<p>I was surprised to learn that there is another &quot;<a href="http://www.mylifeasareluctanthousewife.blogspot.com/">reluctant housewife</a>&quot; out there in blog land.&#0160; Our blogs are very different - hers is a cooking/personal blog while mine is, well, this.&#0160; I only found out about it because someone did a Google search on &quot;My Life As A Reluctant Housewife&quot; and somehow that person ended up on my blog.&#0160; Anyways, I was surprised at first.&#0160; It&#39;s like googling yourself and finding out that there is someone in Peru with your same exact name (this has happened to me - it&#39;s so freaky!).&#0160; &#0160;All this time, I thought I was the only one!<br /> </p>

<p>I chose the name because, well, I AM reluctant about this whole housewifery thing.&#0160; When I fill out forms that ask for &quot;occupation&quot; I reluctantly write &quot;housewife&quot; - hence the name for the blog.&#0160; It&#39;s not that I&#39;m unhappy with my life; after all, I quit my job, entirely by choice.&#0160; It was something I had been dreaming about, and one day I just went and did it.&#0160; It&#39;s the way I work.&#0160; I dream, make plans in my head, procrastinate, and then one day I go do whatever it is I had been scheming about.&#0160; That&#39;s how I applied for jobs and graduate schools, how I decided to pursue my husband, how I decided to get pregnant.&#0160; The thing is, that while I dream about doing &quot;whatever&quot;, I don&#39;t necessarily prepare myself for the realities of day to day &quot;whatever.&quot;&#0160; For example, when I started working I was prepared to kick ass in marketing - and I did - but I wasn&#39;t quite prepared for the day to day drudgery of office life.&#0160; Having to be there at 8:30 am, every day.&#0160; Having to wear a suit.&#0160; Having to live and breathe whatever brand I was assigned to.&#0160; Having a boss.&#0160; &#0160;I&#39;m falling asleep just thinking about it.</p>

<p>So when I decided that I wanted to quit working in an office and try the domestic life it was with all the idealism and passion of a newbie.&#0160; I would have all the time in the world, dedicated to doing things my way.&#0160; Living spaces are very important to me.&#0160; I like pretty things.&#0160; So I thought that I would be able to get our house in order, all while figuring out other things I wanted to do.&#0160; Two years later, the house is clean, but it is not as stylish as I would want it to be.&#0160; I know I want to write, but where I will focus my energy is still a work in progress (and you are coming along for the ride!).&#0160; I have an adorable and willful son and a husband that still makes me laugh.&#0160; So things are not 100% perfect, but I&#39;ve never had a 100% perfect day, so that&#39;s not the problem.&#0160; The problem is that as a person of the human persuasion I have this need, this drive, to classify myself.&#0160; We all do, I think.&#0160; &#0160;I&#39;ve been called many things (nerd, smart girl, hot chick, brand manager), all of which I could accept in one way or another (esp. &quot;hot chick&quot; - that one was really easy for some reason).</p>

<p>The one label I have yet to accept is &quot;housewife.&quot;&#0160; Yet, I continue calling myself that, because I feel silly writing in &quot;Domestic Diva&quot; on a passport application and don&#39;t even get me started on &quot;Chief Household Officer&quot; or other cutesy businnessy titles like that.&#0160; I just need one word to describe my occupation.&#0160; It&#39;s a loaded word, for sure, but I have yet to find an alternative.</p>
