I am addicted to the internet. And especially iPad apps.
There I said it. That is the first step. But wait, I refuse to stop.
I have a Facebook personal page and a Bell On Heels fan page. I tweet. I Instagram. I troll Pinterest.
I adore watching Jimmy Fallon clips on You Tube and sometimes I read books on my Kindle app.
I search real estate sites because my home is listed on the market and a girl has to be ready when THE offer comes.
I read blogs on Mamapedia, BlogHer and BlogLovin.
I shop for children’s clothes at Gap.com. And all those other trendy children sites.
Amazon and Zappos: Words cannot express my love for you. Together for life.
I check the weather forecast on Weather.com.
I chat with my fitness friends on My Fitness Pal.
I reserve my kids movies on Redbox.
I watch the news on an app.
I look up words on Dictionary.com. I love Wikipedia.
I have a Walgreens app, a recipe app, Shutterfly and The Bleacher Report.
I frequent Web MD so I can diagnosis myself with every disease and disorder known to man. Don’t act like you don’t.
When I am not doing any of that I like to play Song Pop or Quiz Cross. And I have even been sucked into a home design game that I play with my daughter.
I am extremely in touch with the world and everything I could possibly need to know is right at my fingertips.
I still manage to have time to write blogs. Play with my kids. Clean house. Cook meals (kinda cook meals anyway). Do laundry. Pet my Yorkie. Chat with my mom on the phone. Go to school parties. Shop for groceries and supplies. Clean out the car. Talk to a passing neighbor. Meet the girls or the hubby for lunch. Exercise.
Sometimes I even brush my hair. Put on a little makeup. Paint my toenails. Read a good book. Catch my favorite shows. Touch up the paint on the walls. Clean the windows. (Now I am just lying. I NEVER do that last one).
My grandma raised four kids without modern-day technology. If she wanted to know the temperature outside, she WALKED OUTSIDE. If she needed the latest news, she waited until the 6 o’clock news came on and sat down to watch. If she wanted to know what was going on with her friend, she picked up the phone and CALLED.
Sometimes I feel guilty for being a stay at home mom. Especially now since my kids are all in school, at least three days a week. Shouldn’t I be doing more?
My hubby works hard so I can be here for our kids and take care of everything on the home front. Well except for mowing the grass. I have a husband and three sons. I will NOT be doing that again anytime soon.
I am in a transition phase. My kids are getting a little older. I am no longer carrying around a baby. Or changing diapers. Or arranging play dates.
I do however make up for all of that with homework. My goodness the homework. Reading, sight words, math facts, websites, studying, projects; there is a lot to do after school these days. That is after we get home from all the after school activities.
Now it seems that I have a morning rush and an evening rush. But what about all of those hours in between? Is it normal to start feeling lost? Like what if you aren’t pulling your weight? Why do I feel this way?
My grandmother became a seamstress working from home as her kids got older. I guess she reached a point where she needed to feel more useful again. As an aside you do NOT want me sewing anything for you. Ever.
I stopped working in 2005. I had one baby and one on the way. I didn’t know exactly what staying at home meant but I was willing to give it a try. I was a career woman. Or at least I thought I was anyway.
Now I am in the phase where I deliver the kids to school in my half crazed condition due to all of the racing around trying to get them ready and actually in the car. Then I go pick them up in the afternoons. As soon as they step into the car, the fighting and the fussing begins. Stressful.
Then it is off to activities and classes, supper, homework, baths and bed. It is the definition of insanity.
But what about all of those hours in between? Sure there are always things that need to be done when you have a family. I can always find something to do. (Except mow the grass.)
I know this seems silly to some because after all I am able to stay home with my kids. There are mothers out there who are trying to figure out how they are going to feed their children this week. But I can’t be the only one who has felt this way.
Life is full of transitions. I didn’t know how to be a wife until I was one. I didn’t know how to be a mother until I was one. Now I am learning how to be a stay at home mother with kids in school.
I do get to write blogs. Which I adore. I do like to write. I love to write. Maybe I could try to do more of that. A book maybe. Even if no one ever reads it.
AND just like that. As I write this blog. I get a call from the school. My son just threw up. So THAT is why I am here. I am on standby. Ready to swoop in at a moments notice when I am needed. Ready to go be mom.
So I will go pick up my son from school. I will bring him home to care for him. I will hold his little bucket and tell him that everything is going to be okay.
I am still needed during the day sometimes after all.
What about you? How do you roll with the changes of being a mother? Kids grow up. Even though we beg them not to. Life is all about the changes.
Fighting the public health threat of counterfeit medicaments
You could be writing about me, except I do mow the lawn and wash the windows. Great post..
Thank you!
I really enjoyed reading this! My girls are 18 and 22 and I was a partial stay at home mom (I substitute taught on occasion). I had dial up internet, no Pinterest, Facebook was just beginning and I was addicted to Days of Our Lives on NBC. I folded laundry, made great dinners, and helped with homework. I loved every minute of my life and so did they. Enjoy your precious time and have fun with YOUR days-they will come to an end and then you have to recreate yourself 🙂
I also have struggled a lot with feeling guilty about the “down” time when the kids aren’t home. Even with various part-time jobs that keep me busy when the kids are at school, I struggle with feeling guilty. But then, I felt guilty when I was a working full-time mom, too. I think most women just tend to feel guilty all the time, no matter what.
Krissy I am convinced that you are exactly right. It doesn’t matter what we do.
I know better than to think you are just sitting around doing nothing while they are in school. You never stop from the time your feet hit the floor until bed time only difference between SAHM and working mom is we have to leave the house to work and then come home to do more and you stay there do to the work 24/7!
I’m afraid to stop. I would never be able to get the reigns back if I did. Thanks for noticing
What down time? This is the 1st year that I’ve had all three of my kids in school 2 days a week and just one home on the other 3. I have lists of things to do that I never get finished. Between normal stuff like laundry, dishes, and keeping the house straightened, I also have vegetables from the garden or CSA to prep to eat, freeze or can, consignment stuff to organize, take pictures of, post and sell, meetings with people buying said items, organizing the finances/budget/snowball spreadsheets, paying bills, shower, PTA treasurer business, medical issues to research for Annie, schedule appointments for family dental and other medical services, exercise, tanning (required for psoriasis treatment), sorting through kids’ clothes at the beginning of each season to see what fits, shopping for clothes to fill in the gaps, taking kids to doctor’s appointments, gosh, I could probably go on, but it’s getting too long. Does it get better when all 3 are in school 5 days a week? Maybe I’ll have time to work on home projects too like repainting the marked up walls, cutting coupons, cleaning the house, etc. Or maybe I’ll find some time to read a book here or there. I’m so glad to be a stay at home mom. NONE of this stuff got done when I was working full time. Working full time with kids is STRESSFUL. Hang in there, those of you who do it. I was there and didn’t handle it very well.
Very true Mandy. Very true.
Now I am TIRED! So ,why do you have big screen TV’s ? Jk! LOL! I just don’t know how my mother, (and Us, her wonderful children) made it without all this technology!!!!
It’s true Pam! I would go nuts!
I truly wish I wa able I be a stay at home mom. Last Friday my son had his Halloween party (on nov 1). I couldn’t go. This Friday is his Veterans Day program and I can’t go. He looked at me this morning with big tears in his eyes and asked why I could never come to his stuff. I wanted to cry. How do you explain to an 8 year old that if he wants food mommy has to go to work? I finally just asked him how sad he was when his favorite teacher was not there? Then I explained that on Friday I am everyone’s favorite because I teach iPad lab. He laughed and said ok but I had better come to the Christmas party!
I’m sure it is awful to look into those eyes Wendy. I had a working mom too. She had to work so we could eat. Here’s to the moms who bring home the bacon and fry it up!
For the past two weeks this feeling has been plaguing me. Not really a lot I can ‘help’ Kyle with on the house right now because I don’t do scaffolding or drywall work. LOL There are plenty of projects I could start. Plenty of sewing that I would like to do too, but my creative side is a little fatigued. I’ve decided to look for a part-time job just to get me out of the house, and to feel a bit more useful during that down time.
At least now, you still have them after school and on weekends…. The horror starts when they all grow up and leave the nest. Don’t mean to put a damper on your day, but the sun is not shining here and it sure is drab…. ugh. So don’t feel guilty about being a stay at home mom… see? you are there when they need ya, and this is what being a mom is all about… lol Enjoy it while you can… they will grow up and all so very very soon…
Aww you are so right Annette.