The Sew-At-Home-Mom

When my husband and I found out we were having our first child, we decided that I would stay home with our children.  It wasn't an easy decision for me.  Over the years that I had collected a paycheck, I had a few jobs that I really liked, and a few that I wish I'd avoided - and sometimes, they were the same job.  I've had a colorful resume. I've done anything from work on a loading dock for a large retailer to office management, each job giving me insight.  I thought about the jobs that came and went, and what I had learned from each of them.  It was a rough road at times, and I wondered what life would be like without having to clock in and out.  Would I be happy without work?

My first paycheck was from House of Fabrics.  I'll never forget how excited I was to have the job.  It was my sophomore year of high school, and having a job was a rite of passage for me.  It was close enough that I could walk to work after school.  The best part about my job is that I could be around fabric all day and get paid.  I still have my first pay stub tucked away here somewhere, and my gold thimble awards stuck to my name tag.  I loved talking to customers about their projects.  I enjoyed learning about fabrics and crafts.  It was this job that inspired to start quilting.  Work didn't seem like work.  I'm not really sure I ever made money during my employment at that store, because I was forever shopping there, but the experience was worth it.

Here I am, almost twenty years after I had that job, and about six years since I've had a paying job.  My employers now are ages three and five.  They pay me in fossilized food that I find in the back of my SUV, and in acorns or rocks that I find in my washing machine.  I am on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  On our worst day, we've been struck by the stomach flu, but our best days outnumber the worst by far.  There was a time when I had 2-under-2, and I thought I wouldn't make it.  Having kids nineteen months apart was a pretty good spread I thought, until the time came that I actually had two kids under the age of two.  More than once, my husband came home from work early to find me napping with the kids in our bed.  I couldn't help it, I was exhausted.  I remember thinking that it was time to put all of those skills I had learned to work here on the home front, and get my life back on track.  I found myself honing in on my time-management skills.  I developed tasks lists and delegated tasks when I could.  We established a routine that worked for us, and enjoyed our long days together.
This is the first year I've started to feel like myself again.  The days of changing diapers are long gone, as are the feedings and constant wardrobe changes.  I noticed this last spring that both of the children can dress themselves from head to toe without assistance.  They can use the bathroom without me.  They can pick up their toys and put their laundry away.  No wonder I was a zombie for the first three years of my daughter's life.  Getting three people through the day is a lot of work!  The feeding, cleaning up after, changing, entertaining, buckling into a car seat... it goes on and on.  All of those simple tasks only take a few moments, but added up, my day was booked.    We were out of the woods without the unscheduled interruptions that a newborn or toddler can bring, and I could make time to get all of the housework done, play with the kids, do the shopping and errands, and still have time a little time to myself.   Both of our children are off to school this fall, and I will have a nice chunk of time available while they are off learning during the day.

Should I go back to work?  Could I go back to work?  Did I want to go back to office management or bookkeeping?  Did I want to suffer through the schedule that a retail job would require?  Should I work on my degree instead?  Could I find a job that would understand field trips and sick kids that need to stay home?  What hours could I actually work?  How far would I need to commute?  Would it be worth it financially in the end?  My husband and I talked in depth over what my options were.  We came up with the same answer every time.  I wanted to be here for my kids. 

A few months ago, someone saw a few items I had posted to my facebook page, and asked if she could pay me to make something for her granddaughter.  I was very excited to do so for two reasons:  1).  I adore the little girl the items were for, and 2). I had never been paid to sew something for someone.  I was ecstatic to receive an envelope in the mail, and just about fell over when I saw the woman had paid me more than we had discussed.  She even wanted me to make MORE things for her!  It was such a rewarding feeling!!  I loved sewing, I was able to be at home with my kids, and I could get make a little money.  With school starting in the fall, I would have a few hours every day to dedicate to sewing.  How could I resist such an opportunity? 

It turns out I don't miss that desk as much as I thought I would.  Working at home would allow me a much more forgiving schedule.  And that is how I became a Sew-at-Home-Mom. 

Here is a little project I worked on yesterday and today: