Being a full time working Mom in the U.S. requires more than just overseeing the kids, their care and their activities. You have to be a hands on Mom because everything falls on you. Some families have a wide network of support but others don’t. Unfortunately for me and Santi, we have no one else other than my mother in law. My Mom and Dad are both in the Philippines. I have a brother and a sister here in the U.S. but they also live far from us.
There was a point when we really needed to hire a babysitter because of our work schedules. That was the time when I felt the need for one of us to give up working to take care of the girls and avoid breaking our bank with tremendously high childcare expenses. Since then, Santi and I tried to get our schedules ironed out each month for us to make sure that we would be able to tackle all of our babysitting needs. To help cut our childcare expenses, I had to move from evening shift to night shift. I didn’t really like that idea but it was the only option for us at that time.
Americans are very independent. That is one thing that I learned over the years of living here in the U.S. That is also what I needed in order to survive the American way of living. As a Mom, I play different roles on a daily basis. Other than Santi, I have no one else to help me. I have to shift from being a cook, chauffer, teacher, tutor, entertainer, nurse, doctor, dance instructor, and everything else you can think of. I am not complaining. I am just stating a fact. Despite all the ups and downs, I am happy and will forever be grateful for my family.
Speaking about the different roles that I take as a Mom, my personal favorite is being a cook. I love food. I love to cook especially for my family. Planning our family meals come easy for me because I grew up watching my Mom who cooked for us after work. Even if we had a live in cook in the house, my Mom prepared our dinner every day. She is the reason why I love the kitchen. I am very blessed for having my Mom who trained me in the kitchen. Without the example that my Mom set, I wouldn’t be the kind of Mom that I am to my children.
Anyway, here’s one of my favorite recipes as a child that my Grandma used to make us.
Homemade Fresh Strawberry Milk
MIXED KNOT 