31 Days of Stuff I Wish You’d stop Sayin’: Day 12 “What do you do all day?”

“What do you do all day?”

Truly I say to you – I am asked this often. I stay home. I am a stay-at-home mom. I have worked outside of the home, children in tow. Bravo to every working mom out there, because if you can run a household and manage human beings, you are my hero. This is totally cheesy, but I struggle with Thyroid disease, which means chronic fatigue. About a year ago I read a blog post about a single mom of 4 boys who taught full-time in a public school. I think she was a science teacher? Anyway, she had the same type of Thyroid disease I have and she did a guest blog about her struggles. I am obsessed with this woman. When I wake up every morning I have a list of things I pray for, basically it sounds like this: Bless Justin, Maggie, John, Luke, Sophie, Sam, the babies, all the people we love and that teacher from the blog I read about, that’s husband left her and she has those four sons and thyroid disease. Amen.

Chronic fatigue alone is miserable. I cannot fathom how this woman cares for sons, alone, and a house, alone, teaches school, and deals with Hoshimotos??? That is a level of endurance that someone should make a movie about. Like Iron Woman or Wonder woman? She needs a medal or a trophy.

Recently, while running errands with two of the older kids, babies in tow, one of my sons said his teacher told him that a college degree is a waste because you won’t really use it. I interjected, “I use my degree? I manage a household, and I use counseling on you all the time!” About that time we pulled into the dry cleaners and I handed the attendant my claim ticket and she handed me our cleaning, and my son said “Mom, you are in charge of everyone’s pants.”

Yeah, your pants and your dinner bubba show some respect or you’ll go without either.

But I am in charge of pants. He is right. And there are an exponential number of pants in my life. A lot of pants. And it got me thinking about the single mom I pray for every day. She has to work and manage pants. And so, that night, unable to sleep, I made a list of pants to see where maybe I could make the necessary changes in pants management so as to have more time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Happy Monday!

Ode to Pants:
Wet pants, stinky poopy pants, uniform pants, hunting pants, work pants, basketball pants, tennis pants, yoga pants, dance pants, these aren’t my pants, too short pants, too long pants, I can’t find my pants, altered pants, starched pants, not enough starch pants, too much starch pants, stained pants, his pants, her pants, the cousins left their pants, my pants are at my cousin’s, pants in the car, pants in my backpack, pants in my locker, do I have to wear pants, can I borrow some pants, are those my pants, WHERE the HECK are your pants, pants at the cleaners, pants in your closet, pants in the wash, get your pants on, take your pants off, we don’t wear pants in the bathtub mister, where did you get those pants, bring me your pants, bring me his pants, he needs new pants, she needs new pants, I have no pants, WHAT the HECK happened to your pants, new pants, old pants, Christmas pants, funeral pants, church pants, fancy pants, disco pants, ballet pants, khaki pants, hand me down pants, those pants don’t match, Capri pants, boot cut pants, skinny pants, fat pants, ugly pants, cute pants, baggy pants, tight pants, choir pants, no ma’am we don’t carry 28×36 pants, special order pants, expensive pants, cheap pants, stolen pants, liar liar pants on fire, parachute pants, Under Armor pants, Nike pants, American Eagle pants, yesterday’s pants, Buzz Lightyear pants, grass stained pants, split pants, flat front pants, I hate these pants, I love these pants, I can’t zip my pants, I need to lose 40 pounds pants, tummy control pants, how IN THE WORLD did you already outgrow those pants, we are in public stop taking off your pants, pants at the library, pants in the driveway, pants in the pool, who’s the owner of these pants, buy your own pants, wash your own pants, you can wear those one more day pants, those are not dress code pants, sweat pants, sassy pants, funny pants, crazy pants, those are tights… not pants, inappropriate pants, pull up your pants fool, this is why we don’t buy generic diapers …. just throw away those pants, I still can’t find my pants, Elmo pants, short pants, breakaway pants, camo pants, waterproof pants, check the lost and found for your pants, the school found your pants, the church found your pants, the police have your pants, stretchy pants, underpants, training pants, stop licking his pants, we don’t draw on our pants, travel pants, drawstring pants, Bohemia pants, fuzzy pants, cuddly pants, spanky pants, why can’t you wear those pants, uncool pants, popular pants, is this human blood on these pants, and my favorite, pajama pants.

May your floors be sticky and your calling ordained! Love, Jami

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man.

Col. 3:23