S.a.h.m.

[faithmom]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARE! It looks like we don't get birthday baloons anymore, so...... (they kinda look like baloons, right?)

 

[marezee]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARE! It looks like we don't get birthday baloons anymore, so...... (they kinda look like baloons, right?)

Thanks faithmom! looks good to me!!

 

[CoolMom6]

Happy Anniversary to Marezee and her loving husband!!!!

Hope you have a wonderful together time planned.
I can't wait to hear how it went.

I am looking forward to one year with Joe in October.
We are probably going to take all the kids to Joe's Crab Shack; lol; the little ones think it's "his" place, "Can we go to Your Crab Shack for dinner?" LOLOL
Funny and sweet.

 

[marezee]

"Joe's Crab Shack" too cute!

We went out for our anniversary after church on sunday, because monday was a school day for the boys, and my DH had to work today.

we went to dinner at the Weathervane, which is the restaurant where we had our very first date. so romantic! Then we went to the movie theater where we had the second part of our very first date! hehe. We saw "The Dark Knight." (on our first date, we saw "Castaway.")

We got home very late. the boys were so very tired. blessings to my MIL for watching them!

 

[CoolMom6]

That sounds great, Mare!! I love revisiting places that have good memories.
Ours was the park.
I'll never forget the boat thingie. We sat in this rocking boat and watched my kids play at dusk and he said he kept wondering how to give me a kiss....and then he finally snuck one in when the kids weren't looking!!!

Now, neither one of us mind the little eyes watching. We may be the only example they all have of a good marriage.

 

[faithmom]

Mare, did I miss your anniversary AND your birthday both? Goodness, I am not on track lately. Sorry! :o

(Are your birthday and anniversary back to back? )

 

[marezee]

That sounds great, Mare!! I love revisiting places that have good memories.
Ours was the park.
I'll never forget the boat thingie. We sat in this rocking boat and watched my kids play at dusk and he said he kept wondering how to give me a kiss....and then he finally snuck one in when the kids weren't looking!!!

Now, neither one of us mind the little eyes watching. We may be the only example they all have of a good marriage.

that is so sweet coolmom!

Mare, did I miss your anniversary AND your birthday both? Goodness, I am not on track lately. Sorry! :o

(Are your birthday and anniversary back to back? )

It's ok faith! no worries...and yes, my birthday is 9/5, and our anniv is 9/8. we were on our honeymoon when we heard about the twin towers in NYC...on a whale-watching boat...i was so sick from the motion of the ocean! LOL! when we got back to the hotel room, we saw it all on the TV. we shall always remember.

 

[CoolMom6]

No way you could forget that.
I remember I was awake having coffee, watching early news, and my sons and baby dd (now 8) were asleep.
I kept looking at the screen and blinking; I could not believe it!!!
I thought I was not fully awake yet.

 

[marezee]

SAHMs!! we took the boys to a corn maze yesterday! fun times!
Stephen was the only brave one to go through twice with me!
there was a great big slide made of a culvert pipe! the boys loved it!
also, we took a hay ride to the pumpkin field and picked some pumpkins.
we painted them today!

hope y'all are having a great autumn!

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

That sounds like great fun Marezee! Painting pumpkins!

It's actually spring here now , our garden is blooming!

My son is walking now, so I have two toddlers to chase all day! He had his first babysitting experience this past weekend, stayed overnight at the in-laws. The first time he's stayed overnight anywhere without me! He did great, I missed him, but it was nice to have a sleep in!

 

[Neenie1]

It's been a while since I've been in here.

I have been busy I guess. I am loving Spring (as it is in Australia) and love the warmer weather.

My 3 yo dd is now for all intents and purposes toilet trained (we're still working on no.2s and night nappies but that will come with time I'm sure) so that is great.

My 6 yo ds is not far from turning 7 lol. (around 6 weeks) so that is very exciting. He has got a new bike as he outgrew the old one, and we thought we would get it for him early, rather than make him wait for his birthday. He is learning to ride without training wheels.

Hoping everyone else is doing just great.

 

[marezee]

That sounds like great fun Marezee! Painting pumpkins!

It's actually spring here now , our garden is blooming!

My son is walking now, so I have two toddlers to chase all day! He had his first babysitting experience this past weekend, stayed overnight at the in-laws. The first time he's stayed overnight anywhere without me! He did great, I missed him, but it was nice to have a sleep in!

yeah...we have fun! glad your son had a good experience his first sleepover! i know what it is like to run after 2 toddlers! and a baby!
LOL! but now i only have one toddler and two in school. it's great to be able to do more with one home. but i do miss the other two when they are gone all day.

It's been a while since I've been in here.

I have been busy I guess. I am loving Spring (as it is in Australia) and love the warmer weather.

My 3 yo dd is now for all intents and purposes toilet trained (we're still working on no.2s and night nappies but that will come with time I'm sure) so that is great.

My 6 yo ds is not far from turning 7 lol. (around 6 weeks) so that is very exciting. He has got a new bike as he outgrew the old one, and we thought we would get it for him early, rather than make him wait for his birthday. He is learning to ride without training wheels.

Hoping everyone else is doing just great.

Glad your 3yr old is trained. i am having trouble with Jake. We tried for a week. he didn't care if he was wet, wouldn't go to the potty even if he wet his pants. i spent 3 days cleaning up pee everywhere, and i gave up.
he screamed if i put him on the potty, and that was that. i'll give it about 2 months, then try again.
hugs and prayers!

 

[faithmom]

I am feeling all mixed up about taking on some part time work while the kids are in school. It's so strange, it is exciting taking back part of my past identity, but then, not feeling ready to let go of my current identity of a stay-at-home mom.

Strangely, everything I have considered doing until now has seemed such a struggle, but these things that I am now considering seem to be falling into my lap so easily.

Pray for me that I am looking at the right paths, and that in whatever I do I continue in my calling as mom first, and walk in our Lord's light in all that I do in the world.

 

[llghoney]

I'm now a SAHM of a 2 1/2 month old.

 

[hsmommyofmany]

stay at home homeschooling mom of 7 here, all 9 and under (5 under 5).

i am very busy. i gave up a career as a doctor to stay home. i always wanted to be a career woman and have a family but soon learned that i could not handle it emotionally.

i have a bachelors, 2 masters degrees and i went to medical school. i left a few months before i graduated because i decided i did not want to work, my children were just too valuable and i always felt like i was missing out on seeing them grow up while i was away on call or at the hospital all day.

i decided that i wanted to spend all of the time i had with my children while i could. since i homeschool i will probably not return to any kind of work.

i am jealous of my doctor friends who tell me about what is going on with them becuase medicine was my life, but the jealousy and regret pass quickly when i catch something my kids do that i would normally have missed. i definately made the right choice.

 

[marezee]

I am feeling all mixed up about taking on some part time work while the kids are in school. It's so strange, it is exciting taking back part of my past identity, but then, not feeling ready to let go of my current identity of a stay-at-home mom.

Strangely, everything I have considered doing until now has seemed such a struggle, but these things that I am now considering seem to be falling into my lap so easily.

Pray for me that I am looking at the right paths, and that in whatever I do I continue in my calling as mom first, and walk in our Lord's light in all that I do in the world.

you know i will pray for you! hmmm...if it's falling so easily, perhaps it's meant to be.

I'm now a SAHM of a 2 1/2 month old.

and welcome to the SAH thread! congrats!

Hi hsmommy!! nice to meet you! it's great to stay at home and watch the kids grow!

 

[heart of peace]

Ok, technically I do work from home but that is only because I have the heavy conviction that my place is in the home to raise my son but I work for 2 reasons (to supplement my spouse's income and to stimulate that aspect of my character). It's all done at night so that my entire day is spent with my son and enriching his life experiences.

My husband and I are in agreement that my place is in the home for now with our son. We tried out the other arrangement (me working out the home and having him home with our son) but it didn't take much for him to realize that God hasn't called him for that role. So, thankfully it seems we are in God's will as it has been almost 4 years and I've been able to remain home with our son (originally it was going to be at most a 3 year thing).

Anyway, I want to always remain in His will even if it goes against what my spirit so desperately desires (to stay home with my son until I am confident that he will flourish in the school systems in my area). I ask Him all the time to show me His will and where I belong. I believe that to those He calls, He fully equips, so if it was for me to be out of the home, He'd equip my spirit to handle that challenge.

For those of you who stay home, how do you know that God has called you to remain in the role of SAHM over the years? I understand the initial convictions but I am interested in the long standing conviction to remain in the home.

 

[llghoney]

^^How long term are you talking?

 

[Hadassah]

.... I ask Him all the time to show me His will and where I belong. I believe that to those He calls, He fully equips, so if it was for me to be out of the home, He'd equip my spirit to handle that challenge.

For those of you who stay home, how do you know that God has called you to remain in the role of SAHM over the years? I understand the initial convictions but I am interested in the long standing conviction to remain in the home.

Well, when I got married, both DH and I were convicted about me staying home. I've actually worked various jobs since I was 15, only stopping when I moved overseas. I took 8 months of German classes and passed it, so that if I wanted I could be on the way to working. However, I do not have the feeling that I am led out of the house until our son (or children) are old enough that they are into university. Both DH and I feel led that it will be good for both of us to be at home when they are.

I might work within the home, but I just do not feel like I could personally be seperated from them for all that time. (I guess you could say the umbilical cord just doesn't stretch that far just yet. )

My Grandma and my mom stayed at home as long as the kids were at home, my Grandma only going back to work part time while my youngest aunt was in High School. Mom went back to work out of need only when my sister was 16 and starting her first job. Once dad got stable work, he and she felt that she was out of the home more than not and we all needed her at home before we all got married and moved out. It worked out well actually.... I don't think she could have done three weddings in 3 years without being at home.

As far as workable skills within Germany, honestly I haven't many since I didn't go to school learning a trade (as folks do here). I learned by experience, so I'm sure I'd be tasked to menial work IF I were picked for a job. The way it works here, they try to get a native German into the job before anyone else.

I'm not sure how I would do it here if I worked independently, as I'd have to file as an independent contractor and the taxes are so much the higher if I do work independently than if I were working for a firm of some sort... That alone is a deterrant to not work on my own just yet.

I believe when G-d so leads though it will be just as everything has been since DH and I have gotten together (8 years this coming spring), it will be an overwhelming pull towards where He wants me, and everything will just fall into place...

Basically, you answered your question with what I left unbolded above your question... That's precisely how I feel about it all.

 

[CoolMom6]

I never wanted kids when I was in my teens and twenties, until I met my boys' dad and kept hearing my "time clock" tick, literally!!!

I believe God called me to be a mom, and specifically my childrens' mom, because each one was born for a purpose.

I asked God again when my sons were growing and my first daughter was tiny, and He said, "Look into the clouds," and there were the words, "JOY GIFT PURPOSE" in the sky, literally written with God's hand. He said then, "Your children are your Joy, Gift, and Purpose, and you are where you are supposed to be."

I since had my youngest and now two stepsons.
I can't imagine a better "career" than Mom and wife to my amazing husband.