Being a mom, wife, homesteader, homeschooler, and small business owner, while trying to still be “ME.” (The “Cliff’s Notes” edition)

I’ll be writing on each of these in separate posts with more details. But to start this off,

Being a mom is a full-time job with endless overtime.
Being a wife is a commitment.
Being a homesteader is a lifestyle.
Being a homeschooler is a calling.
Being a small business owner is a leap of faith.

Being all of them at once? It’s called “being broke.” Mentally, physically, emotionally, and yes, always, financially.

That’s a beautifully orchestrated kind of chaos that gives the namesake: “Mad House.” It’s very literal here!

(Full disclosure: I am speaking from my, and only my, perspective. I am not and will never be a dad or husband, so I neither know the struggle, but I’m sure the struggle is real. I do not mean to belittle anyone’s role in their stories.)

The Myth of “Balance”

Let’s just go ahead and say it: balance is a myth.

Some days I’m crushing business goals, answering emails with one hand while stirring soap batter with the other. Other days I’m explaining letter sounds while another kid negotiates snack terms like a tiny union rep. Some days the sourdough rises perfectly but my patience doesn’t. Some days the laundry wins.

There is no perfect rhythm. There is only intention.

And coffee.

Motherhood: The Anchor

Motherhood is the heartbeat behind everything I do. It’s sticky fingers, endless questions, and the kind of exhaustion that sleep alone can’t fix. It’s also belly laughs, fierce hugs, and the realization that these humans are watching how I live.

They see me work.
They see me try.
They see me fail and try again.

They are learning resilience not from textbooks, but from watching real life unfold.

Marriage: The Steady Ground

Being a wife in the middle of all this requires intention. It means choosing connection when we’re both tired. It means quick kitchen conversations between chores and business talk mixed with “Did you remember to…” logistics.

Marriage in this season isn’t candlelit dinners every night. It’s partnership. It’s shared vision. It’s knowing that when one of us is overwhelmed, the other steps in.

It’s building something bigger than ourselves—together.

Homesteading: Dirt Under the Nails, Peace in the Soul

Homesteading isn’t aesthetic perfection. It’s mud. It’s animals that don’t care about your to-do list. It’s weather that doesn’t cooperate.

It’s also deeply grounding.

There is something profoundly satisfying about raising animals, growing food, and teaching children where their nourishment comes from. It slows you down in the best way. It teaches patience, responsibility, and gratitude.

It reminds you that life isn’t meant to be rushed—it’s meant to be cultivated.

Homeschooling: Education in Real Time

Homeschooling is less about recreating a classroom and more about cultivating curiosity.

It’s math at the kitchen table.
Science in the garden.
Economics through running a business.
Biology in the chicken coop and goat pen.

It’s answering hard questions and admitting when I don’t know the answer. It’s teaching my children how to think, not just what to memorize.

It’s also humbling. Because they learn just as much from my attitude as they do from any lesson plan.

Small Business Ownership: The Brave Choice

Running a small business is vulnerable. It’s pouring your heart into something and hoping someone else sees the value in it.

It’s late nights labeling products.
It’s researching ingredients.
It’s packing orders while dinner simmers.
It’s celebrating every single sale because behind that sale is a real human who chose you.

It’s scary. It’s exhausting. It’s empowering.

It’s freedom earned through risk, but also anchoring because if “life” happens and you can’t be there, you can lose your momentum… or everything you’ve put into it. (My hand injury is evidence of this)

The Overlap

Here’s what people don’t always see:

The business funds the homestead, the business, and the kids. At least, that’s the goal.
The homestead inspires the business.
The kids kinda help with chores and learn entrepreneurship.
The marriage supports it all, though not always happily.

Nothing is separate. Everything overlaps.

The messiness is the magic.

The Hard Truth

There are days I feel like I’m failing at all of it.

The house isn’t clean enough.
The business isn’t growing fast enough.
The kids didn’t finish every lesson.
The animals need something unexpected.

But then I remember: perfection was never the goal.

Presence was.

The Gift of This Life

This life is loud. It’s demanding. It’s unpredictable.

But it’s also intentional.

I get to raise my children close.
I get to build something from scratch.
I get to steward land and animals.
I get to partner with my husband in something meaningful.

It may not look polished. It may not look easy, and it’s not.

But it looks like purpose.

And on the days when I collapse into bed completely spent, I know this much:

I am tired because I am building something that matters.

And that kind of tired?

It’s worth it.