As I finally sit down to write this, I hear a 16 month old make his first humming sound.  Whelp, this can only mean one thing…naptime is coming to a quick close.  If I’m lucky I can squeak out about 30 minutes of “quiet time” before he starts hollering and banging his crib.  So, lets see how much I can get down in the meantime.

Today marks the start of the fourth week of my new job…a stay at home mom and I must say it is my absolute favorite profession.  Being able to stay home with my boys and watch them grow (and learn) has felt like a huge blessing.  When reading today’s devotion, I couldn’t help but feel God’s plan speaking to me.  In the Gospel we hear Saint Matthew’s story about how his discipleship began and how he came to follow Jesus.  This was his calling and although my story is different than Matthew’s, I believe I have found the work that God has intended for me to pursue.

“But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

For the past two months (and maybe even more) I have been bracing myself for the moment that Mike would walk out the door for his first class and leave me alone with 2 under 16 month old boys?! Is that a thing??…probably not.  I have had moments of panic and/or fear, but as that first Monday morning came I decided to offer it up to God and pray that everything would work out according to His plan. Well, it wasn’t a flawless day, but we made it through and in the end I felt so much joy and contentment in my heart.  I knew more than ever that this was my true vocation (This must be how you felt, Matthew!).

Now, I’m trying to soak it all in because I know it is going to go by WAY too fast! It already has! I can’t believe William is walking and talking (does sounding like a minion count as talking?!) and Jack is already smiling, cooing and even sleeping through the night (keep your fingers crossed for us).  They both keep me very busy and before I know it, we are all gathered in Will’s room saying our bedtime prayers and kissing goodnight.

As the days have gone by, my love for this opportunity has grown so much.  Seeing their day-to-day interactions fills me with so much joy.  That’s not to say that there aren’t moments in the day where I just want to sit down or go to the bathroom without a 16-month-old as my chaperone, but I have learned to slowdown the pace in which we do things (or get things done).  At the beginning of each week and month, I put things on the calendar that we need to do (grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning…oh wait that happens after every meal) and would like to do (play dates, going for a walk, or the playground).  I am careful not to put more than one (sometimes two) things on a day.  The less commitments I have, the less stressed out I get on a day-to-day basis.  However, I do NEED some sort of an engagement, to get us out of the house, talk to adults, and lets be honest pass the time until dad gets home.  Depending on the type of person you are that might mean getting out once a day or once a week.  Just commit to doing something that requires you to get out of the house.  The best part about it is it doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment; it can be as little as 30 minutes.  Here are a few things we like to do: go to the park, have play dates, walk around target (J), go for a walk or a run, go to the library, go to our kids’ group classes and pray the rosary with our friend.  None of these activities take a huge amount of time, but they give us a change of scenery and sometimes a whole new outlook on the day.

Whether you know your vocation or are still discerning it, remember that your path is unique and beautiful and is going to look so different than anyone else’s.  But, that’s what makes this life so amazing! Listen to God and “follow Jesus” because it’s time to write your story!

P.S. This post was finished post-dinner…life of a stay at home mom 🙂