Quantifying motherhood

Is it possible to quantify what a mother does? I have read many articles which provide lengthy descriptions of what tasks a mother performs and therefore what a mother would earn if she were to be paid a salary for her "job." For example, Salary.com states that if a stay-at-home mom were to be given a salary she would earn about $115,432 and a working moms 'at-home' salary would be $63,472 (this is in addition to the salary the working mom would earn in the workplace. MSN, on the other hand reports a stay-at-home mom should earn $138,095 a year. A theoretical six figure salary to be a stay-at-home mom sounds great, and a salary in the $60,000's, in addition to a part-time workforce salary, sounds wonderful as well- the big issue is, well, these salaries are theoretical.

In just a couple weeks my current job contract is coming to an end. While there were many times I lamented the challenges of working part-time and being a mom, when it comes down to it, I truly have loved being able to challenge myself, use my brain, and be something other than a mother for some portion of the week. I also like getting a paycheck. When bills need to be paid, or I want to purchase something, I like knowing money I have earned will be used to make the purchase or to pay the bill. Although I am frugal (Davis would argue I am often too frugal (recall a previous post where I mentioned much of our stuff comes from Craigslist or the side of the road)) I do feel guilty about spending money given I don't contribute as much, financially, to the household as Davis. Davis repeatedly tells me that what I do for the household far exceeds my salary and I should not feel guilty.

Listen to Davis you say. I know I should. I look at stay at home parents with respect and awe. When a friend expresses guilt or concern about not working I go on and on about the value of their work, about the salary.com mumbo jumbo... BUT, when I am faced with the reality of being a stay-at-home mom - of not getting up for work, not using my non-mom part of my brain, being with the kids for 24/7, and not bringing home even a portion of the bacon - rational thinking goes by the wayside.

There is another piece of this puzzle - in addition to feeling guilty and worried about the above mentioned, I feel guilty about not wanting to be a stay-at-home mom. Shouldn't I be jumping up and down, shouting to the tree tops, ecstatic I will be able to spend every minute with my children?

Urgh, being a mom is tough stuff.

Change and the unknown is scary. I am looking for a job - something part-time that will enable me to, once again, spout the challenges and impossibilities of "having the best of both worlds." That being said, once I try on this stay-at-home business for size, I might actually find that it fits.


All the rambling aside, I have a ton of pictures and a huge list of stories and hilarities (and drama) I want to share. Here are the first of the pictures -

Henni is much more fun to take pictures of right now than Oliver. She laughs and smiles and savors ever minute of the attention. Oliver prefers not to be in the spotlight - I should rephrase that - he loves the spotlight, but not the camera.



Oliver loves getting underdogs on the swings. Oliver is enjoying that Henni can partake in some activities now and so he suggested that she get an "undercat" - it is like an underdog, but smaller, since she is little.

My wonderful friend Erin has let Henni borrow the most amazing clothes. Most of the time it is actually Davis who finds the most girly, pink, ruffly clothes in the bunch and dresses Henni up, but this bathing suit...when I saw the tutu, I knew, given my daughter's lovely ballerina-esque thighs, that she needed to wear it to the beach.