Holla if you hear me

Did anybody see today's Oprah? I watched it tonight after we watched a Tivoed Chuck {if you are not watching that show, then you are missing out}. My mom mentioned to me this afternoon that there was something about a blogger on there that make boo-koos of money, so it piqued my interest. I told my mom that it was either Dooce or The Pioneer Woman {It was Dooce} and she didn't know, so now I HAD to watch Oprah {twist my arm}.

What I didn't expect it to be was one of the best shows I've ever seen!

It was all about moms and how we have certain expectations from movies, sitcoms, parents, friends or self-imposed expectations and how it's impossible to live up to them.
I think the show that I saw last week discussed a lot of these topics, too, but it was good to hear it again {and again, and again}.

Why do we do it? Why do we kill ourselves to make sure our kids haircuts are cute? Or their lunches are acceptable? Or that they try not to call their teacher "stinky" to her face? {Okay- well, that last one would be rude.}

A lot of it was about the ideals that we put on ourselves, too. We try to pass off that we all have it somewhat together, but in reality working moms cry with guilt on the way to work after dropping their kids off at day care and stay at home moms cry with guilt into their chardonnay at 2:00 hoping their child will TAKE A NAP. Neither has the answer.

And how could we? There is so much we're trying to juggle that we can't think straight. We try to make sure that the laundry is folded, dishes are done, bills are paid, soccer snacks are packed, school projects are complete, teacher gifts are perfect, every committee and volunteer board position has been tended to, thoughtful gifts to friends/ family/ in-laws/ new moms are bought and delivered, Easter outfits are monogrammed and also you need to shower today and look like a model. Got it? And I'd like the rest done by Friday.
I don't know the answer to how to STOP this craziness, but I do know that it's real. And that I never, EVER thought I would be caught up in it.

The ironies are thick:
We try to make sure our kids get to church to learn about God's love, but have just screamed at them for 15 minutes to GET IN THE CAR. {At our house we call this "losing your religion in order to get to church" and it happens about, oh, once a week.} And when you throw God into this crazy motherhood equation aren't we all just trying to raise children who want to love and serve God? Should they learn at such an early age that this involves ironed shirts, DON'T SCUFF YOUR SHOES and IF YOU HIT YOUR BROTHER AGAIN I WILL WEAR YOU OUT IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT, FOR THE LOVE?

Um, I think I might have seen that in Proverbs, but I'm not sure of the verse...

*Ahem* Back to the show. A lot of moms confessed their dirty secrets. Some of my favorite were peeing in a diaper on a road trip so the kids wouldn't wake up, acting a little crazy as a form of discipline and not bathing your children for 3 weeks.

I think my big confession would be that I've sent Ollie to school in dirty underwear formerly known as clean. Oh, yes. More than once. Sometimes the superhero/ white load just doesn't get through the laundry fast enough. And it's not like they're really THAT dirty, right?
I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now because I'm tired.

There. I said it. I AM TIRED.

This mom stuff is hard. It's the hardest job I've ever had. And I won't even tell you the corny line that it's the most rewarding, because some days- most days, really- nobody tells you thank you. And that's the truth. It's just plain hard and you suck it up with hopes that one day someone will tell you that you made a difference with your children.
{This seems the appropriate place to tell my mom thank you for cleaning up throw up and such. THANK YOU!}
This story is one of my favorites that has been passed around on e-mail many a time and I still love it. {Please know that I did NOT write it, I just wanted to share it with you.}

You might think that some of these things might not apply to you; they don't all apply to me {I will specifically point out here that I have never used a diaper as an adult}. But, I do know that deep down I am just hanging on each day to make sure my kids don't grow up to be serial killers, tax evaders or heathens. And hope that every once in a while they brush their teeth. Amen.