I have now served as chief mom officer for four weeks. It’s been a fantastic month.  That said, what I intended to be an extended vacation at home for the first few weeks of this new life phase has been anything but.

My time so far has been marked by almost constant movement.  Anyone who has had the experience staying at home nods their head to commiserate when we discuss what it’s like, but I never truly appreciated what that really meant until now.

Random Thoughts (in no particular order) About What I Have Observed So Far

(1) Leaving aside the usual stay-at-home crap like laundry and food shopping, I have learned that trying to get into shape and lose weight is a job unto itself. I have become obsessed with activity.  To the point of developing ADD-like symptoms so that I am never in one place for any length of time.

(2) Finding a daily rhythm has been a challenge.  For example, I have yet to fall into a schedule for my writing – although I’m doing much more of it than before. And although I’m also exercising a lot more, it’s not on any kind of timetable.

(3) Tweeting is a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Squeezing 140 characters into a meaningful, yet pithy, thought that will help attract more followers requires more brain activity than I anticipated.  I’m probably just trying too hard (considering all the garbage tweets I’ve been reading, I’m fairly certain I’m setting the bar way too high).

(4) The girls are benefitting from my presence.  Not because I’m any less of a pain in the ass.  But I think they just like knowing that I’m around.

(5) My husband is benefitting from my presence.  Although I’m still not ironing his shirts (there are limits to my wearing the happy homemaker hat), the house is tidier, I’m watering the grass, I’m cooking…

(6) Speaking of which, cooking is not as daunting as I thought it would be.  I’m still not a huge fan of the time involved, but I suppose as I get better at it, I will also become faster at it. And we’re definitely eating healthier as a family.

(7) We’re all benefitting from the fact that I’m more relaxed.  This is partly due to the fact that because I have more time to do shit, I’m not stressfully rushing to get the shit done.  Don’t get me wrong, the girls will continue to exasperate me on a daily basis.  And I know I will completely lose it from time to time. But the key phrase here is “time to time.” Meaning on a much less frequent basis than the pre-chief mom officer days.

(8) Learning how to breathe in yoga, which I’ve taken up to help me with #7 above, is friggin’ difficult. Nobody ever mentioned that tidbit to me. And until I’ve figured out the trick to that, I don’t think I’m going to find it particularly relaxing.

(9) No longer being a slave to technology for professional reasons  (i.e., having work e-mail on my iPhone) is ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS.

(9) Two of the best surprises about the last four weeks: the feeling of peace that has settled over me (I haven’t slept so consistently well in years) and the ability to be spontaneous – two topics that I will write about in more detail in future posts.