Fortune 5-what?

Once, recently, after finding out that I was a Stay-at-home-mom, I had a stranger tell me, with a sympathetic pat on the arm, "Don't worry, sweetie. You aren't the only mom out there who never used her college degree." Because I'm trying to keep my hot-temper under wraps these days, I smiled and nodded and went on my way with my mean thoughts screaming loudly in my head. "NOT use my college degree!! How DARE SHE!!!"

I majored in Advertising in college. And I use it ALL THE TIME.

"Guess what kids? Tonight we're having Spinach Lasagna! Yum, it is sooo good! It tastes just like pepperoni pizza! How great is that? Oh...the green stuff? Don't worry, it's the BEST part! It tastes just like cheese!" Tell me that didn't practically win an Oscar, lol.

And guess who ate it tonight? Guess who proclaimed it "The Best Lasagna He's Ever Eaten!" (ok, so it's the only lasagna he's ever eaten...but really, who's counting?;-) Clearly, I am an Advertising Genius! (*Hint, it wasn't Chuck! It was AIDEN!!)

Seriously though, do I ever get tired of the "Oh, you stay at HOME all day? I could NEVER do that!" comments? You bet I do. And you know why? Because I never imagined myself here either.

Surprised? Me too. But growing up...I'll admit it, I never wanted children. I didn't fantasize about them, I didn't like babysitting them. During my brief, but albeit beloved, stint as a summer camp counselor, I repeatedly requested to be with the oldest children I could legally be with--I just couldn't imagine myself with young children. I sailed easily through college, landed myself a job that I thoroughly sucked at (I use that word lightly, lol), got myself another job that I didn't love but wasn't terrible at...and fell in love with one Mr. Charles Bailey II. Along came Aiden, the surprise of my life...and it's 100% true what they say, children change you. Those people that say, "Oh, I'll never let having a baby change me!" Well, they are wrong. It is impossible. Having a baby DOES change you, oh yes it does. Those people that say, "I'll never let my children become my whole life!" Well, they didn't have children, did they? Because, let me tell you, it happens.

I became a mother, and it became my whole life. They became my whole life. Being part of a non-broken family, a whole unit, for the first time in my life? It consumed me. In the best way possible.

People ask me all the time, "Do you think you'll ever go back to work?" "Don't you miss having your own money?" "Doesn't it feel strange not having anything for yourself?" And I have some answers. I'm not sure...yes...and sometimes. I would like to "go back" to work someday, if the time was right. But I loathe the insinuation that while I'm at home I'm not "working." Because I absolutely AM. I do everything in my physical power to get ALL of the chores that I can done during the week so that we can spend time together as a family when Chuck isn't working on the weekend. That means mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping, weeding, sweeping, etc. I try my best to do literally everything inside of this house that I can think of so that Chuck won't have to do it on the weekend. But I also do a really great job of taking care of my kids. I teach them in so many ways, and take them so many places. They get to take lessons and go to museums and the zoo and parks and playdates. We learn a lot together and I take pride in teaching them in new and exciting ways. So it hurts me when people insinuate that this "job" is easy. Because it isn't. Some days it is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And yes I miss the adult interaction, and yes I miss having my own money, and yes I miss feeling important and appreciated.

But do you know what?

I'm a good mom. And it's my JOB. And I am tired of apologizing for it. I am a Stay-At-Home-Mom, and I am proud of it. I am proud of my husband for making it work for us. I am proud of myself for doing a good job. And I will not feel ashamed of "not using my college degree."

How's that for Advertising? :-)

I might not work for a Fortune 500 company, but I have the greatest fortune I could have ever imagined, and it's 2 sets of bright, shiny eyes waiting for me to show them the world, every single morning. No one brings me coffee, most of the time it gets spilled on me. And it's more than ok. It's Motherhood. And it just might be all the fortune I ever need....