Too cute for words

That is my daughter. She is still at the stage that even her fits are cute and it takes all my man power not to smile when she throws herself upon the floor in protest because I am being "mean".  Today it is the two of us again. Back to normal. And everything I do she must do with me. Yes, it makes certain tasks take twice as long but I love her expressions and chatter. Even as tiring as sharing my water bottle gets I would not change any part of her little personality (or big personality).

Right now she is seated beside me, singing and playing with the blanket that is over both our laps. Every once in a while she reaches over and tries to help with my typing even though she knows my keyboard is off limits. Before I even have a chance to correct her she often rips her hand away and smacks the pillow in anger.

Yesterday she held her fork in both hands and stabbed her pancake while saying, repeatedly, "die, die, die"

All these things, even when slightly distributing, are moments that remind me why I am a mother and why I am a stay at home mother. For me, it would be awful to have her discover all these new things and develop under someone else's gaze. I am not saying this to make those who cannot stay at home feel guilty but rather to remind myself not to feel guilty about staying home.

You see, in today's society if a woman doesn't embrace the feminist movement, control or at least 50/50 the purse strings, have a career, or even place her kid in daycare she can often be viewed as less of a woman. Because it is my "right" to have a career many woman believe it is some how letting down womanhood to choose not to have one but rather be old fashioned and stay at home.

I am not saying having a career is wrong for a woman. And I am thankful women can work outside the home now and things have changed. But it is not for everyone. Just because I have chosen to stay at home with my daughter instead of going back to work doesn't make me less of a modern woman. It just means I have different priorities. I am thankful that I can stay at home and even if it means giving up the extra cash it is worth it for me.

So, if you are a mother feeling guilty for not bringing in the money, stop. The moments you have with your child/children is far greater than any monetary gain you might receive from having a job outside the home.