Favorite

Pretttttty sure this is in my top ten favorite photos ever:

Happy Pi Day!

We celebrate Pi Day around here in a VERY creative way...by baking a pie! :)

Cole loved helping out:

 And then, of course, reaping the rewards:

 The finished product: Frosty Peanut Butter Pie! so yummy!

One guitar

This is so cool:

Related: who on earth thinks of these things? I mean, it's not like I go through the day thinking, "Hey! Let's get five people playing a song on a single guitar!"

adoring

This is the look Cole often has on his face when he's interacting with his adored Daddy:

 Yes, apparently Daddy really is that awesome.

Working

It was the inevitable question.  The one I knew was destined to arise at some point during the party.

"So, Mandy - where are you working over there in Medford? Was it hard to find a job?"

"Well," I say - "I'm actually not working right now.  Just staying home with Cole and loving it.  I haven't even looked for a job over there because I'm so content being home."

Silence.

My friends (and former co-workers) don't know what to say.  They avoid eye contact with me.  They change the subject immediately.

It's not something I'm ashamed of, being a stay-at-home mom.  I don't see anything wrong with it and I'm proud that I have this distinction.  I'm glad that I have the confidence in myself and our decision.  But I'm not going to lie - sometimes, it's hard not to feel a little defensive when surrounded by these amazing women - all working moms - who are some of my dearest friends.

After my confession, I'm tempted to fill the silence with excuses and reasons.  "We can't find reliable and affordable daycare...Jobs are so scarce right now...A second income would just boost us up into the next tax bracket, anyway..."

But as the excuses are starting to leave my lips, I think to myself, "Wait a minute.  I don't need to excuse anything.  These wonderful ladies don't feel as though they need to excuse their desire to work, so why should I say a reason for staying home?"

It's so easy to feel ashamed, embarassed, lazy for being a stay at home mom.  I don't think it's a career path our society puts a lot of value on right now.  Americans are famous for cultural extremes and I think the working mom situation is a definite example - we try so hard to limit the guilt/expectations for moms who work outside the home, we end up downplaying moms who stay home.

But you know what?  Right now, staying home works perfectly for us.  It's a dream come true to be home all day, every day with my little guy.  Is staying home the right decision for everyone? No way! But I sometimes wish we could all be a little more tolerant of what works for an individual person and his/her family.

How about you? Have you ever felt judged for a personal family choice, and if so, how did you deal with it?

Family Day Part 2

After we hiked Table Rock, we hurried back home so Cole could have his regular afternoon nap.  The nap which is usually around an hour - but Cole was so pooped from the hike, he ended up napping for 2.5 hours! It was awesome.

When he woke up, we decided to milk the beautiful weather for all it was worth and have a picnic:

 He spent a good part of the picnic like this (not so used to bumps and cracks in cement pathways, I guess):

 Daddy brought a tennis ball:

 This is what Cole's face looks like every time he throws a ball:

 Chris was THRILLED to see that Cole carries the tennis ball like a football - and I adore the concentration lines on his face!

 Playing ball is SERIOUS business:

 Until Daddy comes along...

It was a great break in the winter doldrums to have a family day!

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