Feeling Appreciated

As a stay at home mom, it is easy to feel unappreciated.  Sometimes I feel more like a maid than I do a mom or a wife.  I pick up their trash, do their dishes, wash their clothes.  Not to mention all the running I do for them away from the house-sports practices, piano practices, can you mail the bills, can you pick up a book at the library for me.  Sometimes I feel like it's just expected of me but not appreciated.

Today, though I was told by each member of this household that I am appreciated.  They didn't come right out and say, "I appreciate all you do", they did it without even knowing they did it.

Ellie was helping put away clothes this afternoon and she jumped on my bed and said, "I just love our house".  It made me feel good because I know she feels comfortable and loved here and that maybe I am doing something right.

Today we had to go grocery shopping.  After we brought all of the groceries inside, two of the girls took off and left me but Megan said, "I'll help you put away the groceries".  She didn't want me to  have to put away all those bags of groceries myself.  Some of the things go downstairs in the freezer or on the pantry shelf, so she helped me put those things away so I didn't have to run up and down the basement stairs.  Even though she said she wanted to help me, I secretly think she likes putting the groceries away whether it's helping me or not.  But I will take what I can get.

Wendy didn't really say anything special today but I have a postcard she made at church awhile back that was addressed to me and I have it hanging on the refrigerator.  The postcard says how much she loves me and that she is thankful for the things I do for her, the things I do with her, and the places I take her.  So since I actually took time to read it again this afternoon, that counts as her telling me today.

This last week has been really hectic.  We have had piano lessons, Girl Scouts, basketball games, basketball practices, taking parent to doctors appointment, taking parent's cat to vet, Valentine's parties, helping parent write out thank you notes, and spending all day Saturday at a Girl Scout event.  We have eaten out every single day this week.  I know it's not healthy but when everything falls during dinner time or you're traveling, it's sometimes the only way to get food.  This is where the husband made me feel appreciated.  He told me he really misses my home cooked meals.  Now, I am no where near a gourmet chef nor do I always make something healthy, but it made me feel good that he really likes my cooking and actually misses it. 

I know that deep down they all appreciate everything I do for them it's just nice to actually hear it from them once in awhile.