I am Mom

I hear two frustrating comments A LOT. They are "Gee, I wish I had that much time to just sit and do crafts with my kids all day!" or the exact opposite "you are always leaving your kids and going somewhere!" Both are usually coated with sarcasm and a lecturing tone. So which is it people? Am I a loser for having time to play with my kids daily? Or am I an irresponsible parent for having things planned without my children crawling all over me? I saw this quote and LOVED it. I have been a mom for 6 1/2 years. I love all of my children. But it took me a long time to figure out how to be the kind of mom I had envisioned myself being. I was a working mom, on and off, up until the Fall I had Jonah and the majority of that was full time. I AM NOT SAYING THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH WORKING MOMS! For me though, it takes over. I love having a career, and I want to be the best, of the best of the best. I was not good at balancing both. When I would try to be a stay at home I would get depressed and feel so...trapped. So I would try to OVER compensate for ALL THE TIME I felt I HAD to stay at home and constantly have to be with friends and out of the house going, going, going, gone. Why was I so unhappy being with my own little family all day? For some reason I felt like I wasn't living up to my full potential. 

I don't know when or how it happened, but somehow everything suddenly clicked. All of a sudden I not only felt content with being a stay at home mom, I am happy. My body could suddenly manage to clean, run errands, cook, play, smile, laugh, teach, learn...I turned into a MOM! Don't get me wrong, we still have our days here in the Weaver household. I am not trying to pretend we have a perfect home. But we do have peace(sometimes), happiness(most days), and family(every day). And guess what?? I do also have friends, and sisters, and church callings and I do enjoy myself outside of the home that some may think is a little too often, but eh I guess it doesn't really matter what other people think does it?

So here are some pics of what YOU may think is wasting my time painting with the kids, or OTHERS may think is the only thing I should spend my time doing, but to me, this is simply my life, our crafty craft for the day..I would hope you would enjoy these pics as much as I do, but I know that is just not possible :)

We were painting with hand prints and foot prints today so I decided to let Jonah have a go at it...not my best idea ever

But he did have a blast being one of the big kids

Coco made a lion with her hand print

Lucas made a rocket ship with his foot print

And Jonah.. just well.. painted

I know I'm weird but I LOVE how paint looks on a "palette" 

oh geez he was cracking me up. He is a baby and an old man all in one!

Kaleb this whole time was making art outside on all the driveways in the culdesac. He's what you would call an "extreme artist" hopefully this does not turn into a graffiti problem :/