I don't normally work full time. I don't need to and I don't want to. I have in the past, but right now my number one priority is my children. My husband supports us very well. If he didn't, I'd be out there working daily.

That being said, I don't just sit around and eat bon bons (although some of my inlaws seem to have that idea, as they don't understand why I can't do things at the drop of a hat.) I hate it when someone asks what I do, and I tell them I am a sahm. I had a career and it paid very well. I gave it up by choice, and I didn't give up my IQ--only my job.

I do volunteer work, mentor with families who have issues with finances or parenting, (on the volunteer level and also on the state DFS level). We homeschool our children, I teach one day a week, have daycare kids 18 hours a week, sub teach and run my own business of which I control the hours and clients. If we have family issues, such as sickness, field trips, company, or worse-we just had a family member pass from cancer, I can lesson my business. If I decide to increase it, I can quickly increase it by opening up days I had blocked for family.

Sometimes I go out for my business (I teach cpr, health and safety classes) sometimes they come to me (we use our homeschool class room).

I have rental property--it adds to our family income as well. This month I have been teaching much more than usual--I picked up some classes due to the flu going around as other instructors were sick and I wasn't. Between my rental and class income I have either brought in or invoiced over $4000 this month. By Friday n Saturday night I will have taught 9 classes just this week alone... and, I will be out of town with the kids for 8 days doing volunteer work from tornado damage.

Yet, some of the inlaws....and a few others, constantly badger me asking when I intend to get a "real job". So far I evidently haven't found the correct response, as I keep getting asked again and again.

Do other small business owners or sahm get asked this?? what defines a real job--a paycheck from someone you are dependent on to schedule your life for you and pay your only what they think you are worth?? (I'd rather have my families kisses and hugs for payment any day of the week).

Next Sunday after church I am taking another group of homeschoolers down to Joplin to work for a week. I am excited to see how much Joplin has rebuilt or cleaned up since our last trip down.

This time I have going 5 other adults (besides myself, which is interesting because last trip one of those now adults was not an adult but a kid helper--she had a birthday). We have 13 kids going as well.

We will be doing painting, yardwork if the weather is nice, sheetrocking, sanding, siding, helping people move in if the current home is done, roofing--a little of everything.

Orginally this trip was a pay as you go trip, with each kicking in around $40-$50 for food and gas for the week. But this morning at church we were told of a $300 donation, and groceries also being donated for our trip, so that will be a huge help. Some of the kids going actually have 2 or 3 in their family plus a parent going, so they will really feel the impact of the donations.

Our lodging is free, as there is a church that sponsors the program we work thru, that lets us sleep in the building. There have been shower houses and laundry buildings built behind the church for us to use all at no charge.

A friend of mine lost everything in the tornado and his house was started last week. He had been laid off and had his home paid for, so he let his homeowners insurance go, like many others. And, lost it all. But, when it comes to eating, electric, buying fuel or paying insurance, insurance kind of ranks last.

Went to mail a package at Office Depot, and got some other things as well. The total seemed a little high, so I questioned it. They charged me $16.51 to overnight a envelope......Not what I asked for. I only wanted it mailed regular mail. Took her 10 minutes to rering it, and then it only cost $1.67 to mail. (I bought the envelope from them as well to mail the documents)...What I was mailing was documents back that I received in todays mail--the company sent me the wrong ones. Glad I checked that out before I signed and passed it on.

Then we went to radio shack to replace 3 phones that were due to regrade. AT&T actually moved our regrade date up, as they moved the tower out of our area, and left those of us with older phones out of service. So we now have 3G phones and they waived the activation fee as well. I first tried to do all this at the AT&T store, but even though it was noted on the account the regrade activation fee was supposed to be waived, the AT&T store kept trying to charge me $268. So, I left. Radio Shack read the notes and said ok-here are your choices, and I walked out only paying for some batteries I bought there and a new car charger as my old one bit the dust after 11 years.

Last stop was to Lowe's to get some conduit. I priced it there yesterday at $1.69 per 10 ft length. Home Depot was by the Radio Shack store, so I checked their price and they wanted $3.69 for the same item. So, we headed back to Lowes about a mile down the highway. Not only was Lowe's cheaper, but I also used some gift cards I had earned from MyPoints, so only paid around $6 out of pocket. Bill started out at $42.

And, Lowes now has a rewards program as well. It stores all your paint recipes and items bought. Since I have a rental house, this is ideal for me as they can print it out at any time for your records.

Yesterday, it was in the low 70's, and I worked inside all day, teaching cpr..... Today, we now have sleet and snow and its cold, and of course, was planning on working outside today. I had arranged for a couple of teen boys from our 4h and homeschool gang to come help me finish the fencing of the chicken pen this afternoon. It is to the point where I can't do it anymore on my own. The bottom layer of fence is done, now we have to put the top layer of fence up (about 5 foot of the ground), then we will fence the top.

This chicken pen has been a 3 year project. I had an estimate for someone else to do it and they wanted around $4,000. So far I have around $700 into it.

My husband and bro in law put in the croncrete pad, I bought one hen house (display model from Lowes) for $300 at the end of the season, and the other one was free from craigslist. It is taking about $200-$300 of fencing. I found on ebay a poultry net that will cover the entire top of the pen for around $125.

Adding it up, it is far cheaper than the %$4000 estimate I had. My hens have been free ranging during the day, but we have had a hawk carry a couple off and a coyote come help himself in broad daylight, so on days we are not outside, they will have a pen to stay in. It is a pretty large pen, 25 by 75, so they will have lots of room, and I can subfence the inside for babychicks and their momma's if I want and house them in one coop by themselves.