What does a stay at home mom do all day....

Wars have been started around the question; "What does a stay at home mom do all day"?
Of course it depends on the context and tone of person asking said question. And, WHO is asking the question can have a lot to do with the response you might get as well.

The short answer is; A LOT

But I have to wonder what the "right" answer is....Like, in the minds of the people asking what exactly are they looking for. I want to ask; "What do you think we do all day" OR  "What items on your checklist would I need to complete to cause you to view me as worthy and successful"

If that checklist includes the following then I'm golden:
-wearing pajamas or leggings all day
-making culinary delights such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
-watching Octonauts for the thousandth time
-coloring
-using imagination to create elaborate story lines for plastic dinosaurs
-engaging in a nerf gun war
-going to the bathroom with an audience
-getting a gym membership strictly for the one hour of child care
-cleaning the entire house to have it undone in five minutes
-snuggling on the couch
-taking a nap when my child does because that is genius
-catching up on Netflix when child is napping to keep sanity
-doing laundry for the umpteenth time
-ingesting copious amounts of coffee
-teaching ABC's and 123's

Get it...these are all the cliché things moms do. I know, I am so original! Of course the list goes on and on and I can list all the sweet mushy things too like: raising a human being, instilling patience and virtue, inspiring my child to discover his inner self... At the end of the day we stay at home moms do what ALL moms do. We take care of our children. And that looks different every day. Some days a lot gets accomplished and some days are lazier. One is not better than the other; just different.
The end result is the same. Our children feel safe and loved and are clothed and fed.
NOTE: some days he is in jammies all day, just sayin. And you should know that some days I am a gourmet in the kitchen and I pull off a healthy and delicious meal, and other days its goldfish and pizza. I have no shame about this.   

The point is; we provide and nurture in more ways that a silly list can capture. Moms shouldn't have to justify our days away to ourselves or others.

I am learning to embrace this truth. After working outside the home for the last two years I sometimes cringe when people ask what I do...Like I am afraid of what they will think. Its not fair for SAHM moms to vilify working moms while making themselves out to be martyrs, and likewise it's not fair for working moms to insinuate that SAHM are lazy or less important while they are out "doing it all". We all make choices based on necessity and what is best for our families, we need to own it and stop comparing. We need to stop being envious of what the other has and be grateful for our own individual situations. Sometimes I think it is our own self doubt and guilt, and sometimes even jealousy that causes us to be haters.  A brilliant woman named Amy Poehler recently wrote a book called Yes Please 
She wrote about women on women crime and it was right on. Here is a little excerpt and a lesson we can all take to heart!

1. Good for her, not for me

“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again,” writes Poehler. This applies to anything from the debate on birth plan to breastfeeding and staying home versus going to work. “We torture ourselves and we torture each other [over the different choices we make], and all if it leads to a lot of women-on-women crime.” So next time you find yourself “struck over the head by someone else’s crap”, try taking a breath and remember: “Good for her, not for me”. 
Lets put a stop to Women on Women Crime!
Click here for other life lessons from Amy

How sad is it that mom's on either end of the spectrum feel they have to defend their choices. Comparisons are dangerous, they do nothing but divide and separate. They make us hyper aware of our differences instead of the ways we are the same. It's not healthy and there have been all kinds of posts and articles about competition among women and mothers especially. I don't think I have any other astonishing revelations that haven't been discussed to death, so, in the spirit of owning my occupation with no shame or justification needed the highlight of my day today was building and creating the most awesome lego ship/boat ever. The smile on my 3.5 year old's face was all the proof I need that I did a job well done today.

Tomorrow maybe the highlight of my day will be teaching quantum physics to my son!

Go on someone, say something! Please, someone tell me the window idea opening out of the floor was pure genius!

Okay, because I am so proud I even took pictures at different angles. Thats how excited I am that I built this! Also, when Landon's 5 year old friend came over to play I victoriously showed him what I made. I know...I am a sad, sad nerd. But no adult is going to grasp the excellence of this so I have to rely on children to match my level of excitement. It actually gets worse....I couldn't wait for my husband to get home b/c he is normally the lego master but I was afraid the kids would break it so when they were distracted I took it to keep it safe. I may actually glue this together and enter a lego building contest (just kidding).

Side shot

Yes, that is a gun on the front, there is even a space for the shooter to sit

Look at that prop! The artistry is too much!

Okay, sorry. I got a little carried away. Tell me the highlight of your day! Remember...no shame!

One of Those Days...

"She turned to the sunlight 
               And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:
               Winter is Dead." 
-A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Buds, its proof!

I don't actually know if Winter is dead since today it is 35 degrees. But hey, I'll take a sneak peak day anytime. I read somewhere that sometimes the difference between the first day of Spring and the first spring day can be months. I am ecstatic to say that according to my calendar Spring is two days away. I just hope I don't have to wait another month for the seasons to catch up to my calendar.

Yesterday was one of those days, it was THE perfect day. Those don't come around nearly enough so when they do I like to soak them in like so much sunshine. It was a carpe diem kind of day. Landy and I had a day filled with sweet adventures that I never wanted to end. I took lots of photos so that someday I can say; "see what we did Landy, see where we went, we were so happy and free." Because we were, and my heart was so full, and I imagine if our day could have had background music playing it would have been;

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me down
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day

If I were a diabetic I would have died from the sweetness of it all. Seriously...

The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing. 

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: 
When it is Summer in the light and Winter in the shade."
-Charles Dickens 

Oh, and did I mention the Spring Fairies were flitting about. Okay, so I know there is no such thing as fairies BUT Landy doesn't know it and having fairies just made the day so much more magical. There were really just hundreds of milkweed seeds floating around but it was amazing!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/forestcat/6457208067/

See, just imagine you are in a big open field and this is all around you! You might get a little giddy too. Landy does tend to bring out my inner child so that could be it too, I just got caught up in the moment I guess. 

It was one of those days where you can't hardly stand to be inside. It's like the sun calls you by name and you know something great will happen if you listen. Sometimes you have to look for adventure and sometimes it has a way of finding of you. Honestly, one could argue that everyday is an adventure with a 3.5 year old! 

Soon the browns and grays of this Winter canvas will give way and the colors of Spring will have their way and paint a new and different picture. I'll sort of maybe miss Winter..... it really does make Spring and Summer all the sweeter. So, thanks for that Winter. Also, your landscape it beautiful too in its own special way! 

I want more perfect days so that is my quest. To find something special and wonderful about everyday. I want Landy to grow up seeking adventure and to develop an eye for the the beautiful things in life. They really aren't as rare as we sometimes think. If we change our perspective and focus I think life would be so much sweeter. 

Because really, every ordinary day has the potential to be; one of those days.

"Discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes."
-Marcel Proust

He says it simply and perfectly! I wanted to share my perspective of an ordinary day that became one of those days!

Who doesn't love a picture of a boy and his dog!

There is this really neat bamboo forest near our field and sometimes there are stray pieces of bamboo. They are more like small trees. Anyway, Landy LOVES to show me how strong he is! 

Boys will be boys!

He-Man

We decided to take pictures of everything beautiful we saw. Of course Landy pointed out lots of things that my eyes missed. I love his perspective!

The kid LOVES moss, it is actually quite pretty!

This was a Landy pick! I actually saved the photo as "diseased tree"!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm glad he opened my eyes and helped me see.

This is his "beautiful" rock that we added to his treasure chest.

I LOVE trees covered in ivy!

Proof that spring is coming, this bush is no longer "naked"! (Landyism)

Maybe I'm weird, I thought this was stunning!

I love finding pockets of colors hidden! These are fairy berries according to Landy!

These next photos are real and candid. It's like he was so in-synch with how I was feeling about our day. When he decided to "soak up the sun" I knew I had to capture these special moments!

Sun Ray Kisses are Magical!

C'mon, he is too perfect!

Love his squinty sun eyes!

Some see a seed, and some see a fairy....

We ran around laughing and capturing tons of these. Of course we then set them free wishing them well on their journey!

He was so gentle! 

Magic

Beautiful

The rest of our ordinary day was extraordinary! We finished off the night with a fire and s'mores! And of course lots of love and kisses!

They were as delicious as they look!

The loves of my life!

Mmm, I'll take these mouth kisses while I can still get them!

Perfect ending to my perfect day!

 I hope all my friends and family can make ordinary days extraordinary!

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."
-Aaron Rose

Children see magic because they look for it. -Christopher Moore

An Adventure of "Epic" Proportions

I love to do ordinary things with Landon, BUT...I like to tell him the ordinary thing we are doing is an adventure. Because if I say thats what it is then to him a trip to the library is a thrilling event, a trip to the grocery store is an expedition, and an afternoon walk through the woods becomes an epic experience. The power of persuasion is really a blessing when you have a toddler!

 If there is one thing I want Landon to be able to do someday when he is grown and silly adventures are behind him, is to look back on his childhood and remember with great fondness all of the everyday magical experiences we shared together.

I was recently reading through the journal I started for Landon when I first found out I was expecting him. I highly recommend this to moms. I am so glad I have it now. Things you just "know" you will never forget become distant memories and you don't even realize it! Our brains can't possibly soak up and retain all of the cuteness that is our children. Kids change so much in the first year if you don't document those moments they can easily be replaced with new moments. Over the course of a lifetime thats a lot of replaced footage. Its not an all together tragic thing but I can tell you reading through the things I thought about at the time made me realize how fast time goes and how easily we forget. I was reading things and thinking to myself; "oh yeah, I forgot all about that". Some day I plan to give the journal to him, there are silly notes and drawings, and heartfelt words that Im so glad I have recorded. I don't write in it as often as I used to. The older he gets the farther spaced the entries seem to get. Ha, I can't imagine what adding another child to the mix will do. Anyway, on one of the pages this was my entry. It seemed so perfect for this entry....

7/20/11 
27 Weeks & 3 Days

Hi baby, 

Daddy's sister Fonda asked me what I was most looking forward to about being a mother. I wanted to share this with you. As of now I am most looking forward to seeing the world through your beautiful and innocent eyes. I already know you will teach me so much about myself and the world.

It amazes me how little this statement has changed over the years. Seeing the world through Landon's eyes still remains my favorite thing about being a mom. It is really what inspired me to write this blog. Landon has taught me what the truly important things in life are. My priorities and goals have changed as well as my outlook on things. Landon always takes the time to stop and smell the roses, its one of my favorite things about him. He is a noticer of people and things. I think it is a gift and I hope he doesn't lose this part of himself as he gets older.

Back to our ordinary walk in the woods EPIC adventure!

We recently checked out the movie "Epic" from our local library. He had never seen it and secretly I wanted to see it as soon as previews for it came out.
Disclaimer: This movie is several years old so I am reporting "old news". 
The movie was everything I imagined.  It was magical, whimsical, full of adventure and comedy. It was really a beautiful story. When I was a kid the movie "FernGully" is what I would liken it to. In any event its really a story about good and evil (aren't all stories). There are these sort of enchanted creatures, there are the "Leafmen"; protectors of the forrest (protagonists) and of course in any good story you must have some sort of opposing adversary (antagonists) to make things interesting. In this case the bad guys are called "Bogans". Before I get off on a full blown movie review let me get to the point.

Landon LOVED the movie and watched it over and over! Landy and I love to go for walks in the woods near our house. Its kind of our thing. When you are a SAHM you find ways to do convenient and free things, sometimes it just takes a little imagination. So, I thought it would be fun to go hunt for evidence of Bogans. Landy was totally down for it. He said we were going to be like the father and daughter duo of the movie and have an adventure. It makes my heart happy that he has an innate appetite for adventure. We made our way to the woods and it was everything I imagined and then some. Of course its cold now so the woods aren't exactly beautiful, there are mostly brown leaves covering the forrest floor and lots of grays and browns, the colors that define winter here. I actually think winter is beautiful in its own way, it's just an acquired taste! In any event we found evidence of battles between the Leafmen and the Bogans.

Suddenly, the broken tops of acorns became the shields used in the conflict for the forrest's destiny, small broken sticks became the arrows used in war, and broken nuts (?? I really don't know what they are) became the helmets of battle. We collected all of these treasures to take home and show Daddy. Landon was so excited and proud. We decided the Leafmen must be hibernating and that winter is really the season for Bogans. Now Landy can't wait for Spring so we can go back! There was even a tiny brook flowing through the woods, leaves became boats that would take Leafmen across the water, the green moss peaking through the dead leaves was evidence that the Bogans hadn't completely taken over, and broken stumps were seen as enchanted castles. We also saw a dead squirrel... It was actually pretty gruesome. I told Landy the evil Bogans did it and come Spring the Leafmen would make things right..... Really, because I am warped I imagined it was the handiwork of a future serial killer. I know, thats crazy. It kind of freaked me out and I was prepared to fight off any poor soul who happened to wander by. Alas we had the woods to ourselves!

Here are some pictures of our magical findings. For your viewing pleasure I left the squirrel out.

So this is a Leafman!

This is a nasty Bogan!

Evidence

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

 I didn't set out on my adventure with Landon thinking I would later write about it. However, it left such an impression on me and I just knew I had to share it. Sometimes being a grown up sucks! There is a reason we have coined phrases like; "Oh to be a kid again", or "Oh to be young again", and one of my favorites "If I knew then what I know now". The messages conveyed are the same; We all just need to take time to stop and smell the roses! We should live in the present and really drink it in. Whatever stage of life we are in we should be present and engaged. Looking backward and even looking forward can cause us to miss things around us now. Those phrases are also reminders that time flies by and that we should revel in our childhood and youth. Thank God for the gifts of children. Its almost like as parents we get to go back in time and relive a little bit of our youth. We try and make experiences magical for them and in a small way they become magical for us too. Who doesn't love to see a kid's face light up with joy? In reality parents go to ridiculous ends to make things special for their kids. I mean, have you seen all of this Elf on a Shelf business? All to convince our little ones that the magic of Santa is real! I think the parents enjoy it as much as the kids.

Or what about those insanely creative parents who stage their kids' dinosaurs in real life scenarios just to prove their really is such a thing as magic!

This is amazing!

My favorite!

What...Operation, thats old school!

This. is. glorious.

 Okay, I am getting carried away with sharing these images, they are all so good. Check out this link to see more: http://petapixel.com/2013/11/21/parents-keep-kids-imaginations-alive-creative-dinovember-project/

Sidenote: I am listening to Pandora and naturally I chose "Epic" Sountracks Radio. Can I just say in the last 10 minutes I have been treated to Jurassic Park AND Star Wars!

I guess if I had to have a takeaway it would be for all adults to desperately search for and find your inner child. Try and see the world through their eyes and I promise finding your inner child will be a piece of cake. Life really is so much more fun that way. Thats it in a nutshell!

I'm off to have more Epic Adventures!