Have you or are you "putting in your years" ? And a question....

I recently posted about a sort of "freedom" that comes as your kids get older. It's so easy as your life changes for someone else to forget the years that you most dedicated to raising your babies. The years that we ourselves spend doing so, are forever etched in our memory. I'm so grateful for 8 years that I spent completely at home with my children. So this is a random post of some wonderful memories of those years..the children may grow older and life changes, but the memories never will. Or maybe it's a pat on my own back, because as moms, rarely does anyone else do so. I encourage you to post and comment about things that you either have done or are doing that have an everlasting effect on your life and/or your childrens life.

Random blurbs from my life as a stay at home mom, things you may not know about me and things I am very grateful to have been able to do!

My first son was born in 1995 and I chose to stay at home from his birth until he started kindergarten. He never even saw the inside of a daycare. There are positives and even some negatives of this, but I am so grateful for those years.

During those years, I chose to homeschool my daughter from mid kindergarten through the 3rd grade. We had other homeschooling friends that we schooled with at times as well that enriched our experience. I used every resource available through the state and county to pull daily lesson plans and adventures.

We volunteered with our county's "Meals on Wheels" program. Twice a week, every week, we delivered meals to homebound senior citizens. We had the same route every week and became very attached to those we delivered meals to. It was very rewarding to me and taught so many lessons to my daughter.

On Wednesday nights, I volunteered as a teacher for my sons age group. I spent about 2 years and watched those babies grown into toddlers, into preschoolers and on. I loved planning our lessons and activities each week! I had the same group of kids each week along with visitors and tag along friends. You just never know what seeds you plant into young hearts.

One Saturday per month, we participated in a group called " The Peanut Butter & Jelly Club". We went into the public housing area of our county, knocked on doors very early on Saturday mornings and got kids of all ages, from toddlers to school age, to come with us to their community center. While we presented a puppet show, we distributed PB&J sandwiches to the kids. There is no description for the love that you feel doing something like this. I remember so well the little girls that would want to sit on my lap or hold my hand. They were like sponges, soaking up the affection and love that we poured out to them in that tiny hour, one Saturday each month. It is an experience I will never forget and hope to be involved hands on like this in a needed area ,again sometime.

Sunday mornings meant Sunday School Lessons in our house! I was fortunate again to be serving in the class the age of my son. Sharing unconditional love to tiny hearts souls is an indescribable experience.

Amidst all of this, I look back and know that I was a budgeting, baking, money saving, cleaning and organizing machine! After all, for a stay at home mom, your home IS your life. It was during this time that I perfected my trash to treasure decorating, learned to flower garden and landscape, learned to power shop with coupons and deals, etc.etc. These are lifelong lessons that I continue to build on and directly effect my life today.

So where are you at in "putting in your years" ? Are you there now, raising your babies? Are you pulling your hair out? LOL Or are you finally breathing and building on those years as I am ?

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let me know what activities as a mom have influenced changes in your life, or even just something you are doing or have done as a mom, wife, etc. that you want to pat yourself on the back for :)



Share