Don't Mess With My Schedule, it has Consequences

Today I am running late coming home. In my single or newly married life this wasn't much of a problem, but now that I have my daughter, it changes everything.

Our days are highly scheduled so that I am at work on time and that I am home with time for dinner and to spend quality time with my family. When something messes with this, the domino effect is strongly felt by the three of us.

To begin with, I left the office 45 minutes later than normal. This means arriving home 45 minutes late and steals away 45 minutes I could have had preparing and eating dinner or playing with my daughter. When my husband picks me up from the subway, I am going to hope and pray that my daughter isn't asleep, because her falling asleep this late means she will be up until 10 and that just doesn't fly. I need a shower, people!

It means that instead of having breakfast for dinner, as we had planned, it will be take-out, which is a bad habit we are trying to stay away from. It means...oh, what's that? The subway isn't running? Just GREAT.

It means a lot to me to get home on time for myself and for my family. I don't want to miss my little girl growing up because of 10 hour work days, or time spent with my husband, who works nights because I can't get time away from my desk.

It's times like these that I really question the hour and a half commute and the demands of the industry I'm in. I am sue I'm not alone in my way of thinking here. Someone forgot to give the working world the memo from Mom's requesting a realistic 9-5 work day when work as a mom (and wife) never really stops. Is it really too much to ask for in this busy life?
-Laura Bee
http://themommybee.blogspot.com