the life of a (temporary) housewife...

Since about a month and a half before Giles was born, I went on maternity leave at my work.

My job was at good ol' Pizza Hut. I got the job there right after Josh and I were married and had our own place. Josh was struggling finding a full time job. It was right when the recession hit full force and it was hard everywhere. I took any job I could get, and with my Pizza Hut wage and tips, along with random work Josh was able to get, we made it through till he found his job 3 months later. Yes, Pizza Hut. Not the most glamorous job. But it did well for me while I was at university. DANG it was hard to run around as a waitress later on being sick and pregnant, and later to being huge and pregnant waddling around. But I'm a trooper and I did it! The pay off was getting my maternity leave and pay.

So I began my leave. It was before my final exams and finishing up of university, so it was great to just have to worry about that and finish everything off. Then, I was left with a few weeks before Giles was due to just chill and get some much needed rest before the chaos of the birth and parenthood. So that was reallyyy good.
Giles is 4 months old now, and I'm still on maternity leave. Maternity leave and pay are brilliant here in England, much better than in the States that I've heard. My maternity leave lasts till June 2011, but my pay ends mid-February 2011. So I'm being paid for leave from mid-May 2010 to mid-Feb! Completely great! It's been a huge blessing to have the pay and to have this time off with my baby. Although I get restless a bit at times, I really do relish this time I have with my baby before I become a working mum when we move to the States.


So what is the life of a temporary housewife like??? Well, JUST in case you wanted to know, haha, I will tell you:

1. Taking care of my baby obviously!!!


Giles takes up 80% of my day at the least. He is on a 4 hour schedule, that I learned from the book Baby Wise. He eats, plays, and sleeps, all day long in a cycle. He is such a happy baby, Baby Wise teaches you to establish sleep patterns because a well-rested baby is a happy one, they say. And I really see that it has worked! He's always talking and laughing. He adores me and it makes me SOO happy! Just how he smiles at me makes all the tiredness and worry and stress worth it times a million. During the day I read books to him, making him laugh, play with his toys with him, etc etc etc.

2. A little bit of TV
When Giles is napping, or winding down to take a nap, I might put on the tele. Josh and I never had TV, we didn't pay for it and we just watched our DVDs. But now we're living at his parents house (to save up money and clear our debts for our big move to the US), well they have TV so I indulge a little.
Some shows I watch:
Homes Under the Hammer
This show finds derelict properties around the UK that are going to be sold at auction. They film the selling and then the presenters interview the buyers at the property to see what they are going to do to renovate it, what they plan to do afterwards whether they will rent it or sell it or live in it themselves, etc. Sounds boring eh? Haha sometimes it is. I just like to watch it to see the 'before and afters'. It is interesting to see what it takes to redo a whole property, how much stuff like that costs, how much homes in general cost. I have no idea about those things. I hope to be a home owner one day, so it is good to know bits a bobs.


How Clean Is Your House
The two ladies, Kim and Agie go around to the absolute most disgusting excuses for residences and show the dirty birds how to clean. A team of cleaners and the two ladies help to turn the place around and reveal a clean, lovely living space. This show motivates me to be clean hah. To not be an unimaginable pig. Kim and Agie also give really cool cleaning tips. Like using ketchup to polish old silver. Crazy, but the things the put forward work, so that is interesting.


Supernanny
My all-time favorite show, I've decided. This may sound silly, but Supernanny has taught me a lot about parenting! Kids' behavioral problems always boil down to the parents. It is so fascinating, and supernanny Jo Frost is teaching me quite a lot. Like if you find your kids are aggressive and disrespectful, look at you and your husband. Do you yell or discipline them aggressively? Do you bully them, or treat them respectfully, as human beings? Not as friends, because they need to know you're the one in charge, but speaking to them at people. Jo Frost is just brilliant. She gets along with any kid and gets to the root of any problem lickety split. She's just fab!


Enough of TV. I honestly don't watch it that much. Just a bit here and there. Now on to number 3. It's an obvious one.

3. Taking care of errands
Every week I try to go to the health clinic to get Giles weighed. We also often walk into town to window shop or get necessary things. When Josh doesn't take the car into work, I'll go out to ASDA (it's the UK version of Walmart). You know your life is changed forever when going to the grocery store is officially entertainment haha. That's when you know there's no turning back haha. I just walk around there, slowly, looking at everything, buying little things we need, etc. Giles is always very good in stores. He has only ever cried a lot once. He usually is just asleep, or awake staring at everything he catches a glimpse of from the cart.

4. Other day to day activities
Scripture study, bits of cleaning and organizing, laundry here and there. Cooking dinners (Lorna, Josh's mom, and I alternate nights). I'm also starting to sort out all of our stuff for our move. I'm trying to sort what needs to come with us, and all that we'll have to leave for the time being. And then, from all the stuff we have to leave, then trying to sort out what needs to come over next, so that Josh's parents or whoever comes to visit next can grab it and bring it over.


So there you have it. To all my friends and my fam bam who I don't get to speak to that often on the phone, now you know what my life is like at the moment. Just a plain ol' housewife. I really really love all the time I have with Giles. But, nevertheless, I do relish the fact that this state of being is only temporary.
I must admit, that even after mommyhood, I love to work. I feel that drive, that ambition to get out and do something on the side. I feel satisfied making money and contributing to my family.

The only challenge now is, when I begin to job hunt, I MUST find something that I will find worthwhile. Something good enough to leave my little angel for just that little bit each day. If that doesn't happen, then yes it will stink leaving my baby. So that is something to think about.