Imagine if you were working....

HMMMMMMM Imagine my reaction to these words as Papaschnuck casually said them this morning over the coffeepot. Excuse me???? "I said, eyebrows up into my hairline. "Can you imagine if you were working?" he repeated, not realizing that he had stepped into it up to his armpits. Hearing no reply he turned and caught the hairy eyeball I had launched his way.
In full retreat mode he quickly backpaddled,"I mean if you had a job outside of the house, can you imagine being gone all day and trying to get everything done." I let it go.

Truth be told I am so lucky, I wouldn't trade what I do for anything. (Well, there are times, when I pick up the classified section and peruse the jobs. I image escaping the un-emptied dishwasher, Lego strewn carpet, and never ending pile of laundry for some glamorous job where I sit in a office and people actually listen to me when I ask for something. Or perhaps a colleague will comment and praise my hard work and efforts of the day. Maybe I even could win an award in my chosen field, get a huge raise and jet off to Turks and Caicos for some fun in the sun..........Then Papschnuck will come home and see me sitting in Jenny's tiera- my juvenile attempt to feel special,- staring at the want ads and know that I need a little TLC. And to his credit 99 times out of a 100 he gets me back on track, the other 1 we won't get into at this point).

I've gone astray, where was I?? Oh yes, working. While its true no one would pay me money to do my job, my paycheck is so much more gratifying and way more precious than gold. My restitution comes in the form of love, hugs, kisses and the sheer joy that comes from watching a child laugh with every ounce of their being. I get to be with my kids. I get to see the first steps, hear the first words, watch the spark that ignites when they figure something out. I wipe the tears, and collect the hugs. I dole out the wisdom and the punishment. I watch them grow and smile and scy and fear and hope and just be their own little people. Good and Bad it is all there, everyday, for me to experience. I sometimes wonder how Papaschnuck can bear to leave every morning and miss it all. My guess is, if he didn't have to, he wouldn't. And just like he knows not what it is like to be home all day with them, I do not know what it is like to be gone from them all day. Now, with homeschooling I will never have to put my youngest on a bus and watch him leave, knowing they are all in school for the day. No longer will the days be a mystery of what they did at school (we had recess and lunch mom) And lucky for me, I'll never have to find out.

Hmmmm imagine if I was working......