Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A Whole New World

I am so excited to be typing this right now on my new Netbook that my husband got me for my birthday.   Well, new to me.   It's actually rebuilt, but I'm not complaining.   So I started to think about how things have gone over the last 3 months since I left my full time job to stay home with the kids.   Things really are different!

Firstly, I've read more books in the past 3 months than I think I've read in the 18 or so years since high school.   I would say that I wasn't much of a reader, but the truth is I probably never had or made the time.   Now that I sit a lot and watch the kids outside, or have all the housework done during the day which leaves evenings more free, or wait for kids at appointments, etc, I have a lot more time to read.    I'm totally guesstimating, but I think I've read over 10 novels recently.   Jude Deveraux is one of my favorite writers, although I've really come to love the Little House on the Prairie books recently too. 

Another thing that's changed is I've been losing weight without even trying.   I've lost 10 lbs since quitting which is just under a pound a week.   I think it's because I hardly ever sit anymore.   And I can actually say that I've missed meals because I've been so busy...  that NEVER happened to me before.   I would usually sit at work and force myself to hold off on snacking until the next meal or appointed time.  

Among other changes, the other thing I started doing was BAKING!   Seriously never considered myself a cook/chef/baker or any other name for someone who prepares food.   I've been baking birthday cakes for everyone in the family instead of buying them and making homemade chocolate chip cookies like ALL the time.   I even got a bunch of recipe books from the library.  

It's so weird to be living this "alternate" life.   I've gotten to see other moms that stay with their kids, take my kids to story hour, relax and watch movies or read books just for me!, visit the zoo during the week, visit the beach and build sand castles with my kids.   It's so amazing.

I just feel so blessed.   I guess it just goes to prove that so much of who you are can be buried beneath layers and layers of outside responsibilities.  Maybe that's not the best way to explain it.  It's just, I never got to do this stuff because I just never had the time working and raising a family.   I just thank God for this time and opportunity to explore new talents and gifts that have been hidden away for such a long time.  

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