My hands are dry and cracked. They are clean, but they are definitely chapped, raw, and sore. Before I had children my nails might have gone unpainted, but my hands were always soft and smooth. My hands are now chapped because I do dishes…. about 5 times a day, in fact. My hands are raw because my 2 year old is potty training using a child’s potty, so I am frequently emptying and cleaning her potty – wash, wash, WASH!! My hands are sore because Kayden no longer uses a high chair, but a table that wears every meal. Said table doubles as an art table. This table wears war wounds known as paint, markers, crayons, and stickers. My hands are aging because I give my children baths. I sit with my feet soaking as I wash Kayden and these toes get scuffed as I kneel over and bath Kloey. My hands are dry because I clean toilets, counter tops, and bath tubs. Every time I clean, I wash. I try to lotion as I wash, but honestly if I lotion once a day, I am excited. I found myself irritated with my dry, aging hands until I realized my hands are my trophy. My hands are my war wounds for being a stay at home mom. My hair might have roots and my toes might not have been pampered to a pedicure in several months, but I am home with my babies. My 2 year old knows when and how to say please and thank you. My 5 month old has an ever changing schedule that I can and will bend to. I love being a stay at home mom, but this luxury comes with quite a few sacrifices. You might not hear me say my job is hard or that I want to quit some days, but instead you will see beautiful pictures of my thriving princesses. So while I might seem put together ‘most’ of the time, know that my hands are cracked!!