Golden Days

Spring has hit NC, hard. We've had almost two straight weeks of glorious weather. It's sunny, clear, and warm enough that it's comfortable to be outside for hours at a time, but not so warm that you're really sweating. Add in the fact that the town where I live is home to approximately 8.5 million playgrounds, and M and I are in heaven.

This is why I became a stay-at-home-mom. I could spout some drivel about doing what's best for my precious, precious child, but it would be a load of crap. I honestly believe that kids can thrive in any number of childcare situations. Except for nursing, there's probably nothing I can do for her that someone else can't do. And, in fact, a really good nanny probably wouldn't ever let her watch television while she checked her email and caught up on washingtonpost.com.

No, the reason I'm at home is utterly selfish. I want to be the one following my child's meanderings around the park on a sunny day. I want the luxury of deciding that we can put off mopping the floor until tomorrow, and spend an extra hour at the park instead. I want to be the one whose neck M throws her arms around when she's happy. There's so much fun and joy and laughter involved in caring for a small child, and I wanted to be the one who gets to experience it. The career can wait a few years.