Living It and Loving It

Can I just say I was skeptical? Skeptical that I would be able to stay home all day, everyday with the Kiddos without going crazy. Well, I know I am only a month in, but I am loving it and am feeling incredibly blessed that our family was able to do this. It has been such a treat and now that we are in a definite routine, it has worked out better than I expected it would. Now if this heat wave would break...yowsah it is hot.

Couple a things I have learned in my month as a non-"working" mom (as I have said before ALL moms work, location doesn't matter). . .

1. No One, and I mean NO ONE, grocery shops at 8:45 in the morning on a Wednesday...loving the 45 minute weekly shopping with the kiddos. I have never grocery shopped so fast. So excited about that.

2. The Kiddos eat A LOT! I mean A LOT. They are always hungry. I know that when they were at daycare and Preschool, they had set meal times, but they must have been able to eat as much as they requested at those times. It doesn't matter what is on the menu, they still want more. Oh, love this website by the way.... http://www.superhealthykids.com/

3. My kids really, really love each other. I knew this to be a truth prior to my leaving my job, but being able to see in every day never gets old. They hug and kiss each other. They share. They are sweet to each other. The teach each other. It is so nice. I know the day may come when they scream and slam doors at each other, but until then I will live in the sibling utopia that is our house.

4. It sucks not being about to go outside due to heat advisory warnings...damn global warming.

5. The Husband believes in women's lib and supports the working woman, but man does he like that the kids are happy, the house is clean, and that dinner is pretty much ready by 6 PM everyday without him having to fold laundry and cut veggies. I may need to rethink this one.

Do I miss work? No, but that had a lot to do with the job I was in when I decided to make the transition. I do miss interacting with other adult people on a daily basis. There are some days when I only talk to my 5 and 2 year olds. I know other moms that stay at home, but they don't seem to do play groups or outings. Maybe I can convince them. Goal #1 for next month.

Hot Fun in the Summer!

It is H-O-T...hot, hot, hot. It is June and the temperature is already 95 to 100 degrees, not counting the heat index. Crazy. I picked the hottest summer we have had in three years to choose to stay home and run around with the kiddos.

So far, things have been great. I often find myself wondering what I did before I stayed home. My day is so full, every day...full to the max! Wait, I know, I worked ALL the time! I was looking back at my schedule from last year and I worked every weekend, in addition to every regular work day, for three months straight last year. RIDICULOUS! No wonder my kids are so glad to see me stay home with them.

Pictures to come soon. I am having technical difficulties.

Staying Home - Week One

The first week as a stay at home mom has gone by quickly. Granted, day one was Memorial Day and The Husband was home. I tried on Monday to work the schedule as I would if he were off at work, his day free of giggles and screams; mine full of dirty hands and art projects gone awry.

It is funny, when I was a teen and even into my early twenties, I wasn't even sure I would ever want to have children. Now, here I am blessed twice over and I have given up my career to stay at home, filling my days with child-like play and raspberries on tummies. The Boy is so ecstatic that I am home with him. He wants to stay busy every minute of the day. So, I have planned them weeks for his enjoyment. The great thing is that The Girl has jumped on board. We have mini-preschool every morning. Since The Boy is WAY beyond learning his letter, I am sure to plan something special for him to do in the afternoon while The Girl naps.

While I don't miss working "yet," I now have a better understanding of how hard stay at home moms work (I have worked harder this week than I did most weeks at any job I have EVER had, and I am sure it is just the tip of the iceberg) and of how blessed we were to have had a daycare/preschool that took such good care of our children while I was working. If you have a childcare provider, give them a little extra treat this week, they deserve it!