived in” look, with a side of slightly more organized cabinets and closets.
5) I will exercise and lose 20 pounds. Hahaha! No, but seriously….hahaha! Okay…I will try.
6) I will tend the garden in our backyard to help it yield the maximum harvest and hopefully reduce our grocery bills…at least through the summer and early fall.
7) I will fold the laundry before it gets all wrinkled, and actually put it away, rather than letting it sit in laundry baskets on the couch in our living room.
8) I will hopefully take at least two steps back from the proverbial “edge” that I have been dancing so closely to for the last year or so…and hopefully help my husband do the same. We are in desperate need of a little breathing room.
Wish me luck! And
pray that God helps me to use this time in the way that most honors Him and
benefits my family, regardless of my own personal goals.
And here is a picture of Sammy...because man, I love this kid!
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