tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026292844120978551.post1500656668979123778..comments2024-02-18T23:36:14.267-08:00Comments on A Continual Feast: musings on work and motherhoodsarah mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18016489034529811005noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026292844120978551.post-79673014272779185792012-09-09T18:58:41.198-07:002012-09-09T18:58:41.198-07:00Thanks for the comment, Kelly. I agree with you -...Thanks for the comment, Kelly. I agree with you -- it's not 'quality time, per say if I'm teaching, and I've been thinking about that over the past week. On the one hand, I get to the end of a few hours of teaching and feel like I've "missed" Nell, even though she was with me. On the other hand, maybe not all the time that Nell is with me needs to be 'quality time' -- she sits in the ergobaby or in her chair while I cook and do dishes and fold laundry, after all, and maybe hearing the occasional violin lesson can become as much as part of her life as those other things. I've certainly heard from colleagues who did that. But it's looking like having her with me may not be the best solution for me for very long; this past week really ended up making me feel like I was being both a bad mother and a bad teacher, and I hate getting to the end of each day feeling that way. Sigh.<br><br>Thanks for sharing your experience!sarah mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18016489034529811005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026292844120978551.post-89996548179755670482012-09-09T18:55:00.554-07:002012-09-09T18:55:00.554-07:00What great comments... I love how blogs can serve ...What great comments... I love how blogs can serve as forums for like-minded people facing similar issues to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Thanks for reading and sharing, friends. sarah mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18016489034529811005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026292844120978551.post-20949310892574208512012-09-09T17:52:51.038-07:002012-09-09T17:52:51.038-07:00That's pretty amazing, having your mother rela...That's pretty amazing, having your mother relatively close by and making such a generous offer! I think having family nearby would definitely make things easier at times, plus, I wish that Nell had grandparents nearby just so she could develop a close relationship with them as she gets older. <br><br>Having Nell in our lives is the best thing ever, and we've never for a moment doubted how much having a baby would enrich our lives and just make everything so much more meaningful and worthwhile. But it does come with its scheduling difficulties and stresses, for sure. It's mostly an emotionally difficult issue for me to figure out; I feel so torn because I truly want to be with her and take care of her, but I also need to work. And as you know, being a musician, you can't take an 'extended maternity leave,' or all your students will find other teachers and your gigs will dry up. So I really just had 3 weeks off after she was born and then jumped back into things over the summer. Crazy!sarah mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18016489034529811005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026292844120978551.post-10766561188801858302012-09-04T07:32:16.419-07:002012-09-04T07:32:16.419-07:00Ohh, I feel for you, even though I don't have ...Ohh, I feel for you, even though I don't have children yet. And that's pretty much the main reason of all why my husband and I haven't had them yet in our almost six years of marriage. We keep hearing the same advice from people who are eager for us to have kids, "Do it anyways and worry about the details later" and honestly...sometimes I feel like doing that. I know trusting God is what I need to do most of all, but I know my husband quite isn't in that same place and worries about details such as what you just wrote about above. I also wonder sometimes if I'd be able to bring my future baby to lessons so I could keep the best of both worlds. My mother has also offered to come live near us part-time (she's very eager for grandchildren!) as they only live 2 hrs away, which in perspective really isn't that bad.<br>You'll be in my thoughts and prayers as you sort your schedule (and life!) out. God has a way of giving us only what we are able to handle!<br>I enjoy your blog so much!violinistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15608557927365730961noreply@blogger.com