TOP 10 REASONS BEING A SAHM IS BETTER THAN BEING A CIVIL LITIGATION ATTORNEY

So I have been trying to really focus on the positive lately (shock to all you who know me.) And I think that staying at home and being a mom and a wife may not be as bad as I felt last week during the dirty house of madness, PMS, laundry debacle, preparing for school, putting the house up for sale week of misery.

For instance, during my walk last night, I pushed a stroller with only two small children who were relatively peaceful (Kya was home wrestling with her daddy about not going to sleep.)

Sidenote: When I came home, Kya had won, and was wet-cheeked, but happily out of her room and sitting on the floor of the living room hoping for some "mommy time." Ahhh...

Anyway, while I walked, I thought about comparisons between my former job (civil litigator) and my current job (stay at home mom/wife):

TOP TEN REASONS BEING A SAHM IS BETTER THAN BEING A CIVIL LITIGATOR:

10. I can decide to do anything I want all day long. Nobody tells me or expects me to do anything in particular save the State of California and CPS looming in the background in case I completely ignore my children all day long.

9. I have no dress code. If I want to stay in my jammies all day long (I have chosen against this due to unannounced embarrassing visits from friends and family lately who are definitely thinking I am a slob about now), I can.

8. No pantyhose (Kind of the same as aforementioned lack of dress code, but worth its own entirely separate enumeration).

7. Messy craft-time is better than writing MSJs.

6. Cleaning the house is better than summarizing medical documents.

5. No billable hours.

4. I can play in the dirt and on the floor physically instead of metaphorically.

3. Naptime...every day.

2. I can actually have and maintain a garden and pets.

1. I get to make meals for, help, and spend time loving and being with my family every day 24 hours a day...which is usually a good thing.

Now the paycheck...oh wait, focusing on the positive...

The Ranch

Wyatt participating in water wars.

Wyatt masterfully moving the puck in hockey.

Wyatt loving touching his face despite numerous warnings from mom regarding germs!

Daddy having fun during water wars.

Good pal and Hospice staffer, Chris, helping Kya master the game of hockey.

Kya and friend Makayla after water wars at camp.

Wyatt passes out after a long day playing in the lake.

Wyatt after water wars strutting his stuff.

Wyatt and a Winco muffin (Jake catching crumbs.) Muffin wins.

"Isn't it my turn to climb the wall mom?"

Kya with the Chik Fil A cow--Chik Fil A donated $5000 to the camp and provided an entire meal for the donors, campers and staff. I LOVE CHK FIL A!!!

Kya and her hockey stick flying across the court.

Kya on the lake trampoline with new found friends. Mommy loves life jackets.

Wyatt after a long fun day cannot stay awake, even for a Chik Fil A brownie.

Wyatt on the ranch toys. This rusty old thing just proved to me that new shiny toys are not necessary to keep a kid entertained.

Our time at "The Ranch" this year was filled with surprises and adventures. It was both exhilarating and one of the most peaceful weeks I have had in a long time. I was blessed to have Jenna Ricks with us all week, whose sole responsibility was to help with our kids. What an amazing thing to have another person whose sole purpose was to help me!!! Her sunshiny personality and fantastic attitude made the week even better than it usually is.

Let me back track because some of you don't know what I am talking about.

Every year, Scott directs a camp at the ranch formerly known as Thompson Ski Ranch (now Gergen ski ranch) for bereaved children who have lost a loved one in the past year. Scott was a water ski instructor at the ranch for years and has since been directing camps at the ranch for the Gergens, who are based in Huntington Beach and need a trustworthy supervisor for the property. (That's my honey, oh so trustworthy--I love that!) Anyway, I cook for the campers and enjoy helping out in other ways when I am able.

This year, we decided to spend the whole week out there as a family instead of me trying to come home every evening with the kids and then going back at 4:30 AM to start cooking breakfast for the campers. That was AWESOME. We slept in a small cabin near the main ranch house. Kya and Wyatt slept on the floor of the living room. Scott slept in a small bedroom and I slept in the other small bedroom with Caden in his playpen. The house could not be more than 750 square feet. But it was glorious. We truly learned to enjoy being close. I learned that it's a lot easier to clean up 750 sq. ft. than 1600. I also learned we need a lot less "stuff" when our kids just spend the whole day in the great outdoors playing, running, getting dirty, dropping down on a lounge chair somewhere in the middle of the day to rest or nap...oh goodness, it was just so nice.

Best of all, we were all together. Scott was there running the camp for Hospice, directing activities, setting up and organizing each game, supervising the water slide, etc. etc. And while he worked and passionately devoted himself to the camp activity, we, his family, were able to share in his work, watch his discipline and commitment, and smile with him at the successes of his labors. What a nice thing.

I was also able to cook for the campers, usually making meals to feed about 30-35 people. This year, as an extra bonus, the Gergens had replaced the ranch house kitchen with a new commercial stove, beautiful granite counter tops, new cabinets, etc. etc. If you had seen the old kitchen, cooked on the previously unpredictable stove, experienced the overheating microwave that just shuts itself off when it decides it has had enough...you would feel my elation as I walked into this glorious new shiny kitchen. Ahhhhhh! (that's me singing operatically.)

Anyway, we also got to commune with some old friends (it was great to talk with one of our regular counselors, Laura ODell, in particular, who is always a trooper, even with a terrible cold and locking her keys in the car!) and new friends (Johnny Ward joined us this year all the way from Texas! What a blessing he was to the campers and to our family! We love you Johnny!), swim in the lake, and just generally experience the great outdoors like one of the kids. I cannot say enough, so I will stop now.

:)

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HOUSE FOR SALE NE BAKERSFIELD

The Haner home is finally for sale!

The house is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with covered back patio, three car garage, Tuff Shed, 1600 sq. ft., up the road from the fabulous Thorner Elementary School, and a spectacular view of the mountains and foothills. We are asking $219,500, but are willing to negotiate.

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Call (661) 330-0863 for the address and to make an appointment.