Working Mom

Why is it that we have to compartmentalize mothers?  You are a single mom, a working mom, a stay-at-home mom.  But working moms are also at home a lot, and stay-at-home moms certainly work, too.  Maybe we should invent our own labels.  I'm an are-you-kidding-I-have-eight-kids-I-am-certainly-working-my-tail-off-at-home mom.  I wouldn't want to leave them for all the jobs in the world.  On the other hand, there's no way I would be able to make enough money at any job to put them all in daycare!  So I'm home, and happy to be here.

In all honesty, I don't know how "working moms" do it.  I would be pathetic at trying to juggle work and commuting and picking up the ends at home.  I wouldn't like to commute - I don't like driving in traffic all that much.  I'd get a better wardrobe, but I wouldn't necessarily like shopping for it or spending the money on it.  I'd hate the feeling of having to split my time between being at home and being away.  That one I know for sure.

The last few weeks, I've been spending a lot of time caring for me mum.  I've spent time with her, in meetings family councils with my brothers and their wives, running errands, keeping track of medications, and commuting to the hospital and back.  And I notice that I forget things.

Reference the recent forgetting of the scout pants as our first exhibit.  I missed a grocery shopping trip or two.  My house became disastrous.  My laundry piled up.  The twins got screamy.  Angel got whiny.  Dinner was spotty.

And I loved taking care of me mum.  It was totally worth it.  And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  And I'm glad that I get to stay home with my kids.