I'm considering going back to work. Actually, I've been considering it for years because I think I worked less when I was getting paychecks and insurance than I do now staying home. Back then I had weekends off, got a lunch HOUR, and was out the door by 5:00. Since leaving the workforce to raise my brood, I either work straight through the weekends or spend all of Monday muttering unrepeatables under my breath about the sloppy monkeys in my house and work double time, ignoring my kids in favor of cleaning. It's not pretty. I also eat on the run or inhale my food while I check my email in the 15 minutes between me putting the children down for naps and the first one getting out of bed whining that he's not tired. As far as punching out at the end of the work day, well, let's just say I'm averaging 13 hour shifts on a good day when no one gets up in the night or throws up after hours. I might even have extra time to get bored at work if I had a "JOB."

I will have to update my resume though. Since leaving my last company, I have been running my own laundry service. It's a small operation, but with minimal staff (only me!), we are able to offer full service 24 hour custom care for an elite clientele. I have also worked as a home health aid offering round the clock care during fevers, stomach bugs, and have on several occasions wrestled preschoolers to the ground to administer eye drops. Wait, would that fall under "rodeo cowgirl" since it's something like calf roping and steer wrestling combined (except one handed of course b/c I have to protect that tiny bottle of eye drops)?

Working away from home does present the obstacle of hiring other people (notice I didn't say person) to replace me here. We will need a housekeeper, childcare provider, pool guy, and a full-time laundry staffer. By then, will my piddly researcher's salary be enough to make up the difference? No time to weigh it out now, the dryer just stopped, and I have to get back to work. Current time: 10 pm on Saturday night