The 5 things that make me a HAPPY SAHD!

There could be more.
I have titled this blog for a list of five things, however I could probably be here all day and night giving reasons that I am the happiest guy in the world. What I have come up with though are the top five reasons that being a SAHD make me happy.
1. I get to stay home with my kids.
In my opinion this is beyond obvious. I'm sure there are lots of guys(and probably women as well) that being at home all day is not their idea of an ideal day. I however think it is awesome! I get to be there when my kids wake up, or at least when they come running in and do their very own Spiderman/Ninga leap onto me in while I'm still sleeping. I get to be there to put them to bed. I get to be there to watch them experience new things every day. I get to be with my kids while they grow up. I don't have to trudge off to some job that I hate and causes me to miss all of the big events of their lives. I get to be with my kids! I can't imagine a life where I don't get to be with them, so that alone is reason enough to make me happy.  

2. My kids and I have bonded in a way I never thought possible.
In a past post I have mentioned that my kids seem to be more attached to me right now than they are to my wife. This really seems to upset my wife, and understandably so. There is a reason for that though. I am with them so much that there are times when it feels they are literally attached to my hips. They love to sit with me when we watch their shows. They cry for me when they are upset, they run to me when they are scared. I am with them all of the time and it's amazing. I have never been super close with my own father, so being close like this with my kids is a really amazing feeling. I have made it one of my life's goals to make sure we remain close all of our lives.

3.  My wife supports me.
I guess you could take that statement in a way that it was definitely not meant. I suppose someone could read that and think that since I don't technically have a job and my wife does "bring home the bacon," that she "supports" me in that sense. I guess that is correct, but that is not where I am going with this. I am a SAHD and my wife supports that. In fact it was her idea. We were struggling with how to manage our lives and she suggested that I drop the job that I hate and stay at home with the kids. Sure, financially we are not very well off. Sure, we have to say no to the kids a lot when they ask for material things and that hurts. A lot! Sure, I deal with the psychological and emotional aspect of not being the primary bread winner for my family. There is all of that, but her and I are fully in the same corner. We both know that one of these days it's going to be okay financially. And, we know that having money doesn't define our happiness. So, knowing that my wife is fully behind me, and behind all of the parenting decisions that I make, is just another reason I am a very happy SAHD.

4.  I am doing something I love doing, and am passionate about.
There is something to be said for loving what you do. I have had a lot of jobs and have never LOVED any of them. None of them inspired true PASSION in me. Because of this, I was often miserable and surly to people. I am what most people would call a "nice guy." But, only after you get to know me. Up until recently I have often had people ask me what was wrong. I think it's because I have always had a look upon my face that said "Don't piss me off any further and maybe no one gets hurt!!!" The fact is, most of the time it's just how I look. I wasn't ALWAYS in a pissy mood. It just seemed that way. Now, people tell me it's nice to see me smile and that I just look happier. It's because I am a SAHD and I love it. I am passionate about being a great SAHD. I want to be the best father I can, and I think by staying home with them and not trudging off to a job I hate, I am making all of our lives better. It's amazing what the decision to stay at home has done for our entire family.

5. I experience something new every single day!
I am learning so much by being a SAHD. It is really quite incredible. For example, just today I learned how to put barrettes in my little girl's hair. I know it's not a major accomplishment, but it's really cool to be able to do that for her. I have learned that it's not completely disgusting to catch your daughter's puke in your hands, because it is in fact your daughter's puke. Every day I learn something new about how my kids function. I never realized that a routine was as important as it is. We have developed a little bit of a routine to our day, and even the slightest deviation sends the kids a little out of their minds. The most important thing that I have learned is that I can actually do this. I was unsure if I could be a SAHD and keep my sanity. Sure, there are days that I'm not sure sane is the way someone would describe me, but for the most part all is good. My kids and I get to be together and that's not something every parent or kid gets to say. I know I am lucky, and I cherish that every single day.
Enough is enough already.
Okay, I've gone on and on for a couple of posts now about how lucky I am, and how happy I am, and it's time to move on to the next topic. I'm sure people get sick of hearing about some guy and how nauseatingly happy he is. I promise to come up with some new and super exciting topic for my next post, but in the meantime remember to count your blessings every single day. I didn't always realize that, but I sure do now. 
Have a great night.