It's a J-O-B

I have to be honest.  When I first started out as a stay-at-home mom, I thought that it was going to be such an easy transition.  I wanted to be home with my baby.  Going to work everyday, leaving her, was agonizing.  I was ready to stop.  Plus, it was summer break, so I had completed my work accordingly, no loose ends to tie up.  I successfully finished one period in my life to start another.  This would be easy.

But then,
 it wasn't.

Granted, I was with Isla June full time during a difficult transition in our lives(moving to a 2 bedroom condo with just the stuff that would fit in two cars), plus she was getting really mobile and teething, and transitioning to one nap, so we had a lot of issues to juggle.  Isla June wasn't sleeping well, so I was exhausted every morning(and momma just is not a good person when tired), and we felt so trapped in our little condo (as great as it is, I miss having a yard and a restricted, safe area for the babe.); and we didn't know what to do around here.  You know, the getting settled aspect, plus, the what do I do with a toddler transition. 
I felt like I was kind of failing Isla June.  We aren't a t.v. watching family, and unfortunately, some days, it seemed like the t.v. was the only thing that would make her happy, so I succumbed, and I hated it. 
All this to say, I knew things had to change.  And I had to change it.  I guess I was trying to be really laid back and whatever-roll-with-the-punches about our days.  But that just isn't me.  I need a schedule.  I thrive on it.  Because with a schedule, I can be spontaneous (sounds crazy, right?).
So, one night I had an epiphany.  I didn't leave my old job, I got a new one.  Being a stay-at-home mom is a JOB.  (Not sure why this took a little to sink in.) 
Like any other job, I have to get to bed at a decent hour, and I have to set my alarm to wake up and prepare myself for the day before my job starts, and there are certain things that I have to accomplish everyday in order to be successful.  And that sink full of dishes, yeah, that's my ugly frog, and I've got to eat it.*  It's all part of my job.  And any job I do, I've got to succeed. 
So, I've got my planner going again, full of daily activities for us.  I figure that since I had a daily schedule in my classroom, Isla June and I need one too.  The alarm is set for a prompt wake-up call (ummmm, but not too prompt. I'm still not a morning person), and I've created a general daily list of chores, plus a weekly menu for us and a bit of a daily schedule.  Now, none of this is totally set in stone, but it makes days much easier for me.  Instead of having to think, wow, what are we going to do today, or what are we going to have for lunch/dinner, I already have a rough idea of that.  And Isla June does so much better.  Having a consistent day means she sleeps better, she's happier, which means mommy is happier. And I don't feel like I'm constantly struggling everyday to figure it out, it's so much smoother now that we know what to expect from each other.
Not sure why it took me 2 months to figure this out, but so glad I finally did.  Hopefully, being a stay-at-home mom will be my most successful and rewarding job yet.

*this is a term my husband uses to describe all the tasks you must complete throughout the day.  And one of them is a really ugly, terrible frog you must eat.  and instead of thinking about it all day and worrying about it, get to work early, and eat that ugly frog.  There, now it's done.