You could say that becoming a mother of two in a span of less than 1.5 years has thrown me for a bit of a loop. The contrast between life before kids and life after two under two is ever so stark and has me loving, hating and laughing at the differences between now and then. What do I mean? Well, consider my definitions of happiness before and after children.

Happiness Before Children Was

1. Being able to sleep the day away and wake up in time for dinner.
2. The whole complicated getting ready ritual, which could take up to two hours before a night out.
3. Being able to spend 1.5 hours at the gym to finish my entire cardio and weights routine every day.
4. Leisurely browsing through Gourmet magazine for recipes and then strolling down the grocery aisles deciding whether to buy imported or domestic mustard.
5. Spending entire days canvassing every mall and boutique in a 100 mile radius to fashion the perfect outfit.
6. Conquering my hunger and successfully adhering to my strict diet of steamed vegetables and boiled egg whites.
7. Zipping around town in my fancy sports coupe with red leather seats.
8. Watching movies on our large flat screen in the peace and quiet of the living room.
9. Planning nights out with the girls and ideas for dates.
10. Being with family.

Happiness After Kids Is

1. One uninterrupted night of sleep every two weeks.
2. A shower without any little people underfoot and using a separate shampoo and conditioner.
3. Running after the kids - even if it means getting dirty and sweaty before heading to the office.
4. Correctly guessing what Jane might agree to eat today - and luckily finding the ingredients in the back of the refrigerator.
5. Finding something without dirty handprints and dried baby food on it to squeeze into that makes me look not totally offensive.
6. Watching my children stuff their cheeks full of food like little squirrels who will be hibernating for the longest winter in history.
7. Driving around in my comfy, crumb-filled car with my two sleeping babies in the backseat.
8. Watching 10 minutes of 30 Rock on the tiny tube in the family room between the time the kids go down and falling asleep.
9. Planning kids’ birthday parties and playdates.
10. Being a family.

All in all, I suppose that whatever happiness happens to mean at any given moment, to be happy is happiness enough for me.

What makes you happy about life after becoming a mom?

Parents and friends: for more ideas, activities, and inspiration for #RaisingThinkingKids, click on an icon below to join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter.

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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.

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