We had just sat down to lunch. It was almost 2pm, and I had spent the last four and a half hours looking after what seemed like a million kiddies at creche, for the Pastor's Refreshers School. My feet were aching. I was tired. Hunger was overwhelming me, and I could hardly think straight.
Jimmy: Mummy, I wish you were a nurse.
Me: Really? Why is that huney? (already getting a warm fuzzy feeling from what was sure to be his answer..."Because you're soooo good at looking after people!")
Jimmy: Because you don't work. And every other Mummy works. You don't do anything. All you do all day is clean the house!
Me: *mouth gapes open*
Livvy: And drive!! Mummy drives the car sometimes!
Jimmy: Yeah. But that's not work. You should work Mum.
Baby, some days I would give my right arm to go out and work a "real" job. A job where you get a lunch-break for a whole half an hour. With no one pestering you to have a bite of your sandwich. A job where you get to see adults and have conversations that make sense. A job that only goes for 9 hours a day, and where you get to actually close the bathroom door without little children collapsing into puddles of tears at your daring to have some independence.
Just imagine. Wouldn't that be lovely...
But it's not where God has put me at the moment. So for now, I shall be thankful for my work that is not considered work. And be grateful that at *my work* I get to eat chocolate whenever I like. No waiting around for lunchtime for meee!
PAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I can't stop laughing, that's the funniest conversation I've ever visualised :-D You have a gift for writing Charlotte, for a moment I was whisked away and standing in your kitchen and yes, my jaw hit the floor too! It's funny, I was just writing myself a rant about the same topic. How sad is it that it's so abnormal for a mum to be able to stay home with her children that Jimmy picked up on it - and he's in a Christian school! If I'd been there I would've told him, "Jimmy, your mummy IS a nurse, but she works at a house instead of a hospital." And THEN I would have told him what the consequences would be for him if you DID work outside the house - in detail outlining the horrors of 7am - 5pm childcare. (Chris said you should load up the kids tomorrow at 5am and drop them at childcare for the day, and say you're off to work!). Love the picture, definitely our lives aye girlie? Kept women we are ;-P
ReplyDeleteOhh, it's a rough life indeed. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the retelling of it... it was much more entertaining in real life though, I assure you. Sometimes I can't believe the stuff Jimmy comes out with, and sometimes it's hard to choke down. I love it how children speak so honestly, though. There's no mask on their faces...it's just so refreshing!
One day I will work a "real job", when the Lord gives me the chance to be a midwife. Then Jimmy will be stuck babysitting at night-times (because we all know that's when babies like to come!), and we'll see who's laughing then hey. ;-) He'll be BEGGING me to stay at home! Muahahaha.