I am Woman, Read This Blog

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The Mommy Track



The other day I was talking on the phone to my good friend who lives out of state, we don't see each other too often but we try to keep in touch as much as possible. We grew up together so we know each others families a little bit and we always ask how everyone is doing whenever we talk. My friend was telling me about her sister who is a buyer and retail merchandiser for a nationwide woman's fashion store. She travels around buying clothes for the stores, designing the stores, attending fashion shows, pretty cool job. Her other sister runs a successful dental business, and her sister-in-law is the Mayor of Saratoga Springs, is running for congress and is always on some news program as a political consultant. After talking about these awesome, successful women, we both kind of paused and said, hmm, we are just moms. We talked about how sometimes we wish we had some talent or success, but for both of us, being a mom is what we always wanted. We never really had bigger dreams than that. We agreed that we are good moms and the world needs women like us that like being stay at home moms that can raise the amazing successful people of the future. Yeah! That's right! We said, we are awesome... right? These thoughts were in my mind as my family and I settled down to watch the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my church. Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave a talk entitled "The Moral Force of Women." In the talk he praised women and all they do and talked about "the mommy track". He said that today some women are ridiculed for choosing the mommy track. Some people believe that raising children and keeping a home is demeaning to women. Elder Christofferson praised those women who do choose to be "only" a stay at home mom saying that there is no more important or fulfilling work. I loved this talk. It was really nice to hear those words and feel like my choice to be just a mom was a good one. I really have never wanted to be anything else or had great big dreams to be anything other than a wife and mom. I really am living the dream! I think I know what my talents are and what my potential is and being a mom probably won't be the only thing I ever am, but for right now, I am loving the mommy track. No, I do not run a city, but I run a home. No one would ever ask my opinion of political issues, but someone might ask me how I taught my kids to read. I certainly  don't know anything about fashion, but my kids are dressed everyday! I don't earn a paycheck, but I try to teach my children the value of hard work. I don't travel, meet important people, make important decisions, or win any elections. I make breakfast, I drive the kids to school, I help with homework, I wipe butts, I bathe kids, I go on bike rides, I read stories, I take the kids to church, I babysit, I tuck in, I play "stuffed animal fort", I tie shoes, I clean up spilled milk, I microwave corn dogs, I say prayers, I color and paint, I go to the library once a week, I tickle, I play, I love, hug and kiss my kids all day long because they are mine and I'm raising them and I love them. And I'm good with that.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Catching Up: School and My Special Kids



Ahh, my poor neglected blog...oh well! I thought life was so crazy and busy when my kids were babies. That was nothing compared to now! Life just flies by and I honestly don't have enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done, let alone blog about it. So, what has happened since my last post? School started: Savanna in 2nd, Miles in Kindergarten, and Avery and I are doing neighborhood preschool with 5 other kids and moms and it is the funnest thing ever. Really, it is so fun planning the little lessons and activities, it's giving me ideas of maybe having some sort of preschool once my kids are grow up and gone and I am so lonely :) Three days after school started Savanna broke her arm, bummer. She fell/leaped of the slide at James' parents house and  landed right on it. It was a crazy experience, usually when our kids are sick or hurt James and I take our time deciding whether or not they need a doctor or medicine or if we should wait it out or whatever. This time was different though, there really wasn't any discussion, we just looked at each other and at Savanna and knew something was up and we took her to the Instacare right away. Her break was really high up on her arm so they didn't cast it, just gave her a immobilizer. This made us nervous because with out it being in a cast it seemed so vulnerable and Savanna is super clumsy, so we kept her home from school for quite awhile, just to be safe. Everything is a-ok now though, she can move it normally and do just about anything she did before. This is the funny thing about my kid though: Savanna is left handed, well mostly. As a baby and toddler she switched back and forth between her right and left hand all the time. As she got nearer to school age, she was using her left hand most often and as she got into school, we considered her left handed. The ironic thing is she broke her left arm, so while it was in the brace, instead of not writing at all, she just started using her right hand. Now she uses both the left and right hands for everything and even switches back and forth when she's doing her homework! And her handwriting looks the same left or right, what a weirdo! Or, to put it in her own words, "There's just something special about me." The kids being in school is so fun and crazy and busy! I feel like all I do is drive back forth between school and home, but it's fun. The kids are getting older, which brings new challenges, new adventures, and new worries. But it's still the bestest job ever!