Getting ready for my new life

This is my last week working for this company. I've worked in publishing for around 18 months now, but starting next Monday I'll be a free writer, yay! I was actually shocked at first, when I heard they wouldn't renew my contract here anymore, but soon I realised I can get enough money to get by working as a freelancer - and I will probably enjoy myself more.

I know I'll miss having a work community and the effectiveness you feel when you have to wake up and leave for work every morning. On the other hand I've never been very good with routines dictated by someone else - or doing much anything dictated by someone else - so being my own boss and making my own schedules sounds wonderful! Of course there will be deadlines, but it's still different.

Also, I get to spend more time with Juudit and at home in general. Especially after we moved from the Helsinki city centre (Punavuori) to a suburb in Espoo, work days have gotten very long due to commuting, which has meant less time with my loved ones - and a messier home. I hope I'll have more time to have things organised around the house, and there won't be a hundred domestic things on my to-do list constantly. That might be only in my dreams, though, as it seems I'll have more than enough of assignments and then I'll have Juudit with me all day for a day or two during the week. Arranging more mummy-daughter time is my top priority, so if there won't be more time left for cleaning and organising, then so be it.

Today I have been googling for nice hobbies for mummies and toddlers, as I'm not very outdoorsy type and actually hate going to parks and sitting beside a sandbox watching kids play. I just think it's utterly boring - and I know saying this out lout makes me sound like a bad mother. But I'm not, believe me, I'd just rather go to a musical playschool or art club with my daughter than buy a gore-tex outfit and stand outside in the sleet and rain waiting for Juudit to build another sand cake.

Luckily she'll still have daycare on most days - and her father on weekends - to take care of her outdoor activities.

I think we'll start a music club together, and Juudit's aunt Emilia has promised to take her to a toddlers' dance class weekly. Then there's the possibility of her grandparents taking her to a gym class, and I also want to start going to puppet shows and other nice cultural activities they have for toddlers.

After January Juudit will probably be disturbed because of too many stimuli and activities - or then all my plans have gone down and our mummy-daughter days consist of lying on the sofa watching cartoons.