Just A Mom?

This was forwarded to me today and I had to post it...

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money." There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom." Motherhood!
What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".

Confession

I just thought I should confess something that has been on my mind, to all you moms with kids, you know how we go through crackers pretty quickly. Well, I pretend to buy them for the kids, but really I end up eating almost all of the crackers. I never used to buy them when I didn't have kids, but now that I do on a regular basis, I am starting to feel it. My favorites are Reduced Fat (because they are crunchier) Cheeze-Its. I think I will have to lay off though because starting tomorrow we have a Johnson Biggest Loser Challenge starting up and going through the next 6 weeks, and I am all about the Jackpot. I am getting my fill of Cheeze-its tonight.

All or Nothing

I have pretty much decided it is all or nothing with me and blog postings. I can go two weeks without writing anything, then all of a sudden I write several days in a row. Sorry for the bombardment, but I wanted to post these two items, mostly for myself.
The first, I thought it was so cute today, we take a daily stroll in the late afternoon up to the mail box then usually stay outside and play until daddy gets home. When daddy gets changed, I go inside to make dinner (if it isn't already going) while Jared stays outside, Hayden generally rides his bike and Carson kicks around the soccer ball. Well, today we were walking down from the mailbox and I noticed Carson had discovered his pockets and I wished I had my camera at that very moment because it was so cute to see him walking beside me, one hand holding mine and the other stuffed in his little shorts pocket. It made me think about how big he is getting, and we all know what that means...just kidding I still need a few more years, between Carson and number 3. I tried to have him re-pose, but he and cameras don't go so well. He is always wanting to see himself on the camera and has a hard time staying still so I can take one, but here he is.This is Hayden, the bug man. He is so tender and sweet when it comes to animals, but this is all very recent. A few weeks ago we were getting in the car to go to my moms and he found a fly, you know how fly's on their way out of this world, they stop flying and just kind of walk around and slow way down. Well, that is what this guy did and Hayden was so happy that this fly just sat on his hand and he even put him in the car to bring to Grammy's, although we lost him somewhere on the way over...somehow...hmmm...anyways, ever since then he has freed a mouse we caught in our house so the mouse could go back to live with it's family, problem is the mouse came back inside and ended up dying in our closet. He brought in a snail yesterday and told me how much the snail loved him bc he was laying his head on Hayden's hand. Sometimes he gets bee's in his room, I think through the skylight and Hayden makes sure I am so gentle with them. Today I put a bee back outside and as I was putting him out a gust of wind blew him back in and the bee landed in the windowsill, and I quickly shut the window, well Hayden literally freaked out thinking I had squished the bee. Mr. Wormy is his newest friend. He was very concerned that Mr. Wormy had a red vain and looked like he was bleeding. Hayden is already asking for a snake. We saw a fish that looks like a snake at Wal-Mart yesterday, my vote is definitely the fish snake. I am not sure me and a real snake could live under the same roof. The next picture is just Hayden being the silly kid he is.


P.S. I can't figure out how to rotate the picture, so sorry.

Howdy

My favorite thing to do when my mom is getting ready in the morning (this would be on the days she does actually get ready) is to play in her makeup drawer. It's pretty much my favorite thing to do in the bathroom, but mom says it's our little secret and daddy can't know about it (she promises this is the only secret it's ok to keep from daddy because he just wouldn't understand), I love to take the Q-tips and see how many I can fit in my ears. The record so far is 3 Q-tips in one ear. It's a really good thing my big brother Hayden has never seen me do this because he always tries to out-do me and I don't even want to think about how many Q-tips he could find places for. My mom says it used to take her an hour to get ready in the morning, I have no idea what she did for an hour, but that is way longer than the 10 minutes she takes now. She says life changes when you have kids and we keep her busy.

This other picture is of me with my newest owie. Last night I was playing around with our friends who joined us for Conference Dinner and I tripped and hit the end of the cocoa table. My mom and dad said I got blood all over our shirts, but I got to eat an Otter Pop out of the whole deal. I can't smile like I usually do and it feels funny to eat and my words are a little bit slurred, but mom says the swelling should be down in a few days. Nice lip huh.

This is a picture of me in the clothes basket. I love to be with my blue-blue and cup of milk anywhere I can fit. I especially like getting into closed and confined spaces. I think it makes me feel secure.

This is a picture of me and my big brother Hayden. We love to play hide-and-seek, even if we are obviously able to be seen out in the open. My mom really hopes we don't have to replace the blinds when we move in a few weeks, but they are looking pretty shaggy from me and my brother pulling on them.

Oh and my mom wanted to put a picture of the front of our house (hopefully), she didn't have one when she put the photos in the slideshow below.