Me Time

Being a stay at home mom is a lot different than a working mom.  I am now on mom duty 24/7 rather than when I got home from work and on the weekends.  I think both jobs are equally as hard and each has their pros and cons. 

When I decided that I wanted to stay at home with Harlan when we moved up here I was thrilled.  My ultimate goal in life was always to be a stay at home mom.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVED my job in Tampa.  Being a teacher is an incredible experience and something that I will hopefully get back to one day.  But, being at home with Harlan all day is so much fun.  I get to see her develop and hit her milestones for the first time.  We have developed this amazing bond with one another.  We are best friends. 

Now even though I am loving my new "job,"  it doesn't leave much room for me to be by myself or with my friends without her.  Everyone needs a break every once in a while to regroup and get their energy back.  MacKay has been great letting me do my own thing on the weekends and some nights of the week.  I very rarely ask to go out, but when I do I want to make the most of it.

Last night I went to a wine bar with about 9 other moms.  Because MacKay is gone, my wonderful sister (she will be so happy I mentioned her in this blog) came over to watch Harlan.  I am very fortunate to have this "free" babysitter here in the city and Harlan loves her Aunt "Da" Danni. 

We went to a wonderful wine bar called Sofia that is in midtown east.  It had great appetizers and a vast collection of wines.  The decor is very rustic and intimate.  I had a great time getting to know more people and really letting go of everything and enjoying me. 

As parents, we are always putting our children before ourselves.  As we should.   But every once in a while I think it is so important for every us to get a little time to ourselves. Get out of our "mommy shoes" for a little while and let loose.

Today I put my "shoes" back on and had a blast with my girl.  We had class and then went to the wonderfully renovated playground in Central Park on 76th.  Harlan had a great time running after all of the kids and watching the skateboarders. 

Here are a few pics of Harlan today from our class.  She is loving every second of it there. (P.S. she usually hates things on her head but today she really wanted to wear this hat!)