I am a Stay At Home Mother

I am a stay at home mother. I bring home zero dollars and zero cents every pay period. It isn't because I don't work. I actually work very hard. I could give you the same old stay at home mom speech we have all heard before. About the time off that I never ever get. How sick days and holidays are still work days. In fact they are the days I work a considerable amount of overtime. I could tell you how I am constantly multitasking or how I never sleep. I could tell you that it gets lonely. If I worked outside the home I would at least be guaranteed an adult conversation and a chance to go to the bathroom without little fingers sticking under the door.  I could tell you how hard it is to be a stay at home mom.
But the truth is no matter how you do it being a mom is hard work.
Instead I just want to say- it is my greatest honor and privilege to stay home with my son.  The work I am doing now, the position I hold as a mother, is the single most important job I will ever have. I am both proud and humbled to be able to do it full time.
This morning I was pretty angry over President Obama's public shaming of stay at home mothers. A quick look around the world wide web will show you I am not the only one who felt this way.
But then I spent the day with my family. Tonight I will going to bed feeling nothing but grateful.
Sorry Obama it might not be, "a choice we want Americans to make" (I don't know who this "we" is. I didn't get a vote) But it is the choice I have made. The choice my family has made. Without a doubt the most rewarding choice we have ever made.

10+30+14

Tonight in the split second between taking Jacks diaper off and putting him in the tub he peed on the floor. Then he immediately stuck his foot in the puddle and started spreading it around. When I said, "Jaaack ewww" he laughed so hard he peed some more.
Bed time can be rough around here. Jack get this crazy burst of energy right before he gets super tired and grumpy. We are always trying to time dinner, bath, playtime with dad, and bed just right to prevent a melt down.  It doesn't always work. It hardly ever goes smoothly. And sometimes there is pee on floor.

Family Night: Pumpkin Carving

Can you believe that Halloween is Friday?? Time is just zooming by but we have been able to squeeze in a lot of October fun.  Tonight was the big night. We carved our pumpkins. Jack painted his. And helped me gut mine. Well he mostly played in the guts. Oh and tried to put them back in the pumpkin.

 Parker's finished product:

My finished product:

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Frosting

A couple days ago Jack frosted two Halloween Cookies and then his entire body.

 Let them be little. Let them be messy.

The Dragon Suit

I had really great intentions of making Jack a "Wild Thing" costume because he adores the book Where The Wild Things Are. But … I am lacking certain skills oh and a sewing machine. So maybe some year down the road. Maybe. But this year we settled on a costume from Costco. And I have to tell you, I feel pretty great about that decision. 

We were standing by the costumes and I was trying to decide between a dog and a monkey when Jack Vincent got a hold of the bright green Dragon costume. I know I could have taken it away and a while later he wouldn't have remembered. But he was so excited. Even though I thought it was random and well kind of dorky we went with it. 

He wears it everyday. 

He knows that I keep it in the bottom drawer of his dresser. He will pull it out and I will help him put it on. Sometimes he only wants to wear the feet and the head. But he really loves wearing it. He wants to wear his dragon suit and play on his rocking horse. He wants to wear his dragon suit and chase Daxter.  He wants to wear his dragon suit to sit and read the book Dragons Love Tacos. He wants to wear his dragon suit and watch Elmo.

He would sleep in the dragon suit if we let him. 

I love my little dragon. 

He was pretty excited to wear the dragon suit out and about for our Halloween test run. We met up with some cousins to see some pretty spectacular witch displays and Jack had a blast. He loved all of the kids is costumes. Halloween is going to be so much fun. 

Walking Side by Side

There has been a big change since Jack started walking. Or maybe it has been happening slowly and I just couldn't see it clearly until he was walking. Either way everything just feels different.

I used to feel like I would take Jack places. And he would sit on my hip and be adorable. But now I feel like Jack and I go places together. We hold hands and walk around side by side.  I used to feel like it was time to feed Jack lunch. And now I feel like it's time for Jack and I to eat lunch together. All of the sudden it went from me watching Jack play to playing with Jack. 

It really isn't just the walking. He is so interactive lately. He still isn't saying real words but he has no problem communicating. He went through some massive crazy growth spurt and just looks older. 

There is no doubt we have crossed over the line from baby to toddler. 

I didn't know it would feel like this. Like all of the sudden instead of having a little baby I have a little buddy. It is pretty dang awesome.  When he took off walking it didn't just change how we got to from point a to point b. The dynamic between us changed.
Part of motherhood for me has been a lot of wondering. Wondering how I'll handle situations x y and z. Wondering how I will feel when this or that happens. I often wonder how I will feel when Jack is grown. 

My mom is always telling me that each phase gets better and better. Children become more and more fun as they grow. And I really believe her. The reason why a squishy little newborn is so precious is because you can sense all of the great potential in that tiny little being. 

I feel really good about Jacks literal first steps towards independence.
Now I can wonder a little less. I know a little bit more about how I handle this whole mom thing. I am not going to be the mom that tears up at every milestone. And I'm ok with that.
I love that he is walking. I love that he is enjoying new things. I love seeing what he drawn to and where he goes when he wanders off.
Plus he was kind of getting heavy.

Pumpkin Picking

Yesterday we picked out our pumpkins and had some fall themed family fun.
We watched a pig race. And a goat race. Parker won a prize.
We rode a cow train pulled by a tractor.
We slide down big slides.
We ate funnel cake and Jack discovered the wonder that is fried dough.
We let Jack pick out his own pumpkin. He wanted a wide flat one. We could not interest him in any other pumpkin. And there were so many pumpkins. So we brought home the one he chose and I am glad we did because he keeps giving it hugs today.

"The family that plays together stays together." Sometimes we all have to get in on the fun.

Parker met us straight from work. Most of the night he was the man behind the camera. He pulled Jack all over in that little wagon. And Jack loved it. 

And when he wasn't in the wagon he was running away. This is our life lately. Jack runs, we chase. 

Here are our pumpkins all lined up at home. 

I think I am going to let Jack paint his. Don't worry I will post pictures. If you don't know, Parker gets really really into carving pumpkins. He has done some pretty cool ones over the past few years.  I am pretty excited to see what he comes up with. 

It was a beautiful evening with great company and nice weather. I love this time of year. I really do.  I love the L.M. Montgomery quote you see floating around this time of year because Anne said it best, 

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers"-

Anne Of Green Gables