These days I am always having to take a deep breath and remind myself that worry rarely changes the outcome of any situation.  That, when faced with what at first seem like insurmountable obstacles in life, we, as moms, can generally pull off near miracles from just the contents of our cupboards.  When I embarked on this journey of parenting, I, like most people, was much more at it before I had put in any actual woman hours.  Always ready to offer unsolicited advice and quick to judge.

     Having been blessed with a relatively quiet and subdued first boy child, I was able to merrily sail along balancing parenting with working nights and congratulating myself on my vastly superior parenting skills because we were able to go to fancy restaurants with toddler in tow and he would sit quietly at the table and read his books or play with his cars while we basked in the envy of every other parent in the place.  The arrival of boy number 2 quickly dispelled any illusions I had regarding the level of control one actually has over one's children.  I understand now who is actually in charge.

I am now the mom that gets shot dirty looks and not so quiet remarks of derision from the childless and from those parents that had the good sense to stop at one, as I attempt to maintain an ounce of dignity and professionalism while I drag an irate toddler through the mall by one leg (face up, of course) as I race from one appointment to another, so I can pick up the older boy from school on time and get him to one of a million extra curricular activities.  I now know you get the easy baby first, it ensures the propagation of the species.  If the order had been reversed in my two, there would not have been a second one, I'd have been too afraid.  Continuing to work nights while juggling a newborn with the early mornings of a school aged child proved that human beings, even moms, need SOME sleep.  So with that realisation, combined with the knowledge that I'm just driving the crazy train and am not really in control of anything, I decided a drastic career change was now a necessity, not just a dream.

     I decided on a new career that would allow me the freedom to be with my kids, that combined many of my skills and interests and settled upon real estate.  It was shortly after becoming licensed that, once again, reality began to intrude into my plans.  I find myself about a year in and faced with the never easy task of trying to explain current market conditions and, now a single mom, juggling kids, sick days, work and home.  My new career is fun, challenging, interesting and in many ways, not at all what I had envisioned when I started this journey.  I truly love helping people find their perfect home, nothing makes me happier than helping to make a reality, that which seems impossible.  It has forced me to re-examine what I believe it takes to make a house into a home.  I've learned that people are rarely looking for walls and a roof.  People are looking for the right frame to put around their family.

The challenges and successes of the past year have made me realise that I really am capable of almost anything, even if the end result doesn't look anything like what I had pictured in the beginning.  I am probably never going to be the slick and polished real estate agent, with the fancy car and immaculate suit.  I am always going to have smears of home made peanut butter (we ran out, and as most moms can attest, I am willing to try just about anything to avoid a trip to the grocery store with the kids, and we had nuts left over from Christmas and, thank you Google) and goodness knows what else on my clothes.  There will always be Cheerios and granola bar wrappers in between the seats of my car, and I can absolutely guarantee I will not be taking any exotic vacations any time soon, nor will I be making any appearances on television either.  Unless it's a news report about the fire department having to breakdown the door of the bathroom at church because there's a 3 year old who locked himself in and there's no key and he's got all the water turned on.  I also know that I understand all the challenges that face today's families better than any other Realtor around as I've had to live through pretty much every single one of them in the space of a single year.  It has made me a better mom, a better person and definitely a better, more compassionate Realtor.  I've realised just how capable I really am, and that I will get everything that needs to get done accomplished, even if it means using Duct Tape instead of a very necessary but misplaced belt when getting the kids ready for little league practise.  Thankfully he didn't need to use the bathroom during practise!

     I think I might try juggling chainsaws in the coming year, just to keep things exciting.