I am a homemaker, not a housekeeper

When we decided it was time for children, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to quit working outside the home. I looked forward to a life of fulfillment doing the three Cs- cooking, cleaning, and crafting. In other words, I knew how to keep house and how to entertain myself.
Then, my perfect "bun in the oven" came sliding out with a thick crust of reality.
I felt inadequate because I couldn't cook, clean, and take care of a baby. Slowly I have realized a truth all great moms already know; housekeeping is not homemaking and no amount of cleaning or cooking creates a home on its own.
In fact, a family home is exactly that. It's tailor-made by a family, for that family. We are new to this, and have a lot (really, a staggeringly large amount) to learn. But I am proud to own the job title on my bank account: Home Maker.
What makes our home? Well right now our best days go like this: start with some good sleep, add three meals or more. Mix in a healthy scoop of Hard work, then a double portion of Don't sweat the small stuff , stir. Fold in some exercise and let it rest. Add adventure to taste. Serve immediately to family members with compassion; don't forget a tall, tall glass full of forgiveness for the aftertaste of inadvertent emotions.
Time for a simile. Being a home maker is like singing in a chorus of cats. No matter how well you know and love all the kitties, it will still take a shocking amount of perseverance to orchestrate a pleasant melody and the amount of accomplishment you feel is directly related to the amount of luck you have.
Who knows what the secret to our recipe will turn out to be; I do know that I wouldn't trade my family of melodious felines for anything. We learn together, make wonderful awful hilarious memories together, and work together to create something resembling music. I aspire to be as accomplished a caterwauler as the many mothers I know. For now, I'm learning to let the housekeeping go a little and focus on the happy home-making and that's enough for this cat.