What do stay at home moms do all day?

Stay-at-home-mom. Or SAHM. I have seen a few posts on facebook lately about how SAHMs are lazy, sit around all day, and they pamper themselves. And the big question, What do SAHMs do all day?

When Sam and I got married 6 years ago, we decided I would be a stay at home mom for a while. Then I started school, with the intention of going to work when I was finished. A few years later, here I am with a nice nursing degree and 3 kids. Together, we decided our kids needed me home. They are all quite young, 5, 3, and 1, and we knew that we would be paying most of my check to daycare. Plus, for a good job, I would be driving an hour to and from work. It just made sense for me to stay home, at least until our youngest, whoever that may be, is in school. We get along fine without my income. We aren't rice, but we live comfortably. So, what do I do all day?

Well, for starters, I kiss boo boos, comfort our night crier, give baths, feed and clothe kids, I read books, play games, teach letters and numbers, how to share, and how things work. I also watch when someone says "look mommy!" I babysit babydolls and stuffed animals, I am a patient for future nurses (or doctors), I tickle backs and tummies, and most importantly, I love.

But it's not all good things. I punish, I correct a pincher, I sit someone in timeout, I say "no, we don't talk potty talk" a million times a day. I am the bad guy sometimes. I change a diaper, I wipe a butt, a nose, or hands.

Then, there are the household duties. The cleaning, the laundry, the yardwork, the animal care, the car cleaning.

A typical day for me starts at 6-8 depending on when Alta decides to wake up. From there, she gets a diaper change and a cup of milk. While she drinks, I get myself dressed. By the time that's done, the boys are pounding down the steps. I make and feed them breakfast. I feed the dogs, the cats, the chickens, make sure the hamster has food, and make sure everyone has water. I might feed myself, if I have time. The boys then go outside and play, Alta plays around the house while I do dishes and laundry. Then it is snack time. While they eat their snacks, I pick up the living room or bathroom or both, if there is time. After snacks, Alta takes a nap. The boys do their thing, usually back outside, they would live out there if I would let them. I do outside chores. Stir the compost, pick up dropped apples and pears, pick up trash or sticks, maybe weed the garden, I am also working on the garage a little bit at a time. I also try to play with the boys, if they let me, usually they will if the neighbor kids aren't around. Then I go in and make lunch, Alta will wake up, we all eat. Then I try to do school work. Parker is learning his letters and Landon is working on kindergarten and first grade things so he doesn't forget or fall behind for when school starts. Alta sits in her high chair and listens to us sing and learn. We also will try to do a craft or color or play with play-doh or paint at this time. Then it is back outside, but this time Ali and I go too. We spend an hour or so playing in the yard. Then come in for snacks again. Then I pick up the house again. The boys go back out and Ali and I putter around the house. We play with her toys, read, or just sit and cuddle. She then takes a nap, if I'm lucky. During this nap, I finish what I didn't get to during her first nap and then clean the floors or something else that I can't do when she is awake. After she wakes up I start thinking about dinner and start it while she plays around the house. Around 7:00 I have the boys put away all outside toys and come in. They then pick up any toys around the house. Sam gets home at 7:50, we eat, the kids get a bath and go to bed. Hopefully by 9, again, if I am lucky. I try to pick up anything that's left out if I have the energy. We spend time together watching TV or whatever. We go to bed around 11. We sleep, and then another day starts.

This is my typical day. Throw in the days where I have to go shopping, pay bills, or go take care of my mom, or even worse, if someone is sick, all the above gets even more busy.

I laugh when I see someone commenting that a SAHM does nothing all day. I laugh, because, really, they have no idea.


Some days I would gladly trade it in for a daycare and scrubs. But normally, I love my job, I love taking care of my kids, I love being here when my husband gets home from work and taking care of him. I love that I have a husband, who takes care of our financial needs, while I take care of our emotional needs. It is a busy life, but it is a good one. 

The Chickens Have Arrived!

Well, all our efforts have paid off. We have now added a mommy hen and 7 baby chicks to our family. The mom is a Buff  Orpington. I guess the chicks are as well, but maybe not, I'm not sure who the rooster was.

But before they could come, we had to get the coop in working order. First, Sam had to clean the coop out, it was filled with trash and general rubbish such as dirt, leaves, mud dauber nests, sticks, and the like. Then he built a door for it and put up chicken wire in the windows. This winter we will cover the windows with plexi glass. He cut out a chicken door and made a clever door that slides up and down and locks for the night. After putting up a temporary run made of chicken wire and fence poles and a few coats of paint, the coop was ready! We put together a kit of nesting boxes and Sam put up roosting poles. We used river sand to cover the floor of the coop, which when it is changed out, it will go in my compost bin (another post).

Sam fixing the door jam

Inside of the chicken coop with the chicken door up

Nesting Boxes

Roosting bars

"Fluffy" and her babies

Baby chicks eating food and proud momma watching.

Me!

I saw this on a blog I follow recently and thought it was cute. Here is a few things about me.

I am pretty much a prude. I wasn't always like this, but I am now.

I drink only occasionally. But I usually drink wine when I do drink.

I feel like I was made to be a stay at home mom.

I think cloth diapers are a great choice, but I won't judge if you don't.

I wish I could successfully breast feed. But I can't, I just don't make enough milk. I still give it my all.

I play clarinet, piano, and the sax. I am going to teach my kids to read music.

I love to read. Especially Christian novels by Janette Oke.

I am a Christian.

I should be cleaning right now.

I enjoy going places with my kids and taking them to exciting places over going out alone or with friends.

I believe in soul mates and believe my husband is mine.

Silly Boy

Silly boy using the outline of foam stickers to make a beard. Notice his black eye he got from a head bump with his brother on a trampoline. They are not allowed on it anymore!

Sewing

We cloth diaper. Ali is our second baby to be diapered with cloth. In fact, this time last year I had 2 in cloth. So I had some leftover fabric from making burp rags for Ali, so I decided to try my hand at making an insert for Ali's diapers. I cut my pattern which was altered from Babyville by JoAnn's. I cut 2 pieces of flannel for the outside and 2 pieces of a microfiber dust rag with an extra piece at her wetzone for the inside. I stitched it up, using a zig zag stitch for the first time (and I suck at it) and got it done. Next time I think I will sew a piece of micro fiber to a piece of flannel, and then sew them inside out and top stitch. Mostly because I am good at that. haha.

Crafting With the Boys

The other day for our summer school art projects, we painted bird houses and jewelry boxes.

The fun begins

Concentrating...

Picking his first color

This is what Ali was doing while the big boys painted.

Happy Birthday Alta!

On June 20, at 12:38 pm Alta turned one! It is hard for me to believe that it has been a year since she was born. But at the same time, we have had a million changes in that year as well. For starters, I graduated college, we had our third baby, we moved. But not all things are good. My mom's health has went horribly down hill in this past year.

But enough about that. Ali is a runner now on her short stubby legs. She weighs in at 18 pounds and 26 3/4 inches tall. She has 8 teeth. She says: mommy, dada, Lannen (Landon), Pa (Parker), dog, kitty, cat, choo choo, no, go, eat, bite, down, ball, bye, hi, what's this?, what's that? and probably more, but I can't think of them now. Some things are hard to understand, but she does say them. She will also repeat things... such as shit. oops.

Her party was a great success and was shared with all her grandparents, two aunts, an uncle, a cousin, mommy and daddy, her brothers, daddy's "work mom", and all the neighborhood kids.

She loved her cake and chowed down immediately. But was a little overwhelmed with her presents and all the people.

Her party theme was: Ali in One-derland.

I made her a tu-tu and a head band, which she wore all of two minutes, I also made her a "one" onesie.

Ali in One-derland

Smash cake

Mad Hatter cake

"One"

Back

Yummy Presents

Hmm, this looks fun!

Yay for cake!

This stuff is good!

Alright! I'm done! Now clean me up!

I am very sorry.

I am such a horrible blogger. I try to make time, but it doesn't happen. I still have pictures of Ali's birthday, things in our house, and newly, the chicken coop. ahhhh! I have been very busy!