What a grind!

I finished my first week at my new job, and tomorrow will be midway through my second week. With me going back to work full time and Astrid going to preschool full time, it has completely changed our daily routine. It's been quite a challenge. It feels a bit overwhelming like it did at first with a newborn. Mostly because it's all relatively new and I'm just winging it without it feeling completely manageable yet. It's back to falling asleep on the couch from pure exhaustion at the end of the day. But I know soon it'll become old hat and I'll have it down. It's just a matter of time. I keep telling myself that.

Our evening routine
Currently, when we get back home it's a mad dash to cook, eat dinner together as a family, do the laundry, wash dishes, prepare Astrid lunch for the next day, and then get Astrid ready for bed (bath, brushing teeth, blow drying hair, pajamas, and bedtime reading and lullabies sung to her). U. has been a saint cooking dinner every night he's been home. On those days/nights he's been away on business the first week, Astrid and I dined out at restaurants. (As a result Astrid will tell me, "I no want to eat at home. I want eat restaurant!")

We shop on the weekends for groceries at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and the farmer's market, so we're pretty well stocked up during the week. I'm always trying to think of new things to put into Astrid's lunch to keep it exciting. On that note: I also purchased a fruit slicer that makes 8 perfectly sliced pieces every time. I first saw the scientist guy on the Food network using it to make apple slices for a pie. Rather than buying those prepacked apple slices that are refrigerated, I decided to get the slicer to slice up fresh fruit for Astrid everyday. It works great with all varieties of apples and pears.

Our morning routine
Recently Astrid has been waking up at 3 AM, and U. will bring her to our bed to sleep with me (and then goes and sleeps on the couch by himself - poor U. Plus he leaves for work at the crack of dawn). I don't know what it is about that time, but she's chatting up a storm and wants to tell me about this and that. At 3 AM I reserve the right to continue sleeping and be grumpy if someones talking loudly in my ear- so I remind her it's "dark outside" and she needs to go to sleep.

Regardless, she's up (wide awake and ready to go) before 6 - so in order for me to get ready for work - we take a bath together. Most days she plays in the bath after I get out just long enough for me to brush my teeth and blow dry my hair.

Then we go downstairs for breakfast. I don't eat breakfast, but Astrid does, so it gives me time to cut up fruit for her, put her frozen gel pack in her lunch and her lunch containers (I prepared the night before), and sometimes enough time to fold laundry. Anything we need to bring with us is placed on the bottom step next to the front door - so in the rush to get out of the house - we don't forget anything. This includes Astrid's lunch bag, her bedding (the preschool has the kids bring home their bed sheet, blanket, and pillow every Friday to be washed, and brought back on Monday), and my purse.

After breakfast we go back upstairs and I get Astrid ready for school. I get her dressed, get a matching jacket ready, brush her teeth, and do her hair.

Then I let Astrid watch a PBS cartoon show while I get ready.

Then we're flying out the door.

On the bright side
My commute is great (by LA standards). About a 20 minute drive in the morning, and 30 minutes in the evening.

I was also fortunate to find a preschool for Astrid within a mile from my office. That has been a blessing, to be able to spend a little bit of time with Astrid at school every morning (and have time to chat with her teachers about her), while getting to the office on time. After work it's great too, because she's so close.

Astrid is also liking her preschool more and more - which makes me happy as well.

And I can't say enough about how nice it (and what a big help it is!) to have a wonderful husband. U. got home from a 3 day business trip and long flight and what's the first thing that he does? - He's does all the laundry, washes the dishes, and cooks dinner for us. Yeah okay he had me at chicken - I walked in after my first day at work and smelled the whole, roasted, organic chicken in the oven that U. had cooked for us. Mmmmm. *mouth watering* I have to tell him sometimes, "I'll do it. You're making me feel like a horrible wife. Don't do everything."

And I'm getting into the swing of things at work.

It'll all come together soon, or I'll just be crashed on the couch 3/4ths of the way through any TV show I try to watch. There are worse things.