Truly, a thankless job

I don't know why, but I am always amazed at how thankless being a mother can be (and being a stepmother - even more thankless). I enjoy it immensely, but sometimes, some days, you just want to hear "gee, thanks mom for all that you do!".

So it's Monday, a day when the weekend is over and the long work week begins; a day when I am almost always a little melancholy.
To make a long story short, I am amazed at how daddy can sweep into the house and be the hero of the day while I am standing in the midst of settling dust, buzzing clothes dryer timers, scents of bathroom cleaner and piles of "to be done" laundry. I had spent the morning cleaning bathrooms, straightening up after kids, making breakfast for 3 (yes, a hot breakfast), starting 5 loads of laundry, vacuuming the house, making jello, brownies, lunch, clay for the girls because they were "bored", watering the flowers outside as well as our little garden, begging my 5 year old not to jump on the couch, putting her in time out, asking the kids to stop picking at each other, asking the kids not to jump with the balls on the trampoline, removing countless splinters from my 5 year old's fingers (cause she had to climb the fence to see what was on the other side)all of this while putting in a few hours at my full time job. Well, at 1:30 dad walks in the door and the kids all rave....."it's Daddy!". Now, he was very helpful when he got home, he got my 12 year old to mow the lawn - which was a great help. As the kids began to wander around they started in with the "I'm hungries". Really?? I think. I had made them lunch 1/2 hour earlier...and granted it wasn't anything great but sandwiches are a good lunch for summer days (especially when we have been eating out as much as we have). Well, I probably have two of the pickiest children in the world along with another child who eats barely enough to keep a bird alive so I don't know why I am so surprised when 2 of the kids didn't eat much of anything and the third picked at her food. But...I refuse to run an open kitchen for the picky and the disinterested, so they know it's eat it or go hungry until the next meal. But, dear old daddy (who was being very helpful) made them each a "peanut butter surprise" sandwich. What I established was that he put peanut butter on bread, poured on the chocolate syrup and the kids LOVED IT.
So, see what I mean. Daddy, the hero every time. All I wanted to do was make sure everyone had a clean home, clean laundry, healthy meals, yummy deserts for after dinner and oh yes, make some money on the side....Thankless, I tell you - thankless.

I hate to end a post on a negative note though, so I have to say that I am proud of my clean home, I am proud that my children have clean clothes to wear and that they get nutritious meals and that I am able to help provide for my family financially. I have happy, healthy polite and for the most part great children who I know love me and someday...someday, they will look back and see all that I have done for them. I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything else, no matter how difficult it can be.