It’s been seven months since I made the leap. It was a leap that I’d longed to do for years, yet I felt panic-stricken about actually doing once the time had arrived. In December, I switched from a career mom to a work at home mom. This may not sound like a big deal. But for a chronic workaholic career mom, I was terrified that I would lose a big part of who I am. I was so wrong.

Seven months isn’t long. But now it is hard for me to imagine getting up every day, doing that whole psychotic morning routine, dropping off my kids, working from 8:30 to 5, going home, making dinner, shoving kids into beds and cribs, and then rinse and repeat. It’s also interesting to me because I never envisioned I would be the type of mom to stay home with the kids. Ever. But here I am and I am actually loving it. Well, some of the time.

For years, I was fine with working at a job and being a mom. I thought I was anyway. Having one child and working was a lot less difficult. When the twins arrived, I constantly felt two things: like I was running in a nonstop marathon, and like I never got to enjoy a single moment devoted to simply being with my children.

I could write a million things about my struggle (and I probably will later), but let’s just say I didn’t have enough time in the day to both work 8 hours straight and be a mom. It’s as simple as that.

On reflecting, it’s kind of funny. I envisioned this magical life in which my home would be a cross between a toddler/preschooler artsy homeschool, where fresh baked bread would be a daily occurrence, and I would have time to freelance and launch web sites and blog and socially network. I would get a chance to knit, and the house would get all kinds of DIY renovations.

Let’s just say, as usual, I was a little too ambitious.

But I am proud of many things. I haven’t kept all my personal vows (I swore I wouldn’t work while with the kids, but let’s just say I break that rule regularly). But I no longer feel like I’m missing my children’s lives. I no longer feel like my work and web and blog projects are neverending.

I never did what I envisioned, which was to have this detailed and anal and total Type-A Mom curriculum for my 2-year-olds (I’m so silly), but we’ve worked our way through lots of fun things. They’ve learned colors, and counting, and letters, and we sing and paint and dance.

My 5-year-old is just about to start school this fall, and she can already write every letter and number, and she can write her name, mommy, daddy, and her brother and sister’s names. She will even write out our grocery lists if I spell the words for her. Dad is teaching her math with flash cards, and we are working through some early reader books.

And I am still a workaholic career mom. I am still me. I am even more me now than I was before.

I am a mom. And I am a woman. And I love to work and create and multi-task. I can now be all of those things.