2 superheroes & a princess: thankful...day 13

Day 13:

Mom:

Today I am thankful for time. Both having the time and taking the time.

When I got married and started teaching, both almost 10 years ago, I just thought I would always be a teacher. I wanted a family, but figured I would not give up being a teacher since I had wanted to be one since third grade! I thought I would be happy because I would still have breaks and all summer to be off with my kids...but things changed. I never, ever envisioned myself being a stay at home mom. As a planner, it was never part of my plan. I did keep teaching through both of the superheroes being born. Things were getting harder maintaining everything...the 30 minute drive to and from work with the kids being dropped off at daycare was getting to me, nights were stressful when I was just worn out from teaching all day and still wanted to spend time with my boys, and teaching in itself is just so stressful. Then out of the blue I was pregnant with our third kiddo...princess Ellie :)...Avery was currently 3 1/2 and Evan was 22 months old so that would mean I would have three kiddos in daycare. Since teachers aren't really rolling in the big bucks, most of my salary would be going toward daycare. Ryan & I finally made the decision for me to maybe just take a year off, maybe two, at least until Avery started school and then I would go back to work again once things settled down a bit. I was pretty scared of the idea of staying home, it wasn't part of the plan. I knew hardly anyone who was a stay at home mom and just imagined a lot of lonely times with three kids at home all day by ourselves. Stay at home moms probably don't understand this, but I cried the last day when I picked the boys up from daycare because I knew I was pulling them away from all their friends and all the fun they had there. That summer before "officially" starting my role as a stay at home mom, I interviewed for a job closer to home because I thought that was maybe all the change I needed...you can guess the result of that interview when someone walks in 8 months pregnant ;). So on August 2010, when everyone else went back to teaching I say I started the new chapter of my life as a stay at home mom. The first year was quite an adjustment with new baby and new friends, but I have not looked back. I have loved the time I now get with my kiddos. I know it is fleeting and one day {it will be here before I know it} I will be working again, but I will try to savor every second I get with them in the present. I will have to say I am most thankful to Ryan who works so hard to make my time with the kiddos happen. This wasn't part of our family plan, but he supports me and my decision!

Just because I have the time, doesn't always mean I take the time as a stay at home mom. This time of year can get a little crazy with holiday and birthday planning and prep that sometimes I can get a little caught up in my stuff and don't take the time to just be with my kids. Today, I am thankful that I stopped what I was doing with planning for Evan's birthday party just to do some stamping with E&E. Ellie even wrote her very first E because I stopped for a second and took the time with her to teach her how. I have to remember to do this more!