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another writing mom

~ I write, I mother, I try

another writing mom

Tag Archives: working mom

There is no runner’s high for the kind of running single moms/women do

24 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by smfleegal in I try

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alone, chauvinism, exhaustion, extra running, feminism, misandry, run run run, running, running errands, tired, women's work, working mom

Title of this photo is "The Chauvinist Mystique" and I love it, but hate that it has to exist. Photo by Flickr user girl_onthe_les (Creative Commons license).

Title of this photo is “The Chauvinist Mystique” and I love it, but hate that it has to exist. Photo by Flickr user girl_onthe_les (Creative Commons license).

I’ve been waiting for it, but it’s just not there–that feeling of euphoria, of pushing through a block, of being in the zone…

…ok, now I’m just relying on cliches because I don’t run. As I have proclaimed in the past, so shall I proclaim again: I only run if I’m being chased. Hiking, climbing, biking, swimming? Love them. Running and jogging? I see no appeal.

Of course, I’m talking about the physical act of running when what I really mean is, running errands. And other than getting to fall asleep having crossed everything off my to-do list–which is a small pleasure, mind you–there is no euphoria. Continue reading →

Under the weather, under the knife, over it all but still rolling

10 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by smfleegal in I try

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

help, hungry, hurt, hurting, pain meds, support, surgery, wisdom teeth, working mom

So. cruel.

So. cruel.

If you think I was wobbly after a rolled ankle, you should see me on pain pills.

Oh yeah, I had my wisdom teeth out last week, too. Which means, 1) ow, 2) ick, and 3) I’m so hungry. Yes, instant mashed potatoes, ice cream, milkshakes, bananas, applesauce, eggs, and French toast are awesome; but I’m at the point where I want to throw them and watch them slide down the wall. My kingdom for some chewy sourdough or a handful of almonds or a crispy fish taco with local tomato and cabbage… Pout.

Wobbly. Dizzy. Hungry. A little foggy. I am all these, and more. Good thing I’m not doing anything important this week.

Except of course I am. Continue reading →

The usual single-mom childcare concerns, on preemie overdrive

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by smfleegal in Balance, I mother

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

babysitter, childcare, childcare provider, preemie, seeking childcare, working mom

Wanted: childcare provider who is practically perfect in every way. Photo by Flickr user Madame Lazonga (Creative Commons license).

Wanted: childcare provider who is practically perfect in every way. Photo by Flickr user Madame Lazonga (Creative Commons license).

So now that I’m overly employed, I need childcare.

Cue the anxiety.

When I tell you that I went back to work 10 days after giving birth to my son—very prematurely, very traumatically—it’s not because I want you to feel bad for me or believe I have some indefatigable work ethic. I was near-certifiable for going back so soon. I know this now. My body, let alone my mind, had not even begun to recover. But the circumstances of my son’s birth were extraordinary, and I learned then that I am someone who needs even a facade of normalcy to cope with the stress of extreme abnormality. So I went back to work. I worked for nearly the entire 87 days Jax was in the NICU, and it wasn’t heroic; it was survival. I took six weeks of leave when he was discharged, but other than that, until earlier this year when life (along with my previous childcare arrangements) changed overnight, I’ve always been a working mom. I’m proud of my ability to take care of us by doing something I love.

So why, after only six short months at home with my boy, am I so anxious about going back to work? Continue reading →

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