When Paxton was born I had a job that I really liked. I worked with one of my best friends, got paid well, and had a good amount of responsibility. But, oh, that precious little face of his (and the constant screaming that kept me up all night long) was not going to allow me to go back to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave. Scott and I decided that I would stay home for a least a year and then re-evaluate the situation. That year has now turned into four and a half years and counting. Largely due to the fact that A.) I love it and, B.) At the year mark I was pregnant with Porter.
You know that phrase, "Over worked and Under paid." I think that term was coined for stay-at-home moms! But of course I wouldn't trade it for the world. Over the years we have gotten into a pretty good daytime routine around here. (I say "daytime routine" because we still don't have the nighttime thing down quite yet, but that is another blog post all together!) And here is the Reader's Digest version. Breakfast, morning activity, lunch, nap, afternoon activity, grocery store, cook dinner, eat dinner, play with daddy, bath, bed, repeat. This seems to be very enjoyable to everyone in my family. We go to the park, zoo, pool, splash park, Aquarium, arcade, painting station, etc. You name it, we do it. We read, color, bake, and do crafts. This is how it works MOST of the time. We also stay in our jammies some days and watch movies and play video games. We don't cook or clean or do anything educational or important. We just veg. The part about being a stay-at-home mom that is amazing is being with my kids all day every day. They are my best friends and I never have to miss a moment. I have never missed a first of anything. I've never not been there to dry a tear or to share in joy. This is why I do it, and this is why I love it. And now I am not ashamed to admit that I now have no concept of what happens in the outside world most days. This leads me to the not so glamorous part of me being a stay-at-home mom.
I once knew a very very wise woman who said, "I want to stay at home with my baby more that anything in the world. I also want people to still find me interesting." This new mother was looking to me to tell her that people would still find her interesting. That she wouldn't find herself watching Sesame Street even if there weren't kids in the room. That she would still be up on current events and just as worldly as before. Instead I told her the truth, "You will digress!" In a bad way. But also what you are good at will change. You will become a better cook. You will know more about things like dinosaurs and farm animals, and how to whip up dinner in 30 minutes and make it taste awesome, and all of the free entertainment your town has to offer. You will know less about current music, current events, and things of that nature. It's just the facts. You will read comments on Facebook (always from people who don't have kids) that say, "Man feeling really lazy today. Wish I was a stay at home mom so I could lay around and watch movies all day," and you will try and remember the last time you watched a movie from start to finish. But at the end of the day it is all worth it. I think a whole week had passed before I even knew Michael Jackson had died...no lie. But who cares. I'll get all caught up some day. Like in 18 years or so.
Obviously, being a stay-at-home mom isn't everything that defines me, therefore the "About Me" postings are To Be Continued, but this is a good starting point. I love it. It's not ALL of who I am, but it is one of the best parts "About Me." Does it always bring out the best in me...NO. I get overwhelmed, overjoyed, exhilarated, exhausted, happy, and scared all is the same 30 seconds. It's fulfilling and challenging and it works for our family perfectly. I love this part "About Me."
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