Reality

Through visiting one of the random blogs I go to, I came across this post that the blogger had posted. It really created in me a passion to be realistic about the things I post. Not everything is always goody goody and it's quite easy to leave, not just this blog, but a host of blogs with the misconception that being a mom is always the greatest and most rewarding thing. I've debated whether or not to even write this post due to the potential misunderstandings that could occur. So, let me pause here to stop all you potential critics who may think I'm saying being a mom isn't rewarding or one of the absolute greatest things that has ever happened to me. It is! But if we're all honest, we can admit that there are days that being a mom just isn't fun. That doesn't mean that I don't love Anna and Eli, because I do, more than I can ever express. It simply means that with all good things come trials.

In my attempt to be realistic (yet still finding the humor in things), here's how somewhat of an "off" day goes around here:

I get woken up at 2:00 in the morning by Anna screaming "Mommy, Pup (ie. cup)!!!!" "MOMMY!!!!! EAT!! EAT!!!" "MMMOOOMMMMYYYYYY!!!!" I get up and on my way out trip over something. I immediately hear "Elmo can use the potty!" in that ever-so-annoying Elmo voice and recall Anna had left her book in our bedroom floor. I go to her room of which she rushes out of in a mad dash, screaming "Pup!! Pup!!" I pick her up and quickly escort her out of the hallway in an attempt to keep Eli from being woken up. I give her a cup, which she tucks under her arm and then follow the directions of her pointing. I already know where to go - to the living room to rock her in the recliner. But wait, rocking cannot occur without a blanket. Efforts to bypass this step only lead to being up later. After rocking her for 10 minutes or so, I take the cup from her that she hasn't even taken a drink from, despite her frantic cries for it, and head towards her room. She begins crying because she knows she's going back to bed. I tuck her in, give her a kiss, and leave. The crying increases. This continues on anywhere from 5-30 minutes. After struggling to get back to sleep, Eli decides to wake up early wanting to be fed. I feed him, put him back to bed and try to get a few more ZZzzz's myself.

I'm awoken by something sounding similar to the SWAT team busting someone's door down. No need to worry. It's merely Anna throwing the smackdown pounding on her door letting me know she wants out. I open her door and immediately wish I could restart the morning. There stands my almost 2 year old daughter, stark naked, looking like a treasure troll running around like a little Comanche. The bed is soak and wet and worse yet, I get to start the morning off by cleaning up poop.

Next is breakfast. By this time, Eli has woken up again and I have to manage two children competing for my attention. Eli typically gets fed first because he's younger and doesn't understand what "You have to wait a minute" means. Meanwhile, Anna is perusing the pantry on her own, stealing raisins and animal crackers. I get her something together and put her in the booster seat to eat. Meanwhile, I do the dishes. I turn around to an utter mess - oatmeal everywhere. Her eyebrows are so caked with her breakfast that she could easily pass as Andy Rooney. If you can't tell by now, I spend most of my day cleaning up messes. I might as well post a "Merry Maids" sign on our front door.

After breakfast is play time. It's not uncommon during this part of the day for crying to be the overriding theme. Eli is at the stage where he wants mommy 24/7 and leaving the room without him is flat out unacceptable... and he doesn't have a problem letting me know it. Anna is in the stage where she wants mommy to play with her all the time. I'm the official "baby doll holder, baby doll feeder, changer, burper, you name it." I'm also the renowned taste tester of Anna's kitchen creations as well as the client to all her hairdressing attempts. If it's not already obvious, balancing time with each of them can be a challenge.

By this time, it's usually nap time - a most treasured part of the day for me. Once they're both down, I attempt to pick up the house, do the dishes, laundry, etc. This rarely ever happens as I'm usually exhausted from chasing Anna around all morning combined with picking Eli up and carrying him. Lugging 25 lbs. around all morning isn't easy. I often will just sit in the recliner and relax or else take the time to check my e-mail.

"Ding Dong." Great. Someone's at the door. 1.) I don't open the door to anyone unless I know them OR it's the mailman. 2.) the doorbell always wakes Anna up. And, on cue - there's the crying and banging on the door.

Lunchtime it is. This part of the day is well known for "cook" (cookie) and "tea" - two of Anna's favorite words. She requests them everyday even though she knows she's not going to get them. Eli is often up as well and gets fed baby food. He has now started cooing and babbling and so enjoys it that he even likes doing it while being fed. This ultimately leads to me being sprayed with sweet potatoes and green beans.

Throughout the day I trip, stub my toes, and fall over toys. I step on raisins Anna has left trails of throughout the house (just call us Hansel and Gretel). I hear "poo poo" every 5 minutes from Anna wanting to go to the potty. She actually used to say"pot pot" and now she says "poo poo" despite never going "poo" on the potty. I much preferred "pot pot" over "poo poo" - it's more socially acceptable than having your kid run around saying "poo poo" every other minute. And there are honestly times that I think if I have to change another diaper I'm going to pull my hair out.

The floors are past due to be swept and mopped, the laundry (while clean) is piled up like a pitcher's mound, and by ends day, I look like I just got done wrestling with a pig.

But when I sit down for dinner and Anna reaches for my hand to pray, all the poop, raisins, toys, and messes seem to disappear. Despite her attempts at praying being gibberish since her vocabulary is just now starting to really develop, it's still such a blessing! There's no greater thing than to know that my not-even-2 year-old-daughter knows what praying is. To sit down after dinner and watch tv and to have her sing along with me brings me such joy - joy that surpasses any off days that could ever occur.

At the end of each day, I can rest in the assurance that I have two beautiful and healthy children that God has blessed me with. And that for every trying moment, there are 2 blessings to replace it with. Albeit that at the end of every day I'm tired and worn out and that there are days I don't know how much more I can take. It's during those times that I'm reminded of a verse a friend of mine uses as a basis for her blog.

"And let us not grow weary from doing good for in due season we will reap if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

I'm not giving up.