Snapshots of a SAHM

It's the stereotypical question when someone finds out I stay at home with my two young children: "What do you do all day?" And I guess the stereotypical answer is "Well, I don't know exactly." It's a tough one, one that can't really be explained to someone who hasn't actually done it.

But as I sat at the breakfast table this morning and looked around me, it dawned on me that I might be able to provide some insight just by describing my surroundings at any given moment. They are snapshots, if you will, of what an outsider might observe when looking in to my day.

"The Breakfast Table" - This piece is a close up of the entire contents covering a small dining room table. Among the objects: two spilled bowls of yogurt; three peaches, lovingly sliced and peeled, yet clearly untouched; two miniature cannonballs; two miniature bulldozers; a vase of dead flowers; a rolled up, used diaper; half a cup of cold coffee.

"The Laundry Room" - A Mother stands at the dryer, still in her pajamas and picking cat litter off her feet, while "her assistant," a small boy, sporting a bike helmet but no pants, uses one hand to slowly and meticulously put clothing into the washing machine while holding a blue ball in the other hand.

"The Living Room" - The Mother is standing, perplexed and frustrated, looking down at an older boy who is clearly screaming in fury and gesturing toward a miniature pirate ship with a loose sail.

"The Living Room - 2" - The three sit on the couch, both boys draped around and on top of the Mother as she reads "Babar and His Children." The younger boy points to each hat illustrated in the book (and there are many), while the older boy rests his head on her shoulder.

"The Living Room - 3" - The two boys, now shirtless and pantless, but now both wearing bike helmets, are running in a circle around the couch with their arms in the air and screaming. The Mother stands in the background, unfocused.

"The Foyer" - The two boys are assembled on the bottom step. One is yelling and pointing to the shoe rack as the Mother throws her hands up in exasperation. Each subject, including her, is wearing only one shoe.

"The Car" -The floor in front of nearly every seat is covered in dropped crackers and snacks, used baby wipes (which have hopefully only been used to wipe hands), discarded toys, and mismatched shoes. The Mother, still in her pajamas, sits in the front seat and squints to confirm she has at least remembered to put in her contacts, but acknowledges that she definitely has not yet brushed her teeth. Goldfish crackers are visible in mid-air as the older boy in the back throws them across the seat at the younger boy's head.

"The Car - 2" - The older boy, now red-faced, screams, open-mouthed, while the Mother reaches back and hands the younger child the bag of snacks.

"The Car - 3" - Added to the previously listed contents of the car are now a drug store bag containing a prescription and three canvas bags overflowing with greens from the family's farm share pick-up. The two boys are quiet, both looking out their respective windows, gazing at the rain outside.

A close-up of the Mother shows her hand as it turns up a song on the CD player. The corners of her mouth are turned up, her smile suggesting that she might be thinking to herself, "Yeah, I've still got it. I'm still me."

Time elapsed from the first photo in the series to the last: 1 hour, 12 minutes.

This is an original post to the Philadelphia Moms Blog.

Beth also writes (and shares actual photos) on her personal blog, Total Mom Haircut and contributes regularly to Mama Speaks.