JUST A MOM? (email forward)

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office,
was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is, " explained the recorder,
"do you have a job or are you just a ...?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman.
"I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation,
'housewife' covers it,"
Said the recorder emphatically.


I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself
in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.
The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised,
efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like,
"Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know.
The words simply popped out.
"I'm a Research Associate in the field of
Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in m midair and
looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words.
Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written,
in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest,
"just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice,
I heard myself reply,
"I have a continuing program of research,
(what mother doesn't)
In the laboratory and in the field,
(normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family)
and already have four credits (all daughters).
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities,
(any mother care to disagree?)
and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers
and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she
completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career,
I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model,
(a 6 month old baby) in the child development program,
testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!
And I had gone on the official records as someone more
distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."

Motherhood!

What a glorious career!
Especially when there's a title on the door.


Does this make grandmothers
"Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human
Relations"
And great grandmothers
"Executive Senior Research Associates?"
I think so!!!
I also think it makes Aunts "

Associate Research Assistants."

Pool Crasher

Easter Monday came and I needed a way to keep us away from the candy and baked goods and to burn off some energy so we headed to the sports stadium for a workout and a dip in the pool. I picked the girls up at the daycare and we headed for the pool to meet up with their cousins. As usual, Mackenzie was so excited to get in and got herself dressed in her suit in record time; beating me. We put our towels on the counter, showered, and headed for the water, each of us picking up our own towels as we went. Also as usual, Mackenzie headed for the edge of the pool and fearlessly jumped in. Then she held up her right hand and looked at me puzzled; she still had her hooded animal towel in her hand, now sopping wet. Good thing I always take a bath sheet rather than a towel; enough to share with a friend or daughter.

Silly Bunny

This was the first year that Easter and more specifically, the Easter egg hunt, meant something to both my girls. Taylor was advising Mackenzie on where to look for eggs. She says the Easter bunny can be tricky and likes to hide things up high like on the top of the pictures. In the morning, the girls slept in until 8am. Taylor had to wait a grueling 30 minutes for Mackenzie to wake up. The second Mackenzie awoke, they were on their way. They searched the upper floor then, missing many eggs on the way, they went to the basement to check the laundry room. They found one chocolate egg and headed toward the window ledge for the pink chicken egg. The second they approached the motion sensor detection window, beep, beep, beep.... I had to stop my movie making and run to turn off the alarm. They alarm monitor person thought it was funny and asked how the Easter bunny managed to not set the alarm off. Taylor asked the same question and then decided it must have been magic. That shock over with, and the basement searched, the girls retraced their steps and found more eggs they had overlooked. Mackenzie found a Cadbury egg in her winter boot and bent over, hands on hips, laughing, "silly bunny!" She is still telling everyone she meets about the Easter bunny putting an egg in her boot. Now I just wish they would stop asking me how many days until the next Easter.

Non-Competetor

More and more, Taylor exhibits some unfortunate traits of my own. sigh. For the last four weeks of skating lessons she has been asking, "is this the last one?" and saying with conviction, "I don't want to go." I used to love skating lessons, I just never liked the competition or the grand show off event at the end. At least she doesn't have to endure that. Well, the last day of lessons came and she was most excited to receive her level two badge; however, she also had to ask, "is this the last day? Can I not go to lessons any more and just go after school?" Works for me. She's in enough activities now and it's rather cold for me to sit and wait in the arena for her for an hour. Here's for moving onto warmer activities. But are swimming lessons really warmer?

I'm Getting Smart!

Taylor announced to me the other day, "I'm getting smart. I know lots of things about penguins, and seals, and...." She has taken to asking about the animals she sees on tv and in books and I have to opportunity to check out books on the library about the animals. I have to admit, I'm getting smarter too for I now know lots of things about seahorses, seals, penguins ...."

Opportunity or Disappointment?

Over March Break, Taylor was given the opportunity to go with her cousin to Kindermusik. Her aunt was teaching and able to get her two children in in exchange. She opted to trade her youngest for my eldest, thus giving Taylor a chance to try it out. For the week before Taylor was pleading not to go. Finally when asking why she didn't want to go, she said she was too shy. She didn't seemed convinced that it would be OK even though she had attended one class before at the library and that both her cousin and aunt would be there. The night before she was excited when told that Grammie had made capes for all the kids who were going including a pink one. What a turn-around in attitude! Well she had a blast the first day though my sister said she was hard to read as she is very quiet. But Taylor was very happy when she got home and excited to go the next day and the next. She was not happy when on the third day she wasn't allowed to stay all day like the other kids. My sister only kept them there in the mornings. Then there was none on the fourth day. That evening Taylor wanted to know when her cousin could sleep over. Well, I began, he can't stay over tonight because he has Kindermusik in the morning. Her face lit up as she asked, "am I going too?" Her face fell just as dramatically when I told her, "no, you just got to go to the camp and he's going to his regular classes." She then wanted to know if she could sign up too. When told she's already signed up for a lot of activities she wanted to know if she could take it in the summer. The poor thing, for it isn't offtered in the summer. She seems content, for now, with my promise to look into it. I'll have to check the website soon.

Mommy's Going to Be Mad

On Sunday, my husband found a table and chairs for sale that are similar to our own. When it comes to family dinners we often don't have enough chairs to go around. So he went and snatched these five up at $6.00 a chair. They aren't as sturdy as the ones we have so he took our youngest and went off to buy some good wood glue before taking on the challenge of gluing them back together. He wrote me at work to say, "Two of the chairs have had the legs removed and glued back in place. Kenzie thought you would be mad that the chairs were apart. She said it was silly when I got her to sit on one of them with no legs." It's funny how little one's minds work.

Where Are My Cousins?

What is in a name, a title? On Wednesday afternoon past, friends came over for a visit. The mom's used to chat while the older girls played together, usually in the Burger King playroom. Our second children hadn't been born yet. We have invited them to all our birthday parties and have made a point of getting together on a regular basis. While they were visiting on Wednesday, Kenzie fell asleep on the rec room floor. Our company left and then it was time to go to Taylor's skating lessons. I scooped Kenzie up and she awoke when we arrived at the stadium. When we returned back home, "you-hoo!" Mackenzie called and then turned to me in bewilderment and asked, "Where are my cousins?" Puzzled, it took me a moment or two before I asked her, "Do you mean Joy and Hope?" "Yes," she answered. I guess, closeness isn't in being related but in time spent together.

Prescription Medication for Dummies

For three nights in a row, my youngest daughter, Mackenzie, has been running a fever hovering around 40 degrees Celcius. It's odd, but she hasn't had a fever in the day time other than Sunday afternoon. So, my husband was going to take her to the walkin clinic on Sunday afternoon while I was at work but Mackenzie slept all afternoon and when I got home it was too late to go. This morning I thought I'd have an excuse to get out of going to the gym but her temperature was normal, 37.2. So off we went. She did her usual things of watching tv, sitting in my lap, joining me in the shower, and then getting speedily ready to go pick Taylor up at school. Mackenzie, like usual, fell asleep on the way to school and keep on sleeping even when I moved her into bed once we got back home at 3pm. At 4pm it was time to get her ready for swimming so Daddy went in to get her. She was a bit whinney but who isn't when they are woken up (even though daddy said he didn't wake her). We packed up and took off, late for lessons. While dressing Mackenzie in her swimsuit I realized she was hot to the touch, again. She tried lessons anyway but unlike herself she got upset about being splashed and wouldn't blow bubbles. Ten minutes later, I scooped her up in a towel, then rinsed her off and dressed her for home. At 6pm we found ourselves on the way to the walkin clinic. Mackenzie slept the entire way there and on my shoulder in the waiting room. In the exam room she woke up wanted a drink of water and saying she was too hot; so she dramk from the tap and stripped out of her coat and shirt. Once examined, ears, chest, and throat I learned that her cough wasn't the problem, her lungs were fine but she has strep throat. Oh dear. I just wanted to be put out of my misery when I had that. But she wasn't complaining about her throat. Hmmm. Oh, uh. What about the kids at daycare? Guess it'll be a sick day for work. We got her prescription filled and put it in the cart under the infant seat for she was back to sleep again. I then picked up oralgel for Taylor who is getting her new teeth coming in front of her baby teeth and she finds it rather painful. I had to pay for my second purchase at another cashier. When leaving, I scooped Mackenzie and my second package up, forgetting the first with the prescription medication in it and our reason for being here. It was under the infant seat and I couldn't see it. Halfway to the car, I remembered it. I hoped no one had noticed my oversight. I went back in the indoor, carrying my sleeping three year old, my purse, and my second package. On my way I had to pass the magazine and book section. On the end of the display, in a bright yellow with black was one of the For Dummies series, "Prescription Medication for Dummies." I thought this quite funny. - I better go for Mackenzie crawled out of bed and came looking for me and is now passed out at the top of the stairs.