Mom Things: Double Dipping

Despite your best efforts to explain to your four-year-old that "I did it on purpose" does not mean "I did it by accident", she continues saying it with the intention of serving as an excuse.  For example, "I just spilled a whole cup of orange juice on your bedroom floor.  But I did it on purpose."  (Geez, Abby.  Don't do that!)

The Duggars teach their teenage daughters to care for the little ones.  So...you see them and raise them.  You teach your four year old to feed your one year old.

You could feed a small country with just the crumbs that fall out of your toddler's diaper after meal time.

You can't underestimate the power of a jacuzzi tub and a few too many bubbles.  (Just take my word for it.  There's a tub under there somewhere.)

You maintain your own growth charts for each of your kids...just in case the doctor doesn't get it right.  (Okay, really, this one is probably just me.  Nerd alert.)

And for a few, specific work-out-of-the-home mom things:

You strap the kids into their carseats in the garage at least ten minutes before you intend to leave so you can frantically run around the house packing your own lunch, fixing your to-go coffee, picking up crumbs from breakfast, making sure the lights and appliances are off for the day, etc.

You get through the carpool line at the elementary school before you realize you forgot to apply your eye makeup.  So you sit in the parking lot of the daycare and hastily apply a quick sweep of eyeliner and mascara so as not to frighten your kids' loving teachers.

You find yourself at the daycare during naptime, due to a rare afternoon off, and witness the miracle that is a room of ten or more toddlers simultaneously and oh-so-peacefully sleeping on cots.  It's moments like that where you find your heart filled with gratitude and love for those amazing childcare professionals.  And you briefly wonder how difficult it is to nominate someone for the Nobel Peace Prize...because you know exactly how rowdy that room was a mere hour earlier.

As you drive around town, you point out sites and roads that you've designed and your seven year old boy looks at them in wonder and declares, "Your job is so cool."  (You're just glad it seems "cool" to somebody.)

You might miss out on play dates, MOPS meetings, and morning Bible studies, but you are acutely aware that you and stay-at-home moms have a whole lot in common.  And that is, that we're all trying to do the best we can for and by our children.

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