Merging Work and Family

Kaio's Coop daycare was closed today due to two feet of snow falling over the weekend.  My mom was snowed into her neighborhood, and both Mari and I needed to work, so I stayed home with the kids.  Working from home and taking care of the kids.  I thought it would be an impossible task, but really it was not so bad.  I sat them down with a movie and some toys.  Made them lunch and left it with them to eat and toss on the floor as they pleased as I held a meeting over the phone, and stealthily muting when there was some crying episode or fighting.  Nala came into my room balancing a princess plate full of beans and rice, and with a big smile on her face she handed it to me like she was sharing.  Of course right after she handed it to me she yanked it back and it dumped all over the floor.  She's so cute.

Kaio is potty training.  The thing is that he is totally in control and totally conscious of peeing and pooping and holding it and everything.  The only thing in between him and success is his stubbornness.  I have been trying to give him real underpants so that he feels uncomfortable when he wets himself.  It works, but he still doesn't want to go sit on the potty sometimes.  I might have given up after the third wet pants, but i was out of diapers.  Sometimes I like to run out of things just to prove my independence from them.  So we kept with the underpants.  He even shat in them during his nap.  So I changed his poopy pants in the shower while on a conference call.  And then he went back to sleep.

Overall I was able to get all my work done, well the minimum and still look like I'm working.  The toughest part was to ignore the urge to clean and fold laundry, and instead focus my attention on work or quality time with the kids.  It was great to see them all day long and play occasionally.  I felt guilty for turning on the TV as a substitute for my attention.  But, I imagine that if I could be a stay at home mom then i do activities instead.  I would really like that.  I hope that eventually we will be in a place where I can transition to working less hours and have a day or two with the kids.  I don't think that we are in a place to make that happen anytime soon though.  I know it is my fault for not being financially prepared enough to have kids.  But, that is the trade off for having kids early and buying a house.  booo for expensive mortgages.  I am totally day dreaming about moving to a farm today.  If I ever have any more kids I vow to be a stay at home mom, at least part time.  Hopefully Nalini and Kaio will not be jealous.