It’s 8:22pm on a school night. We just made it home from gymnastics, but of course, the kids were STARVING on the way home so we stopped at the gas station and got some of their finest offerings, and headed home. My 6-year-old daughter, Kinleigh, just started 1st grade so I’m telling her we have to go lay down because she has school in the morning. Of course, she can’t sleep so she’s up until about 9:30pm until she finally passes out. My 3-year-old son, Murphy, has been asleep since we hit the car. Oh, what I would give to be 3 again.
Fast forward to the following morning and I wake up to my son saying, “Mommy me hungry.” I peel my eyes open and realize the alarm never went off and wondered what time it was. It was 8:02 am! Doors open at school at 8:15 am and school starts at 8:30 am. It’s go time. I wake Kinleigh up, who hates the mornings just as much as I do, and she says “5 more minutes.” Honey, we don’t have 5 minutes we gots to go! She gets dressed in the first thing I grab, I throw some bread in the toaster, and we’re on the move.
She then tells me that she wants to take cold lunch today because she doesn’t like what they’re having for lunch and that she’d starve before she got home, wonderful. It’s 8:09, so I throw together the fastest lunch I could, including a full back wrap icepack complete with a Velcro strap, because I was in a frenzy. I fold the icepack in half and sort of sandwich everything in between it, hoping nothing ends up resembling a pancake by lunch.
SIDENOTE: Afterschool she informs me that a kid spilled their water all over her lunch so she only got to eat one thing at lunchtime. She then pulls out a turkey sandwich from her lunchbox, starts eating it, and said, “Hey! It’s still cold.” #WINNING
Feeling rather accomplished, we make it to school at 8:16, right on time with a cold lunch in hand and I’m feelin’ good, only to pull up to drop her off to see a big bold sign PICTURE DAY AUGUST 31st. Please don’t be today. Please don’t be today. I look at my watch, it’s today. My heart sinks. Not only did we rush out of the house in record speed, but we forgot to brush her teeth, have on an outfit that I grabbed in the dark, and definitely didn’t brush her hair, so she has gymnastics hair from the night before. Welp, I say to my son “it’s FIINNNEE” (that’s my new mantra, I highly recommend it if you have a 3 and 6-year-old).
I have a moment of defeat but then realize there is nothing I can do about it.
She’s skipping into school so confident and happy. Not knowing its picture day. Not stressing out about the fact that we didn’t prepare for this day. Just happy to be alive and ready to take on what the day brings. My kids just go with the ebbs and flow life throws their way, and is something I can truly appreciate. Thank goodness for picture retake day, though I might just keep them to have a good story to tell later.
As a Mom, I’m constantly striving for perfection while questioning everything I’m doing when it comes to parenting. I could let myself unravel by thinking of all the things I could be doing differently as a Mom, but instead, I just embrace the chaos and realize that my kids wants nothing more than to have my undivided attention at all times of the day so I must be doing something right.
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