Mommy's Moment: A Day in the Life

Well, we think it's time for a little revamping of the blog...mix it up a bit. So, Gwant and I decided to invite Mommy as an occassional guest speaker on our blog. We'll title her posts, "Mommy's Moment." It gives her a place to share a bit about motherhood and such. So, without further ado, here's Mommy:

When John and I found out we were pregnant with Hannah, we both knew I would stay at home. It's what we both wanted. It's funny how people responded to that at the school I worked at. Some people said, "Wow, what does your husband do?" or "That must be so nice. I wish I could do that." It's only been through the Lord's gracious provision over the past three years, we've made it work. But the response that really threw me for a loop was, "Now, all you have to do is make sure dinner is in the oven on time." Really? Is that what people think stay at home moms do? Make sure the meal is in the oven for the hubby? The rest is just a bowl full of cherries? Somehow, I don't think that is the case...at least it wasn't in my house growing up. My mom worked hard from sun up to sun down.

As I filter my days through that comment. I laugh. I laugh at what my days look like as a stay at home mom. And while dinner is usually "in the oven" for when John comes home, that's about the only guarantee to my day. My days aren't organized. I thought they would be as I stayed at home. I also thought my house would be super clean...the cleanest it's ever been. It's actually the opposite, the dirtiest and messiest it's ever been. How in the world did it get like this? Then I think back to two days ago, a very typical day in my home, and I think, "oh yeah, that's how." It went something like this:

Hannah, Grant, and I start our day as usual, eating breakfast. Afterwards, I clean them up and let them play. I clean up the kitchen. Of course, the dishwasher needs emptied because I will have no place to put the dirty dishes (that's one pet peeve I'm thankful for, I HATE dirty dishes in the sink...my only helpful pet peeve). So, I empty the dishwasher. Then, go to put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Of course, where Grant ate there's an army of slop covering the floor...so, I pull out my Swivel Sweeper to clean up the mess (note I'm not technically cleaning...it's just a quick once over on this particular gummy spot). Then, I smell something. And it's not pancakes. It's Grant. His normal morning poop has arrived. I wait a couple of more minutes to change it while I finish tidying up the kitchen. This is not my best idea. Grant is only in a diaper...in an exposed diaper, sitting on the CARPET. So as I go to change him, my fear becomes reality. I spot POOP on my carpet. I change his diaper. Then, I pull out my Little Green carpet cleaner to clean up his poop. After I clean that spot I notice about 100 (okay more like 10) other spots that need to be treated. So, I start carpet cleaning. And then, oh yeah, there's that major spit up cascading down the back of our couch. It's been there for awhile. Because you see, Grant stopped spitting up several months ago. So, I clean the couch. In the meantime, Hannah and Grant have to do something so they're playing with a gazillion toys at my feet. And after the carpet and couch are spot cleaned, something else, most likely unexpected, comes along that requires my attention. In the meantime as my attention is directed there I've got a little squirt working against me in another area. And so the day goes. As one problem is tackled, another one is guaranteed to always be created. I'm like a falling leaf being directed by the ever changing wind. I go in with a "plan", but inevitably something comes up that takes me in a new direction.

Being a stay at home mom, at least for me, I don't quite know where my day is going to take me. Had I planned to spot treat my floor and couch that day? No. Did I plan to use my MacGuyver-like skills to help my daughter who locked herself in the bathroom? Nope. (Okay, really, I WISH I had MacGuyver-like skills, props really go to my husband whom I called who explained where the special key was to unlock it...a girl can imagine though). But that's okay. It's life. And while my house may not be emmaculate or my plans fully followed through, I get to spend my day doing what I love, investing in my kids. . . oh yeah, and there's always that guarantee of a dinner waiting in the oven.