The other side of being a SAHM

Stay at home mom's: a lunch-time restaurateur's worst nightmare and a Groupon/LIvingSocial/Daily deal site's grandest dream come true.

There are so many aspects of being the domestic CEO of our household that are just blissful but I know you rarely hear those parts. It's unfortunately much easier at the end of a long, snotty day to amuse readers with the fumbles of the day involving little ones. But there are so many treasures of my job that I take for granted but will have a hard time doing with out should I ever take my efforts back to Corporate America.
As always, in no specific order:
1) Easing into the morning. I have 4 robes and I alternate them every few days. I have a great pair of rugged slippers and those are used every morning. Whether or not I choose coffee in the morning I make it just to smell it and hold it and sometimes the coffee, robe, and slippers are still in use come 10:30. I watch the money-maker of the house scurry out of bed at the sound of his (hideous) alarm and within 20 minutes the lights are pulling out of the driveway. I don't envy this part of his day as I do his private and alone time on the office potty. I love taking our time with everything in the morning. Actually, the more time I take - the better - the less time to entertain before a 1pm nap!
2)Choosing if/when I'll shower. I know, most people have to start their day with a shower but for us stay-at-homers a shower is almost a hassle. I don't think I've been able to dry my hair in 2.5 years now and a wet head is never comfortable all day. Therefore, I often "choose" not to shower and rather just "rinse off" as rapidly as possible before the dog ends up in the toilet by the youngest one.
3) Chick-fil-a get's it's own line item in a budget. Whether it's picking up lunch to take to the park or terrorizing the playground on an afternoon when naps just didn't happen Chick fila is the place to go. And I know they are good to all of their peeps but hello.....if you are not a mother have you ever watched the red carpet rolled out for the crazy mom's of multiples at lunch time? I'd argue it's better than a 5 star restaurant without the shame of leaving the thrown food on the floor.
4) During the summer it is a part of the job description of a mom to explore every new yogurt shop in town. I am a sucker for a build your own yogurt so I do very well at this part of my job. All in the name of entrainment!
5) Not always having dinner ready is okay and I feel zero guilt chatting at the park with the neighborhood moms up until supper time. Dont get Me wrong, I actually like cooking when there is time to think about a menu, shop at a store without two people that eat everything before you leave and steal balloons, and then cooking without someone holding on to your ankle and another eating dishwasher soap. I really do. But under the above circumstances cooking becomes a painful experiment often ending in dry chicken dish, microwaved rice, and then a bowl of cheerios later to make up for the terrible experience at dinner. One day in my life as a wife I will embrace cooking dinner again but not now and I don't feel guilty.
6) Afternoon naps. I used to feel like I had to clean or read beautiful literature to not let my mind go to mush and do other noble things while the boys napped but thanks to my year of guilt free living since having two under two - I unabashedly and quite happily enjoy my own nap time with some trashy Bravo television show in the background and an occasional HGTV or FOOD network show - all things that ultimately will up my value as a wife and mom....... one day just not now.
7) A little exercise is built in. Yall know me - I am slightly anal about getting to work out everyday but along with my guilt free year I've had to take on a new attitude about exercise. Unfortunately, my figure knows it and I officially feel like a "mom" and not a young, nanny at the park who just couldn't have her own kids because she looks to dang good. Atleast at the end of the day I just dont feel like a lazy blob after doing almost everything for two humans. Seriously, if you add the caloric burn from picking up 100+ pieces of toys 4 times a day plus the burn from carrying 70+ lbs up and down the 14 stairs in our house added to the work of getting folks in and out of a car 6 times a day you just wouldn't feel bad either about a little tv in the middle of the day either.
8) Embarrassing the boys the way my mom used to do while dancing in the car or in a store. I didn't know you could embarrass a 2.5 year old but last night I did and it was so worth it. Brooks has a way with his big, expressive eyes anyway so doing anything to warrant an unusual expression is fabulous entertainment. I'll never forget my mom dancing and singing while dropping us off somewhere in HIGH SCHOOL and just feeling the burn in my cheeks. Secretly, my heart swarmed because I loved watching my mom have fun! She'd roller skate down our street when I was younger and I, too, secretly can't wait to roller skate down our street and give the boys a good laugh in front of their friends.
9) Speaking of roller skating or hoola hooping or galloping like a horse....who wouldn't love to do all the above in a 5 minute window just to get a rise out of your little ones. And then to get to watch them mimic anything you do....good times! Last night we put on our rain boots and went to find puddles to jump in and it was perfectly within the scope of my job as a mom.
10) ANd of course there is the obvious - witnessing the most heart-melting, tummy turning moments that only happen every so often and can never be repeated or relived. The boys recognizing eachother in a crowd and squealing with joy to run to each other, a little one laying his head on your shoulder in the middle of a conversation with a friend just to feel like he is close to me, watching two boys mimic the lion cubs at the zoo that were wrestling/playing, hearing the new words come out of a toddlers mouth like his latest "I need a baby dister (sister)" ...whoa....what?, and then getting to witness the beautiful thing that was just brought to my attention as I type - the 15 month old eating the tip off of a pink and green marker. Precious. I WOULD NOT MISS THESE MID MORNING AND MID DAY HAPPENINGS FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY!