Who Wants To Be PerFecT?

Desperately trying not to growl.  And not succeeding all that well.  Good thing that the only person that could hear me is napping right now. 
Trying to cross the T's and dot the i's is making me crazy.  Thought I finally began to get it together.  Pulled out the old planner, filled it with shiny new fill in your calendar days yourself planning pages.  Filled in all the to do's on the days they needed to be done.
Only to miss mark the date.
Sigh.
Good thing I used a pencil.  And the portrait studio had an open appointment. (I wondered why she said she thought I was in tomorrow...)

Mommy and Daddy Time

Before we had our little bundle of joy, my husband and I had what I considered to be a marriage to be envied.  I listened to my girlfriends and co-workers complain how their other halves never lifted a finger except to mow the lawn (if they were lucky!). 
Mine?  Dishes, changed the cat litter, took out the garbage, swiftered the golden retriever's never ending shedding hair, brushed the never ending shedding golden retriever, and even cooked dinner.  Mind you, we both worked full time (sometimes up to 50 to 65 hours each a week) and all of this still happened.
Then, the baby came.  Being a mommy means that you can't do it all, no matter how hard you try.  And it also means your partner is even a bigger part of the everyday journey that takes so many turns you may not know which way is up.
So, how did we do?  Check back to find out!

Work Life Balance

Like anyone else, I struggle with achieving that one thing that is whispered (or proclaimed loudly) by the company they work for.
Work Life Balance.
That mythical legend that your company wants you to be happy and help you have that happiness and balance that we all strive for. You know, the ability to provide for your family (no matter if that family is the two of you, includes furry members, or lil ones running around underfoot.)
So imagine my dismay when a co-worker opened her mouth and pretty much threw that whole thought out the window.
But first, a little background. Working full time in retail management has its benefits...the schedule isn't nine to five, the pace ensures there's never a dull moment, and I get the added benefit of, at times, feeling like I've helped someone feel better about themselves.
I usually get my schedule a month in advance, which means I can easily schedule my life (bellydancing, teaching, yoga, and all that other fun stuff).
Until someone decides to change things around in your carefully orchestrated life and...not tell you. The first time, I let it slide, adjusted things myself. But, as you can guess, you give someone an inch they tend to take a mile.
The above mentioned co-worker is responsible for inputting the schedules into a program that helps to generate the remainder of the associated schedule week by week. After changing things up started to become a habit, I went to her, just to say if she asked me in advance, I could let her know if a change worked for me (because I've always tried to be flexible and not rock the boat.).
Long story short, the conversation ended up with a discussion which included if I had a family with all the scheduling and juggling that inevitably occurs and, the response from her...oy...that I couldn't have a family and work in my job.
SERIOUSLY?
I was floored. Now, this person and I are on the same level, she's not my boss, and I knew for a fact that she had plans to start a family after her wedding later that year.
REALLY?
And so, once again, I was faced with one of those supposed rules that I find absolutely ridiculous.
I hadn't even decided to plunge into the deep end of the pool and already someone is trying to tell me what I can and can't do.
Whatever.
I'll make my own work life balance...