Life as a Stay At Home Mom

So, I think the title of a stay at home mom makes it sound like something simple. You just "stay at home" right? NOPE. I stay at home, yes, but not lounging on the couch eating ice cream and watching movies. You're probably thinking, "but hey, you're doing a blog entry, it can't be that bad." Well you are right, I am doing a blog entry, and keeping my eyes on a 10 month old who just discovered Mommy's scrapbook, now the remote, now the wire to my cellphone, the leftover cheerios on the floor...you get the point. You might also be thinking this is a Mom writing to rant and rave about her horrible position in life, and how she got the short end of the stick. However, you are wrong there. My "position in life" is a joy. My job is simple yet complicated, fun yet hard, tiring yet invigorating. I am the only one who spends every waking moment with my daughter...I see the good, the cute, and the ugly. For example, right now she has just decided to pull on my pant legs to stand up, which means that I have to remain perfectly still. Why perfectly still? Because I know that if I move an inch, my daughter will tumble to the ground, and then proceed to cry. I know her hungry signs, her tired signs, her "I just want to cry" noises, her funny face, her "I want my mommy" face.
I get to watch her grow everyday. I get to see her firsts right before my eyes. I get to hold her when she falls, and kiss the boo-boos.
I am not complaining. I'm simply trying to dispel a common assumption about "stay-at-home"rs. We have the task of maintaining a functional home, with toys, clothes, food, and other such obstacles. While taking care of a child who poops, pees, cries, and gets into the most random and dangerous things that you might have accidentally placed anywhere.
I love my job because I know that my job matters in the scope of eternity. The time that I will spend training, disciplining, and sheparding her heart WILL matter...and I can survive the tough times on that knowledge.