We were out recently at a cocktail party. A much-anticipated evening out with my husband. Little black dress, check. Cute shoes, check. Looking forward to an evening of anonymous adult conversation.

And then the subject of what we "do" came up. I'm never quite sure how to answer this question. Or what the response will be.

This time, the response was unfortunately familiar.

“I would go crazy if I stayed home with my kids all day,” the woman said. “I don't know how you do it."

I smiled thinly back, not wanting to have to defend our family’s decision again.

I took a stabilizing sip of wine.

"No, I mean cra-ha-hay-ha-zy," she said tipsily, emphasizing the absolute level of crazy by slowly turning her pointer finger in circles around her ear and crossing her eyes.

Yes, I am a stay-at-home mom. And I'm often misunderstood.

I never planned on being a stay-at-home mom. I was going to travel the world and be a professional woman. I have a Bachelors degree in International Business and Economics. I studied how to interact with various cultures; negotiating strategy in Brazil, offering and accepting business cards in Japan and how to read and build bell curves for economic strategy.

In college, I read "The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan and books by Gloria Steinem; I even listened to her speak once. I was going to be a modern, career woman. Children would be scheduled around age 32-35. That would give me enough time to travel, advance my career and be fiscally stable.

Instead? I got pregnant five months after my wedding, on purpose, at 26. Exactly one week after accepting a new position with a dream job in hospitality. Sales manager for a five-star hotel in San Francisco.

God works in mysterious ways, doesn't He?

I had the opportunity to interact with fascinating people, enjoy amazing food from the best chefs in the country and was finally using my degree. Every morning, I spoke with my clients in England, whose clients were Chinese. Mid-day, I spoke with local, California clients and late afternoon I talked with clients in Australia. Where it was tomorrow already.

I worked a minimum of 10 hours a day up to the day before I gave birth to my first child.

And I've never worked “professionally” since.

So what am I doing now? I am a proud stay-at-home mom of two gorgeous boys. Instead of my former international clientele, I interact with moms at the Children's Museum. Rather than discussing the day's amuse bouche, I serve cheese sandwiches with baby carrots on the side. And the closest I get these days to economic theory is the microeconomics of our household budget.

Oh, and forget Spanish or Mandarin. I have become fluent in Toddler-ese.

I have the most important job in the world. The role of mother to my children and wife to my husband.

That's it.

And I'm fulfilled. No professional job comes close.

I realize that being a stay at home mom is a blessing and unfortunately a luxury for many modern families. Out of my closest friends, most all work full- or part-time; I'm one of only two or three stay-at-home mothers. Due to the economics of our society (which Betty Friedan also noted, back in the sixties) it has become more and more difficult to survive on one income. But my husband and I have agreed it is what we want for our family.

It's not been easy. There are difficult days - I pray for patience and grace daily - but it has been immensely rewarding.

I cherish those early-morning breakfasts with my boys and appreciate that normally it doesn't matter what time they end. I get to chit chat over mid-morning puzzles, nurse the baby before all of his naps and make muffins whenever the mood arises. I get to snuggle while watching “Max & Ruby” and see every milestone firsthand. A true blessing.

I confess that I miss the adult conversation and interaction from my professional career. The recognition for reaching milestones and the quarterly bonuses where I treated myself to a new bag or pair of shoes and padded my bank account. But all of that is wiped away with an impromptu hug and kiss at 2:12 p.m. from my son. And when I need to have that adult interaction, I go online and find those bloggers and forums and speak in big words once again.

For the first few years, I didn't really know what to write under the term “occupation” on forms. Stay-at-home mom? Housewife? Domestic diva? Unemployed? None of those really seemed to fit. I now write proudly “Homemaker.” My most important job is to create a warm, welcoming home for my family.

Do I think a homemaker has to be a stay-at-home parent? Absolutely not. Anyone, whether a full-time career person or a stay-at-home parent, can and should be a proud homemaker. I think that's the major issue between professionally employed and stay-at-home parents. We all feel that we're doing the best for our children and families, we all have legitimate reasons for whether we work. We all struggle with finding balance.

We're more alike than we are different.

Making wholesome meals, creating a welcoming, warm, peaceful home for one's family and friends ... these are not duties solely of a mother. Or a father. You don't even have to be married or a parent. They're the joys of a homemaker. It's joyful work, however that family is built.

I'm proud to be a homemaker. Are you?

Sarah Warren is married with two boys. Read her blogs every Tuesday on momaha.com.

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