What is my job title again?

Stay-at-home mom.

Sounds pretty simple, right? One would assume, as I did when I was still working but pregnant, that a SAHM is simply one of those frilly homemakers with some silly apron, who tends to their family with a smile. I'm not even sure how I came up with that picture, as my own mom, once a SAHM, was not that way at all.

I am currently looking at a possible internet job that focuses on the scope of being a SAHM. Since looking at that job posting, I've been scrambling my brain about what in the world would be my focus.

Just for kicks, I'll give a run-down of my "job description", and this is not to be compared to working mothers, housewives with no children, working women with no children, etc. I'm just exploring my world.

Matron Murphy's job description:

• wife - caretaker of Mr. Murphy,


• mother - caretaker of 2 children,


• cook - prepare meals for anyone present in the house to eat, keep up grocery stock


• maid - clean entire house, top to bottom, take out trash, make sure cans go out on trash night,


• launderer - keep all clothing clean and presentable, mend as needed,


• CFO - maintain all finances, pay bills, balance checkbook, budget expenses,


• landscaper - maintain lawn, maintain gardens, keep driveway clean


• house doctor - try to keep all family healthy, and treat as necessary when sick, keep up stock of medicine cabinet,


• appliance repair tech. - maintain all appliances in household and repair as necessary,


• teacher - educate my children to the best of my ability, give them as many experiences as possible, keep up-to-date with the world so to make learning current.


• La Leche League Leader - lead and support our local group and mothers in breastfeeding and parenthood,


• Girl Scout Leader - plan and lead my daughter's Daisy troop

Okay, I think I've said enough. Not trying to toot my own horn that I have some big job, or that I'm trying to justify that I really do stay busy. I do have days when I sit down and wonder what the heck I actually did all day. What did I complete or accomplish? Should I, could I, have done more in one area? Did I even give the children enough attention? Scales, scales, scales!!! It's difficult not to weigh accomplishments, needs, wants and priorities. Now, where is an application for that? I would be afraid to see a pie chart designed to show how much time is placed in certain areas and where it may be needed in others. That's not in my area of expertise, for sure!

It's times like this when I start to get all stressed out. You know, dear husband comes home, worn out and tired, and reminds me that, one day, I will have to be the bread-maker of the family, and HE will get to retire. Have I really retired? Am I on some big vacation? I thought a vacation was when you stay somewhere that you don't have to clean your own sheets, or even change them. Well, in retirement you still have to do those things. But retirement is getting R&R, going outside to tend the garden because there is nothing else to do. Retirement is also when there are no children to take care of because they've all flown the coop! Ha, I'm not retired. But then again, it scares the daylights out of me to think of any other way. I certainly don't want to give this up to go work somewhere out of the home. I really miss the adult interaction, conversation, and even eye-level, but not enough to get back out there. Whew!

So, here I sit, hoping that I have what it takes to be considered an authority on being a SAHM. I fret over having sufficient experience and stories to share. Then again, I simply look at my two little angels and fret no more. They've plenty of stories to create for me, every single moment of the day. I can just sit back, spectate, and report. Thank God I love words! Maybe some day soon, I will add "Published Writer" to my list of titles above. But for now, I'll hop, skip and jump from title to title, as necessary, and love the life I'm living and the family I'm living it with.
My little SAHM-in-training