$112K +

"A wife of noble character who can find? 

   She is worth far more than rubies"  Proverbs 31:10

I read recently that if a stay-at-home mom were paid, she'd earn at least $112,000 a year. The group who determined this salary listed all the duties of a SAHM, and then examined the salaries of those who do those jobs for a living. Interesting.

If I were to be paid-- monetarily-- for all that I do, my husband could quit his job! And yet, often I (or all mothers or fathers, to be honest) receive little tangible compensation for my hard work. I could lament this reality, pining for some compensation for the tedious daily tasks, yet, as I've pondered this figure, I'm reminded that I am worth far MORE than a mere $112K... and not because of what I do, but because of who He is, and whose I am.

Yes, my job is invaluable, and I love it (though some days do try my patience). I am tasked with training, disciplining, and raising my kids to be kind, loving, caring, compassionate, generous, faithful, good; with running the household; with organizing our calendar/ planning events. Most importantly, I am tasked with teaching my children about God, who He is, and what He's done for us. Woah. That's an enormous responsibility, and one that I'm (on my own) ill-equipped to do.

I have found that SAHMs regularly degrade their worth. We're not bringing in a paycheck, so somehow we're not contributing as much to our families. We can't spend a little on ourselves, because we haven't "earned" it. Why do we have such a negative view of our worth when we have been blessed with such a high calling? We're not tasked with training/ interacting/ dealing with those whom we might have a passing interaction; we are called to care for OUR children. We have the opportunity to prepare them for the future (while enjoying the journey with them). What an amazing blessing!

We don't need a number to tell us what we're worth. Instead, we have God's Word, which affords us more than what some number-crunchers deduced:

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life (10-12)....She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks (17).... She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her" (Proverbs 31: 25 - 29).

Embracing and accepting our calling means we should EMBRACE and ACCEPT our worth! We are worth "far more than rubies" (10). That's certainly more than $112! Because God has crafted us for this calling, blessing us with the children in our care, He determines our worth. Not man.

So though $112K extra a year might be nice, I prefer the salary fitting of the daughter of the King (eternal life), and the opportunity to offer THAT salary to my children one day. In the meantime, I will embrace my calling, my job, the tedious, menial tasks with joy, knowing that my worth is determined by God. And in His eyes, I am invaluable.

The Kiddos

It's been awhile since my last post AND since I've update everyone on the kids, so I thought I'd do both today. Though their ages are trying at times (little miss surprises me with her occasional tantrums and baby boy regularly gets into places he shouldn't), those moments are tempered by the playful, fun ones.

*Lately, Leah has been asking for a pet. This came from out of the blue (contrary to belief that I might have coached her. Though I do want a dog, I certainly don't want the added responsibility of one right now.)
  L: "Mommy, I want a pet."
  Me: "Oh, well, we'll see about that. What do you want?"
  L: "A cat."
  M: "Hmmm, you'll have to talk to Daddy about that. He doesn't like cats."
  L, considering that fact: "Well, does Daddy like dogs?"
  M: "Yes, Daddy likes dogs."
  L: "Then I want a dog."
 After our conversation, Leah repeated it with her dad. Of course, he was a bit surprised they were even having it. Since then, Leah has mentioned WHEN she gets her dog (not if). Hmmmm, she might have to wait awhile on that.

*Polishing the Floors, a Win-Win.
  Not sure how this started, but lately, the kids (thanks to Daddy) have become obsessed with cleaning the wood floors. Well, maybe not exactly, but they do love blanket rides. Leah wraps herself in the blanket, pretending to be a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. (Yes, she even emerges from her cocoon.) Although this is the usual scenario for her, she did modify it the other day; she loaded up the blanket with toys, and then pretended she was Santa, delivering toys down the hallway.
  Hunter loves lying face down during the rides. We're not exactly sure why, but boy, is it funny. Sometimes he'll turn over onto his back, which often means he's just barely lying on the blanket. Other times, he'll try to stand (obviously he doesn't get very far). Ahh, simple fun.

*Speaking of simple fun, notice the new "toys" in these photos. The kids loved playing in a box. They'd just sit in it. Not sure the allure of cardboard, but it kept them entertained. Course, I think the flashlights helped, too. Hunter will go to the drawer where we keep them, point, and say, "Light?" He loves walking around with them, but he especially enjoys playing with them in the darkened laundry room. Again, who knew such a simple tool would bring the kids such joy.
  Now, I realize Leah doesn't look too joyful in the box. That was her "Mommy, I'm making a sad face" for the photo. Hmmm, honestly, it looks like both of them aren't too happy. Almost as if I had locked 'em up.

*So the hubs might not like this photo, but it was too funny NOT to include. After church on Sunday, Hunter pulled out Leah's Ariel costume from the box of dress-up clothes and brought it over to me. Seeing no harm in indulging him, I helped him into it. That boy was so happy! He continued about his business (playing) while we made lunch. And when it was time to eat (and he had to lose the costume), he was NOT happy!
  Later that day, while Leah and I were at Awana, Hunter again "asked" to wear the costume, but Scott told him "no". That's not what Hunter wanted to hear: he threw a tantrum because he couldn't wear the costume. (I'm sure he's going to kill me one day when he sees this photo!)

*No photo for this tidbit, but I've noticed that Hunter has been learning how to play from Leah (as evidenced by the previous story). Leah likes to pretend she's Jasmine kitty, and Hunter has begun doing the same. At times, independently of Leah, he will drop to all fours, mew, and crawl over to me. Once he gets to me, he pulls himself up for a "kitty hug and cuddle". Satisfied, he'll then crawl away (or do a circuit and repeat). Too funny.