[speaker002:] okay so my children are twenty and twenty four and uh
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] my son just moved uh to Arkansas so he's married so course uh uh when when they're here when they lived here and I have a daughter whose twenty and we spend a lot of time together
[speaker001:] uh-huh uh-huh
[speaker002:] not so much as you know we're we both have everybody's busy but when my kids were younger I was a single parent and I spent most of my life with my children I did a did a lot things with the kids
[speaker001:] oh yeah
[speaker002:] but uh yeah it's uh a I don't I I I one thing that happened is when when my son uh graduated from high school and he went off to college then it it drastically changed uh before prior to that we had sit down dinners and we talked and we did a whole lot of things and then when he left
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] uh my daughter and I just kind of said well let's just kind of do what do our own thing and uh
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] you know I I think that might I don't know I don't know you know it's been so long since I had little children at home I'll I'll leave it up to you as to what's really going on these days
[speaker001:] yeah well I first of all I'd I admire you for I have a few friends who are single parents and I just don't know how people do it
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] that's is a tremendous burden to be working and have two kids to take care of
[speaker002:] uh-huh right
[speaker001:] and I don't know how you did it but um I have a six year old that's well she's in first grade and then I have a three and a half year old and um I have always been a big advocate of spending tons of time with my kids and um when I my first one when she was born I had to work part-time for a while because we had to have the extra money but when the second one came along I was fortunate enough that I I quit and I've been able to stay home and um
[speaker002:] oh so you're not working now great
[speaker001:] no no I don't work yeah and so I'm one of those few old-fashioned moms and we uh I spend the whole day with Tara and we go and do things and we read books and we play and you know it's just it's great and I did the same thing with Taylor uh who's my first grader she's also a girl and uh I think I think I can tell a real difference um Taylor has excelled in school like I just I never imagined she would she's at the top of her class in everything even though she's almost two year younger than almost all the kids in her class
[speaker002:] hum
[speaker001:] and I really feel like that um time I spent with her I mean she probably already had a lot uh of it in her but you know we spent a whole lot of time together reading books and doing a lot of things I think it helped her to feel real good about herself and feel like she could she could do it you know
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] so it's it's been real rewarding for me anyway
[speaker002:] right but you know if uh uh I know now that I can look back and and I think about how much how much time I devoted to my children and and not necessarily but sacrificed a social life because I really did devote myself to my children basically I mean
[speaker001:] oh I'm sure uh-huh
[speaker002:] I mean I was I mean I did some things but I mean I really did but I have no regrets about that and I you know um
[speaker001:] yeah uh-huh
[speaker002:] and I can look back and it was so much fun being a kid with them and getting to do all the fun things that
[speaker001:] uh-huh uh-huh
[speaker002:] you know you get to do it that kids get to do and and that you wouldn't do by do you know with other adults
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] so it's great fun I really envy you
[speaker001:] yeah yeah
[speaker002:] this is a wonderful time of your life
[speaker001:] well it is you know as a matter of fact I think I'm real bad about looking ahead and thinking oh I don't ever want them to grow up and you know go away to college and all that kind of thing but at least I'm really making the most of the time while they're little and um everything Taylor even attempts to do you know we go and watch her and and support her and that was something my parents weren't able to do and I resented that because I would be in I was always in plays in high school and in all kinds of drama and they could never come and watch me and that just it was so hard for me so I made a vow that when I had kids no matter what they did I was going to be there you know
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and see them do it so it and like you said it's fun I really enjoy it
[speaker002:] well I can remember my my mom started working my parents well course both of them worked but my mom started working when I I was third the last the youngest and she started working when I went to first grade and I can remember
[speaker001:] uh-huh uh-huh
[speaker002:] just a couple of few times that she would stay home and I I don't know if she was sick or just wanted to take the day off or what but
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] come home from school and you know every like you'd tell that she'd just mopped and she had you know food was cooking and the house smelled so good
[speaker001:] uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
[speaker002:] uh I tell you what I'd take I don't know if children who maybe children who have that everyday don't don't don't appreciate it as much as you know
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] but uh it really was really was a special and I wished that she could have been home more it would have been greater because she was
[speaker001:] yeah yeah
[speaker002:] because she worked she was always kind of high strung and you know
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] didn't have the time to spend with us individually so
[speaker001:] right yeah
[speaker002:] I think it's great if if uh if if you enjoy staying home with your kids while they're young and and can do it
[speaker001:] yeah yeah
[speaker002:] that's great I wish I could stay home now
[speaker001:] yeah I know well I feel I feel really thankful that I can I mean we have had to really lower our standard of living you know we have friends who have beautiful homes and we have a very small old house but I just to me that's not important because I feel like we'll have plenty of time to get us a nice house some day and I won't have these you know these little kids all my life so
[speaker002:] that's right
[speaker001:] um I just I have been willing to make the sacrifices and my husband has too and so it's not been a problem for us
[speaker002:] well and and uh so you probably have a lot of friends who have small children do you do you find the the trend is uh
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] away from what you're doing or that they're not spending that much time with them put them off with sitters and how about
[speaker001:] well it's interesting we're real involved with a church group and so most of our friends are uh church friends
[speaker002:] right
[speaker001:] and they're the majority of them do stay home uh almost all of my friends I can call any time of day and they're home but um the friends the friends that I've kept in contact with from you know when I did work and they're still working moms you know uh that
[speaker002:] right
[speaker001:] I feel like I real big uh difference in opinion with some of them because some of them work just because they enjoy working you know they they don't really have to work they just want to they like to get out and they don't want to be with their kids all day and and that's hard for me because to me they're giving up something so precious you know and um
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] so any time we talk get on that topic I have to be real careful because I'm afraid I'll say something to offend them but um most of my friends do stay home so that it's kind of nice we we have a big support group around here
[speaker002:] well that's great
[speaker001:] yeah it is I don't know how long everybody will be able to afford to keep doing it but if
[speaker002:] well
[speaker001:] I guess you just get used to you know living however you have to live to
[speaker002:] well I meant you know I meant if you don't ever have to go to work and you and you're you're happy you know even if your
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] uh kids all the way through high school and then it doesn't mean you have to go back to work
[speaker001:] right yeah
[speaker002:] so
[speaker001:] yeah well I intend to uh I think when they're both in school I may I have a degree to teach and um I've never used it because I was pregnant when I graduated from college and I've always had you know been home with kids or worked part-time but um I might go into like substitute teaching or something because
[speaker002:] okay the hours are at least to be home you know
[speaker001:] yeah yeah and I can choose they say as a substitute you can tell them the days that you're interested and you know the days you're not you don't have to so
[speaker002:] that way uh maybe then then you can find out if you're really happy doing that if you want to do it full time later on
[speaker001:] right yeah because I have a feeling I'm not going to like it when I did my uh student teaching I oh I hated it
[speaker002:] so that's good
[speaker001:] I said I don't know why I majored in uh elementary education and here I'm about to graduate and I don't even like this
[speaker002:] well maybe now that you've had your own children you'll like to be around little children or have a little little better tolerance
[speaker001:] yeah yeah yeah it'll probably make a whole difference and plus I didn't feel well at the time I was pregnant and I was real sick and
[speaker002:] that'd be tough yeah
[speaker001:] yeah I and you just don't feel like being around all these little kids when you are just sick to your stomach but anyway it's been nice talking to you
[speaker002:] nice talking to you and maybe I'll talk to you again okay bye-bye
[speaker001:] and uh thanks for calling bye bye