A difficult decision; a big change

Today, it became official, official. I have resigned from my position as Deputy Technology Editor to become a stay-at-home mom. My boss posted it for the world to see this afternoon. In less than two weeks, I'll be running around with the craziness that is my three children!

I actually resigned a week ago, but it has taken this long for my boss to overcome the shock. Management has been incredible. They are supportive, yet also flattering by offering me endless proposals and job possibilites within the newsroom. But what I really want is to be home.

What I will do, hopefully, is take on some contract work on special projects as they arise. The newspaper has a couple of opportunities upcoming, and my CCI expertise will be important. I'm happy to help: it gives us a little extra income at home, I don't feel like I'm abandoning my colleagues, I keep my expertise current, and the newspaper gets the help it needs. Well, I also happen to enjoy working on these types of projects!

I hope to pursue some other freelance work here and there, as a way to keep my foot in the door. I think having that work will keep me balanced and happier staying at home. After all, I didn't really want to give up my career entirely. Freelancing gives me the best of both worlds.

I am looking forward to staying home. I couldn't have imagined this five years ago, after I had Brendan. But times change and so do people. Remember, one of my New Year's resolutions was to simplify. This is a major step toward that resolution. But it's also a realization that I can't get this time back with my children in five or 10 years. They are little now. I can work until I'm 75, and my dad is proof that even at 60, you can be highly sought-after in your field if you're smart and a hard-worker. The opportunities I may miss professionally in the next few years will come around again later. But those opportunities won't be there again with my children.

It's interesting to hear the responses from my colleagues. Everyone is supportive, but I've found support from all sorts of people. From mothers, who work because they have to, or mothers who know staying at home isn't for them. From fathers who know how difficult this decision was for their wives. From single professionals, who remember what their own mothers provided in their childhood and admire that I'll be doing the same. And not a single one has said that I'll ever regret making this decision.

Wearer of many hats

It's only fitting to post this picture today of Kelsey wearing many hats (thanks to Ryan) at a recent soccer game. We're celebrating Mother's Day, of course, and as every mom knows, being able to wear many hats at once is the number two requirement. (Number one is being able to love unconditionally.)

I know many great mothers, including my own mom and my sister and my mother-in-law, who work tirelessly to keep the world running smoothly for their family. So this Happy Mother's Day wish goes out to you all!


In other updates:

• Our wonderful nanny Megan is off to Africa tomorrow to work with children. We will miss her, but I know she will bring many smiles to children who need her much more than ours do.
• My quest for finding a replacement is going nowhere. I thought third time's a charm? Hmmm ... our biggest problem is finding someone who drives a car large enough for three car seats.
• For the next two weeks, grandmothers are making the trip to help us. We're very thankful!
• In five weeks, I'll have a first-grader! Wow. But before then, we have to make the rounds on numerous end-of-the-year activities: zoo field trip, school fun fair, kingergartners eat lunch day, kindergarten party day, field day and so on. Looking forward to each activity!
• Kelsey is pulling herself up with ease. Funny, when Brendan was a baby, he had baby toys to help him learn how to stand. (And I was a constant cheerleader and coach, making him practice daily.) Kelsey, on the other hand, has learned to do so using the Rescue Heroes ship in her brothers' room. She needed no coaching, as you can imagine. Boy, how life changes after the first child.

Superhero brothers

Accessories from the Klutz Superhero book. Klutz has a great line of Chicken Socks books that spark imagination and are particularly fun while travelling.