A return to normalcy

I finally feel as though I'm starting to get a grip on my life again. The last month was mostly a blur and I am ever so grateful to have had my mother-in-law and her husband here to ease the transition on all of us. Here are some things I have learned from the past month:

1. I do not like working a traditional, 5-days-a-week, daytime job. At all. I feel like I never see my kids or husband and my house turns into stuff land. I can never figure out when to go grocery shopping, am too exhausted to cook, and really don't want to do anything but snuggle my boys when I get home.
2. Nights are better. I've only been on nights for a week, and already feel something like normal. I have had two days at home to run errands, spend time with the boys, get the house under control and generally feel like me again. Working nights also means that I can pick Gummy Bear up from school every day. You wouldn't think that 30 minutes makes that big a difference, but when it's the 30 minutes right after school, it does. Those 30 minutes are when I get the low down on how the day went, have face time with Bear's teacher, and chat with the other moms.
3. The paycheck is nice though.
4. The boys seem better with the new schedule too. Cheeky Monkey has finally forgiven me for going back to work and seems to really enjoy the alone time during the day. He is starting back at the preschool next week. We went to visit today, and he slipped back into the routine as though he had never left
5. Transitions are hard. The boys have definitely had a rough adjustment after their Mummu and Papa left. Bear especially has been out of sorts. Having Grandpa here is easing the transition.
6. I'm looking forward to some consistency. I think our biggest issue this past month is how crazy things have been. We have had family in town, new job with weird hours, hurricane, (extended) visits to the southwest, family health problems and other assorted strangeness. It'll be nice when my job settles into a normal rhythm and we figure out how things flow again.
7. I am rooting for our hospital to go to 12 hour shifts all the time. I thoroughly enjoy working 24 of my hours in two days. I would enjoy working all 36 in three even more. Still, 4 days a week is remarkably more manageable than 5.
8. I have chosen the right career. I am really enjoying my patients, my fellow staff members and getting to *be* a nurse. My orientation is over on Sunday. While I am nervous and certainly don't know everything, I am looking forward to being done with orientation. I know that our facility and administration will continue to support me through my first baby nurse steps.
9. Having more time during the week = more time for blogging. Aren't you excited? I know I am.