Supermom

I read this article this morning...and as much as I want to be the mom in that first paragraph and as much as I try...I constantly disappoint myself. I'm much more of the 3rd paragraph kind of mom. Always chasing the dream of being an insanely organized, well orchestrated mother of four.

I compare myself to other mothers I know. Those ones with nicely coiffed hair, manicured nails, shapely figures, magazine worthy homes with furniture straight from Pottery Barn, children who behave like angels and eat every wonderful homemade meal placed before them. Sometimes, when I am feeling slightly snarky I also compare myself to those moms I know whose houses are pigsty-esque, whose kids are disrespectful and lazy, whose bodies are more "shapely" than mine, but those times of snarkiness are few and far between.

Most often I look around at my neglected hair that is 8 months past it's last trim, my self-painted nails that are chipped and peeling, my out-of shape body and the beginnings of wrinkles around my eyes, the cluttered book shelves and un-mopped floors, the hand-me-down furniture and half done projects, the kids who routinely turn their noses up at the meals presented to them before being whisked off to one activity or another, the piles of usually clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away and the ironing and mending that rarely gets done.

Then I read this article...besides absolutely loving the spelling for favourite and colour, it's just a good article to help us remember how to manage stress and take charge of our own well-being.

Both articles are good, informative and help me want to be better by prioritizing and putting the important things first. If I really take a look at my life and the things I feel that I'm failing at I realize that my hair is ok, even when it's back in a ponytail 5 days of the week, and my self-painted nails happened during one of our frequent manicure sessions with Landry, Savannah and Tiara. My out of shape body came from carrying, birthing and taking care of 4 of the most wonderful kids ever. It also came from enjoying to cook... The wrinkles are from laughing a lot. The cluttered bookshelves show that I love to read, and enjoy learning. The un-mopped floors have been swept/vacuumed thoroughly and there's more important things in my life than whether or not I can see my reflection in my wood floors. The hand-me down furniture is nice, it was free, and I'm less likely to freak out when my kids inevitably jump on them with their soccer cleats. (Less likely, it still happens). The half-done projects are proof that some things just don't need to be done, or if they do, hopefully they're a project I can work on with Shane. Or they help me expand my creativity. The kids who turn their noses up are at least eating three home cooked meals a day, and are being exposed to all sorts of foods, so that one day they'll love everything like they do spinach gnocchi, liver and onions and beets. The absurdly busy schedule shows that we love to be active, and that we love to show our support to each other. The piles of clean laundry are clean, that's something. They are also proof we have enough clothes, for an eternity.

So, though I get overwhelmed by six busy schedules, and a myriad of responsibilities that go along with being a wife and mom, it's the best job in the world, especially when you have a great supportive husband and four amazing kids who love me no matter how many days my hair is in a ponytail, or how many meals I have to nag them to eat.