If you lived here, you’d be home now killing yourself now
This one is actually nice by comparison — it’s on the water, and it’s not stuck to another house.
More, more, more!
Just an FYI: my toddler? Total genius and American Sign Language savant.
- During dinner at Darling Husband’s parents’ place on Friday night, he was being carried around by one of his aunts. They called me into the kitchen because he was “signing something.” I ducked in and saw him quietly signing “Food! Food!” and “Mommy! Mommy!” We got him his dinner, pronto. Everyone was happy.
- On Saturday, during a particularly rough car-trip — we seem to have a lot of those lately. Terrible
twosones??? — I started singing the Silly Pizza song from his Signing Time DVDs. At the end of every verse, I would pause — because, damnit, that song takes a lot of breath — and he would sign “More! More!” from the backseat into the mirror. And I would sing. it. again. Pant, pant. - When he was done in the bath last night, he signed “All done!”
- When he woke up this morning, he immediately started signing “Food! Food!”
Pretty soon, he’ll be singing and signing along with me to the Silly Pizza song!
Poor Darling Husband. Hah.
My Husband Rocks Friday
Dear Darling Husband,
I can’t believe it’s gone. I could have seen us living there. I really could.
We thought it was our house of dreams, but it wasn’t. Because even though it seemed perfect for us, the dollars and cents were not working in our favour.
And our house of dreams? It’s not going to be something that makes us stressed out about money. It’s going to be a place we can comfortably afford. Because THAT is what is going to make us feel safe and relaxed there.
Thank for you being on the same page as me about it.
For feeling the same way about it as I do.
For encouraging me that we made the right decision.
I know our house of dreams is out there.
We just have to keep looking.
Love, your wife
xoxox
The neverending battle rages on between SAHMs and WMs … but where are all the WAHMs?
I spent some time last night reading a hot debate over on Mommyish.com. The subject? Do stay-at-home-moms actually “work” — as in, is it considered a job?
The feathers biting comments were flying! This debate never seems to get old, when it comes to Mommy wars.
The stay-at-home-moms argued that it is a real job, because they take care of their kids/homes ALL day, whereas the working moms just do it at night and on the weekend. The working moms snapped back that they still have to do all of the housework/cooking/errands — they just have 40 fewer hours a week to do it in.
I thought, before I officially decided not to return to full-time work — and, instead, freelance at home — that I would technically be a stay-at-home mom. Sure, I would do some work, but REALLY, I would be staying at home.
I was very wrong.
I am not a stay-at-home mom. The only people who *think* I am a SAHM are people who have no idea how much work I do. I work whenever Baby Boy goes down for a nap (morning and afternoon). I work when he goes to bed at night. I answer work emails occassionally when he’s awake, and sometimes have to take important work calls while he’s awake.
In short: I work!
I’m a WAHM (work-at-home mom).
When I think about being an ACTUAL stay-at-home mom, I think of all the free time I would have. Whenever Baby Boy napped, I could do whatever I wanted. I could scrapbook again (it’s been about six months). I could read for fun (it’s reeeeally hard to find time to keep up with my book club). I could research recipes on the internet or *GASP* take my time and bake something. I could tend to my neglected nails. I could actually straighten or curl my hair. Oh, the possibilities!
Still, I am not technically a “working mom.”
I am a “work-at-home mom.”
It is stressful sometimes, trying to fit all my work into those small windows of time when Baby Boy is sleeping. Yes, my work-day is shorter than if I were full-time at an office. But it is also much harder to concentrate when your baby is crying over the monitor. It is hard to quickly respond to an important email when your toddler is trying to climb up you.
If I wasn’t working as a freelance writer, and my whole existence was staying at home with Baby Boy and looking after the house, I would not say I worked. Caring for my son and doing laundry are not a job. They are what you do as a parent/adult.
Moms who work 40 hours a week as an engineer or a dentist don’t also add, “But I work part-time as a Mommy at home on evenings and weekends.”
That’s because being a mom is great.
It is a gift.
But it is not a job.
I find there are not many WAHMs out there, so I often feel like no one else is in the same situation as me. This leads to feeling like a hippie/slacker compared to my WM friends, and a corporate stress-case in front of SAHMs.
I am somewhere in between.
Being a work-at-home mom means I DO have a job, but I also have the more important role of being at home with my son. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.
Now can’t we all just get along?
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Heather's Handmade Life 