What a sad thought for my little boy.
I told him there will always be room for him in my car, no matter how big he is.
Next, that squirt said what really inspired this post. He told me that when he grows up, he doesn't want to go to work.
My instant reaction was to say, "Marshall, everyone has to go to work."
Guess what he told me then?
"You don't have to go to work. You never work."
Laughing to myself, I asked him what he thinks I do instead of work.
He said, "You just go places."
"Places, like where?" I asked.
"Just places, like stores...and places to buy stuff...like food...and toys."
Reese tried to come to my defense and tell him that I used to work.
I didn't need the sympathetic "used to work" explanation from my eleven-year-old. This was not going to be a "moms work just as much as anyone else" speech.
Actually, I was really loving this conversation. It was sweet and funny, and just cute. Asking a four-year-old what his mom does all day is very entertaining. At least he didn't say I do nothing. To be honest, I do spend a huge amount of my time going places.
Not just to stores to buy food and toys like Marshall thinks, but to doctors and dentists and schools and sports and parks and friends' houses and movies and the library and the bouncy house gym and just places.
That is my life. My mom life. My life as our youngest son knows it. Does my car get really messy and loud toting four kids around all the time? Of course it does. Do I drive on auto-pilot to the preschool and baseball games and the soccer field and art lessons? Without a doubt. Am I stopping at the store at least four times a week to pick up more milk and socks and deodorant and goldfish crackers? I do not see an end to those days any time soon.
Honestly, I am happy that I'm the one who is driving them places. I love the chats we have while they're in the car with me. I love that I know what everyone needs from the store. The hugs and thanks they give me make it worth it.
It's a very rare occurrence for me to be driving anywhere alone. Believe me, I absolutely love that, too! Any chance I do have to drive alone, I usually take Mark's car. It's so much cooler than mine because it's not a mom car full of car seats and books and rainbow looms. When I'm alone in Mark's cool, red car, I open the sun roof, blare the radio, and sing! I don't worry about anyone's sensitive ears or face being hit by the wind. It's just me. For once, it's just me. I often forget what it feels like to think about just myself. Those ten minutes it takes me to drive from home to the store are pure freedom. Well, that is until I pull into that familiar store, march down the cracker aisle, and pick up another package of goldfish.
I'd love for you to find me on Facebook:
Have you ever asked your kids what they think you do all day? I'd love to hear what they say!
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