No, I’m not “just a mom.”

I’ll never forget how many people asked me when my husband and I made the decision for me to stay home with our boys if I was going to be “just a mom.” My biggest dream of being a stay at home mom was finally coming true, but I was terrified my identity would be lost in the midst of cleaning up Cheerios squished into the carpet and wiping tiny butts all day. This was something I had desperately wanted to do, so we took the leap and discussed how I could continue to be me while also being “just a mom.” 

As I began my journey of being a homemaker, I realized how much I had been doing while I was working full time and being mom and wife full time. No wonder I was having anxiety issues! I quickly gathered and worked hard to find my identity in motherhood and outside of motherhood. Here are somethings that I discovered about myself as a mom and as a woman while I have been staying at home with my kids for my full time job. “I’m just a mom.” No.

I am a cook. Seriously…I should be on Chopped at some point with the random dinners and lunches I’ve turned into gourmet meals for toddlers and a picky husband. 

I am a nurse healing tiny cuts with Trolls band-aids and cleaning up vomit when the stomach flu strikes. 

I am a teacher with things as broad as why lions and fish don’t both live in the sea and as small as boogers are not real food. 

I am a maid. I clean. Then I clean some more. And some more. And then it’s always messy again, but I do it some more. 

I am a police officer reminding both littles of consequences that happen when we do things that aren’t nice and keeping our family safe. 

I am a magician. You couldn’t taste the spinach pureed into your spaghetti sauce? Magic. That toy you lost months ago and just asked for that I found within minutes? Magic. 

I am a princess, Batman, turtle, you name it. When the three year old wants to play and wants me to be ______, you bet I’m doing it. 

I am a personal shopper for groceries, clothes, and pretty much everyone except myself, but it still makes my heart happy. 

I am a mother. I will go to the ends of the earth to show my kids how much I love them, how much I care that they are happy and know I’m always here if they need anything at all. 

I am a woman. I do things every. single. day. that no man can do. I am the neck that turns the head. I am powerful, capable, and strong because of the fact that I am a woman. 

I was nervous I would lost my identity as I became a stay at home mom. The truth is, I think it helped me find it even more. Do you think it’s possible to be more than “just a mom?” Comment below with your thoughts.