Bi And Large

Yesterday my work as a stay at home mom was demeaned and degraded as obviously unimportant. Someone close to me expressed shock that my work would take any real time or effort; and when I was talking about my day I was abruptly cut off in favor of the tv, with clear indications they could not possibly find my work more boring. Fine. I don't care if my day isn't for everyone. We don't all have to like the same things. But for the love of pancakes, a little deceny and manners please. Basic human respect. And can you please acknowledge that while you might not think that what I do is worth anything, that doesn't mean it is true. I actually do work all day. Big shock I know, but a stay at home parent doesn't just sit on the cuch eating bon bons and watching soap operas. And I actually have skills that I use in my work. My work is creative and actually brings a benefit to my home and my family and my community.

 

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Today I:

 

Woke up

Made coffee

Opened up the house for the morning

Made the kids a healthy breakfast, ensured they ate, and helped them clean up from it

Fed the cat and dog and gave them clean water

Showered and got dressed in a cute but practical outfit for my day

Changed my youngest's diaper and dressed both girls

Got everyone's shoes on, teeth cleaned, and everyone including the 130lb dog in the car (which is filled with gas in preparaton) for an appointment at the vet

Halfway to the vet on a country road through farmland, discover that my oldest really CAN'T hold it until we get there. Think fast, know my way around, find the closest place with a public toilet in a matter of seconds, and get everyone to it in time. Give in to the oldest's protestations demanding her privacy and independance in the bathroom while helping the youngest use a public potty for one of the first times. Watch the clock. Still make it on time, hands washed and everything.

At the vet, spend half an hour simultaneously helping with the procedure by holding and calming the giant dog, haggling with the vet over the cost, and watching the kids as they explore the room full of dangerous equipment

Get everyone home and unloaded, start a phonics project and a nature / science project for the kids, and while I am teaching them I sit down with 5lbs of apples to peel core and chunk. I can peel an entire apple fast without breaking the skin, in one long strip.

Start cooking lunch for the kids including protein, whole grains, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. At the same time, start cooking homemade cardamon spiced applesauce, my own created recipe.

Feed the kids, get the applesauce mostly done, and start chopping vegetables for tonights dinner salad (already planned out and ingredients already purchased in advance)

Help the kids clean up from lunch and wash up, eat a healthy lunch myself of fresh veggies and cheese.

Start cutting chicken breasts (3lbs) while the applesauce cools and the veggies are in the fridge packed neatly to prepare for cooking dinner. I am doubling the recipe because I am bringing dinner to a family in need in my community tonight.

Start the chicken cooking, change diapers, calm children down, get them down for an afteroon rest.

Work with the chicken, vegetables, spices, milk, and create a delicious chicken primavera alfredo from scratch and my own created recipe. Start fettucine boiling.

While pasta is cooking, start a load of laundry and check on kids

Pack cooked pasta chicken primavera into plastic containers and bag up with salad, chopped veggies, dressing and pine nuts, and homemade spiced applesauce. Get the kids up from rest, get them back into the car with shoes on and deliver the dinner.

Help the oldest deal with one of the emotional traumas of being almost-5, which takes about 15 minutes of hysterics to work through.

While we were out earlier, the dog has messed up the kitchen, breaking a good bowl and scattering food and garbage all over the place. Including soup on the living room carpet.

Pick up the pieces of broken crockery, sweep the kitchen floor, wipe up the mess on the tables and counters, vacuum the carpet, then break out the steam vac to clean the soup out of it. Leave no spots and no soap residue to attract more dirt.

Get the kids a snack and sing songs with them

Put on another load of laundry, removing the previous one, folding it, and putting it away.

Start a load of dishes since a number of cooking pots were used this afternoon to make dinner.

Go outside and check on the vegetable gardens to make sure the baby plants haven't suffered too much from recent storms. Plant a new rosebush by the driveway to make the front of the house look cheerful and welcoming. Include root stimulator and the correct fertilizers and soil amendments. It took a great deal of careful consideration yesterday to purchase it as far as the exact color, height, bloom size, etc. and find the exact species I wanted on sale as well. I have worked hard to develop my gardening skills so that expensive and good looking plants in the yard can thrive in my care.

Come in, clean up, sit down with a cup of tea while the kids go outside to play with friends.

Check bank accounts online, manage funds, pay 2 bills that needed attention.

Change sheets on the bed and fluff out the down comforter

Call and make an appointment to take my car in for a service, as it seems to be burning oil

Start another pot of water boiling for the pasta for our dinner tonight

 

And that takes me to where I am now, at 4:50pm.

Is it glamorous? No. Is it high-profile? No. Do I earn top dollar for this work? No. But I do it and I put the effort into doing it well because I love it, and I think it is important. Screw other people who don't recognize that there is value in that.