Thank you for my thankless job

They say being a Mother is a thankless job. When all those well-meaning Mothers and Grandmothers are giving this unsolicited advice as you glow with the joy of expectation and pregnancy you only half listen. Sure, you hear them, but dont really believe it. It is when you are being hit in the face with strings of spaghetti from an angry, and apparently not hungry toddler, that the words come back and the "a-ha" moment takes place. Even then though that sleepy toddler half closes his eyes and smiles and sleepy smile and you are back. Thankless? I don't think so. That little "I wuv you, momma" is all I need. It is true. We may not get "Thank you's" for being Mommy but we know we are appreciated and loved.

However, I have the true thankless job: being a working Mother. I can truly say that my children and husband are thankful for my homemade cakes, hair brushing skills, and wonderful tickle monster performances. The thing is the moment I get a phone call or have to turn on my computer they all act like I have not spoken to them in days!

Maybe it is because I work from home or part time. If I had a full time job I drove too there would be less expected of me at home I am sure. I would also have the luxery of leaving the office at the office. That, however, is not the case. I work 20-30 hours a week, from home, on my own business. I also pick up the girls from school, handle any and all doctors appts (and with three kids there are plenty), and run the house. This means I am mentaling working a to do list from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. It is also means that no matter how hard I try to make school hours my main working hours that that is not always possible. I have to answer calls occasionaly and checking my email twice a day really helps me not miss a beat with clients. I cook dinner, sit down with the family, watch everyone play Wii for half an hour and then the moment I step away and open the laptop. . . KABOOM! The world is ending, my husband is giving that look, the kids immediately start mis-behaving. What in the world!!!!

I would like my family to recognize and be thankful for the fact that they did not have to go to daycare today afterschool, that the laundry is done, and those darn chicken fingers were made from scratch! I would like for my husband to be thankful that I am trying so hard to be the perfect Mom and make a significant contribution to the household. That, yes, it would be great if I could be completely tuned in ALL the time but to do that means I would need to give up working. Why cant these people see the big picture?

So Motherhood IS truly it's own reward but there is no appreciation, at least in my house, for being a working Mom. I am looking forward to the day my kids have kids, and they are working their tales off to be fantastic parents, and provide for them at the same time and they get their "a-ha" moment. I know my Mom sure gets a peaceful look on her face everytime I thank her, once again, for putting up with me when I was this age. Maybe by the time I am that old even my husband (of whom I am only mildy complaing because for the most part he is just about as perfect as he can get) will get some perspective. Only time will tell. Until then I guess I will continue to do things like write my blog at 9pm on Sunday Night when a basketball game is on and I cant possibly being doing something for anybody else. Me time. . . work time.

For me . . . flexibility is FREEDOM!

For me. . . flexibility is freedom.

Time may be money but flexibility is freedom. I have three kids, a dog, and husband. All of which need my attention on a daily basis. That is not counting my mom, dad, sisters, in-laws, and friends. I love them all and love being the one they call. I love helping others and being depended upon. I hate having to say no, even though after the third child was born I got much, much better at it. However, even with a few no’s, and a lot of helping hands in my life I am still always running.
Family is priority one for me. I want to be there when the kids get off the bus, I want to eat dinner around the table, and I want to spend long, lazy days with them riding bikes, having picnics, and really immersing myself in their world. I am so lucky to have such an incredible partner in life that loves immersing himself into our family as much as I do.
I know I have made my own decisions and have not done so lightly. My husband and I have both chosen career paths that keep us home more than away. Our goals in life are to raise happy kids in a loving home. To have dinner together, weekends together, to really enjoy being a part of our family. They grow so fast and we are having so much fun. We just want to soak up this really incredible season in our life. This is the way it has always been with us. We tried to get pregnant on our honeymoon. We had no list of things we wanted to do before kids. A family was our list. So truly we are on cloud nine right now. Sure our 7, 5, and 2 year olds keep us busy but we would not have it any other way.
That being said, we still need for me to have some type of income. Bike rides may be free but the bikes are not, nor is the fee to park at our favorite trail, the food for the picnic, and so on and so on. That is why I have chosen to work with Golden Sol. I work when I want and as much or little as I want. This kind of freedom allows me to volunteer in my child’s classroom, go on field trips, and meet the bus everyday without completely giving up my ability to contribute to the household budget and have my own adult life outside of the home.
Flexibility is the keyword for me. With all the people in my life that depend on me I need to be able to re-arrange my schedule every single week. But really, I would not have it any other way. . .

Career Woman, Working Mom, and Preggars

Wow, where do I start? I've taken on this new journey of being a "Career Woman" in June 2009. I fell in love with Golden Sol's natural and organic solution so much that I started my own company, SHADE and, just recently, became part owner in Golden Sol. Through support of my family, a little bit of marketing, and "good-ole" word of mouth, I've got over 100 regular clients in the 7 months SHADE's been up and running. A few of which I've actually helped to start their own mobile airbrush companies and now send client leads to them through my marketing. With 2 young children, Katie 3yrs, Tyler 10mos, and 1 on the way, I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished in such a short period of time. It has taken A LOT of support and patience from my family for me to get my business off the ground. Many times I've left my house, kissing my kiddos goodbye, and my heart has wrenched with guilt on leaving them. Then I quickly remind myself of the lesson I'm teaching them about being able to have a career but keeping your family #1. I feel the spray tanning industry is in the baby stages still and is about to explode, taking place over tanning beds. I actually got started doing this business because I had a very deep skin cancerous spot removed from my breast back in May. My dermatologist told me the reason I had that spot, with how deep it was and it's delicate location, was most likely due to the tanning bed. I haven't used a tanning bed in years. My mission is to educate people on how dangerous tanning bed use is. I'm all for hanging outside in the sun, just use sunscreen and under NO circumstance use the tanning bed. Regardless if you only end up with wrinkles and sun spots or worse, you get skin cancer, it takes on average 5-10 years for these skin issues to appear. That's really scary! Since May, I've had 5 spots removed, all of which have been really deep. With the legislature passing the 10% tax on tanning beds that should at least open peoples eyes to how dangerous these things are.
So far, I couldn't be happier with how I've managed my career and family life. The mobile airbrush industry allows me to do so and I couldn't be more thankful for this coming into my life. Do I need to even mention how great it is to be able to contribute to our household income?! Now I have to be honest, since I am expecting another little one soon, I do get a little concerned on how I will handle everything. Again, I remind myself that my family comes first and nothing matters other than that. The clients, who I've helped start their own mobile airbrush business, will be getting a lot more referrals from me until I get back in to my day to day groove. I don't know how long that will take, but I do know it will be on my terms and what feels right for my family.