Thank You, Pinterest

I think Pinterest is the best thing to have happened to me as a SAHM. Ever. Here is why.

I have to admit that I still have moments when I struggle being only a homemaker. I watch people driving to work in their professional clothes in the morning, or I see them on their way home in the evening. I see the medical students, residents, and doctors walking to and from the hospital in their white coats. I drive past schools where the school yard is full of children playing. When I see them, I feel guilty. I feel lazy. I feel like I am not contributing to the world. I feel like a leech on society (Austin is currently on Medicaid and we are on WIC.)

When I go to the YMCA to work out during the middle of the day the primary demographic is 60+: a bunch of retired folks. And I feel self conscious. I feel like Hey... I should probably go get a job or something. I don't belong here at this time of day. I think I feel like that because most people my age are there in the evenings or very, very early morning because they have jobs.

So back to the pinterest thing. Since becoming married I have really developed an interest in cooking. I began developing the skill in my early marriage. Poor Mark. He still ate everything I tried to cook with a smile on his face and a "It is wonderful sweetheart!" I look back at those early cooking days and laugh. Some of the stuff I made was pretty terrible but you never would have known it based on my husband's reactions. He is a pretty awesome guy.

I really improved in the first couple of years then I sort of leveled off after coming to North Carolina. I just got too busy in my first year of teaching to pursue it. I was exhausted (emotionally and physically) after hard days at work and I just wanted to come home and chill out. So I mostly cooked what I already knew how to cook with a new thing thrown in here or there.

Then I got pregnant and had gestational diabetes and once I figured out a few things I could eat I pretty much stuck to them like glue for the remainder of my pregnancy.

Then I had Austin and suddenly BAM. I was a SAHM with a ton of time and energy (after Austin passed the 8 week mark) on my hands. Cooking was appealing again. Crafting and sewing became appealing for the first time in my entire life.  I hated crafting before that. My friend Karen introduced me to Pinterest. I deactivated my facebook account. I don't have a twitter account. Pinterest became my social media of choice.

And since I got on pinterest I have made a bunch of recipes and crafted one item. It has been fantastic. I have felt fulfilled and happy. I have read fabulous articles on parenting. I have found things to make me laugh and things to make me think.

And very early this morning I had an epiphany about being a SAHM. It IS a job. I am doing a great work. I am learning things and contributing to society. These thoughts came in a rather round about way.

Austin woke up at 3:45 wanting a snack. So I went in and fed him and put him back to sleep a little after 4. Mark was getting up at 4:30 to go to work. He'll be doing that for a month. I have decided to get up every morning to spend some time with him. So I thought to myself morning Self, you can either go to sleep for about 40 minutes or you can make your husband a wonderful, hot breakfast. And what do you think I did? I made him a wonderful hot breakfast. And here is where the pinterest part plays in. Did I make him something off pinterest? Nope. BUT. Did I experiment with a recipe (vs. always following it to the letter) for the first time in my life? You bet. And where did I get the courage to do that? Pinterest! It seems like all the blogs about cooking I have read are all about these fabulous experiments people do and it has given me courage to experiment.

If you are still reading this obscenely long post are you dying to know what I did? I added lemon juice to my pancake batter. And blueberries. That's it. I know it might sound silly and small but for me it was a big step! I have never messed with a recipe before and I did for the very first time. It was a roaring success too. They were delicious. I topped them with syrup, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. Good thing there was lots of sweet to offset the tang of the lemon blueberry pancakes.

Mark was SO surprised. He was just delighted to come down at 4:45 AM to a hot, delicious breakfast made with love by yours truly. He has been so sad and disappointed and worried the last few days because he wasn't able to get into the rotation he wanted and now has to spend lots of hours away from home. Making him feel relaxed, happy, and at peace helped me realize today being a homemaker is a worthy profession. It is a job. I am contributing to society. Instead of sending my husband to work stressed and worried I sent him feeling full, relaxed, and happy with a full belly and a homemade lunch in tow. In my small way I am making him a better doctor.

And I am caring daily for the needs of my small child. That is a job too.

Does that make sense at all? So because of Pinterest I had the courage and self confidence to make an awesome breakfast for my husband. It was delicious and he loved it. He left feeling supported and happy. When he left I felt confident and happy in my abilities as a homemaker and riding that wave of confidence I realized that my work at home is very important to his well-being and his overall performance so in some small way I am working. I have a hand in his performance on the job. It is kind of like if he performs well, I perform well and the world is a better place because of it.

So thank you Pinterst for giving me the courage and self confidence to be a better homemaker, wife, and mother and feel (at last) that what I am doing is a very important job.