It’s official. My first week of work is over and I’m still standing. More important, my girls seem just fine. In fact, I don’t think they even missed me. Every morning, Sophie would see me off with a huge grin and a cheerful “Bye, Mom!” Chloe would barely look up from whatever she was doing to see me off. I like to think it’s because we’re raising confident, well-adjusted daughters.

On the other hand, my adjustment to the office routine hasn’t been without its small bumps. The work itself is going to be interesting and varied, and I like everyone I’ve met. But returning to the ranks of the gainfully employed has made me realize that my months at home were a lot better than I ever thought they would be (I’ve touched on this theme in previous posts, I know). Life was a lot simpler. And that simplicity was liberating.

I’m not surprised that Chloe and Sophie did so well this week. Sophie loves spending time with her babysitters, who are at her beck and call, and one day a week she’s lucky enough to have her Grammy to entertain her. Life is good, right? Chloe is proud to be doing her homework on her own. She enjoys the big girl responsibility.

I need to bring my photos of the girls into the office. Not just to remind me of home, but to remind me of the reasons I’m back in the office in the first place.