I guess it is time for my yearly reflection on motherhood. The last time I posted about the joys of staying at home, I about gave my parents giggle heart attacks. They just could not imagine their little girl (ie stubborn, fight the mold, sometimes tomboy) dressed in an apron, closing the oven door with her high heels, and holding out a fresh hot meal for the family each day promptly at 5:00pm. Their giggles were well deserved, I don't even own high heels!
I'm not sure this post will give them laughs, nor create that image. But I just feel like I need to write something, and the bulging belly I've grown over the last couple weeks put motherhood on my brain.
Like teaching, motherhood is a job that actually requires the skills of many other trades. I'm a budgeter, cook, cleaner, comforter, entertainer, boss, novice couponer, intermediate tax filer, and hopefully soon an advanced gardener/canner (one can dream, right?).
I don't list these "skills" to try and sound boastful (trust me, I'd enjoy life more if I'd never learned the ins and outs of our tax code or if I had the money to pay for a "cleaner"); I list these things because I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoy some of them.
I've never been frugal or moneywise. I still wouldn't call myself either of those per say, but I do love budgeting our finances and finding ways to cut back. Saving money is fun (and kind of addicting) and finding ways to stretch your dollar is fun (and kind of addicting). I've always enjoyed cooking and baking, I have two grandmothers and a dear mom to thank for that. They always made yummy food, and I was able to watch/help every now and then. Still, I left home with basic skills. And I was always too afraid to stretch them. Now, and I partly have Food Network and my hubby to thank for this, I love finding new recipes that seem just a bit more difficult than any I've done before. I love finding ways to make typical store bought items (fruit roll ups, granola bars, etc) from scratch in my very own kitchen. Doing so helps me find satisfaction in both my cooking and budgeting strengths.
My point? Well, if I have one ... it's simply that I'm surprised by how much I enjoy little homemaker tasks. On that note though, I'm SUPER grateful I didn't spend my teen and young adult years day dreaming about my homemaking years. Sure, I always had a secret list of "future children" names, but that's about as deeply as I understood motherhood. I guess I've always just strived to prepare enough for the future that it doesn't blind side me and live just enough in the past that I'm continually grateful for my experiences. Living in the present can be difficult (what with dreamy pasts and bright futures and all) but I've tried to make the joy of living now a mini-motto.
To take things in a totally different direction. Fellow teachers often ask if I'll ever go back to the profession. I obviously don't have a glass ball that lets me see into the future -- but I'm fairly certain the answer is yes. Even if we have no financial need for my career, and as much as I love my current job, I just don't see myself being satisfied with this gig forever. Obviously, I know motherhood lasts forever, but I'm referring more to the stay at home homemaker gig. I often hear people say "I'm just not cut out for staying at home." I totally understand that statement and I think one day I'll even empathize with it.
Learning to be a homemaker has presented it's own challenges and fulfillments, and right now it is perfect for our family. But I do hope there comes a day I just need to scale it back to "part-time" and get back behind school walls. I guess that stubborn little - go against the mold - tomboy is still living happily inside me. That, or part of my "preparing for the future" attitude is just hoping I'll learn to run a home well enough that it can survive without my continued presence each day.
I'm not sure this post will give them laughs, nor create that image. But I just feel like I need to write something, and the bulging belly I've grown over the last couple weeks put motherhood on my brain.
Like teaching, motherhood is a job that actually requires the skills of many other trades. I'm a budgeter, cook, cleaner, comforter, entertainer, boss, novice couponer, intermediate tax filer, and hopefully soon an advanced gardener/canner (one can dream, right?).
I don't list these "skills" to try and sound boastful (trust me, I'd enjoy life more if I'd never learned the ins and outs of our tax code or if I had the money to pay for a "cleaner"); I list these things because I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoy some of them.
I've never been frugal or moneywise. I still wouldn't call myself either of those per say, but I do love budgeting our finances and finding ways to cut back. Saving money is fun (and kind of addicting) and finding ways to stretch your dollar is fun (and kind of addicting). I've always enjoyed cooking and baking, I have two grandmothers and a dear mom to thank for that. They always made yummy food, and I was able to watch/help every now and then. Still, I left home with basic skills. And I was always too afraid to stretch them. Now, and I partly have Food Network and my hubby to thank for this, I love finding new recipes that seem just a bit more difficult than any I've done before. I love finding ways to make typical store bought items (fruit roll ups, granola bars, etc) from scratch in my very own kitchen. Doing so helps me find satisfaction in both my cooking and budgeting strengths.
My point? Well, if I have one ... it's simply that I'm surprised by how much I enjoy little homemaker tasks. On that note though, I'm SUPER grateful I didn't spend my teen and young adult years day dreaming about my homemaking years. Sure, I always had a secret list of "future children" names, but that's about as deeply as I understood motherhood. I guess I've always just strived to prepare enough for the future that it doesn't blind side me and live just enough in the past that I'm continually grateful for my experiences. Living in the present can be difficult (what with dreamy pasts and bright futures and all) but I've tried to make the joy of living now a mini-motto.
To take things in a totally different direction. Fellow teachers often ask if I'll ever go back to the profession. I obviously don't have a glass ball that lets me see into the future -- but I'm fairly certain the answer is yes. Even if we have no financial need for my career, and as much as I love my current job, I just don't see myself being satisfied with this gig forever. Obviously, I know motherhood lasts forever, but I'm referring more to the stay at home homemaker gig. I often hear people say "I'm just not cut out for staying at home." I totally understand that statement and I think one day I'll even empathize with it.
Learning to be a homemaker has presented it's own challenges and fulfillments, and right now it is perfect for our family. But I do hope there comes a day I just need to scale it back to "part-time" and get back behind school walls. I guess that stubborn little - go against the mold - tomboy is still living happily inside me. That, or part of my "preparing for the future" attitude is just hoping I'll learn to run a home well enough that it can survive without my continued presence each day.
2 comments:
I like being a homemaker too, but ive been thinking about going back to work once the kids are older and its kind of exciting. I sort of fell into my old job and so I'm now really starting to think about what I want to do when I grow up. With my husband working I can focus on getting a job that I like and not one that is practical because I need the money to support myself. Also ive changed and grown in the last ten yrs and so my situation and needs are different. Plus I don't live in DC anymore so I cant really do what I was doing there. Ive always felt staying home with kids is important but I wasn't one of those girls who say that's what they always wanted to do with their life, taking care of kids is their calling in life. I don't enjoy it THAT much. I love being a mom though.
Loved your blog Susie Homemaker, or do you prefer Molly Mormon? An Ann Romney I hope you are NOT. I am almost certain there will come a day when you will return to teaching -- at least I hope. Meanwhile it would be a great idea to keep your certificate current. I work with so many people who have let their certificate lapse and they have a terrible time renewing...
Love Pa
Can't wait til next Wednesday!!!!
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