My Mother Days

When I think about Mother's Day I think about all the things I've been through as a mother of four.  There are things that happen that you never ever thought you'd do or think or say.  I'll share with you some of the messier moments I've experienced as a mother.  (We all have these war stories.  They are like our proud badges on the sashes of our motherhood.)

The first one that springs to mind involves a really lot of poop and a little boy who was potty training. 

I was outside with all of the kids and my sister just enjoying a lovely summer day.  I noticed that one of my boys was missing.  I went in the house to make sure he was OK and the smell of poo slapped me in the face as I opened the door.  Poop air was wafting through my recently cleaned house.  I ran upstairs to find my three year old sitting in his own stink surrounded by a freshly finger painted bathroom.  He had done his poos but hadn't made it all the way to the toilet.  He had attempted to get it off of himself and his pants so I wouldn't know.  He used his hands to wipe himself.  He wiped his poo on the toilet, the tub, the floor, the rug, the door and then left a thick fresh skid path to the laundry basket.  I didn't have the words to express myself in that moment.  But I will tell you this, it's a miracle that boy is still alive. 

When my oldest was a few months old I was sitting in a traffic jam on my way home from the mall.  It was nap time so she was crabbing in the back seat and I was trying all of the cooing and singing that every first time mom does.  The next thing I know the traffic starts to move and Breckyn lets out the hugest projectile vomit I have ever witnessed.  Then she starts choking on her own vomit.  I swerve the car over and get it out of her throat.  I was a few miles from home, I didn't have another car seat and she was screaming.  She was swimming in her own vomit and I couldn't do anything about it.  Thirty seconds later she fell asleep still sitting in her nasties.  I finally got home and unbuckled the whole car seat with her still strapped in and took her straight to the tub.  That was a mess I still think about cleaning up-- eeewwww!

There are things you do as a mother that you are not aware you were capable of handling.  It's like you are blessed with bodily fluid super powers or something.  I swear, if it was not my child I could not have handled it.  But I saw their sweet little faces depending on me to make it all better and I just melted.

There are those sweet moments that make the messier moments bearable.  I wouldn't trade those for all the gold in the world. 

The first time my babies said Momma.

When my kids tell me they love me without being prompted.
When they give you an extra squeezy hug for no reason at all.
When the say something that reminds you of yourself.
When they make a good choice for the right reasons.
When you get to see them perform and they wave to you from the stage like you are the only one there.
When they get in the car and start their sentences with, "Mom!  Guess what?"
When they linger just a little longer with that lovey look in their eyes as you drop them off to school.
The look on their face when they finally learn how to do something you've been teaching them.
Watching them sleep peacefully because they have faith that you are there to protect them from anything.

Being a mother isn't easy.  In fact, it's down right messy. 

But being a kid isn't easy either. 

Aren't you glad you're in it together?