So you want to know what a stay-at-home mom does all day, huh?

No you don't. Really. If you're expecting soap operas and bon bons, though? This post is for you!

Two days ago, the main level of my house was clean. Not just "kinda picked up" - it was clean. My mother-in-law could have walked in, and I wouldn't have batted an eye. Two days ago, the carpets were all vacuumed. I did not, however, vacuum yesterday. Today, in my search for the dining and living room carpets so I can run the vacuum cleaner, this is what had to be picked up:

• 3 Kraft cheese wrappers
• 2 plastic baggies
• 4 celophane wrappers for various and sundry things
• 17 crayons
• 73 small pieces of construction paper
• 14 full size sheets of construction paper
• 19 sheets of typing paper
• 1 folder of lined paper
• 1 handwriting tablet
• 2 diaries
  
• 1 lined notebook
• 2 forks
• 1 spoon
• 1 ketchup bottle
• 7 napkins
• 4 paper plates
  
• 9 pencils
• 3 pens
• 2 rulers
• 2 stencil
• 4 cat toys
• 2 cat dishes
• 8 envelopes
• 14 pieces of junk mail
• 11 books
• 2 laundry baskets
• 2 glue sticks
• 3 glue stick lids (uh oh!)
• 2 cups
• 1 sewing machine
• 1 toolbox
• 1 thread box
  
• 1 dining room chair (it had been knocked over)
• 1 drawing board
• 1 room sized throw rug (it HAD been folded and in the corner)
• 2 couch cushions
• 5 throw pillows
• 1 throw
• 1 banana peel
• 9 socks
• 1 Tae Kwan Do uniform sans belt
• 2 candy wrappers
• 2 pairs of scissors
• 3 screws (!?!)
• 2 nails (!?!)
• 1 screw driver
• 3 bobbins
• 2 spools of thread
• 2 inline skate liners
• 3 winter coats
• 6 gloves
• 6 boots
• 4 shoes
• 2 backpacks
• 1 box of kleenex
  
• 5 pairs of pants
• 2 sweatshirts
• 2 t-shirts
• 1 telephone
• 1 hair clip
• 2 LeapPads
• 4 LeapPad books
• 4 LeapPad cartridges
• 1 set of nail clippers
• 1 bottle of ibuprofen
• 1 bottle of hand lotion
• 1 Gamecube controller
• 2 Gamecube games
• 3 DVDs
• 4 hangers
• 6 stickers
  

Sure, it would have taken a shorter amount of time if I would have done it all myself. It would have been WHOLE lot easier! But that's not how I work. My job as a mother is to ultimately create responsible, upstanding citizens out of my children. So I helped some, but mostly I supervised. And once it was all done, I vacuumed. In fact, I even vacuumed the inside of the couch, the ceiling corners, and the ceiling fan.

In addition to simply vacuuming, I have also served breakfast, a snack, and lunch to three children. I've taken out the meat that I plan to prepare for dinner. I've unloaded, reloaded, and run the dishwasher. I've washed two loads of laundry, and folded and put away three loads of laundry. I've collected the dirty laundry from the bedrooms and bathroom. I've taken out two bags of trash.

I've read two books. I've made six coloring pages. I've written down the names of everyone in the family at the 4yo's request. I've answered dozens of questions about LeapPad activities. I've put the 4yo down for a nap. I've chased my 10yo out the door to go to a neighbor's house, so he could copy down the workbook homework questions that he forgot to bring home. I supervised as he did said homework, and I helped answer one of the questions.

I've read email, sent email, blogged, and read blogs. I've taken a shower. I've fed the cat. I've fretted about the bunny and given him fresh veggies. I've cleaned the litter box. I've had three telephone conversations. I've checked on the seeds I planted last night.

Now? Now I'm sitting here typing, because I'm too tired to do much else.

THAT is what a stay-at-home mom does all day.