The "Real World"

I had two chance encounters occur last week that have been nagging at me since. The first happened earlier in the week. While out for our run, we bumped into someone I used to teach with. After the initial, 'Hey how you've been... can you believe this weather... Your kids are adorable..." She point blank says to me, "So, girl you ready to leave those kids and join the real world again. I'm pretty sure there is an English position open in the fall." I was kind of taken back as it was apparent I was having fun with Lillie and Parker and I had never given the impression I wanted to go back to work. After explaining to her that right now Trev and I have decided that I need to be home but maybe down the road I will consider teaching again, she proceeded to reminiscence about when her now grown children were little. She said she would go crazy just on the weekends being home all day with them and implied that I too am going crazy being home with them all day. Starting to feel myself get annoyed I put on the fake smile, said that I love being with my kids and don't feel crazy at all (which could have been a lie on another day but that particular day we were having a great time!) then ran away from there. As I continued on my run I couldn't help but think how insulting it was that she considered teaching other peoples kids the "real world" but spending all day teaching my own was somehow what? Easy? A cop-out?

The second incident occurred at Wal-Mart later in the week and it involved an old aquaintenance who happens to have kids our kid’s ages. After chatting a bit he asked me how I enjoyed being home with the kiddos and I told him the truth. I love it and even though some days are tougher then others (especially during these cold winter months) we wouldn't have it any other way. Then he says, "So what exactly do you do all day? No offense or anything but don't you worry about Parker's socialization skills and Lillie's separation anxiety" (she's going through a BIG mommy phase at the moment). I actually was tempted to say the first thing that came into my head, which was, "Do you really think "Stay at home mom" means exactly that? We stay inside all day, never come out, never see or talk to anyone and just veg out and eat icecream and cereal all day all while watching Sesame Street and Blues Clues?" But instead I explained how we have a good routine and Parker sees his friends twice a week at church, and we have a preschool co-op with some other friends once a week, and one day we have library and another day we have playgroup. Looking back I wish I hadn't felt the need to justify our decision to have me stay at home but after leaving the scene of the earlier incident, I think I felt like I needed to explain myself.

So why tell of these encounters? Simply, because all of these entries are reminders of the things I would have missed had I went back to work. Our kids are growing up SO fast and I don't want to miss a thing. I know there are people who have to work or want to work and that is fine. I am in no way criticizing that decision. But I am standing up for ours. This works for us. This feels right to us. This is where God wants us at this time. Someday I will have to write about all the things God has taught me during the last 4 years "at home". I am honored and privileged with this once in a lifetime opportunity and as far as I'm concerned the "real world" can wait for me b/c I have some pretty important things I need to do first.