Once when an insurance salesman was helping my husband and I fill out a joint application, he asked me what my occupation was. I told him I was just a stay-at-home mom. He exclaimed, "Just! That is a very important job and very rewarding for both you and your kids." I thought about what he said and he was so right. Many women are not fortunate enough to be able to stay home to raise their kids because of needing the extra income. My husband and I decided when we started having kids that no one else was going to raise them for us, and we did not want them to be latch-key kids. It is a proven fact that that situation is not good for kids or society. So we cinched the belt really tight to be able to afford to do it. We had four boys, and the youngest is now getting ready to graduate from high school and leave for college.
I have enjoyed being able to stay at home even while they were in school, not just as preschoolers. It is great to be able to have them walk in the house after school and yell, "MOM! I’m home!" This has allowed me to be able to do things for and with them that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was working. I went as a sponsor on several field trips, I helped as a room mother at school parties, I volunteered to help elementary kids with the Accelerated Reading Program at school, and I was able to help with high school post-prom decorating - all while many parents were at work. We have even been able to go take our sons out to lunch during college when my husband’s work schedule would allow for the 150-mile round trip to be worked in. He works shift work with a rotating schedule, which takes extra planning. That was another factor determining me being a stay-at-home mom. With his rotating shifts, there would have been times I would not have seen much out of him.
I have done several things at home to help with the finances. I have been involved in several direct selling opportunities. Those did not work out because you have to go out and sell – same as working a J-O-B. I help my husband with his part-time construction business when he needs my assistance. I personally have three businesses that I run from home to help with the income. The first one is raising registered Beagle puppies. We have two females and one male, so we have four litters of puppies per year. The second is my cake decorating business. I specialize in edible image cakes. The orders straggle in throughout the months (including a few wedding cakes here and there), but my busiest time of the year is graduation when everybody is wanting a cake – usually within a three day time period. No stress there! My other is an Internet business, which allows me the freedom to totally work it from home. The business I am in has a great support team of experienced online mentors. There is also a great back office that gets me the training I need in order to succeed.
I have come to the conclusion that working outside the home is not for me. I fill in very occasionally at the local hardware store for the secretary when she is gone. When I get home, I am stressed out and scurry around like a chicken with my head cut off – not knowing what I should try to tackle first on my list of things to do that I normally take care of during the day. I like my stay-at-home routine much better! I do not like when others assume that I set around and do nothing all day but watch TV. I am busy from the time I get up till my head hits the pillow at night. I always have something to do to keep the house running smoothly and my family on track. If you are a stay-at-home mom like me, never underestimate your worth in what you are contributing to your family. It is hard to put a monetary value on some things – and that is one of them. Next time you fill out a form and it asks your occupation, don’t just put in stay-at-home mom or housewife. Put in DOMESTIC ENGINEER. You have earned the title, so why not use it proudly. This is not meant as a term of political correctness. The dictionary says domestic means of the home or family affairs. An engineer is a person who is able to plan, organize, and manage. Us stay-at-home moms have so many rolls to fill and jobs to perform on a daily basis that we become experienced at them all. Being a stay-at-home mom is something I have been very proud of, as should anyone else who has been able to have that as their career. I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Author: Linda Dougherty
Specializes in working with people to show them how to market effectively to earn money online.
http://www.internettowealth.com/
Showing posts with label Beagle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beagle. Show all posts
Friday, May 9, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Beagles! Beagles! Beagles
It’s about time! The Beagle won Best of Show in the Westminster Dog Show for 2008. Anyone acquainted with Beagles knows they have been overlooked far too long as the winner.
I have been a Beagle lover for many years. They are just the cutest example of what a dog should look like. The breed comes in two qualification sizes of 13" and 15" and comes in a variation of color combinations and markings, but they all have the same body type that makes them recognizable as a Beagle. The other thing that gives them away is their bay or "musical voice." I have three adult Beagles we use for breeding and they are also house pets, so they are definitely spoiled rotten. It is so funny though – they think they are just another member of the family. And as with kids, these dogs have their own personalities and they even have their own sound when they bark. I know exactly which one it is when they decide to get vocal.
Our male is Baxter and our females are Barbie and their daughter, Tiny. Baxter is such a boy. When he’s turned out in the pen, he doesn’t care if it’s raining, snowing, or if it’s muddy – he just traipses right through it all. Along comes Barbie – Miss Priss! She doesn’t like her feet to get wet, much less muddy! She will stand there trying to find a way to get around it so she doesn’t have to go through it. And Tiny? She’s a combination of her parents. She acts all prissy till she hears Baxter cut loose barking at something and she forgets she’s a girl. So I guess she’s a tomboy. She was also the runt of the litter and ended up being only 9" high. That’s right – a mini Beagle. She’s soooo cute.
Beagles were originally bred for rabbit hunting. I would believe it! Any time rabbits wanders into our yard and the dogs are outside in the pen, they send out a full scale alert with barking and baying like you would not believe. And of course the rabbits know the dogs can’t get to them, so they just set there chewing their cud. So to keep peace with the neighbors, we go out and chase the rabbits out of the yard – until the next time they decide to aggravate the dogs. Once in a while we get a surprise and find the neighbor’s cat is taunting them instead of rabbits.
As far as being a good companion, you couldn’t choose a better breed. They are at the top of the rate charts for being good with kids and adults alike. They are very loyal and have such a good disposition. And they do become like a member of the family.
I compare my Beagles to my online businesses. It takes time to train a dog to do what you want or expect. The same is true of people, so that is why I have a mentoring team with my businesses to help train people to succeed. Everyone you deal with in your business has a different personality, just like dogs. But if you are a good owner, your dog will be loyal to you just like the people you do business with.
Author: Linda Dougherty
Specializes in working with people to show them how to market effectively to earn money online.
http://www.internettowealth.com/
I have been a Beagle lover for many years. They are just the cutest example of what a dog should look like. The breed comes in two qualification sizes of 13" and 15" and comes in a variation of color combinations and markings, but they all have the same body type that makes them recognizable as a Beagle. The other thing that gives them away is their bay or "musical voice." I have three adult Beagles we use for breeding and they are also house pets, so they are definitely spoiled rotten. It is so funny though – they think they are just another member of the family. And as with kids, these dogs have their own personalities and they even have their own sound when they bark. I know exactly which one it is when they decide to get vocal.
Our male is Baxter and our females are Barbie and their daughter, Tiny. Baxter is such a boy. When he’s turned out in the pen, he doesn’t care if it’s raining, snowing, or if it’s muddy – he just traipses right through it all. Along comes Barbie – Miss Priss! She doesn’t like her feet to get wet, much less muddy! She will stand there trying to find a way to get around it so she doesn’t have to go through it. And Tiny? She’s a combination of her parents. She acts all prissy till she hears Baxter cut loose barking at something and she forgets she’s a girl. So I guess she’s a tomboy. She was also the runt of the litter and ended up being only 9" high. That’s right – a mini Beagle. She’s soooo cute.
Beagles were originally bred for rabbit hunting. I would believe it! Any time rabbits wanders into our yard and the dogs are outside in the pen, they send out a full scale alert with barking and baying like you would not believe. And of course the rabbits know the dogs can’t get to them, so they just set there chewing their cud. So to keep peace with the neighbors, we go out and chase the rabbits out of the yard – until the next time they decide to aggravate the dogs. Once in a while we get a surprise and find the neighbor’s cat is taunting them instead of rabbits.
As far as being a good companion, you couldn’t choose a better breed. They are at the top of the rate charts for being good with kids and adults alike. They are very loyal and have such a good disposition. And they do become like a member of the family.
I compare my Beagles to my online businesses. It takes time to train a dog to do what you want or expect. The same is true of people, so that is why I have a mentoring team with my businesses to help train people to succeed. Everyone you deal with in your business has a different personality, just like dogs. But if you are a good owner, your dog will be loyal to you just like the people you do business with.
Author: Linda Dougherty
Specializes in working with people to show them how to market effectively to earn money online.
http://www.internettowealth.com/
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