By Jamie Garlow, Red Apple Mom
This is a blog post I wrote 2-1/2 years ago, when my life was different…but also the same. I’m still a mom of two little boys (but getting to be big boys!) and love every minute of being a stay-at-home mom. I hope you see a little of yourself in these statements!
I have an old friend from junior high school who has this great blog called “it feels like chaos”. She has three children and is in the process of adopting a daughter from Ethiopia. She’s pretty amazing, and reading her blog gives me motivation to be a better mother, wife, daughter, volunteer and all around woman.
She does a post every Monday called “NOT me Monday”. I have come up with my own list, so to know the real story, just remove the words that are in all caps and you’ll know the truth!
I have NOT been that mom in Target pushing the cart with one arm, which contains a screaming 1 year old, while NOT dragging a screaming 3 year old with the other arm, NOT dripping sweat, and NOT seriously considering abandoning my entire full basket just to get out of the store.
We are NOT that family that only goes to Dickey’s Barbecue on Wednesday and Sunday because that’s when kids eat free.
I have NOT fed my kids Chick-fil-a for lunch and McDonald’s for dinner in the same day.
I have NOT taken away every single matchbox car when my child pooped his underwear for a solid week immediately following successful potty training. I did NOT throw away all those underwear. I did NOT threaten a spanking the next time he did it. It did NOT work.
Over the past year, I have NOT purchased numerous items that have been thrown into my grocery basket without me knowing. Because of this, I did NOT discover mangos are pretty good. I also have NOT purchased a toy that we seriously don’t need and which is NOT overpriced just to avoid the meltdown referenced in the first item on this list.
I do NOT break a sweat while dressing my kids every day.
I do NOT know theme songs to The Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, Max and Ruby and Franklin by heart.
I do NOT secretly enjoy watching The Backyardigans.
Being a mom to two mommy-loving little boys is NOT the best thing ever.
I do NOT spend extra time with my 3 year old at bedtime, NOT relishing in his drowsy sweetness, and NOT kissing him goodnight over and over.
These days when he loves all this too are NOT limited.
I know you do NOT have a list of your own just like this.
We are NOT in this together.