I am a real housewife.  I became a real housewife, with some reluctance, about 8 years ago.  It wasn't an easy transition for me to make.  I'd worked in sleep medicine for several years in the top lab in the world.  A huge part of my identity was wrapped up in my job.  My daughters were 3, 5 and 16.  Until that time, I worked nights and 4 shifts a week.  It was the shift that I felt maximized the time available with my kids.

Sydney, the middle child had started Kindergarten so switching to the day shift was really needed.  Still, I had to begin my shift at 7 a.m.  The girls were left with my husband and he would drop them at school and daycare.  I would then pick them up around 3:30.  I couldn't manage to get home from work in time to pick Sydney up after school so she would communte to daycare on a bus that picked her up from school and dropped her less than a half mile at pre-school where Maddy, the youngest waited for her.

This routine was difficult on both my husband and myself.  I didn't want to give my job up.  I had started a part time business on the side, it worked out so well that my husband took it over.  It was his full time job and we no longer needed the salary.  This was about ME.  I was afraid to give up my position, my seniority, my money!

One day, as I picked the girls up, the director met me at the door.  "Madison scared us to death today!" she began.  "She took off out of her room and went into Sydney's class to give her a hug after school.  The teacher didn't know where she was."

What a bitch! That, to me, was sad and I realized this director really lacked for not having a child, in this instance.  That was sad! My girl got into trouble because she was so excited to see her sister she forgot the rules? Being all of 3, I was not surprised!

I said nothing and headed toward her class down the hall.  When I opened the door, the stench of urine was enough to cause me to stumble the rest of the way in. No wonder the kid was trying to escape!  I felt so horrible.  I had to ask myself again, why did I put my girls in this place? 

I never went back to work after that day.  I just could not, in good conscience, send my two little girls back to any daycare.  I really felt like they needed a mom.  They needed me to be there to send them to school, meet them for lunch, be a room mother - they weren't benefitting from the lies I kept telling myself.  All the reasons I went to work were for myself, not these children.  If I needed the money to survive, that would have been another story. 

I didn't know if I could be a housewife.  I had never stayed home before full time.  I found that it isn't at all what I thought it would be but it could be so much more than I ever hoped it would be!

I am not a housewife "as seen on tv".  I do not have a maid, a cook or a nanny.  Not even one! I did go a little bit crazy at first.  Being a housewife is NOT easy.  I did, however, find a terrific balance.  After recovering from the shock of what is aired on daytime t.v. I started to create my own life as a real housewife, without losing my own identity.

I learned to be really resourceful and enjoy so much in my role being a housewife.  Life is awesome and so fun - and I am getting really sick of hearing housewives say with that resigned look in their eyes, "it's a thankless job!"


No! It isn't a thankless job! And if you feel that it is, you are doing it wrong! It was a little difficult for me to figure stuff out but after 8 years, I'm getting pretty good at it!  I still suffer with things that aren't my strong suit.  I curse.  I have flaws.  I have off days.  For the most part, I like to travel and I go to lots of concerts, public events.  I am approaching my 14th anniversary this month.  A night of gambling and a stay at the Ameristar is on the ticket this coming weekend. 

I have tickets to see Norah Jones in October.  I expect to have some more awesome photos as I have 5th row in the orchestra pit and will be posting a review of the concert.  This concert is at the "not so fabulous" Fox.  I recently saw Steely Dan and had 5th row in the pit and it was awesome! No cameras allowed for that one, sadly.

I have a blast being a real housewife!  I am never bored, I find great ways to make extra money and have even started a couple of businesses that were profitable.  I sold them when I got bored with them.  Currently, I am a freelance writer and content writer at HubPages and I write there as "RealHousewife."  I have been encouraged to start a blog about how to be a real housewife.  My motto is, "keep it real."  My blog will be about being a real housewife.  The daily challenges and products that I use and love or don't love so much.  Tips about cooking and how to get things done more efficiently so you can spend more of your time focusing on fun stuff.  I may not be your normal, Mary Poppins, main stream mom but I know how to get it done and have a great time while I am at it!