Being a housewife and a stay at home mom is no easy task. It has got to be one of the most difficult and trying jobs I have ever had. I call it a job because I am on my feet and working in some way or another for most of the day from sun up to sun down. The hours are long and I am lucky to fit in a lunch break. With three children and a husband, there seems to be a never ending pile of laundry and sink full of dishes. There is always homework and entertaining to be done. Bath time for the girls takes up an hour and a half alone. Let us not forget the never ending arguments between my three girls, and sometimes what seems like never ending and amazing play time that mom just has to get in on. Being at home all of the time requires that I give my attention to somebody at most all moments throughout the day, with little to no time to myself.
I can still remember the days when I was a single mom working in the construction industry. We were out the door and headed to daycare by five in the morning and I did not pick them up until six in the evening. It was rush home and fix dinner, bathe the kids, fit in a quick bed time story and then off to bed for them. I still had to wash myself and clean up the kitchen and prepare for the next day. I was lucky to be in bed by ten. One might think not much of a life as this was what it was like for six days a week most of the time. Sundays were filled with grocery shopping, paying bills over the phone, and running any other errands that were needed.
The funny thing is, believe it or not, spending ten to twelve hours a day building twenty-three story high rises is just as tiring as being at home all of the time. When I worked, I had me time. Staying at home, I don't. The house stayed clean during the week and I only cooked one meal a day in my kitchen. Then I got into an automobile accident on the way home from work one day and was rendered completely incapacitated for about three months. During that time, I met my soul mate. We later married well after I was released to go back to work and started our own business. Now, I am strictly a stay at home mom and house wife. Big changes.
Here is the deal though. Although still in great amounts of pain due to back and neck injuries, that car accident was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It made me slow down a little. I had the time to meet an amazing man who has proven to be an even more amazing father to my girls, and more importantly, I was able to finally get to know my babies. I never really knew what there favorite colors were or how they felt inside about certain things. I had missed so much over the years that I have been able to catch up on now that I am forced to stop and deal with life outside of work. Yes, it is definitely more emotionally trying and mentally tiring. Yes, I crave my independence from it all from time to time. Yes, I have gained a good fifty pounds as chasing after kids has nothing physically on slinging concrete. All of it is worth it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Through all of the long days as mommy and wife and catering to every one elses needs, I get to be here. I get to witness all of their firsts. Those firsts, I have realized, do not stop after toddler-hood. With my oldest being seven and my youngest being four, it almost seems we experience new firsts together every other month. Life is full of wonderment and surprises and I am greatful that I am here to be a part of it.