A Government Attorney with 2 School Aged Kids
This week's featured working mom making it work is Mary Moo Cow, a government attorney with 2 kids, 7.5 and 5.5. How does she make it work? "Magial husband and magical grandparents FTW!"
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What’s your kid/family situation?
2 kids (7.5 and 5.5); married; local in-laws.
What is your job situation? (Job, hours, WFH vs butts in seat)
Government Attorney; 8:15-4:45 p.m. M-F; 2 days WFH; local/daytime travel required anywhere from 5-15 days a month.
What's your childcare situation? (daycare, wraparound care, nanny, magical grandparents)
Magical husband and magical grandparents FTW! kids are both at the same school. I drop off. Husband is self-employed, so he does pick-up. 2 days a week, kids spend the afternoon with their grandparents.
A Week in the Life
Monday
School and work holiday (I sought government work for a reason!) We came back from Disney World vacation on Sunday night, so Monday was rest, reset, laundry, clean, nurse holiday hangover.
Tuesday
Drop off at school at 7:50, then home. Started a load of laundry and intended to do my work out (I do weight lifting in the garage gym 3 times a week.) Checked to see if I still had to travel for a court appearance and I did not, hallelujah! So instead, I kept an eye on email, moved a few things along for work, did several loads of laundry, picked up a Target order, and then did my work out in the late afternoon while kids watched TV. Made dinner, family time after dinner, then did bedtime starting around 7:30. Did admin for the school PTO board for about 30 minutes after bedtime, then chatted with husband for another 30 minutes, then read in bed for 45 minutes. Lights out at 10:30.
Wednesday
In office day. Husband volunteered to drive the kids in, so I went straight to office but still managed to get here at the usual time. No court appearances today, but preparing for next week's hearings and catching up on email and mail that I missed while I was out last week. PTO board meeting tonight, so I will leave work at 4:45 and head straight to school. If I'm lucky on time, stop and get a coffee before the meeting. If not, meeting from 5:30-7, then home to forage for dinner while chatting with the family. Then give the kids a bath and bedtime. Bedtime drags because they can always persuade me to read a bit more, but I try to be done by 8:30. Then, either I'll start the new season of All Creatures Great and Small (which I love, but DH doesn't) or we'll re-watch a Great British Baking Show before heading to bed to read.
Thursday
WFH day! Plan to work out in the morning; do a grocery and library pick up in the afternoon. Girls will be at home after school (around 3 p.m.), so I'll try to sit down and watch an episode of TV with them before I log back on and finish up work around 4:45. Make dinner, family hang out, then bedtime. (It is winter now, so we try to get outside before dark, but it doesn't always happen. In summer, we go to the pool every day before or after dinner or meet up with neighborhood friends for a walk/scooter ride. I'm trying to rally friends for daily walks but people aren't interested in getting out in the cold.)
Friday
In-office day. Plan is to drop the kids off and be at the office by 8:15. I will either get a coffee before my standing 10 am call or treat myself to lunch out. (I treat myself to coffee one day a week and lunch another day. Sometimes DH meets me for lunch, and it usually is spontaneous.) More prep for next week's court appearances, and some mid-range planning to see if I can make anything scheduled for February and March go away. Home by 5:45. Dinner might be pizza and a movie. Girls have been at home with Dad after school, so they are usually punchy and tired of each other, or wired for the weekend and tackle me when I get in the door to beg for pizza and a movie.
The Weekend
Blissfully empty! No birthday parties! No social obligations! 7.5 year old's weekly (non-competitive) hour long gymnastic class on Saturday morning. Might take her to lunch as a treat, but she usually asks for Little Sister to come along. I would really like more one on one time with Big Sister, but it is sweet she loves LS so much. If not, then forage for lunch at home, maybe have a neighborhood playdate, and dinner at home. Perhaps go out for a sweet treat at a local cake shop I've been eying? Sunday morning church, then out for lunch. Do my workout at home in the afternoon while the girls play and then watch a movie with them. Light chores (some laundry, tidying) to get read for the week. Dinner at home, then bath and bedtime with the kids. DH and I will probably talk instead of watching something, then bed ourselves.
Reflections
What was your biggest success this week?
Flying home from Disney World with the two girls by myself! Flight delays on the way there last week blew up travel plans, so DH flew from Orlando to a NC airport to retrieve our car and drove to VA to meet the girls and I on our originally scheduled flight. I spent 8 hours and navigated three airports with them, and didn't yell at them or have a meltdown. Logistics are not my strong suit, so this is a big success!
What was your biggest obstacle?
Getting back into work mode after vacation mode. Still working on it.
How are you making it work?
DH is a paragon of fatherhood: well, pretty close. He does pick up 5 days a week and hangs out with the girls 3 days, he works full time in less than 40 hours a week, and makes twice what I do so we have a very comfortable lifestyle. He doesn't hold it against me and doesn't keep score, so it is only my guilt about not spending time with the family on the weekends that keeps me from pursuing more solo social obligations and hobbies. We also couldn't make it work without local grandparents (especially in the summer!). Having a bi-weekly cleaning service is non-negotiable for our sanity. Finally, moving to a neighborhood with lots of friendly families for easy socialization and a pool and walking trails for entertainment and exercise.