I’m just a few days in to my new job, and I have already discovered a few things.

• You can do A LOT in just a few minutes. Jude takes an hour-long morning nap and an hour and a half afternoon nap.  That’s pretty much all the time I get for household odds and ends uninterrupted.  Yesterday, I went in to turbo-mode during his morning nap to get as much done as possible.  I placed the steam sterilizer full of pacifiers in our microwave with the timer on and somehow managed to tend to the dogs, unload and re-load the dishwasher, and straighten a cluttered living room in only 7 minutes.  Makes me feel a little guilty for wasting half an hour on the computer.
• Taking the time to put on matching clothes and mascara after my shower gives me more energy throughout the day.  I swear it’s true.
• The grocery store is infinitely more pleasant on a weekday without the Saturday crowds.
• Laundry is the bane of my existence.  This is not really a change from the days when I worked outside the home, but I wanted to mention it.
• Even at the height of his incessant, teething-induced whining, Jude is nowhere near as aggravating as 32 ninth graders in one room at 2:30 everyday.
• I’m really really happy to see Scott at the end of the day.
• Going somewhere everyday  – the grocery store, TJ Maxx, an afternoon walk – will be good for me and for Jude as well.
• Spending more time in this house makes me want to improve it in ways that seemed unimportant before.  I think I’ll start with our home office which gives me a headache when I walk in it and see the scary, disorganized mess.
• If I had a free second at work, I would never feel guilty about doing nothing.  I’d eat my lunch and browse online, for instance.  Or I’d chat with a coworker for half an hour and feel good about it.  At home, I feel like I always have to be doing something.  Always.  Jude naps, get busy.  Toys picked up, time to vacuum.  Laundry done, clean the kitchen.  I’m wondering if this goes away as you get used to staying at home or if it always feels like this.  In a way, yes, this is my job and I want to do it well, but I also know that a few minutes of relaxing my brain and my body are good for me, too. I’m hoping this compulsion will get better.
• The transition is pretty seamless though, and I am looking forward to the days ahead.