Confessions of a yoghurt maker: Another five months gone.... somewhere?

Vivi at 3 1/2

Wow, another five months have been and gone since I last posted here. Once again, time seems to have been swallowed up into some kind of vortex, the days turning into weeks, the weeks into months as I continue to move through this journey of motherhood.

The big thing on my mind at the moment is work. I returned to work part-time when Henry turned one last September. It seemed the right time to go back for a couple of days a week. Vivi was three years old and Henry had just passed his first birthday - that tricky and sleep deprived 'first year' was out of the way. I knew I needed something else in my life to focus on apart from the kids and the prospect of having a little more money at our disposal was appealing, so I badgered my old boss until she finally got tired of me and gave into my demands and gave me a temporary job.

The temporary job turned into a fixed term contract of two days per week, which was perfect, and with the option of picking up other odd days of work as well. So it was a good arrangement. Slowly I felt myself beginning to emerge from the cocoon of stay at home parentdom. It was a good feeling.

Of course, being back at work posed challenges that I had never anticipated until I became a parent - finding the right carer for your children, balancing home and work commitments, trying achieve a 'work/life' balance. I suddenly understood why my workmates who had children (back in my childless days) had often had to drop everything and race out of work due to a child being sick. Being back at work has made me appreciate the time that I do have with my children and I find we now spend more 'quality' time together. I also love having some 'adult time' where I'm not talking about my kids all day long but talking about other issues and problem solving with others. I also love the feeling of being part of a team again. Even the drive to work is fantastic - total 'me time' where I can put an audiobook on and take a breather.

Of course, the early starts are a bit of a mission with two small children to get ready and out of the house by 7:30am but I've developed a few tricks along the way that make it all a lot easier (best one of all dressing them in their daytime clothes the night before when I put them to bed!).

The kids seem to be doing well in general. Henry is now 20 months old and in the midst of the 'terrible twos' and Vivi is a big 3 1/2 year old who likes to give her opinion on everything. It's not all rainbows and unicorns but they are two little people who enrich my life and that of their extended family and friends and I wouldn't want to be without them.