When you stay home...

You take your "job" seriously.  You put in a lot of thought in simple things like how the clothes are put away and where the backpacks are hung up.  You know which bathroom is running low on toilet paper and what mirrors haven't been windexed in a while.  You pass the same small little toy stuck between the couch and the wall every time you vacuum - but you just let it lie.  Because only you know. 

Sometimes it feels good.  What difference does it make that you forgot towels were in the washing machine (again.)?  You do the laundry and you can just rerun them.  Yes, maybe it's been a full month and that beef stew is still in the back of the fridge.  But, then again, YOU clean out the fridge.  So it can wait until tomorrow.  It is a little bit of power and control in our little piece of the world that only someone who stayed home would know. 

So when you stay home it's nice to have someone notice.  It feels good when you have made a conscious effort to change out all the soaps to the holiday-theme scent and someone mentions they like it. 

Nothing is better then being asked where the long blue socks are and you can rattle off the location without even thinking.  A "Your the best" mom, makes it worth it. 

You hope they all get that you care about making it nice... for them.

So your husband bringing you a rose fresh cut from the garden when your have the stomach flu makes your day.  Because it is you, who usually does the little things, when you stay home. 

And to think that they just might know, that it matters...

At least to you.