My Hard Job

It had been a long day and the daddy-less evening was only making it longer. I had just walked into the kitchen and found Landon and Janae emptying the dishwasher. That is actually a very good thing but, before I had a chance to praise them on their hard working and get-the-job-done attitudes, I was alarmed at the sight of Landon holding a knife up to Janae's head as he lifted it out of the dishwasher.

Now, before any of you well meaning folks gasp and call Social Services for child neglect on my part, be advised to know that I had only turned my back for a second. Traditionally, I take all the knives out of the dishwasher once the cycle has ended and usually, they are put away before any little hands can reach in and grab them. This time, Landon was just trying to make my load easier by getting the knives out before Janae got them instead of making me have to worry about getting the job done.

Sometimes a child's idea of "helping" is anything but helpful.

As I finished unloading the dishwasher and the kids worked on sorting and putting silverware away -- a bit safer project for the little people -- the phone rang. And who would it be but a nice, friendly saleswoman.

Argh. Why do they always call at suppertime??

She wanted to sell me insurance. Had it been life insurance, I probably would've signed up right then and there for Janae. Considering she has a big brother, that just might be a wise investment for her.

But it wasn't life insurance so I wasn't interested. Actually, I wasn't interested in anything except figuring out how to politely say goodbye and hang up the phone.

Her insurance speel was interrupted when she got off talking about kids. She could probably hear my kids in the background and so made a friendly comment. From there, she asked me if I stay at home with my kids.

Yeah, I'm a stay at home mom.

"Do you ever get a chance to just get out and get away from it all?" Was the first question she asked me. "You know... get a break?" She squeaked sympathetically.

I laughed and said that today I had actually done that and was I ever ready to get back home and stay home. I don't call leaving home a break. When I'm on the go, it just seems harder not easier.

She applauded me on the fact that I like to be home and was glad I was happy. I told her I love it and wouldn't want it any other way. To have to be gone working all the time, would be misery for me. And I don't even have to get a degree to do what I enjoy doing.

She told me when her second baby was born, she was home for a little while. It was nice, she said, but she was so glad to get back out of the house and get back to work.

I was dumbfounded.

"But you know," she went on to say, "You as a stay at home mom have a lot bigger work load than I do."

I do???

"Oh yes!" She reaffirmed. "What you do everyday is a lot more work than what I do."

Wow. I never knew that. I always thought a working mom carried a heavy and hard load. But to hear from a working mom that I'm doing the bigger and harder job, was encouraging to me.

So, here I am feeling sorry for all the ladies out there who "have" to work and be gone away from home and away from their kids and away from everything they couldn't wait to grow up to do and they think MY work is harder and heavier.

I love being home and I don't just stay home because I have to; I stay home because I want to.

But I have to laugh because while I sit at home enjoying my husband and and children tonight, that poor insurance lady is calling everyone in the phone book pleading with them to buy her insurance.

And I have the hard job? I think not.