SuperMom

We sent a balloon up to Finnegan for St Patrick's Day

There are days - so many days - that being a stay at home Mom (SAHM) is like be stuck in a continuous do loop. Wake up, get children up and ready, feed children, clean up messes, tend to dishes, feed children, clean up messes, play with children, feed children, clean up messes, feed children, etc.  There is a LOT of feeding of children going on in the day.  And in our case there is also a lot of in and out of various equipment for Emma.  There is very little sitting around and truth be told I love when both girls are home with me - it just makes me happy even if I am so very busy!  I keep wondering whatever I will do once they are both in school all day.  I guess I'll go out and get an easier job that will pay me ;-)

Anyway, being a SAHM can be a thankless job.  No pay, long hours.  It's harder than any job I've ever had that I received a paycheck for and that makes me wonder why there isn't a tax break to stay at home and tend to our little ones.  Is there one I don't know about?  If no, why not?  And some Mom out there make it look so darn easy but the simple truth is I'm not one of them.  Goodness me this is a hard job.

But it's also AMAZING.  

Little giggles makes my heart sing.  

Watching my child sit independently for the first time - even if it was only for a second - feels like I've won the lottery.  

Eavesdropping when they "play school or house" tells me what they are experiencing and just how happy their lives are.   

Hanging the multitudes of artwork the girls produce on the fridge, their bedroom doors and their cork boards brings smiles to my face.  

Random kisses and hugs make my day.

Coming up with new activities that get them excited gets me excited to come up with more!

I feel so fortunate that I have this opportunity to stay at home and tend to their little spirits and I know with every fiber of my being that they are having a very happy childhood and that realization always makes me feel so good.

But certain parts of the day are just HARD.  Take bedtime.  There were lots of tears and pounding of the feet and the "I hate you" screams that sometimes made me laugh but mostly left me feeling exhausted.  So this year we started a new rule - No TV shows or movies on school nights.  And it was pretty much the single best rule we've put in place.  There are rarely any outbursts or temper tantrums.  There is a lot of extra quality time spent together reading, playing games, doing puzzles or arts & crafts, writing in journals, playing with friends, and moving about for Emma.  This helps Emma get to sleep better because she is more tired and it helps Julia go to bed easier since there is a more natural transition to bed that doesn't coincide with when a tv program is over.  

As for me, well, the result is that I've had a few days where I've felt a bit like SuperMom and I've found that while it's a new feeling for me it's a welcome one!  It always happens the same way and it happened today.  After we picked Julia up at her bus stop we came home and the girls settled into an activity in the kitchen.  Julia was writing out thank you notes at the table, eating a snack and telling me and Emma about her day.  Emma was in her KidWalk.  I had plastic eggs out in a basket for her to play in and she played for a bit before tossing the basket on the floor and heading to her favorite spot - the computer desk.  She loves to bang about on the keyboard and play switch games online and is always much happier with everyone in the same room.  I had some good music playing in the background and was cooking a bit of dinner at the stove without feeling frazzled.  Life seemed just about perfect.

And in that time when all the little moments came together I felt like SuperMom.  And it felt darn good!