Does Any Mom Really Stay-at-home??

Lately I have really been bugged by the title "stay-at-home-mom." Really it is completely outlandish and an outrageous title for us mom's who have decided to make our child more of a priority than our careers at this time in our lives. Does that mean we never had a career? Does that mean we never will have a career? Does that mean all we do is "stay-at-home" watching Days of Our Lives and changing diapers? Every mom that I know is screaming NOOOOO!! I do not know one mom that doesn't do something on the side other than "staying home." Every mom I know either takes care of other kid(s), has their own side business, works on a committee, works part-time from home or from work, and does countless work outside of "taking care of the kid(s)" on top of taking care of a home and the kid(s). Because of the economy, cost of living, and life styles of today, mom's have to take on so much. Even the mom's who can financially live off of one income, do so much outside of the house. Playgoups, gym classes, music classes, storytime, preschool classes, the list goes on and on and on. Mom's in this generation who supposedly just "stay-at-home" feel so much pressure from society that they must always be on the go, taking their kid here and there to make sure that they are "well-rounded" and "well-established" in this society.

Some days I wish I could just be a "stay-at-home" mom. Besides the one child we have, I watch two other children during the week days, run a High School volleyball program as a part-time job, help to run the children's choir, and serve on a committee at church. I take the kids to story time once a week, playgroup once a week and sometimes a preschool class here and there. And everyday mom's are asking me, what other activities can we do next week? When we do get time to "just be home," we are coloring with paint, markers, crayons, chalk; playing outside (even in blizzards); playing puzzles; playing play dough; on top of the continual wiping runny noses, cleaning dirty bottoms, making meals/snacks, keeping up with housework, playing referee to the biter and the pusher; and trying to connect with each child on an individual level everyday! Rarely do I get to just "stay-home" and when I do get to "stay-home," rarely do I get to sit down. So why are we called "stay-at-home" mom's? When we are usually driving our kids more places than the FedEx truck! When people ask me what I do, I think I am going to start telling them, I am the chief operator of a small enterprise. So small that the boss has to clean the toilets!