Hear me Roar!

Writing is sort of a sanity saver for me. As a stay-at-home mom, I spend a lot of time using "toddler talk".  Meaning my conversations rarely extend beyond trying to convince my two year old to drink out of a different cup because the orange straw cup is currently being washed in the dishwasher. I might be a good negotiator or drill sergeant, but my opportunities for intellectual conversation are slim.

Have you ever been the wife and mother of young children that watches the clock for your husband's return, upon which time you shake him by the shoulders desperately saying "talk to me!!!"?  That was me.
I say was because I no longer know how to have intellectual conversation nor crave it.
Just kidding! Sort of.
Funny note - my two and four year old say "just kidding" all the time. They parrot what they hear. Perhaps I should start discussing quantum physics. We could impress the pediatrician and the grandparents!

It is fun to see my children mature. My oldest two are six and almost eight and I enjoy answering their questions and explaining how things work.  It won't be too long before I am answering their questions with "I really don't know. We'll have to ask your Dad that when he gets home."
Enter the feeling of complete idiocy.
Why is it that I have felt inadequate because I do not have a degree?  Why do mom's feel pressured to 'be' something when being mom is a 24 hour job.  I have nothing against mothers who work outside the home. As I just said, staying home with toddlers every day is not the most stimulating job.  But when someone asks me "so, what do you do?" I feel kind of foolish saying that I am a mom.  I usually add 'just' in there.  Just a mom.
Just?  Since when is nurturing and raising children just anything.  Becoming a mother was difficult. Amazing. Humbling. Inspiring. And is still a lot of work.
My children are a source of pride, shouldn't my title as their mom be the same?
I am a mother, hear me roar!

And I do take pride in running this ship.  Because being a mom is more than feeding my children and kissing owies.  It's more than doing the dishes and running loads of laundry. It's creating a home. It's being the hub of everything that goes on. It's ensuring that your children are clean, clothed, minding their manners, and taken care of regardless of where they may be. It's about creating family. It's about teaching important values. It's about boundless love.

Being a mom is creating and ensuring our future.
That salesman that made an impression on you? His mother taught him to look people in the eye and smile when addressing them.  That contractor that worked 10 hour days to finish your bathroom on time? His mother taught him the importance of holding to his word. That accountant that saved you from hours of headache?  His mother encouraged him to go to school and do what he loved.

My mother quietly made sacrifices to ensure my wedding day was what I wanted.
Looking through the day's photos, I realized that only a few captured me relaxed and with a true smile -
one of which is this photo, me with my mom.

Mothers and the work they do are important!
Heaven forbid anyone ask me now what it is I do all day.
I am not just a mother. I am a mother. And don't you dare undervalue what I do!