Life After I "Dew"

You know how you read blogs, see pictures on Instagram or and update on Facebook and wonder what a day in the life of that person is like?  What kind of mom they are?  What things they let their kids get away with?  What kind of limits they have, if any?  Do they ever lose their cool?  I do and I'm here today to tell you the type of mom I am, and the type of mom I'm not.

I am the mom that doesn't over-think things.  Kendall doesn't want to eat lunch today? Fine, she won't let herself starve.  She wants to sleep with socks and slippers, sometimes shoes, on?  Sounds super uncomfortable to me but, hey, whatever floats your boat kid.  Even when she was an infant Jimmy and I were pretty relaxed when it came to most things.  We don't freak out at the first sign of a runny nose.  If she was acting hungry, we fed her.  If she fell asleep but it wasn't quite nap time, we let her sleep.  I think babies and kids know what they need, so to speak, even when they don't and so we have always let her kind of pave the way.

I am not the mom that has patience.  This is something I pray for on a daily basis and struggle with more than anything else in this parenting game.  I have a short fuse, especially when it comes to unnecessary tantrums and just plain ole bad behavior.  I have slammed doors, I have thrown toys, I have yelled to the point that my child is scared of me.  I hate that about myself and it's definitely one of my biggest flaws.  Thankfully it doesn't happen very often and normally it's very short-lived but damn, I hate it.  Thankfully Jimmy is very patient and can swoop in when he can tell I've had enough.

I am the mom who is great with sickies.  We have been fortunate that Kendall hasn't really been sick in her almost 3-years of life the most "sick" we've dealt with is when she had her allergic reaction to Amoxicillin.  But through that and the occasional runny nose, slight fever I am a champ.  Jimmy can't really handle the whiny, I can't do anything for myself, hold me, wah wah wah stuff.  But, dare I say, I like the extra cuddles and the feeling of her needing me in those moments.  Selfish?  Maybe but it's definitely an area of strength for me.

I am not the mom who thinks my kid is an angel.  In fact, when I was filling out her preschool forms it had me list character traits and I listed good AND bad ones.  Sure I think she's the cutest, funniest, silliest, smartest girl to walk the planet but I also know she is challenging, demanding, strong-willed and independent {not necessarily bad but very difficult at times} too.  If she's acting up at home or in public I am not the mom who is all "ladeeda, that's not my kid".  I know when she's being a terror and I try to do my best to defuse it but it's not always that easy.  Sometimes it means she sits under the table at Mellow Mushroom and plays a game on my iPhone.  Don't judge.

I am the mom who will let my kid make a huge mess if it'll buy me 5 minutes of peace so I can go to the bathroom alone.  Sometimes it's worth it, other times I think it would have just been easier to let her come in the bathroom and ask 5 million questions about what, exactly, I'm doing.  Again, I struggle here because I like to keep a tidy house and the thought of yet another mess to clean up breaks me out in hives but if it allows me to do something that needs to be done, a mess will be made.

I am not the mom who is a germ freak.  We don't always wash our hands after we go to the bathroom and we certainly don't wipe down the grocery cart with Clorox wipes when we go to the supermarket.  I'm a firm believer that kids need to be exposed to some germs in their lives or they will never build up any immunity therefore making them more susceptible to getting sick in the future.  Like I said, we have never really dealt with any sicknesses beyond the common cold and I like to think that's because we don't over-sterilize Kendall and everything she touches.  Now, will I let her pick up a cookie off the floor of a bathroom and eat it?  HELL no.  But if we drop something at home we definitely follow the 5 second rule.

I am the mom who would rather buy something for her kids than herself.  I'm really good at sticking to a need only rule when it comes to buying myself clothes, shoes, accessories and such but when it comes to Kendall {and now baby James} no way, I have no self control.  I like to use the logic that they are growing and therefore need new things all the time, even when that's not the case.  I'm sure every mother is guilty of this, right?  Right!?  I mean who can resist cute baby clothes?

I am not the of mom who is fun and creative.  I wish I made half of the crafts that I have pinned on Pinterest. I have good intentions but when it actually comes down to executing these ideas, I fail, miserably.  Sure we've tried a few things here and there but definitely not as many as I'd like.  When we do sit down and attempt something it's usually fun and Kendall loves it but it's just not my area of expertise.  Jimmy is definitely the creative force in this house.

I am the mom who bribes my kid.  Never say never, people.  If we are having a especially trying day I am not above offering my kid the sun, moon, and stars if it means she'll put her shoes on without arguing, for the love!  She's in this phase right now where she doesn't want to leave the house, ever, and so in order to get her to do so I usually tell her she can have a piece of candy, fruit snack, paint her toenails, whatever I need to to get her booty moving.  Sometimes it still results in a struggle but most of the time I win.  Or do I?

I am not the mom who dresses cute every day. Kendall might look adorable even if she's just in her lounge-wear but I promise, more days than not, I look like a hot mess.  When I did my "Dressing the Bump" post everyone was all, "how do you look so cute all the time?" to which I answered "You should see me now."  Because as I was typing that post I was in a maternity tank top and boxer shorts that fit last summer but definitely not this summer.  Truth is, unless I leave the house, I'm usually wearing PJ pants, not even yoga pants, and a tank or tee with a sports bra and no make up.  Just keepin' it real.

So, yeah, that's me, in a nutshell.  I'm not perfect and I certainly hope it doesn't come off that way when you read this blog or see my pictures on Instagram.  I do the best that I can and hope that in the end my family always knows I love them and is happy.  I'm not perfect but I am a work in progress.