I'll be the first to admit that some days are crazy around here. I'm talking three kids three and under kind of crazy. The two year old and three year old are either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. The baby is, well, a typical Birch baby and teething at three months. And the six year old is the poor forgotten oldest child (we do love you tons, Carson!). There are some times when I feel frazzled and like I'm living in survival mode. Like when the baby is screaming because its time to nurse, but the three year old is also yelling at me to come help him wipe his bottom because he's done using the potty, while at the same time the two year old is bolting out the back door to go play in the sand box. And all of this is happening while I'm trying to carry on a conversation with my mother on the phone. Seriously, it happens every time I call her.
I get it. Its the refiner's fire of motherhood. And while some days are utter chaos, I made a choice to stay home. Sometimes I think stay at home moms are looked down upon because we don't contribute actual money to the family. If you've ever been a stay at home mom, you know that you have a 24/7 job, with no vacation time and no sick days.
I'll always remember a conversation I had with my cooperating teacher shortly before I finished my Student Teaching. At the time I was pregnant with Jonas, and she asked me if I was going to get a teaching job. I told her that I'd made the decision to stay home with my children while they were young. I'll never forget the look in her eye as she told me with all sincerity, "I truly hope you are able to do that. You will have the rest of your life to work, but you will never get those precious years with your children back." It meant all the more, coming from a woman who, due to financial struggles, had to leave her children to supplement the family income.
So while I may not earn an actual paycheck, the payoffs I get are the joyful moments I enjoy with my little men. Moments I would miss out on if I chose to go back to work. Moments such as:
...getting Carson ready for school in the morning and sharing a quick prayer together before he heads out to the school bus...
... the few hours in the morning when I do Preschool with Jonas and Mason. The joy they get from learning letters, singing songs, and doing the activities I have planned makes all the late nights of printing things off and organizing materials worth it...
...watching Jonas and Mason play with each other for hours in the sand box or racing each other down the hill on the wiggle cars...
...snuggling with Porter as I watch him slowly fall asleep for his nap...
... that sweet time between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock, when the baby is sleeping and I snuggle with Jonas and Mason in the recliner and we read stories and sing songs until Mason falls asleep...
...hearing Porter's giggles when he wakes up from his nap and is so excited about the world...
...the precious time when Carson gets home from school and we all give him hugs and tell him how much we missed him...
..the joy of watching Carson and Jonas at baseball practice as they try to master new skills.
I love my boys. And I love that I am privileged enough to be at home with them.
3 comments:
What a great testimony of what motherhood is! Thanks for sharing!
It's really amazing how important it is to be with your kids. There are definitely ups and downs but worth it. :)
Thanks for sharing. It is hard to stay home, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!
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