SAHM? You Must Be So Bored!

I am a stay at home mom.  Let me start off by saying that I understand that my life is by no means the most exciting existence out there.  I do the same thing every day (with the exception of field trips and doctor's appointments and unexpected visitors) but I do it with my most favorite people in the world.  I catch a lot of flack for being a stay at home mom.  After people find out my career choice I get a lot of comments like, "I could never do that, my kids drive me crazy!" and "What do you do all day?  I would get so sick of sitting around the house just watching TV every day."  I always smile politely or laugh it off but if they only knew...
     I'm not saying that that my way is the only way, I'm very adamant about doing what's best for your family.  If working is your calling then more power to you. I also know that for a lot of people, working is a necessity and I don't know what I would do if I was in that position.  What I'm trying to get across to everyone is that this is the life that I choose.  My children will only be babies for such a short time and then childhood is going to be over- just like that.  One day I'll restart my professional career.  When the time comes to return to the work force, it will be a pain to start all over but I want to be here with my family as much as possible while they still need me and want me right by their side.  So, for now, this is my life and I must say it's more fulfilling that I could have ever imagined.

     I carried a camera around with me for an entire day to show everyone what I do everyday.  Here's an average Tuesday at my house.

5:30- Alarm clock goes off and my day starts.  I jump in the shower and blow dry my hair and throw on sweats and a little blush and mascara. I start the coffee pot then throw a load of clothes in the washing machine and unload the dishwasher.

6:00-8:00- I do some EMS transcription work from home.  Yes, most SAHM do have part-time jobs from their homes that they do when kids are sleeping or at school.  You'd be surprised at how resourceful we are when it comes to bringing in extra money.  Since I don't like telling my husband how much it costs to get my hair done or how much I spend on the kids' clothes, I was pretty diligent to find a job that pays well and that has super flexible hours from home.  I wish everyone could be this lucky.

8:00-9:00- Wake up time!!  Get the babies up, diaper change, dressed, fed and teeth brushed and hair brushed.  They're going to school today :)

9:00- We check on the 4 baby birds that have nested in the fern on the front porch.  We've done this every day since the eggs hatched.  They're getting big.  Not long until they leave the nest.  Sniff sniff.

Daddy's going fishing today.  He gives the girls and I some love before he goes.

9:15- Time to go to school!  Yes, school.  Yes, I think staying at home with your children is important but making sure they have their own little friends and socialize is equally important.  My kids go to school for 4 hours twice a week and they love it.  I have to drag them out most days.

Here's their church school.  Beautiful, right?

9:30-1:30- I leave school and go to the bank, then the other bank, then Walmart, then the Dollar Store (because on the way home I have to pick up the stuff I forgot at Walmart because I left my list in the baby's diaper bag) and then onto the gym.  After an hour and a half there, I head home to grab another shower and then toss another load of laundry in the washer and dryer.  Then off to get my girls.

1:30- Pick up the kids.  They had a great day and have several color pages and arts and crafts to show me.  Their work goes up on the bulletin board in the kitchen.

2:00- It's the baby's nap time... and she's tired.  Diaper change and then she gets a song and a kiss goodnight.  I could have recorded my singing of Goodnight Sweetheart but I think my kids are really the only ones that enjoy it.  LOL.

2:00-4:00- Keep my 4 year old busy while the baby naps.  This one is tricky.  She doesn't watch TV and her volume control is a little off so she has to be occupied at all times.
So, we do a little of this...

And a little of this...

She even let me do some of the coloring.

Still some time left before the end of nap so we head to the back yard for some color bubbles.

4:00- We hear Juicy on the monitor and she's not happy.

 But after a little snuggling, she's all better.

After snuggling, we get a snack and juice. After a quick diaper change we head back outside.

4:30-5:30- Playtime!  I just let them run and play while I monitor the slide and water the garden and all of the plants and flowers.

5:30-6:00- Time to get ready for RooBear's dance class.  Hair brushed, faces and hands washed and tights, leotard and dance shoes all on.  Diaper change and then another load of clothes to wash and dry ones to fold and we're out the door.

6:00- We leave for dance class.

6:15- Dance class starts.

 A little tap and a little ballet...  Roo is in the light blue.

Sorry the video is so wiggly- I'm filming from the entrance door through the window with a squirmy toddler in my arms.

7:00- Time to go home.  I swing by McDonald's (don't judge- my husband's not home yet and Tuesday is our late day) and pick up a couple of Happy Meals. 

7:15-7:45- The kids eat their dinner while I load the dishwasher and listen to them talk back and forth.  I love their little chatter.  I don't know if Juicy really understands but she sure acts like she does!  This is one of my favorite times of the day.

And then Juicy got upset about the way Roo was looking at her.

Then we had some serenading :)

  

Mr Dixon gets home with our dinner and then helps me clean up the kitchen.  He's a pretty good husband.  

8:00- Bath time!!  RooBear begged to swim in Mommy's big tub so since I'm too tired to argue (they always know just the right time to ask) to the big tub we go!

Then they're blow dried and teeth were brushed.

8:45-9:00- Snuggle time and then books read in bed.

9:00-9:30- Last load of laundry is put away.  Dishwasher is started.  Playroom is cleaned.  Time to catch the tail end of whatever fishing/alligator hunting show my husband is watching and listen to him tell me about his own day of fishing.  He asks me how my day was.  I tell him it was a good day.  

     And that's it, folks.  That's my everyday.  Some days are a little slower (not many days) and some days are more hectic (not much more or I couldn't take it) but they're all good ones.  It's true what they say...  The most important thing is to love the life you live and I'm having a heck of a good time these days.