Graduation and New Beginnings

Now that Noah has graduated from preschool and Sophie won't be going anytime soon...I am truly a Stay-at-home mom. I love being home with my kids. Staying at home allows me to spend precious moments with them, moments that may have been missed if I wasn't here. However, it also means that we live off of 1 income. So many times people say to me "We could never afford it!". The reality of staying at home for us meant making drastic lifestyle changes. We couldn't have afforded it either if we hadn't. I choose to stay at home, giving up the extra income that would allow us to live life a little more freely. Most days, I love being a Stay-at-home mom. Other days, when I think nothing looks good on me, I have no time to exercise, laundry multiplies by the hour, the kids are fighting, the baby is crying, I forgot how to cook, the thought of a dust rag makes me feel nauseous and school didn't start until 3pm, I temporarily change my title to Stuck-at-home mom. This pity party quickly changes when the fighting stops and I see my oldest reading a book to his brother and I think to myself...I taught him how to read! I feel a little less ugly when my 5 year old runs through the house and stops to say "By the way Mommy, I like your shirt!". I start to feel warm and fuzzy inside when I go to check on the baby and her head pops up from her pillow, she starts to kick and squeal and reaches out her arms for me. One after another, moments I share with my children, that may have been missed if I wasn't here. I think to myself...what a blessing it is to be stuck-at-home with them!