It's been a little over a year since I left my job in the corporate world to stay at home full-time with little man.
Life has changed so much over this past year - adjusting to my new career as a full-time mom, new hometown, "new-to-us" house and so many new experiences as our little boy is growing up. I wrote a
"Day in the Life" post back in May 2013 and thought I would follow up with a life update over a year later.
Being a stay-at-home mom is challenging because...
- It gets lonely.
- Some days that sweet toddler boy drives me up a wall.
- Sometimes I get down about being just a mom in a world where most people don't see the value of a mom being at home to raise their children.
- Aside from early morning hours and nap time, quiet time is hard to come by. On the more trying days, I do miss those adult lunch visits and 15-minute coffee breaks I had at my old job.
- Living on one income means less expendable income.
But it's all worth it. Times a million.
- Motherhood is a privilege. I'm not a mom for my own happiness but for God's glory!
- God has provided for us in every need and He has blessed us so much in this new season of life.
- He has blessed me with amazing friendships, both old and new.
- Our toddler boy's hugs and kisses melt my heart.
- I am learning how important it is to find my value in God and to remember that He views my new career as eternally valuable. Shaping souls is not something that should be taken lightly!
- I can find joy in the daily chaos when I remember how much I missed this boy while I worked away from home. There was so much I missed in those 40 hours/week that I was away from E.
- Living on one income is teaching us what really matters in this life and has made us more aware of God's daily provisions. You don't have to be "lucky" to stay at home or financially well off, but it does require lifestyle changes. I highly recommend reading 1/2 Price Living by Ellie Kay.
And, one more thing, listen to the awesome broadcast about
Set-Apart Motherhood! I have heard "just you wait 'til" lines so many times it makes my head spin. In this broadcast, they talk about why we
shouldn't discourage future moms-to-be and young mothers.
A Day in the Life
Granted, I am only one year into being a SAHM and every family has a different schedule, this is a "day in the life" of
our family. Every day differs a little here and there but the basic structure is the same. Is there such thing as a completely predictable day with a little one in the house?
And I guess this is also my answer to the question
"Don't you get bored staying at home all day?". I have been asked that a few times and have a hard time answering because the days seem to blur together. So here it is. I made it a point to write down what we did on Friday :)
Quick answer: No. The list of things to do at home is unending (and so are diaper changes). Now whether I
want to do certain chores around home is a different question :)
Most days my legs feel like lead by the time 7:00 pm rolls around and I just want to lay on the floor to for a quick 5 minutes. But then a toddler attacks me because he thinks that means it's wrestle-mania time. (No complaints about my legs being tired, though. I'm not cut out for sitting all day and I do run a lot, by choice!)
5:30 AM I'm up. Put on my running clothes, let Sully (dog) outside and give him his breakfast, and sit down to read my Bible, do a devotional and pray.
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| A friend borrowed me the "Perfectly Fit" devotional book. It includes a workout for the week and daily devotionals! |
6:15 AM Slip on my running shoes and watch. Grab my iPod and out the door I go. 45-minute run scheduled for today.
7:00 AM Run home, stretch and then hit the shower. Start cooking breakfast. Eat breakfast with my husband and brother-in-law, who stays with us.
7:30 AM Little man usually hears us talking and wakes up soon after. Change diaper, get him dressed and prepare his breakfast.
8:00 AM Wash breakfast dishes and throw in a load of laundry. Get E ready for outdoor play time.
9:30-11:00 AM Off to a friend's house to bake whole wheat English Muffins while the kids play. She is such a talented baker and I was excited to have a baking lesson! Baking was a special occasion today. Most mornings we hit the playground at this time, depending on the weather.
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| Homemade English Muffins |
11:00-12:30 AM Heading home to clean up the house, start on lunch and clothes/diaper change. Throw laundry in dryer (too rainy for clothes line).
12:30 PM The guys come home for lunch break. We eat together and E goes down for his nap. Wash up dishes.
1:00-2:00 PM Free time for mom spent cleaning, writing, reading or working on random projects. Basically anything that isn't easily do-able when E is awake.
2:00-2:45 PM E wakes from his nap, has a quick snack and we're off to the grocery store. We had to buy very important groceries. Milk, peanut butter and two containers of ice cream :)
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| He's such a good grocery helper. |
3:00-4:45 PM A mix of play time, a walk around the neighborhood, and cleaning. Some days, E helps me practice my piano playing for church but his attention span lasts for about 5 minutes.
4:45 PM Start cooking supper. E and I eat supper at 5:30 because we never really know when daddy and uncle will be home. Farming hours are unpredictable this time of the year.
6:00 PM The guys are back home and they eat supper. We all have that delicious ice cream for dessert. Wash dishes, pick up the house and play time.
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| My goofball! |
7:30-8:00 PM Bedtime for E.
8:00-10:00 PM Spend time with Leo, maybe watch a movie or read together followed by bedtime.
Why I Stay At Home
Staying at home isn't about how many loads of laundry you can get done, how many activities your kids are in or how clean your house is. It's about quality time together, making memories and honoring God with our family.
We aren't promised tomorrow and time is something that we can't get back. Spend it wisely.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. PSALM 90:12
What does your daily routine look like?
