Recently my dear friend Lindsay posted a funny blog about being domesticated. It made me laugh when I read it but she's so right. Later while she & I talked about staying home with our kids, homeschooling, staying busy, etc, I really started thinking about the person/wife/mother that I've become ...
I can't remember exactly what my dreams and plans were when I was a teenager. I know I wanted to go to college, major in English and some day teach British Literature at a local college. Never did I envision myself being a stay-at-home mom. I don't even think I envisioned myself being a mother really. Kids scared me. They were so tiny and fragile and cried all the time (or so I thought :-) I couldn't cook, never thought I would breastfeed and had some crazy idea that if I stayed home/home schooled it would be (in Lindsay's words) beneath me. But that was then ... all those years ago.
Bobby & I have been married eight and a half years. He's still the brilliant, sexy, funny man that I fell in love with (more than 8 years ago. Bobby & I have been a couple the majority of my life.) We have two beautiful children that I have the great honor of training, loving and teaching every day. Bobby is a wonderful husband and father. I'm so very thankful that he works so hard so that I can stay home with our kids. And not only do we have two kids but I (we) actually want more!
I laughed when Lindsay talked about not being able to cook a lot when she & Josh first married because I was right there with her. When Bobby & I first married our menu consisted of Hamburger Helper and anything else that came in a box. Now I find I can make meals from scratch and a lot of times I don't even have to consult the recipe - I just make it from memory. This past week the kids and I made Gingerbread Cookies from scratch. They had so much fun and I can't imagine a better way to spend a Thursday. I love being able to cook delicious home made meals for my family. I love teaching Hannah so she'll be able to do the same for her family one day.
Another thing that I can't believe I do is research natural home remedies and herbs. I used to make fun of those moms who stayed home with their kids, made sure everything was all organic & healthy and used home remedies. Now I spend an hour or two a day searching the web or reading books so I'll be prepared for any illness that might creep into our home. So far we've successfully used garlic to reduce the duration of our colds. We've taken honey for coughs and put it on blisters to speed the healing process. And every day I'm looking for more remedies and checking out different herbs to have on hand (as well as to cook with). I love it! It's another thing I can teach my children!!
Our children are 4 and 2 years old (in case you didn't know) and they're already smart. My Dad jokes that Hannah is smarter than he is. Hannah & Sammy love learning and I like the we can work on whatever they're interested in at the moment. Hannah can write all of her letters, she can write her name as well as a few other words, and she's already learning to read. Sammy is different from Hannah. He's ahead in motor skills and is just starting to take off with talking. But it's nice knowing that we're not rushed to learn one thing or another. We can take our time and work on what we're interested in at the moment.
I take the kids everywhere I go. We go grocery shopping as a family. If I run errands during the week the kids go with me. When I deliver Avon or go around leaving my brochures the the kids are there too. The one phrase I hear most often is, "You must have your hands full!!" That and, "You want more kids!? You must be crazy!!" How do I tell people that my life isn't crazy? That my children are well behaved & listen because Bobby & I have trained them well. That they're helpful and sweet -they wash dishes, put away toys and help clean. That being home with them is the place I want to be the most and I can't imagine working away from them. And no, they don't need to be in school or preschool for socialization. My four year old talks & can hold a conversation better than some 21 year olds. I don't bother answering these thoughtless people - I just smile and nod and keep moving because the kids and I know that we're incredibly blessed to have each other.
I can't remember exactly what my dreams and plans were when I was a teenager. I know I wanted to go to college, major in English and some day teach British Literature at a local college. Never did I envision myself being a stay-at-home mom. I don't even think I envisioned myself being a mother really. Kids scared me. They were so tiny and fragile and cried all the time (or so I thought :-) I couldn't cook, never thought I would breastfeed and had some crazy idea that if I stayed home/home schooled it would be (in Lindsay's words) beneath me. But that was then ... all those years ago.
Bobby & I have been married eight and a half years. He's still the brilliant, sexy, funny man that I fell in love with (more than 8 years ago. Bobby & I have been a couple the majority of my life.) We have two beautiful children that I have the great honor of training, loving and teaching every day. Bobby is a wonderful husband and father. I'm so very thankful that he works so hard so that I can stay home with our kids. And not only do we have two kids but I (we) actually want more!
I laughed when Lindsay talked about not being able to cook a lot when she & Josh first married because I was right there with her. When Bobby & I first married our menu consisted of Hamburger Helper and anything else that came in a box. Now I find I can make meals from scratch and a lot of times I don't even have to consult the recipe - I just make it from memory. This past week the kids and I made Gingerbread Cookies from scratch. They had so much fun and I can't imagine a better way to spend a Thursday. I love being able to cook delicious home made meals for my family. I love teaching Hannah so she'll be able to do the same for her family one day.
Another thing that I can't believe I do is research natural home remedies and herbs. I used to make fun of those moms who stayed home with their kids, made sure everything was all organic & healthy and used home remedies. Now I spend an hour or two a day searching the web or reading books so I'll be prepared for any illness that might creep into our home. So far we've successfully used garlic to reduce the duration of our colds. We've taken honey for coughs and put it on blisters to speed the healing process. And every day I'm looking for more remedies and checking out different herbs to have on hand (as well as to cook with). I love it! It's another thing I can teach my children!!
Our children are 4 and 2 years old (in case you didn't know) and they're already smart. My Dad jokes that Hannah is smarter than he is. Hannah & Sammy love learning and I like the we can work on whatever they're interested in at the moment. Hannah can write all of her letters, she can write her name as well as a few other words, and she's already learning to read. Sammy is different from Hannah. He's ahead in motor skills and is just starting to take off with talking. But it's nice knowing that we're not rushed to learn one thing or another. We can take our time and work on what we're interested in at the moment.
I take the kids everywhere I go. We go grocery shopping as a family. If I run errands during the week the kids go with me. When I deliver Avon or go around leaving my brochures the the kids are there too. The one phrase I hear most often is, "You must have your hands full!!" That and, "You want more kids!? You must be crazy!!" How do I tell people that my life isn't crazy? That my children are well behaved & listen because Bobby & I have trained them well. That they're helpful and sweet -they wash dishes, put away toys and help clean. That being home with them is the place I want to be the most and I can't imagine working away from them. And no, they don't need to be in school or preschool for socialization. My four year old talks & can hold a conversation better than some 21 year olds. I don't bother answering these thoughtless people - I just smile and nod and keep moving because the kids and I know that we're incredibly blessed to have each other.
