Mommy, Come Home ~ A “Veterans” Story

I was very excited when Amy over at The Finer Things in Life asked me to share my story about being a Stay At Home Mom. She has a series of articles about being a SAHM, I have learned tons from reading them. I am what Amy considers a “Veteran” SAHM, because my boys are all in school. I don’t by any means have it all figured out, but I will share what works for us.

While my husband and I were still dating, we discussed having a family and that I wanted to be a SAHM. We both agreed that it just wasn’t worth me working full time, paying day care most of what I made, plus having to buy formula, etc. Not to mention being away from the children.

I worked up until our first son was born, quit my job and stayed home. I wish I could say that I came home and never looked back, never wondered if I had made the right decision.

But, I have…

Our second son was born 2 1/2 years later. I continued to stay home, thinking I would return to work when the boys went to school.

When our third son was born, he was diagnosed with Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome. I wasn’t sure what the future held for us, but I knew that I would need to be available for him and the other boys. By the grace of God, and awesome Doctors, Casey is just fine. (I will share more about his Syndrome another time)

I wish I could tell you that it was an easy decision to stay home or continue to stay home. I think the major decision to consider is, what is best for you and your family. I have continued to stay home (with the exception of a few part-time  jobs here and there over the years) because it works best for our family. I enjoy being home, cleaning, cooking and taking care of  the household chores. I will also have to admit, that my family is very spoiled, they are used to me being home, and even though I don’t hear it much, I know they appreciate the fact that I am home.

I won’t go into the financial part of this decision. But I will add that it has been tough, really tough. We have done without alot, although the boys have everything they need (and most of what they want).  Having the opportunity to be available for them and to make a difference  has been priceless. My boys are well behaved and do well in school. We have discovered over the years, that we spend what we make. The more we make, the more we spend.

With all that being said, what in the world do I do all day with the house to myself?  Well, with 3 boys and my husband, you can imagine the chores I have.

Besides the normal 15 – 20 loads of laundry per week, the 2 (sometimes 3) dishwasher loads full of dishes per day plus pots and pans and hand washing, the picking up, sweeping, dusting, and bathroom duty, taking the boys to and from school, practices and work…I do a lot of cooking and baking for my middle son’s football/basketball or baseball teams (whichever season it is), help with the concession stand, sewing torn uniforms and selling team apparel. I also volunteer at my youngest son’s school some.  And after all that is done, I help my husband with his part-time landscaping jobs, pulling weeds and maintaining flower beds. If that wasn’t enough, I also sew bags and totes that I sell on Etsy and do a little baking for extra cash here and there. And of course I can’t forget my blog! I cook, bake, decorate, write and post for Hoosier Homemade.

Wow, I’m tired now, just telling you about my daily schedule.

The largest impact that I think I make by being home and saving money, is having the time to cook, bake and grocery shop.  I know from experience over the years, that when I’m too busy to meal plan, shop and cook, we end up going out to eat and spending more money than we should.

And even though I don’t bring in a paycheck, I work really hard at my job, I cut our budget where possible by cooking from scratch, watching the deals, signing up for freebies, and couponing.

Everyday I work to “Make Our House a Home.”

Please visit The Diaper Diaries for Things I Love Thursday.