I have one hell of a hat collection.

Have you watched The X Life on VH1? 

I have only watched one episode but I am already in love. 

Disclaimer: I, 'Hockey Wife', have very low standards when it comes to television programming and its content.

But I really do love all these new reality shows about the people behind celebrities or public figures. Basketball Wives, Football Wives, Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby, etc. 

(Stop judging ...)

My husband is clearly not a celebrity, but I find myself almost invested (as pathetic as that sounds) in the lives of the people in these shows. Sometimes it feels like I'm right there, living it with them. Only I'm on a budget.

In the first episode of The X Life, Susie Stenberg (wife of Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg) said, "What I fucking hate so much is when somebody comes up to me and 'oh they love what he does, and they're such a big fan, and he's so accomplished' ... then they look at me and go 'what do you do?' I fucking do everything. The meetings and the scheduling and contracts and lawyers and everything that it takes behind the scenes, that's me. All he needs to do is show up. I'm everything all at once. All the time. I don't get a break. It's tough being the mom, the manager, the wife. It's overwhelming."

Her husband responded with, "I know I drive her crazy as hell. But that's just me. She knew what she married."

And he's right, after years together, she knew what she was getting into. 

So did I. Or at least I thought I did.

In the beginning, the excitement of it all was captivating. Games, partying, traveling, games, partying, traveling. I thought that was it. What a great lifestyle, sign me up!

Then I got pregnant. And reality set in.

Game changer.

No more bouncing around (yeah, like that has worked out well for us). No more fun and games. It was time to get serious. I actually had to learn the ins and outs of the business that is hockey because it was no longer just his life, it was going to quickly become mine too.

That's when I realized just how much goes into what my husband does for a living. It's not a simple as showing up to practice and showing up to games. Well, not for us anyway.

He does a really good job of remembering to be at practice but anything outside of that falls in my lap. I wasn't exactly ready for all of that but now it seems like second nature.

Contracts. Packing. Moving. Raising Linden. Unpacking. Finances. Agents. Paychecks (or lack thereof if you're in Europe). Oh ... and then there's the things that pertain to me, as an individual.

I am not my husband's agent or manager in an official capacity, but I have worn those hats many a time. I wear those hats because the 'business' aspects of his career just aren't his forte. He is one hell of a husband and father but ... he is unorganized and likes to procrastinate.

There are times that I struggle to juggle all the balls I have in the air at any given time. There are times when I snap at him out of frustration or exhaustion. And there are times I consider dropping a ball just to show him how important my role is, just how much I do to support him and ensure that things keep running smoothly for our family. 

But I love it. And I am happy to do it.

I am never offended when someone asks what I do because I know there is more to being a 'full time mom' than making sure Linden is a happy camper. My job description is never ending and I have one hell of a hat collection.

Source

So how many hats do you wear? And how many balls do you juggle? Do you enjoy it? Do you ever think about dropping one? No? That's just me? Shit.

... My hats (all of them) are off to all of the women who make countless sacrifices for the people they love. It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it.