Oh! To Be a Stay-At-Home Mom

I had to call in to work today.  My son is sick, which is rare.  He's not quite old enough (in my opinion) to be left home alone when he's sick unlike my high school daughter.  It was quiet in the house.  My husband at work, my daughter at school and my son sleeping with the dog.  I had a thought.  This could have been my life everyday if I had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom.  I could have this quiet every morning before starting my daily routine.  I would have time to scramble eggs for my kids in the morning if they wanted them.  I wouldn't have to call my boss when my son was home sick from school. 

It's the quilt and occasional resentment I deal with as a working mom.  My husband and I were never in a financial position to make that an option years ago.  Plus, I think as a child of divorced parents, I have always felt the need to have my own job just in case things ever went sour in my own marriage.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom and I watched her go out in the world and look for work when I was in middle school, preparing to be a single mom.  She said to me once, "Always have a skill.  Always have a way to make your own money."  Partially words of wisdom to her young daughter and partially kicking herself in hindsight.  Maybe it was then that I realized I would be a working mom out of fear of depending on someone else.  Who knows.  I just know that as a grown women looking back, I would have liked to have had the choice to stay at home.  Avoid the guilt and occasional resentment as a working mom.

Ultimately, though, your kids have a path in life either way.  They are destined to do certain things and make certain choices whether or not you had time to scramble eggs in the morning for them.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom to my sister and I and a working mom to my younger brother later in life.  We all turned out pretty great.  We've all made our way into the world and made our choices and live our own lives happily.  I have said in the past that home is a verb.  It's what you do within the walls you live that matters most.  You can raise great kids in a shack or mansion; as a working mom or a stay-at-home mom; as a strict or liberal parent.  It's about doing what's best and or necessary for your family.

Photo courtesy of Lina Blair

Marriage Does Not Guarantee Forever

It's true.  Marriage does not guarantee forever.  I'm not cynical; I'm just keeping it real.  My husband and I are both from divorced families.  Many of my friends are divorced.  Many of my kids' friends' parents are divorced.  Hell, MANY couples are married, miserable and wishing they were divorced!  

So why, when we're putting on the fancy attire and carrying the flowers and slipping rings on fingers do we somehow get it in our minds that it's forever?  Because God said so?  Because the Pope says so?  Because "they" say so?  Who the hell is "they" anyway?  If you take into consideration the national studies done, I'll bet 60 percent of they are divorced.

I'm not trying to be depressing or foreboding here.  I just had a thought this morning that if, when we're first married, we realize that marriage doesn't guarantee forever, we might try a little harder to take care of each other and be kind to each other and make each other happy more often from the beginning.

Just a random thought from a random girl...

A New Chapter

I just cannot believe the zen in my personal life right now.  I'm not bragging; I'm just in pleasant disbelief and wonder!  Since my husband and I moved on to different jobs, we have experienced so much more peace in our home.  We aren't as negative.  We don't bring work home like we used to.  We are nicer to each other.  We're more affectionate.  I knew our previous jobs caused us stress (job stress is always present) but I didn't realize the enormity of it until we did something different.

Oh, don't be fooled.  We still have problems to face and deadlines to meet and kids to corral but without the added stress we had previously, we just face them with lighter hearts and without hyperventilating.  I'm just happy and thankful for the change.

What To Do in 2014...

With the arrival of the new year, I have been thinking about what to do in 2014.  Blog more?  Maybe.  I feel like I stopped blogging because I stopped doing anything worth posting.  Here's some things I would like to tackle.

First, I must do one of these ladders in my upstairs bathroom.  Thanks again, Funky Junk, for a super idea.

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2014/01/the-bathroom-vanity-is-undecided-which-room.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FKCcu+%28Funky+Junk+Interiors%29




I would also like to do some of these around the house since I'm obsessed with succulents...



Thanks, Tatertots and Jello!
http://i1.wp.com/tatertotsandjello.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mason-jar-succulents-and-spring-mantel-Tatertots-Jello.jpg


A list of house things I want to do.  We'll see how many get completed by the year's end.

1. Paint my upstairs bathroom
2. Paint the basement
3. Change some light fixtures
4. Create a storage space under the basement stairs
5. Create storage space in my bedroom closet
6. Curtains in my living room (I can never find any I like.  Maybe I'm too picky.)
7. Paint front and back porches
8. Repair cement porch step
9. Expand garden (maybe a permanent spot instead of a pallet garden)

A list of personal goals.

1. Exercise more (This is an ongoing goal of mine)
2. Salmon fishing (I want to stock my freezer so I don't have to buy it!)
3. Nurture my friendships
4. Nurture my marriage
5. Spend more fun time with my kids

There's more, much more. But this will do for the next year.