SAHM I am NOT

Let me begin by saying that I LOVE my children. I think everyone already knows that, but I just feel the need to say it as I start this post.

Now, with that said. I am VERY ready to be separated from my children. Yesterday I was off work because Ethan had tubes put into his ears--finally--to hopefully end the constant ear infections he has. He did not enjoy the anesthesia wearing off, and screamed for half an hour. We brought him home and laid him down, and he thankfully slept off the anger. We were surprised to open the front door an hour later and find the ground covered in snow. It snowed, and snowed, and snowed some more. Matt went to get Abby around 3:00. By the time we went to bed, we could not see the grass in our yard for the snow (which is saying a lot, because our grass is hiiiighhh) (not that that's anyone's fault) (though Matt is the designated lawn mower at our house). So today, the U of A was closed, as well as the kids' schools, so we stayed home. Matt went to work for a few hours, and the grocery store. I, however, have not been out of my house--or, come to think of it, my pajamas, since yesterday morning.

On the surface, this sounds like a rare luxury. However. The procedure put Ethan in a less than thrilled mood, so he has been whiny and grumpy most of the time, with the exception of when we have to put his eardrops in, at which point he goes totally postal on us. Abby has been understandably antsy and demanding. I may be a wee bit on the whiny side myself.

I am actually not writing all this to complain, believe it or not. My actual goal is to profess a renewed sense of awe and respect for my stay at home mom friends. For example, my friend Marla has two daughters exactly the age of my kids, and she is with them every day. Yet as far as I know, she has never thrown one of them through a window. How can this be? And my best friend Mandy--she has THREE kids, and many days has all three at home with her. And I know for a fact that she gets dressed and puts on makeup most days. She even runs errands! And checks email regularly! People always tell me they don't know how I handle two kids, a house, a job, and a small business. Pshshshsh! I get to go out to lunch with my friends, and go whole hours on end without wiping anyone's nose but my own. I live the life of luxury. It's the stay at home moms (SAHMs on the nerdy parenting websites) that live a truly selfless, exhausting life. I know there are people out there who think SAHMs lay around all day watching soap operas and taking naps. Those people should be smacked upside the head, or better yet, they should come spend a day in my house with my kids. That'll teach em.