My Job(s)...Mom & Illustrator

With all the hub-bub recently with the comment about Ann Romney (stay at home mom) never having worked a day in her life, I reflected a bit on my own "Job(s)." We all play many roles in our lives...we are multiple things at once: children, siblings, parents, caregivers, volunteers at schools and community, housecleaners, cooks, etc. We also may have "employment"...work we do for monetary compensation.  I think the comment was mispoken in saying Ann Romney never worked a day in her life because she essentially isn't monetarily compensated for all the hours of work she does in her home. We all say things we don't mean, but I do think not enough credit is given to those women or men who devote countless hours as homemakers and mothers/fathers. It's the toughest job I know...24/7, no vacations.

As a "stay-at-home" mom with 4 kids, I feel SOOOOOO blessed to be able to have employment I can do from my home while performing my motherly duties. I can even include my kids in my job as an illustrator when it takes me away from home...like school visits and book signings (one of my kids snapped this picture for me at a fundraiser for their school).

I am one lucky lady. Not many employment opportunities offer what being an illustrator does...working from home, working from anywhere in the world, working in your pajamas with a kid on your lap. I love being an illustrator. I love art. And I love that I can stay home with my kids while having gainful employment from my home.

Being a stay-at-home mom is not always easy. Some days it looks like this...ALL DAY LONG...

But others, it looks more like this...

That is my payment...not monetary but worth SOOOOO much more. Money can never give me the same feeling I get from a kiss, cuddle, or even a "Thank You" from one of my kids. As those Mastercard commercials say..."Priceless."

And when I can pass on all I know and learn to these future contributors to society, I feel even more like I'm doing something important. So all you stay-at-home workers out there (moms or dads), remember that what you are doing is VERY important.  Love those kids and raise them well. Our world will be a better place for it.