In my recent post, An Extended Hospital Stay as a Surrogate + How You Can Support Someone in the Hospital, I went into detail on how I was a second-time surrogate who spent six weeks on hospital bedrest in Connecticut, while my husband was in Texas and our son was in Oklahoma with my parents. While being away from my husband and son was extremely difficult and very taxing emotionally, we had a tremendously amazing outcome— a beautiful baby girl born to an awesome and very deserving momma.
But being on bedrest so long gave me lots of time to think about life and my big picture.
I was working in an industry that I had been in for over 10 years. I only had my Associates degree since I began working immediately after getting that, and just never stopped. Out of high school, I originally wanted to become an elementary teacher. But once I started working, I never really thought about going back to school…until now!
Cue us being in a pandemic and me going through a life-changing experience of being a surrogate on hospital bedrest in a different state, I really began to reevaluate what I wanted in life and the sacrifices I was willing to make to get there.
I had missed out on too much time with my kiddo, and as he is preparing to start kindergarten this fall, I did not want to miss another moment. So in addition to deciding to go back to school full time to finish my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, I knew I wanted to be home with my son until I switched careers. So here we are making the best of Summer 2021!
As I’ve adjusted to not working, being home with my son all day and going to school full-time, I’ve made a list of a few things that are helping me survive as a new stay-at-home mom.
Food Prep
Hear me out. Having snacks on hand for my son has been a lifesaver. The kid.is.always.HUNGRY! And, depending on what we get into that day, he might be more hungry than other days. So, we always have his lunchbox packed with some non-perishable snacks. Then our fridge always has these Container Store containers full of fruits and veggies that he can grab himself. It always makes me so happy when I come into the dining room and see that he got himself a snack…even better when it’s a healthy one.
Rest Time
My almost five-year-old is past the nap stage, which is OK—but boy I do miss those couple hours of quiet time. Now we incorporate a rest time into our day. To make it easier, I use this clock here that I found on Amazon. It has been a lifesaver. When you set the timer, which does 60-minutes or less increments, it shows the minutes remaining in a bright color (ours is red). Then a buzzer goes off when the time is done. You can either have it stand up or it is a magnet and can hang on your fridge. We also use the timer for clean-up time, and as a countdown to when daddy gets home at the end of the day.
Apex Center Membership
If you’ve ever driven on Eldorado and pass the giant waterslides, then you know exactly what the McKinney Apex Center is. They have a very expansive gym with all the equipment you could need, pools for exercise, a basketball court and lots of classes. With a membership, you also get access to the playroom—so if you have kiddos nine and under, you can drop them off there while you go workout.
Then the pièce de resistance: the water park area. It has just enough to keep my almost-swimming-four-year-old happy. There are two kids’ areas for the younger kids, four different slides (with height restrictions), a lazy river, a basketball area in the pool, and some space just for swimming or hanging out. My son is always worn out after visiting the Apex Center, which is great for us at bedtime as he passes out almost immediately!
Kid Mania
Membership Details
Hands down, without a doubt, this one is my favorite. It is an indoor play place in Plano off 75. There is also one in Fort Worth. A day pass is free for an infant, $3.99 for 1–2-year old’s and $8.99 for 3–18-year olds. However, I recently found out there is a membership! For $50, you can go an unlimited number of times for three months.
Why My Son Loves It
We go about five times a week. Why? For starters, my son loves to run around and climb on everything the maze has to offer. He also spends probably too much time scouring the floor under the maze for things other kiddos have dropped. I have no less than five 15-cent rings in my jewelry box that he has found and given to me, while proposing, because that is what he thinks you have to do when you give someone a ring!
Why I Love It
The best part? I can pop in my headphones, connect to the WiFi, and get some schoolwork done! It is seriously a win-win for both of us. There is also a concession stand that has food and drinks. Additionally, once you enter, everyone in your party is stamped with an invisible stamp number. So before you leave, they use the black light to verify that everyone leaving is together. And, if a kiddo tries to leave themselves, the door alarm goes off. So I never have to worry about where my son is!
I’m only one month in to being a stay-at-home mom; I’d love it if all you veteran stay-at-home moms could comment below with any tips and tricks you have. There’ve been a few days where I’ve nearly lost my sanity!
