Homemaking or Work Whoring

There are a lot of things I like about being a stay at home mom. 

I like that I am my own boss. I like that I get to spend a lot of time with my children. I like everything about being a mother: nursing my babies, clothing them, doing their hair, reading them stories.  I like watching my children learn how to do things, like walk, talk, sing, wash their own hair, and I get numerous opportunities.   I like looking out my window and watching my birds, looking at my flowers.  I like taking my children out into the world.  We go on outings to the park, zoo, botanical gardens, nature center, library, museums, and visit friends. I like having time for projects: sewing, building things with wood, making bows, and lots of other random things I think of. 

But, as with any job, there are things I don’t like about being a stay at home mom.  Mostly, that part about cleaning. 

It is the part of my job that would be here whether I was a stay at home mom or not, but if I worked for a paycheck, I would hire a maid.  Cleaning is being a work whore.  I know, vulgar.  I need a better attitude.  I know.  Some people call it homemaking. Those are the people I want to be like when I grow up.

The current state of affairs is that there are certain chores I don’t like, and others I don’t like even more, and then some that I hate. On the bright side, there are a few chores I don’t mind. Five chores.

1) watering the plants, 2) taking the trash can to the curb on Tuesday Mornings,3) paying the bills. Weird, but it makes me grateful. 4) preparing the first meal of the day, 5) bathing small children and babies.

Taking the trash can to the curb.  It fills me with purpose.

  Chores I don’t look forward to, but they aren’t so bad:Changing diapers, preparing the second meal of the day, Sweeping, vacuuming, wiping surfaces (windows and counters) cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the bedrooms,

Second meal of the day...not bad.

Diapering, someone's gotta do it.

Chores I really don’t like, and tend to avoid:
Laundry, washing dishes, taking out the trash, cooking the third meal.  A basic rule of thumb is the more I have to do that thing again, the more I don’t like it.

Laundry, again. Forever.

Third meal of the day...ughhh...

Chores I detest and avoid at the expense of myself and others:

Putting clothes away.  This chore compounds monotony with my lack of organization skills, so it is the WORST! But, the most costly, is avoiding calling people in regards to finances. "Hi Comcast, I want you to lower my bill again."  "Hello hospital, let's make a payment."  "Hello student loan institution, let's chat about option." This one doesn’t follow the rule.  I don’t know why I hate it so much.  But, I assure you, I do.  

I need a Coke.