Happy Mother's Day!

I have always loved Mother's Day. Even before we had children, Nathan would give me gifts from our dogs. I am very close to my own mother and love getting a special chance to show my appreciation to her.
I have seen a lot of really great posts from the various "Mommy Blogs" that I follow and felt that I needed to add one of my own. So here I go. . . .

I have had to make some big decisions about what kind of mommy I am able to be recently. We all know the labels: SAHM, Work at Home Mom, and Work Out of the Home Mom. In the blogs I follow, most are SAHMs who would not have it any other way. One (that I love to read still) even said that this Mother's Day was more special now that she gets to SAH full time because, before, her babysitter did most of her child's raising. This post made me happy for her but sad that some view WOHMs as ones who have less meaning in their child's upbringing. I have actually had all 3 mommy labels in the past and know, from this experience, that I have been just as involved in my children's' lives regardless of the label. There are 14 children in Madeline's preschool class, who all have the same teacher, but are remarkably different. That is because they all have different mommies and daddies who are raising them. Even though they are in daycare during the work week, their parents' impact is huge. Time does not always mean more impact.
As all who read this blog know, we have been trying to put me in the SAHM job for a while because it is what I would love to do. I would love to be there for every minute but circumstances dictate that I will work, for the time being. So, I am thankful to the wonderful people who care for my children when I am not able to. Most of those wonderful people are working mothers, like me, who miss their own children but are having to serve their families in other ways.
This all probably seems like a lot of rambling and I am not really trying to start some kind of debate. I just want everyone out there to know that, no matter what your mommy label is, you are a wonderful gift to your children whether you spend every moment with them or every morning, evening, and weekend. Thank you to those who help mothers as well, we could not do it without you!

Happy Mother's Day!!!