The sad goodbyes

I go back to work bright and early tomorrow morning and felt it necessary to say a few sad goodbyes.

Goodbye to my precious 12 oz Wawa coffee - 1/2 mocha steamer, 1/2 regular brew to be exact. It took me 40 years to appreciate a good cup of coffee in the morning and it will be sad to give it up. How I wish there was a Wawa on the way to daycare, or better yet a drive-thru Wawa. Ah Heaven!

Goodbye to my morning paper. As much as I love catching fast breaking news on Drudge, nothing will ever beat reading the local paper front to back in the morning. I bought a paper every day on the way home from daycare, at the Wawa where I picked up that dreamy hot cup of java. Some days I would come right home and sit by the window and sip and read. Other days I'd stop off at Panera bread and nibble on a bagel. Which brings me to my next goodbye.

Goodbye to my 3 day a week toasted banana-pecan bagel with plain cream cheese that I would slowly savior during my 1.5 hour stay at Paneras. Goodbye to the cashier who reminded me so much of Cha's teacher who was always nice to everyone but put on way too much make up for an early morning job (the cashier, not Cha's teacher).

Goodbye to not struggling with Cha to get dressed every morning. I know I should have tried harder to keep her on her schedule and I'll be paying for it when I try to wake her up tomorrow at 6:00, but it was nice getting that extra half hour or hour sleep every morning. And it was nice not constantly telling her that we were running late and had to hurry and eat breakfast in the car.

Goodbye to Maya and Miguel which shows at 7:00 am on weekdays on PBS. That turned into our favorite show and Cha and I would sing the theme song together on the way to school. ('Maya, and Miguel! Brother and Sister and best friends as well!')

Goodbye to my wacky neighbors. I learned more about them these last two months that I ever wanted to. The recliner that I slept in that first month is directly across from the living room window. All I had to do was raise the blinds and watch the show. They're probably all glad I'm going back to work too.

Goodbye to laundry getting done slowly but surely. I realize now that I'll be working all day I'll be struggling to get my laundry (and dishes, and shopping, etc.) done after work. It's going to take some time to get back into the habit of being a working mom. I've kept it in my heart all this time, but now I've got to get back to multi-tasking and keeping the balls in the air.

Goodbye to the quality time spent with my four kitties. I don't know how the house is going to survive being left alone with those fe-lions. The kittens are going to tear something apart that first week, I just know it. Despite all the broken glass, spilled food, scratched carpets and furniture, those kitties earned their keep during my leave. They snuggled up countless nights when I was unable to sleep and helped calm me down. I will miss our naps.

This ten week period hasn't been a vacation by any stretch but it certainly has been a much needed change of pace. I hope I am able to keep holding on to the important stuff.