And I used to wonder

I always found myself so busy, and I enjoyed it this way.  I went from high school in Tennessee straight to Colorado where I worked for a few months and made some friends and made many fun memories along the way.  Then off to BYU-Idaho where I graduated with my 4 year degree in 3 years due to my wonderful husband who deferred a semester to put me through school.  After graduating in April 2007 I worked for a few weeks until Brynn was born at the end of May.  I was able to enjoy about 2 months off from the craziness of life and we spent several weeks visiting family in Colorado.  I then went to teach the Developmental Preschool (special education and typical students with a total of 82 children ages 3-5) full time.  Throw in the aerobic classes and gym, household chores - you know, the basics of cooking, cleaning, making sure everyone was clean, happy, healthy and entertained - ward callings and activities, and of course dates and spending time with our friends.

Bryson graduated and we moved back to Durango for a year and I worked there as well - once again a mother, wife, and teacher.  This time I was pregnant with Abby.  Bryson's job change (for the better and by our choice thankfully!) led us here to Las Vegas, NV with a 2 week old baby and a stubborn 2 year old who had her entire world turned upside down.  Once Bryson got into a work routine and we had finally unpacked and arranged the apartment in a manner that would work for the next year I paused...


What was a stay at home mother supposed to do?!  With one child I'm sure I would have been completely lost.  But my two girls definitely filled more time than I expected :)  Then again, after all the cooking, cleaning, baths, time spent nursing, were covered I had to somehow keep my sanity.

Over the last 5 months I've been truly blessed.  I have been able to spend countless hours playing and laughing with our girls.  Even the occasional  days we seem to spend majority of the day in separate rooms both in time outs are long forgotten by the time the sun rises and Brynn is giving me my "good morning hugs" and "good morning kisses."

(Morning hair!)

So as a "new" stay at home mom - I've found joy in so many things!  Here's only a few:

*Making messes is great, as long as all those involved help clean up.
*Brynn's bath time lasts anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour. Does it really matter?
*The dishes and laundry will eventually get done, even if it's not at the exact moment I think they need to be.  *Reading a book to Brynn or laying on the floor laughing with the girls is much more beneficial than making sure the counters, table and chairs are all spot free.

(Now mobile and rolling she manages to get into things)

*Pool time can begin as early at 8:15 in the morning and go as late as we want!
*There's absolutely no reason we shouldn't be at the park enjoying the weather - during the summer that meant we left out house by 6:45am sometimes and now we don't go until 9:30 or later.
*Story time at the library for 30 minutes is worth that 15 minutes of driving each way.
*Compromises are made.  I want to run with the girls in the jogger, Brynn would rather play.  So we compromise.  I jog or walk for a bit (ex: I wanted 45 minutes but we do 20 or 25 min) and Brynn can bring 2 library books.  Or course the adventure is always ended at the park.
*Other stay at home moms are great!  They understand that my house may not always be in "order" or that one of my girls has a runny nose and we're still at the park.  I find my sanity in the friendships I develop each progressing week.
*Bryson works so hard for all of us.  He goes to a job that he usually enjoys, but like everything it's not always fun, exciting, or eventful.  He comes home and does a really good job "emptying his pockets" of the stresses, frustrations, and problems of his day at the front door before coming in. I truly appreciate this more now that I am blessed to be able to stay at home with our girls.
*Although there are days I think I'm loosing my hair and going to go insane, B, B, and A step up and help me out in one way or another.

*Naps rarely coincide with each, other.  But we work around that.  If Brynn's awake - we bake or use paints and stamps and other messy things!  If Abs is awake she often helps me go through grocery ads making
menus or attempt to sew something or pretend I'm crafty in some little way.
*Productivity - it's a relative term.  Varies for me day to day and often hour by hour.  
*Finally, finding "me" time does happen - although I'm never guaranteed when.  Sometimes it's at 7am if both girls sleep in past 6am.  Sometimes it's if they are sleeping at the same time.  Many times it's after 9pm when our home is finally quiet.  That's when I get my second wind.  Going to the gym, reading a book, taking a bath, updating my blog, putting pictures on fb, or watching a movie. It's a nice 1 hour change from the craziness my day really does hold.

And I honestly used to wonder what a stay at home mom did.  My days are filled with smiles, giggles, bumps, bruises, screams, tears, sticky fingers, reading, dirty diapers, laundry, spilled cereal, stickers, text messages from other moms, walks, static from the slides at the park, time outs, more reading, curious george, pbs for the 1st hour of the morning, pretending to cook or eat whatever Brynn just made for me, and  MANY other things.

I wouldn't change a thing in the world.  I love my husband and our daughters.  Onlookers may wonder how we can be happy living this way.  Sometimes I wonder what in the world I'm doing or how to live up to my expectations...but things couldn't be better!

Should you be jealous - most definitely!