Stay at home, Mom?

Recently, Jeremy was teasing me about being a stay at home mom. He said, "For a stay at home mom, you really aren't home much." And, he's right, I'm not. I like to be on the go, doing something. We don't have many mornings that are here at home, with no plans. Some of my friends tease me about getting together. They tell me they have to schedule a visit weeks in advance. Sadly, this is fairly accurate. Today, I realized why. I think there are three reasons.

The first: Chores. When I'm home, especially unexpectedly, all the chores I could be doing, stare me in the face. There's always something to clean, put away, or tidy up. I do try to just play with the kids. I do! But it never seems to last long, and there I am cleaning again. Add to that, the chores I do try to do, take me three times as long! There are constant interruptions, Mommy I want this, Mommy I need that, Mommy-WAAAAAHHHHH!

Second: My previous life has conditioned me to be busy. For many years, I had a career outside of the home. There, I was rewarded for staying busy; multitasking, and getting things done. To sit idly by and just play all day is so foreign to me. Even after three years of it.

Third: Loneliness. I miss adult conversations! Even if it's about laundry, cooking, or what happened at the grocery store, I need to talk to other adults. This is one of the main reasons I went looking for a mom's group three months after Derick was born. I was soooooo lonely. I'm thankful for my Mommy friends. And on days like today, I am all the more reminded of how much they mean to me!

So, I guess the truth is, I'm not so good at the staying home part of a stay-at-home job. It's just not as easy as it might look!