I have a lot of friends who are in the same boat as I am- they have little ones. They run on coffee and little sleep. They clean the house when they can, change poopy diapers, cut the crust off the PB&J, and plan their lives around naptime. And as much as we all agree it's hard- not one of us would trade it for anything.
There are moments when we want to throw in the towel, or lock ourselves in the bathroom with a bag of chocolate and cry our eyeballs out, (and sometimes we do!) but as I was talking with a friend the other day, she made a good point- we can do whatever we want. And it's true- we can. And that got me thinking about why I truly LOVE being a stay at home mom.
1. We make our own schedules.
I know every morning when my husband drags himself out of bed and gets ready for work- he is hiding his envy for me. As much as he says he couldn't do it, I know that he would love to be able to shut off the alarm clock and wait for the kids to wake him, and then hang out in his PJ's and make pancakes everyday- if he wanted to. The point is- I have that option. Most people don't. Every day I get to start my day with two of the people I love most in this world, and most of the time, we can do whatever we choose.
2. I get to do "FUN kid things" and not look stupid.
Now, I don't need my kids to make a fool of myself (I can do that all on my own, and believe me- I do!) but now, I have an excuse to be silly and get away with it. Today, we went to an indoor bounce gym, and I jumped and played basketball and slid down the slide and laughed and played- and no one questioned why a grown woman was doing all that because I had a kid on my lap. And let me tell you- I had a blast!
3. I am blessed to re-discover life through the eyes of a child.
My son is in the phase in which the word "Why?" is probably the single most used word in his vocabulary. Although it can be exasperating at times, I find myself actually enjoying answering the never ending slew of questions being thrown my way. I've forgotten how amazing the human body is, or that some trees are deciduous and some are coniferous, and that watching a lady bug crawl all over you can be mesmerizing and entertaining at the same time. Somewhere along the road to adulthood, I had abandoned the childlike perspective I once vowed never to lose, and I am now fortunate enough to rediscover it with my children. I had forgotten what a truly beautiful and spectacular world we live in, but now, I am reminded of it everyday with the question, "Why?"
4. I get to do a "Job" I love.
Now, we all know there is nothing amorous about folding laundry, or washing dishes, but I can honestly say, I love my job. I am not naive enough to think that everyone can say this, and I consider it a blessing to be able to say it and truly mean it. Even though I have worked at various times (both part-time and full-time) since my kids were born, I consider "Mommy-ing" (as I like to call it,) my primary "job." I take pride in my work, and I love what I do. When things get particularly hairy, I smile slyly and tell my husband, "Don't worry. I got this, babe. I do this for a living." It always makes us both laugh, and although I say it in jest, usually to break up an otherwise tense moment when one of us is feeling overwhelmed by the parenthood monster, I truly mean it. I AM a professional. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year- I am a MOM. I wipe boogers and butts, clean throw up, pack lunches, and play ninjas with the best of them. There is NO ONE in my house who can execute bedtime like I can, and I will ALWAYS have a snack on hand when a tummy growls. That is something I am proud of, and although I know there will always be room for improvement, I can honestly say, "I love my job," and I know all my mom-friends would say the same.
So, whether this is the beginning of your stay in "The Mutha-hood" (as Anita Renfroe has dubbed it) or if you have been here a while, don't forget to appreciate the perks and get comfortable because you're gonna be here for a while.