My new favorite things to surf (always changing, never the same month to month it seems!) are photo blogs of everyday life.  I am so inspired by seeing the beauty of everyday life through a camera lens. 

3191: A Year of Evenings

Six One Way: A Year of Motherhood

Noticing Project: An Image a Day in 2008

and a favorite blog, which is now posting photos for 30 days:

Soule Mama: 30 everyday days

Enjoy them!  Even if you're not big on photography, you will appreciate them for making orange peels in the sink and dirty laundry on the floor and messy kids look like ART.  See?  Our messes are art!  We just need to think of them the right way. 

I'm around.  We just hit a little bump in life's road, that's all.  Our 8 year old jumped on a trampoline -- her first jump, within the first 2 minutes that we arrived at her cousins' house an hour from home -- and the jump sprang her too high and too crooked, so she landed on one arm.  The right arm broke at the elbow.

Today we took her into surgery at the hospital, where they placed two metal pins in her elbow to hold it into place until it heals.

Do you ever sigh and just say, "Whew.  It's hard work being a mom!"  I did today. 

by Lori Seaborg 2006

Just a moment ago, my three year old and I enjoyed a laugh together.  Not a little chuckle, but one of those belly laughs that come from deep within and cleanse the soul.  She was crying only a moment before that.  I could see there was no reasoning with my teary gal, so I cried, too, in my best fake sob.  My sob was a little better than hers, she must have thought, so she amped hers up a bit.  Then paused.  My turn!  I cried a dramatic one.  Her turn!  She created a louder one.  My turn....I fake laughed a big Ha Ha Ha!  Her turn.  She fake laughed, too.  Soon, we were both laughing at the same time until we found ourselves in that belly laugh from deep within. 

I love moments like these.

~ Lori Seaborg 2006

"As I sat in the grey bathrobe four babies had nestled against

while they nursed, my brain started clanging this jubilant message:  There are no shackles in this house, this is no jail. 

These kids are your ticket to freedom like nothing you have ever tasted, the kind that is not hinged on TV appearances or

writing for Life magazine or being a size six again. 

It's the liberation that comes from the sheer act of living itself. 

When you stop to be where you are, then your life can really begin."

~ from Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul by Iris Krasnow.

by Lori Seaborg

I was browsing through the site of our online friend, Missey Gray*,  tonight, reading her posts, enjoying her writing, and absolutely - desperately - wishing she was still with us on Earth so we could read about the new baby's beauty and if her son's rash healed and about the tender care her husband is giving her.  Reading her blog, I came upon this gem of wisdom from Missey that all of us homeschooling mothers need to read, reread, and then apply to our lives. 

I sure hope this bit of wisdom from Missey will touch you tonight as it did me.  From her December 19, 2005 blog entry (emphasis mine):

"This is the first year that I have given myself permission to take all of December off from schooling and it has been wonderful!

Anyway, that's why I've been so quiet lately.  We have been enjoying lots of family time this month.  I think a month-long break is just what we needed!  We have played games, eaten pizza, looked at Christmas lights, listened to Christmas music, burned scented candles, tried new recipes, enjoyed family get-togethers, gone shopping (both IRL and online), watched the birds, made Christmas ornaments, and lounged around in our PJ's and slippers as much as possible.  :-D

Life has been so laid-back and relaxed that I don't know how we'll ever get back on track come January, but I'm not going to think about that right now.  I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  For now, I'm enjoying making memories with my family and letting all the worries and stresses roll right off my back.  They'll be there for another day.  But for today I'm going to get my Love Bank filled back up with kisses and hugs and quiet conversations (while making those same kinds of deposits into each of my loved one's Love Banks) and regain the strength to face all those worries and stresses that will still be waiting for me come January.  I think that by then they won't seem so big anymore anyway.  ;-)"

Hug your babies. 

God bless,

Lori Seaborg

* For those of you who do not know, Missey passed away this week from complications after a c-section for their fifth child, Melissa Kate.  She blogged the morning she died.. 

There is something about decluttering that frees one up to do other things. For me, decluttering my house with you for 3 weeks freed me up to get established on regular routines, such as laundry routines and morning routines.  Decluttering also inspired me to whip our homeschooling schedule back into shape.  I've tweaked the schedule and discovered a free online curriculum, Ambleside Online, that seems so very much my style that I think it was a gift from God for me to discover.

I'll tell you why I've had these sudden cleaning and rescheduling urges, and why you haven't been seeing me blog as much ........

Last fall, after Hurricane Katrina came, I was overwhelmed with a desire to help others.  I think it is the missionary kid in me, but I cannot ignore a need such as that, so, with the help of others, our family was able to help a lot of people in Mississippi who needed a "first responder" with first aid, clothing, toiletries, snacks, Bibles, and most of all, a listening ear.   

It is good to help others.

Also in the fall,  I was selected to be a part of a team of writers and speakers for an online women's conference.  It was an honor to be chosen as one of the twelve out of almost fifty applicants (I still cannot fathom why!), and I had grand dreams of getting my books written and speaking with the other women as we traveled across America.

It is good to work with others.

Then, in December and January, things just got plain old rough around here.  "Things" hadn't been smooth anyway -we were affected by the expensive hurricanes, too - but we held onto hope all throughout the fall.   By January, the hope was all but faded and it became a time of sheer survival.  I really mean that - we were so broken and broke that we could, out of necessity, only think of ourselves and how to take care of this little family that God had given us. 

And that's when I remembered something I had learned long ago when I was once overwhelmed:  Even though it is good to help others, and it is good to work with others,

It is good to take care of myself and my family first.

Our recent hard times have made me realize, over and over again, what blessings I have been given in this little family and this house.  I am reminded that God has given me a beautiful opportunity in caring for my husband, our four children, and our home.  It is my pleasure to serve God by taking care of this family first.  When I have done all I should for them, I know He will help me expand my ministry to include others. 

But for now, I have stopped all outside obligations and may continue to blog inconsistently.  When you don't hear from me, you can know that I am thinking about you, but I'm busy getting all of my ducks in the right row again.

by Lori Seaborg

These holidays just do not have to be perfect....these holiday plans do not have to be perfect...I do not have to be perfect...

I am chanting to myself, so I will (hopefully) remember that I , and my holiday plans, do not have to be perfect.

All my St. Nicholas Day plans, the ones I laid out yesterday, went astray. Or awry.  Whatever word best draws a mental picture of plans not working out like they should. 

But, you know what?  I've leared that as long as I tell myself that the day does not have to perfect, and as long as I allow my children and my husband to be imperfect (okay, fine...me, too), I am happy with the day.  But if I dwell on all that went wrong (burnt cookies, extra errands, no brown sugar....), the day was ruined and I am glum.

Things are going to often go astray and awry in a house filled with little kids.  But kids could care less about that. 

What they will remember -- watch out, now, you know what I'm going to say -- is our attitude, whether it be happy or grumpy. 

I'm definitely not speaking from a throne here.  I was a grumpy perfectionist mama earlier today.  It was that thought, the one I just mentioned - that kids remember our attitudes - that straightened me up. 

We salvaged our St. Nicholas Day by making chocolate chip cookies instead of a Swedish delicacy, by reading  Santa Claus, Are You For Real? book (see the left column for a photo of the book and a link to see it), and by eating pizza instead of having a St. Nick tea. 

And our kids are putting out their shoes tonight for St. Nicholas to fill with goodies instead of last night.  I think St. Nicholas will still come tonight.

I guess I'd better go help him do that ......

by Lori Seaborg

I was searching for an article to send to an editor as a "clip" (example of my writing) today, and bumped into the following, so I thought I'd share it with you all.  The "baby" in the post is now 2-1/2 years old.  At the time, we were living in a 1290 sq. ft. house in Florida.

These are baby days in our household. Our little girl, Alyssa Belle,
was born on February 22, 2003. She's about 7 weeks old now and such
a cutie! We are so busy with her. I have had a hard time with being
content with the lack of work I can get done in a day. But time will
fly and Alyssa Belle will one day have as long of legs as her 7-year-
old big brother. Maybe I'll long for these colicky-cuddly days then,
so I'm reminding myself to cherish these days now.

Now that Alyssa Belle is 7 weeks old (tomorrow), already things are
getting easier than they were just a few weeks ago. So, today I
planted my herb garden. Of course, it was planted in little peat
pots rather than in the garden. I'll transplant the little darlings
once they germinate. There's not a chance to go out and hoe for the
plant babies when I have my human baby to tend!

Life these days is all about learning contentment. Either I can moan
and rage at my little, overflowing home and its sandy-soil yard and
the lack of time on my hands -- OR, I can thank God for these four
children blessing my life and make trade-offs in my mind. "Okay," I
say, "no garden in the ground? Let's use pots." "The floors in the
house are almost never clean? Let's make a game of clearing as much
as we can." All day long, I pray for serenity and think of ways to
make this life of mine spin less crazily.

As I tell my children, "Do all things without murmuring and disputing." (a Biblical Proverb)

Now, that's easier said than done!

~ April 11, 2003

by Lori Seaborg, who is still  learning contentment!

This morning I was attracted to the view out the French doors of our river and our back yard. It has been days since we’ve seen sunshine, due to Hurricane Rita’s cloud cover. The sun was shining through the oak and cedar and birch trees, the river was sparkling, the wind was gusting, and the chickens looked as lovely as can be as they roamed among the jungle called “lawn” that needs to be . . .

. . . mowed. Badly. And there are broken limbs that need to be cut out of the trees. The logs that are stuck in the river from the hurricanes, what will we do about those? We can’t canoe until we get their massive selves out of the way. More tropical systems may come our way, like Rita. Oh, just great, look, Rita knocked over the lawn chairs and the tarp is in the neighbor’s yard again. And it is so blasted hot! When is it ever going to feel like late September? . . .

In the middle of those unlovely thoughts came an unexpected one:

“Never complain about anything. Not even the weather.”*

I remembered something that I read a long time ago: We can only have one thought at a time.That seems impossible for us multi-tasking moms, but it is true.We can only think one thought at a time. That means I can either dwell on our hard times and on negative things, or thank God for what I can find that is good.

Once I was reminded of my choice, I decided to again look at the good in the yard, and I thanked God that we are healthy and can do all of those big jobs we need to do. We will have months of lovely weather soon. And . . . I thought with a smile, if it wasn’t “so blasted hot,” I wouldn’t have lemons and tangerines to pick from my trees!

Now, I know that all of you do not have lemons to cheer you up, but you have something!

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite sayings:

“Two women looked through prison bars; one saw mud, the other saw stars.”

Lori Seaborg 

p.s. Both of today’s quotes are from my favorite nonfiction book, Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow. Click here to view the book on Amazon. Or, click here to view it at Christian Book Distributors. 

I have been eating the bread of idleness lately.

A Biblical proverb is: "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." You would think that idleness would be impossible with four children and all the duties that come with motherhood.  It's not that I'm idly doing nothing, it is that I am busily doing nothing. I have been keeping up with the minimum, but the minimum only. There has been no excellence in what I do.

It is so easy to be busy and yet have nothing to show for your efforts. I am the Queen of Useless Time.  I can wander the house, looking busy while I wander, but not accomplishing much. I find it difficult to focus on a task because, as the mother of a million kids (4, really), I am usually side-tracked in the middle of a job.

I have great desires from life: to be used mightily by God, to teach the children profoundly in homeschool, to be an excellent homekeeper, to look good for my husband, to write wise words that help others. Yes, I am a good dreamer and schemer. But I lack the self-discipline needed to accomplish my goals, even though they are God-given desires. That is a fault!

To keep from eating the bread of idleness, I need to set some priorities.  Here is my list, in order of priority (God - Husband - Children - Home - Self - Others) :

1. God: Spend time daily with Him at an appointed time (schedule it like an appointment, as if Jesus is sitting in my rocker, waiting for me to join Him!). Pray. Read Scripture. Write down what I learn.

2. Husband: Be a loving and helpful wife to the person God asked me to take care of for Him. Only I have been assigned this task.  What a privilege to be the one assigned to this man! (And thank God he's handsome!).

3. Children: Spend individual time with the kids. Love them unconditionally. Teach them of God. Memorize Scripture with them.
Teach them how to be good workers.  Make them laugh.  Allow them to play.  Teach them how to take care of themselves and others.

4. Home: Manage the home efficiently so that it serves us rather than we serve it. Organize it, clean it, schedule it. Make use of the home's servants which God has provided for me:  the washer, dryer, oven, crockpot, and dishwasher, among others. Use the home for hospitality as if Jesus just walked in: dusty, hungry and tired.

5. Myself: Love myself enough to say boldly, once a week or as needed, "I need time alone." Do frivolous things for myself that make me happy: buy a new book, apply nail polish, play with my hair, take a long bath by candlelight, use a new pen or journal, create a beaded bookmark or learn to knit. Walk daily. Garden because I love it, even if it looks funky to others that I mix lettuce with flowers.

6. Others: My outside-the-home mission is to write to others of daily life and daily lessons. Be vulnerable in my writing (as I am here when I tell you I lack self-discipline! Don't tell anyone).  Write as if God is sitting here, waiting to read my words. God has clearly asked me to do this for others.

Those are my personal priorities.  What would you write next to each area, especially the area of "Others?"  Should you teach a class, lead a childrens' choir, stock the food pantry, be on the women's committee, help out in PTA, be the soccer coach? Whatever it is, stay focused on that single task.  Say "no" to anything else.  Remind yourself to pray before adding another task in this area of serving others.  God may want you to focus on just one outside-the-home thing, so you can serve your family better.

Remember, God, family, home and yourself are to be placed before the final priority of others. That sounds backward, doesn't it? But, you can be best used by God when you have first given Him quality time, when your marriage is stable, when your children know they are loved, when your home is managed, and when you have taken care of yourself.

Establish your priority list.  Don't eat the bread of idleness.  I don't recommend it at all. 

by Lori Seaborg

I received this note from an "Anonymous" on July 8, 2005.  I keep it in my email Inbox so that I will bump into it now and then.  It helps keep my perspective straight. 

"My second husband and I were blessed with a son, when we were both in our early forties. My husband had two sons with his late wife and I had one daughter with my first husband. Our son added to the joy that we had found after our losses. He taught me 'to give life a chance' and stop picking every 'speck of dust' from the floor, because he played so hard and would litter the floor with his toys, just to look for one small toy and then go and play with something totally different. Our son drowned at the age of 4 years and 5 months in September 2003. After our son's death,the thing that I hated most was the spotlessness of our family lounge and our bedroom, where our son would play before going to bed. I realised how much more important family happiness was to me; I have become less intolerant of my family's carefree attitude and I am progressively embracing their first choice... a warm home."

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."---Psalms 113:9

by Lori Seaborg

Otacilia Pola was a woman of the ancient city of Pergamum, before the 3rd Century BC. All that we know of her is what her husband inscribed upon her tombstone:

Iouliov Bassov Otakilia Pwllh th glukutath gunaiki, filandrw kai filoteknw sumbiwsash ajmemptwv eth l

Well, that's Greek to me, so here is the translation:  

"Julius Bassus to Otacilia Polla my sweetest wife, who loved her husband and children and lived with me blamelessly for thirty years."

In her husband's eyes, and worthy of inscription, Otacilia Polla was sweet, she was loving, and she was blameless.

Would you like to be remembered for anything other than that?

How about this one?:

"Julius Bassus to Otacilia Polla my groomed wife, who cleaned after her husband and children and lived with me in wealth for thirty years."

Being groomed, keeping the house clean, and having wealth may be worthwhile ambitions…..here on Earth. But we Christians are to seek after heavenly ambitions, those things that will give God reason to say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

If Otacilia Polla was only focused on the external things, do you think we would even know her name today?  Yes, her name may have been on a tombstone, but her husband would not have written that she was sweet, loving, and blameless.   Through centuries, Otacilia Polla's virtues have lived on to bring motivation to others. 

I don't think her husband and children were the only ones who were pleased with Otacilia Polla, do you?

I think God was pleased with her, too.

Now go and be an Otacilia Polla today! 

by Lori Seaborg

Brenden , our nine-year-old, and I were at the table last night around 10pm. I was letting him stay up late for no reason other than that it is nice to spoil a child now and then. If I spoil all 4 at once, they seem to gang up on me and expect it more. If I spoil only one at a time, it is our secret, so nobody finds out about it. Spending time with them one-on-one is one of my favorite things to do, and yet I have to talk myself into noticing that I haven't done it in a while! Why is that??

Anyway, Brenden decided to make some hot chocolate. He was sitting at the table, noisily slurping it from a spoon. I was engrossed in a book but decided to put it down and join him. I wondered where our conversation would go, as it always leads to interesting places when he is my companion.

To start it out, I asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The answer changes almost weekly. He said, in a too-mature voice, "Well, actchically (he says actually, his favorite word, wrong every time), I'm not sure. I might be an inventor, though."

There is nothing like a child to see you for who you are or for who you have the potential to be.

by Lori Seaborg

It's a simple thing, really, to keep this family content.

For Tim (dh), contentment is clean clothes, knowing where the remote is, and something in his tummy.

For Brenden (9), contentment is getting some alone time at the computer in the evenings and reading before bed.

For Brittany (7), contentment is quality time with Mama every day and a picture to draw.

For Stone (5), contentment is getting to ruin his brain by playing the X-box, Nintendo, or computer all day, without breaks.  Since Mama always stands in the way of this goal, he is also content to be noticed, even slightly, by his big brother.

For Bella (2), contentment is her thumb and blankie with her, and everyone noticing her.

For me?  Contentment is knowing that I've taken good care of my family for the day.  Knowing that, contentment is then the reward of a peaceful evening alone with books, pen and paper.

Now it's  your turn:  What makes your family content? 

by Lori Seaborg

In the past ten months, we have had two natural disasters (both hurricanes ) and a job loss (our sole income).  While I am still a bit shaken, our children act as if nothing happened! 

No matter who you are, you will go through a fiery trial eventually.  Yours may be a trial like mine, or you may have a death in the family or terrible sickness to a family member.  Or, you may have the trial of all Americans as we went through 9/11 or that of the world as we watched the London bombings this week.

Whatever the trial, there are a few ways to help your young children cope:

Routine:  I cannot express this one strongly enough.  Have the children keep up with their regular morning routine and their normal chores.  If nothing else, be sure they have their usual bedtime ritual.

Turn off the News:  The news makes things more scary.  Turn it off now and then, so you can view life through your own eyes rather than that of the news anchor.  When Hurricane Dennis came this week, I needed to listen to the news for weather updates.  For a few hours, I watched on the family t.v.  Finally, I noticed how upset my tummy was, how the children were arguing constantly, and how fussy the 2-year-old was.  I turned off the t.v. and moved to the kitchen, where I could listen on the radio.  I baked cookies and grilled chicken breasts while the kids played in another room.  Soon, all of us were much more calm.

Let Them Be Near You:  Have you heard that country song that says, "Let them be little. Let them sleep in the middle."  ?  Just this once, let them do that!  Let them be near you as you do laundry or cook.  It helps them to see mama act normal. 

Conversation:  Talk about what is happening, in a calm and casual way.  Our five-year-old asks so many questions when life is bumpy.  Recently, he wanted to know if we were going to die like Great-Grandma who had cancer.  I let him ask his questions, and answered him simply, without sugar-coating it.  But I also let him know that it was not likely that one of us would get cancer soon, and that it was also not likely that we would die soon.  Great-Grandma was very , very old, I told him.  We are not nearly that old.

Schoolwork:  Your kids have to fill their day with something, so why not let it be school?  During a trial, you won't want to teach school, but your kids can still do it.  Hand them a few papers or let them do something creative.  In the middle of Hurricane Dennis, our kids made lapbooks. We didn't have electricity on, so they couldn't research on the Internet.  That was actually good, as it taught them to use books and magazine pictures. 

Prayer:  Pray with the kids, but don't sensationalize the trial.  Pray for the trial along with the dog's fleas, the lost shoe, and the vegetables in the garden.  With older children,  you'll want to pray longer and more seriously, but with young children, make it a quick, simple prayer. 

Your children will rebound faster than you'd think. They will certainly rebound faster than you will, so take care of yourself, too!

Lori Seaborg

Brenden, age 6, was sitting on a stack of several bags of potting soil. Crying.  The kind of crying that makes my heart squeeze, not the kind of crying, loud and full of self-pity, which makes my eyes roll.  This was a sad cry.

The neighbor boy was being mean to him, he said.  Calling him names. 

For a moment, I focused on me - why didn't he tell me sooner, instead of crying alone like that?  Then I felt indignant - should I tell that kid what I think of him now?  Next, I wondered if Brenden had "done the family proud," and punched the mean child.  Somehow, miraculously perhaps, I kept quiet through these thoughts until Brenden was done with his story and had calmed down a bit.

Then, I gave Brenden a list of things to remember:

1.  Always remember that God loves you.  You are special to Him.  He loves you as much as He loves anyone.  He'll always be your friend.

2.  If someone causes you to feel bad about who you are, then leave.  You do not have to stay around someone who is making you feel that way.    

3.  (I had three fingers up to this point, until I realized he was distracted by them)  Your family loves you.  You can always come home, and here you will be welcomed.  We will not be mean to you.  We will be your friends.

4.  Do you feel awful inside?  (he nods) Good.  I want you to remember this feeling forever.  (at this, he looked up at me with a big "why" in his eyes)  When you think of being mean to someone else, even your brother and sister, remember how you felt when someone was mean to you. 

5.  I love you.  Do you want to do something with me?

At that, Brenden's disposition changed entirely (maybe it was because mama was finally done talking!).  He decided to have his own fun with me.  Within minutes, the offending neighbor boy came with an apology and wanted to join us. 

I had my happy boy back again.

Each evening, I walk through the house, checking door locks and baby's blankets...and almost every time I feel a wave of contentment sweep over me. When that wave of contentment comes, I hear myself say, "I love you, God," or "I just love this house, these kids, this man You gave me. Thanks, God."

In the past, this wave of contentment was a fragile thing, coming only when certain circumstances were met. For one, there could not be any clutter or unfinished housework. For another, I had to feel as though I did a good job as a wife and mama that day. Also, I could not be upset or annoyed at anyone.

God has given material things to our family and He has taken away. Through the hard times, I have learned that there is only ONE thing necessary for contentment, and that is:

Making the choice to be content

In Philippians 4:11, Paul says, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:"

Being content is a choice and it can be learned! Paul learned contentment even in circumstances like living in prison and walking endlessly and speaking to people who didn't like to listen.

Are you focusing on your cluttered closet, the Legos scattered on the floor, on the way your husband reacted to your grumpiness?

Or are you focusing on the abundance you have as a spoiled American to even have clutter, and even have a closet. You have children who are healthy enough to scatter Legos, and you are blessed with enough abundance to give them little plastic toys instead of sticks and rocks. And you have a husband, one who works hard to help you fill the fridge and parent those babies with you.

It's all about perspective.

"Two women looked
through prison bars.

One saw mud,

the other saw stars."

by Lori Seaborg

"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house." Psalm 128:3

She - the wife - who is the heart of the house, making it a home, she is the reward to a man who fears the Lord! (Enough children to fill a table is also part of the reward, if you read on. I'm sure your husband is glad to know that one.)

For some reason, it warms my heart to know:

1. I am part of Tim's reward.

2. God considers me to be the Heart of the home.

3. My place - the point of my focus - is to be at home.

Are you being the kind of gal who makes a good reward? Is your husband really thanking God for this present that was given to him, or is he saying, "Uh, no thanks!"?

- by Lori Seaborg

"I don't know how you do it," Janie tells me recently, "I couldn't stand to be stuck at home like that."

"Will you be quitting work now that John got his promotion?" I ask Deb.

"No, I don't want to be stuck at home all the time," she says.

"STUCK at home"? Few three-word sentence fragments annoy me more than those three words put together.

Why are we who choose to be home perceived as "stuck" at home?

Aren't we the ones who have the most freedom?

We can get up at 10am, wear no makeup, watch t.v., walk around in grubby clothes, ignore the kids and deal with the consequences later, stay up until 2am without concern about an early morning alarm, see how long the baby can go without her diaper leaking, eat ice cream at breakfast, doughnuts at noon, and feed the kids PB&;J sandwiches for every meal.

Or..., we can choose to see our baby's first walk, change every one of her thousands of diapers so we don't miss out on the interaction we get with her when we do, read and study to wisen up our brains, sell something extra on eBay, practice baking and gardening and knitting and Spanish lessons, take the girls to ballet and the boys to baseball, read a book aloud to the kids after lunch and have a cup of tea at 3pm.

Over the past 9 years, I have been a working-outside-the-home mom, a working-at-home mom, and a stay-at-home mom (unpaid work). Of all of them, it is the stay-at-home mom who gets the greatest disdain from the outside world.

But don't you worry about her.

She owns all of the 1,440 minutes in each of her days. And she can spend each of those minutes as she wills, with no boss, no schedule but her own, and all the freedom every American loves to have.

If she gets a hankering for a bologna sandwich, she can go to the grocery store and get the ingredients. If she wants to see a movie, she can load the kids into the van and take them. She can attend a craft show on Friday afternoon and a Grand Opening pre-sale on Thursday morning.   

She has been given the freedom to choose how to fill her days.

If having that kind of freedom is being "stuck," then I am so glad I'm one of those poor souls who are "stuck at home."

by Lori Seaborg