We made it through this marathon week and I am so glad it is over! It hasn't been a bad week, just busy. We got our offices moved last Tuesday night, I am settled in except for hanging my picture and certificates back up. I was so proud of all our guys, they are real troopers and did a good job of being supportive of their wives. We had a really nice time to top it all off.
This week Andrew has been getting the walls in the kitchen finished and tomorrow we are laying the new floor. I have a love/hate relationship with projects. I hate starting them, I hate doing them, I love it when they are finished. I am looking so very forward to my tile floor though that I haven't even started hating the idea of having to do it yet. We have the original hardwood floors throughout our house except in the kitchen and baths. Andrew did vinyl tile in the front bath several years ago *and will probably do natural tile in there over the summer) and we did real tile in our big bath remodel but our kitchen floor has been white linoleum, I hate it, first off because it is linoleum, second because it is white. White floors in kitchens are not much different than carpet in kitchens, real cooks can't deal with them. My new floor is gray and brown. I think it will tie in the black appliances with the red, green, brown and ivory in my kitchen.
Now, on to something that has been on my mind. Prompted by a conversation brought up on facebook, I have to add my 2 cents. The topic: stay-at-home moms vs working-away-from-home moms. This is a bone of contention with me and has been for a long time. I have been both and loved being both and at certain times in my life have been criticized for being either one or the other.
People, get over it! No two people are alike and certainly no two families are alike. What is perfect for you IS NOT necessarily perfect for someone else.
I stayed home from 6 weeks before Robert was born until he was 6. My original intentions were to NOT stay home, however Andrew was transferred to Gettysburg PA just 6 weeks before Robert was born. Andrew and I had discussed before we ever got married that I liked working, I liked being around people and that I would more than likely work even when we had kids. He had different ideas before we got married but he realized my personality and knew I would be better around people than couped up at home. Then we moved and I didn't know anybody and I realized I would not leave my baby with a stranger, thus, I stayed home. I wouldn't have replaced the first couple of years for anything. However, if I had it to do all over again, I would probably have went back to work when Robert was 3. In our family, I think it would have been better for me and him both. He could have handled being with other kids more and I could have handled being with other adults more. I love the bond we have but I seriously believe we would still have it even if we were apart a few hours a day.
I really get upset with people who think their way is the only way. It is not. I love it when I have clients who call me and say, "I stay at home with our three kids, I know I shouldn't but I am not educated enough to have a job that would pay more than I would have to pay a sitter and I like taking care of my kids". I tell them I understand perfectly and I stayed home when my son was little and I totally think it's great if that is what they want to do--and believe me, I understand the not making enough to pay the sitter-- (I have also been known to write their names down on a post it and stick it in my cabinet because someday they will decide they want to go back to work and they are the kind of people I would like to have around.)
There are pros and cons of each side, I hate the lame ones like "my kids eat better because I stay home"-- I didn't lose my cooking skills when I went back to work, I still came home and fixed supper, honestly, I probably did a better job of feeding everyone after I went to work because I had to do a bit more planning before I left of a morning. Life still goes on.
When I went back to work, the guys had to learn to pick up after themselves a bit more, to pitch in and help with the house --Andrew ONCE said, "I did the dishes for you". I said, "nope, you live here too, you did the dishes for US". Nowadays, whoever is home does the dishes and if you are home at 4:00 and nobody else is, you know it's you fixing supper and the other two will appreciate it when they get home.
Let's face it, in today's economy, there are a lot of moms that have no choice but to work outside the home, it takes two incomes a lot of the time just to make ends meet. I am glad that Robert learned that it is okay for both parents to work outside the home and both parents to take care of the home and family.
So, if you have ever judged somebody for not staying home with their kids, try again, it isn't a sin to not stay home. If you have ever judged somebody for staying home--you need to try again too. On top of everything else, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!
My two cents for the day.......glad I am through those years and very, very thankful that I had a job where I could pull off things like going on field trips and being a room mom because I enjoyed getting to do them, but just because I did it doesn't mean everyone has to.
Hello Weekend.
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