Monday. Yuck!

I know what some of you are thinking......."How can someone who gets to stay at home complain about Mondays?!"

Indulge me for a moment. Those of us who stay at home, generally (but not in every situation), work just as hard as those of you who work outside the home. If you are not at home, there is no one there to make a mess. If the house is full of people all day every day, more messes are made. More meals are cooked. More of everything. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. And, if you observe that day of rest correctly, little or no work gets done. On Sunday evening, while the rest of you are moaning about having to go to work the next day, the rest of us - the SAHM and the SAHW or sometimes, the SAHD - are silently making a huge "to do" list in our heads. The list for Monday is often longer and filled with more tasks than any other day of the week because we "rested" on Sunday. And, maybe sometimes, we have even taken "off" on Saturday too. YIKES!

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I work harder at home than I have ever worked at any job I've held anywhere. Sometimes it still boggles my mind how we ever got anything done around the house when I worked outside the home. Then I remember. I had a LOT of help. The hubs did most of the cooking because he arrived home before I did. He also did a lot of laundry and straightening up. The kids have had daily chores since they were young, so they were pitching in a lot too. I think you could probably say I was a bit spoiled back then. I did plenty, but it never felt like I was doing enough. To be honest, I don't know if a woman ever feels like she gets everything done or if she ever feels like she's done enough.

So anyway.......Mondays. They are just as yucky for us stay at home types as they are for the rest of you. Lots to do. When Monday rolls around, I mentally pull up my to-do list and shudder. I just want to take Monday slow. Ease into the new week. Maybe a slower pace would make Monday feel a little nicer. But, then Tuesday would show up and the to-do list would be longer and Tuesday would end up being the bad guy.

This week I've got my regular to-do list, plus this FABULOUS additional to-do list I've made for myself. I've got a couple of canvases to paint for my nephew's nursery. I signed up for a booth at a craft fair, so I've got candles and wax melts to make plus some sewing to do. I plan on having some homemade fruit preserves and butters for my booth, so there's that. I bought material to make me a new purse since I can't find one I like anywhere. I have an order for baked goods this week. I know I'm forgetting something. I listed these things for a reason. NOT, so you would be impressed and think that I am superwoman - I likely won't get half of this done - but, so that I could say this:

I am truly BLESSED to be able to stay at home to raise my children and care for my family!!! I LOVE doing all those things in that list above. I LOVE everything about being able to stay at home!!! Well, except for the cleaning. I don't like the cleaning part. But, I LOVE that I am here and able to do it!

I have never been happier. No other job I've held or dream job that I could think up could possibly bring me the joy that I have now. I only wish that I had realized that sooooo many years ago.

Bring it on, MONDAY! I'll take on your hideousness and (try to) do it with a smile on my face! I'm gonna whip that to-do list and love every minute of it. I'm gonna tackle my additional to-do list with fervor, remembering all the while, that these are the things that make me happy.

Ok. Time to quit running my mouth. That to-do list isn't getting any shorter and I haven't gotten a single thing done sitting here talking to you.

I wish you a happy Monday, today and all the rest of your Mondays. May you remember that you are blessed and may you keep a smile on your face Monday and all the other days of the week.