My Job Description...?

I was thinking about my life this morning as I vacuumed...Decided that I would share what I think and see what you all think. For centuries women have labored to achieve "equal rights" for women. What does that MEAN really? It's amazing to me that MOST of my friends/peers are stay at home moms. I grew up believing that I would have a Job outside the home ~ which is kind of funny because while I wanted to "be" many things as I was growing up I ALWAYS wanted to be a mom. I can remember in my early childhood watching commercials of women scrubbing floors and toilets and taking care of their children and fantasizing about being those women one day. Now here I am ~ I'm that woman. And I am HAPPY and FULFILLED...in ways I don't think I could be working outside the home. Yes, I work one day a week in an office (this week), but I don't look at it like a job. It's more like a lark ~ I do it for fun. It's a social outlet. I enjoy having my own money, but only because my money is "fun" money. I like buying Jon's birthday and christmas gifts with MY money. But, from the beginning my "workplace" knew that my REAL JOB comes first. If my kids are sick or have a snow day, I'm at home with them.
So, what does stay at home mom mean to me? Obviously, it means my children and my husband are my job. Sometimes I deserve a "Needs to Improve". I'm not the greatest at dinner! I struggle wth planning it and often with execution... it's my least favorite part of my job and I tend to blow off the importance of that task. I KNOW I need to improve in that area...
I excell at "housekeeping". I was not always a clean freak and my family can attest to that. Fo some reason, that is one task I take VERY SERIOUSLY. I am a homemaker ~ and I believe that because I am home all day my husband and children have a RIGHT to EXPECT to have a clean, comforting. LOVING home all the time. They have a right to expect to have clean jeans and socks and underwear all the time. I struggle with the fact that I need to teach them to do all these things as well...because I feel like then they will be doing MY JOB. Sam knows HOW to do laundry...but unless he's being punished for putting clean clothes in the dirty laundry ( I have used this means of punishment before)...I would never make him do my job.
So, what do you think?? What do you think being a homemaker means?? What do you struggle with?

Spring Cleaning II ~ Liam's Room

Well, I kind of skimped on Liam's room at this point. It's really rainy and grey and yucky out and I'm REALLY NOT feeling the "clean springing" thing today. SO, I cleaned it, because I promised him his room would be done when he gets home from school, BUT I still need to dust and clean out his clothes (summer/winter). I'll get to it when it's spring-y again! The pictures are more for the benefit of Tracy than onything else ~ a gradual virtual tour through my home if you will :) !
I have one more day of work and then I'm done. We are SO looking forward to our trip to NC. We are excited about Steve and Carolina's engagement party and our cookout with the Edwards clan...can't wait to see all of you!!!

Sam and Maggie both had ball last night ~ and we STILL haven't heard from Liam's coach...

Sam has ball practice on Tuesday and Thursday, Maggie on Tuesday and Friday...what you wanna bet Liam will be Monday and Wednesday?? Haha... So, that's Liams room...I'll show you each room as it's CLEAN!!

Jelly Drama and Ball

This post will be short and sweet... This morning I made sourdough toast for myself and all the kids. I prepared everyone's the same just because that was easiest for me...silly me!
I shooed Maggie out of her room, where she was sitting on the floor watching Monsters, Inc. and made her bed. When I walked out to the kitchen she was sitting at the table with her head down on her arms and her toast pushed to the middle of the table. Still oblivious to my blunder I said, "What's wrong Mag's?" cheerfully. When she didn't respond I went over to the table to find this...
I'm sure it only encourages our little drama queen that I proceeded to make her NEW toast with cinammon and sugar. Liam was MORE than happy to eat her rejected toast! She is SUCH A PAIN IN THE ARSE!! She cracks me up though. She got pretty mad when I laughed hysterically and took a picture of her toast.
Here she is at her baseball practice last night trying to throw a tennis ball into the bucket. Love the socks, eh?

Spring Cleaning ~ Maggie's Room

Well...today I decided it's time to start spring cleaning. I've decided this year I will concentrate on one room per day (not necessarily consecutive days either!) until they're all done. I conquered Maggie's room first. I wish I'd taken a before pic ~ it was hit pretty bad. So FIRST... I had to kick her out of bad and send her sweet behind to school!

Then I got down to business...I pulled ALL of her clothes out of the closet and dresser. Brought all her off season clothes up from the basement and went through it piece by piece. We are very fortunate to have several people who provide Mag's with haute coutoure hand me downs ;) SO...I went through it REAL PICKY. She has SO MANY clothes thanks to Katie and Brandy and Melissa that I decided at this point I can afford to be! If it was stained or damaged, slightly too small or even if I just wasn't crazy about it...GONE! I weeded out 2 large garbage bags to take to good will (or maybe I'll check with Christy first to see if she wants to go through them for Laura and Anna), and Maggie still has a crammed closet and dresser full of spring/summer clothes. All of her winter clothes are packed away in the basement, so most likely it will get really cold again now and if so...sorry everybody! It had to be done eventually:)!

Then , I moved her furniture so I could vacuum behind it and dust her railing/fence.

Then, I dusted everything and hose vacuumed the ceiling for cobwebs and put all the furniture back.

I took Sam's bookshelf (which he NEVER used) and put it in Maggie's room. That child LOVES her books! If any of my kids need a bookshelf it's her and she was the only one who didn't have one. So, she does now and I can't wait for her to get home from school. When she sees her clean room and her "new" bookshelf I'd imagine for a few hours anyway she's going to love me a whole lot ;)!
Maggie's room is now DONE! Yeah! One room down, 10 rooms to go + the basement needs organized :( ! I think I may wait for Jon to be home to do THAT!

We still haven't heard from Liam's coach yet...Maggie and Sam BOTH have practice tomorrow night at 5pm. Sam at the ballpark and Maggie at the little Sparta field which works out VERY well ~ one location, one night, one time, killing two practices...two sets of parents to socialize with...ah I do believe it's HEAVEN!! Love you all ~ I'll keep you posted!

I'ts SPRING!!

Yippee!! Finally ~ and of course in true Ohio fashion...it's COLD! But only for today and it is sunny, so I'll try to refrain from complaining! We should be headed up from here on out...the forecast puts us in the 60's for the next week and I think that is WONDERFUL!
Sam started his baseball practices this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was beautiful Tuesday - 74 degrees!! However on Wednesday despite the fact the the temperature was supposedly 56, we FROZE! The wind was whipping through the ball park something fierce and it was terrible! But then, that's just how it is in March here...74 today and 54 with a windchill tomorrow :). Sam did well at ball practice. He's really coming along ~ I think this will be a defining year for him. He's either going to decide he's serious about it or he'll quit next year. I hope he decide's to stick with it, baseball is one of the few sports I kind of enjoy watching. Maggie and Liam's teams have not started yet, but it's coming quick!
For those of you who don't already know, my work let me go effective 03/27. So, I have one more week and then NO MORE PIZZA :(... I am looking forward to having lots of time to spring clean my house though!
19 more days until we go to NC!!!!