Phewww... have been quite busy lately with baking, birthday celebrations, farewell treat for my ex-colleagues and all. Not to mention on the personal front, caring and playing with Ben, reviewing a couple of books and liaising with a few product sponsors for more product reviews (hooray!) and combating tons of spam comments on my blog!
Talking about farewell treat for my ex-colleagues, I stumbled upon this few pictures I took on my last day at work prior to becoming a SAHM in June 2009.
The yummylicious cheesecake bought by my ex-supervisor - which I gobbled almost half of it hehehehe... One day people! One day I will make this! (*Cross fingers*)
My cubicle...
The notebook which I had the privilege to spill water TWICE into, once during my clumsy pregnancy stage and once when I returned back to work after my maternity leave.
The first time resulted in the notebook being admitted to the ICU server room to dry away the water which seeped into the keyboard.
Then there used to be a big basket which is always stuffed to the brim with candies and sweets and chocolates. A habit I got since my banking days before this job.
Colleagues going to the pantry who passed by my cubicle always stopped by to take some of the sweet treats and it was real nice to see them enjoying the goodies!
What's on the right side of my cubicle...
A giant laser printer which I love cos I get to do my printing and scanning real fast hehehehe...
The few big hardcover files on the table are the very often used files on my daily tasks-website changes, data migration stuff, project and new system stuff..,
So anyway, if you asked me whether I want to return back to work now, which I do get asked very often nowadays,.. in fact latest was just yesterday by my ex-supervisor during another farewell treat, I'd say "Nope. Full-time mummy is full-time now. No more returning back to work."
I've been getting calls from headhunters for banking jobs (I worked in a bank before), then also offered part-time jobs to conduct training on programming stuff (which I did before and pays very well too...) and also getting requests to report work (humorously) via Facebook from my ex-team lead in the bank I worked before.
It was flattering to know that I'm still in demand and I could get a job if I decide to return back to the working world.
But I'm happier now.
I'm freed from:
* having to wake up every morning dreading the traffic jam to and fro
* having to wake up every morning getting headaches on what to wear for that day (and thank God I'm not into make-up at all else more headaches!)
* being tied up with meetings after meetings, minutes after minutes, discussions after discussions
* office politics - of being stabbed in the back despite giving my best committed effort in making things work
* worrying about day end, month end, year end processing which often caused great stress as it typically means production issues which need to be resolved ASAP
* having to justify my contributions to the company and fight for every single KPI points in order to get a raise or at least maintain good performance for the year
Read: Ephesians 3:12 (NIV), Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NIV)
Of course, being a SAHM to me, is way tougher than my previous jobs all put together. You get no salary (OK, OK, I do get a small salary from hubby for helping him out with his business admin side), no bonus, no company trips (oh well, hubby and I always said family outing = company trip hahahaha!), no annual leaves etc etc.
And being a SAHM is lonely. Instead of your 4 office cubicle walls, you get 4 house walls.
But you get to be tormented to play with your kid, watch them grow up day by day, see them learned new things, things that you taught them, or didn't even realised you taught them until you saw them doing it and then you went "Oh wow! He remembered that!"
Heck, even the simplest thing like opening a bottle will elicit an "Oooooohhh" response from your child - what a wonderful feeling of accomplishing something great hahahha...
And of course, I feel by being a SAHM, I'm answering God's call. I know He has plans for all of us and me being a SAHM is one of it. And I know He provides whatever we are lacking.
Read: 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV), 1 Peter 4:11 (NIV)
Ex-colleagues asked me what I do at home other than caring for Ben? Oh well, just because I'm a SAHM now doesn't mean I stop learning and doing new things.
Read: Ecclesiastes 10:18 (NIV)
I keep finding things to keep myself busy and motivated. Things like:
* Doing product reviews - books, music, baby products, household products and so on.
* Blogging - this really keep me sane and getting comments from you guys is motivating too! Even through blogging, I keep doing new stuff like Youtube, Twitter, Facebook fan page and so on...
* Baking! I'm still very very new in this, at the moment trying to practise more on the muffins before I venture to cakes, pies or breads...
These are some of the things that keep me busy everyday (ON TOP of caring for Ben of course). Whatever spare time I get when Ben is busy playing by himself or when he takes his day time nap or after he goes to bed at night, I get to do my own stuff. It may not amount to much time.
But I feel freer. And happier.
More than ever...
Read: Psalm 119:45 (NIV), 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
