Thoughts on The Question

"So what do you do all day?"

This is a funny question I've been asked a few times now that I'm a stay-at-home-mama. Well-meaning, but it always catches me off guard. I pause. I think. A bunch of thoughts run through my head. Well, let's see, I wake up at 6 to feed Anna, then I take her for a walk. I change her, put her down for naps, feed her every 3 hours, read to her, sing her songs (scary thought I know), try to think of things to keep her entertained and stimulated. I budget our money. I balance our banking accounts. I pay our bills. I plan, shop for, and cook all of our meals for the week. I keep track of our calendar, all of Anna's doctors appointments and treatment, and our car upkeep.  I run a ton of errands. I do all the laundry. I attempt to clean the apartment [attempt being the key word]. I read up on whatever baby needs are coming next so I'm not clueless (currently it's starting solids). I buy Ben's books and supplies for school. I try to find the best price for things we need. I pray for our family. I get gifts for birthdays, showers, Christmas. I plan all the ins and outs of any travelling we have to do, etc. Ok, you get the idea. I do a ton of stuff every day. In fact, I feel like I don't have time to do it all most of the time! But whenever I try to answer that one question, "So what do you do all day?" I feel like the answers that come out of my mouth always sound silly.

It's a new experience for me, being a stay at home mom. I enjoy it. I think it suits me- I've always been one to enjoy organizing, managing multiple things, and keeping things on track. But I think it's been hard transitioning to how I think I am perceived as a stay at home mom. I guess I think that because I'm not working outside the home, it's assumed that I can't. That I'm not that intelligent because I choose to change diapers all day. That others think it's an inferior position. Or something like that. Crazy, I know. I doubt people actually feel this way. I'm sure it's mostly in my head.

Ok, let's take this example. I meet someone for the first time. Said someone is married but does not have kids. Said someone is "successful". Said someone says innocently, "So what do you do?" I respond, "I stay at home with Anna". Then I swallow my PRIDE. Because my impulse is to say, "I stay at home with Anna, BUT I graduated third in my class and was voted "Most Likely to be Successful", I got into UGA's honor program and graduated in 4 years with two degrees and a 4.0, got a great GRE score, graduated from a top ten counseling program and learned how to do psychological reports in 3 months at my job". Um, HELLO PRIDE? It's like I want to say "Look at me! I AM smart!" Why do I secretly feel the need to prove this?

I've always wanted to at some point stay at home with my children. I think it's one of the highest callings I could have. I never thought that women who stayed at home were "less than." Quite the contrary! So why do I think others think that of me? Ugh. Sometimes I want to take a big ol' hammer to my pride.

So all that said, I've decided that I have lived up to my old high school superlative of "Most Likely to be Successful". I am successful- I have an amazing husband and a beautiful baby girl, and God has directed us to where we are now, which is the ultimate indication of "success"- to be obedient. Life is about pleasing God, not man. I can't wait to have more kids and raise them all! :)

Can anyone else relate to this? Or am I just crazy?

(I found this pic searching for "stay at home mom" and it cracked me up)