Stay-at-home-mom? Yeah, right!

I have technically been a stay-at-home-mom for some time. Even while I was working, I stayed home 99% of the time and worked 1% of the time. That probably explains why I didn't make the minimum production requirements at my old job. Whoops!

But Joe and I decided a long time ago that I would stay home if we had kids. I was 100% commission in my old job, so any money that I made was "fun money" - we always budgeted just on Joe's salary. Joe doesn't make a ton of money - he is just a school teacher. But he is a school teacher on the top of the salary scale already (how is it possible he's been teaching for 19 years already?!?! WHAT?!!), and considering I was a financial advisor.... well, we make it work.

I lost my job not even a year ago. But the timing was all messed up. I trudged through all those years of being a 1% worker but lost it right before Emma started kindergarten. What can I say - my timing is always perfect. ha.

Emma is only half day kindergarten this year. But many people are already asking me, "So what do you do with all your free time?" and "What will you do next year when Emma is in school all day?"

Before kindergarten started, I really wasn't sure. Now that we are a month into school, I am realizing that 'stay-at-home-mom' is a myth. A dirty, evil MYTH!

Where are my bon-bons and soap operas? Aren't I entitled to those?!?!?

I am RARELY home. Lately, it seems like I am never home.

I've gotten involved in the PTO. Oh boy. They keep me busy.

I'm going to be volunteering in both Luke and Emma's classrooms. Kind of like a teacher's aide - for Luke's class, I will run copies and do bulletin boards, etc. For Emma's class, I will actually be IN the class just like a teacher's aide, hands-on with the kids.

I've gotten involved with volunteer things at the church. Chair of one board, member of another. Co-leader of a ministry. I've got big ideas that somehow got approved - and now I've got a boatload of work to do. This is good, though... I get to use my mind again! Yahooey!!

Hockey. Soccer. Joe's football. (He's a coach.) Emma is trying cheerleading.

I babysit the neighbor boy every Thursday.

Running to the schoool for PTO stuff. Target. The grocery store. Going to Walmart - and then SWEARING I'll NEVER go there again.

When I am home: dishes. I swear, the dishes overtake me. Laundry. I'm buried in it. Dog hair. Let's just say it's disgusting if I don't sweep every day.

Homework. School parties. Birthday parties.

Trying to spend time with the family. Riding bikes, playing games, having dance parties. All that memory building stuff. Funny, I don't remember one thing about my mom doing laundry or dishes... I know she did them - but I just don't remember that...

Getting the kids on the bus. Getting the kids off the bus. Making breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cleaning up after breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Oh yeah. I'm a wife too.

And lately, I've been a stink bug and spider catcher. Those goofy things want to be somewhere warm for winter I guess. But seriously, do they have to pick my house?? I swear there is an open invitation to all their friends to bombard our dining room.

I'd love to be a *real* stay-at-home-mom right about now. I have big things on my to-do list that are - well, still there:

Steaming the carpets.
Cleaning the windows.
Getting totally caught up on laundry.
Getting the laundry basket out of the family room.
Fixing the dining room chandelier.
Going through the mismatched toys to find out what goes where.
Fixing broken toys.
Getting all the dust off of the bathroom fan.
Eating bon-bons.
Watching soaps.

A girl can dream.....