Where did I put the baby?

A friend of mine asked the other day "why does no one mention when their kid falls off the bed?" And it got me thinkng about the real mom's life. How being a mother is so hard and so easy at the same time. How every decision that is made shapes the life of their child. All the good moments are advertised to the world but the bad ones are hidden out of shame and fear of failure. But these things happen. Life isn't perfect. Why not advertise the REAL, everyday moments too?

I'm so tired of this strive for perfection. I call bullshit on all the TV shows (reality and fiction), books and magazines I see where mothers have everything all together. The illusion that they can wake up after a restless night's sleep full of feedings and diaper changes looking glamorous, is a fairy-tale. How they can manage running errands, cooking, cleaning, working, working out, keeping themselves and their children in ironed clothes on a daily basis? How are their cars so clean? Where the hell did they find the time to blow dry their hair?! If things aren't written on a post-it note, stuck in plain view, then I won't remember!

In my reality, I'm always one second away from losing my shit at any given moment. I'm constantly running around like a chicken with my head chopped off. I'm always scrambling to get everyone and everything ready on a daily basis. I have very few moments for myself, not to mention my family and friends. And as I plan my wedding and prepare to return to work, I am more frazled than ever.

Some days I don't get around to clipping my son's nails until they begin to resemble claws. Other days we run out of milk and bread. Some nights we forget to feed the dog. I almost always fall asleep on my fiancé. I feel guilty for all of these things. Actually, let me rephrase. I am MADE to feel guilty about these things. But why? This is the shit that happens. It doesn't make us horrible mothers, it makes us human beings too.

In magazines, on TV, in the news, in books, as a new mom I have been told that there is a "right" way things should be done. But I have yet to be told how to accomplish it all without neglecting things along the way. No matter how hard I try to get all my shit together, someone or something gets a little less attention than before and yet I am still a disorganized mess. 

I refer back to the playground days. When I had my first visit to the park as a mom. These women had it all; snacks, drinks, face wipes, lattes, you name it. Me? I had a bottle of water that I gracefully spilled all over the picnic table, two of my stepson's juice boxes didn't have straws, I once again dropped my son's pacifier on the ground and I decided to haul ass out of the park after my stepson felt it necessary to kick water at an unsuspecting, little girl. Now THAT is reality. 

I have to remind myself what others have told me throughout my motherhood days...I'm not Super Mom. There is no such thing and I think that's important to remember. Don't be envious of the woman who looks like she has it all together at the grocery store because I'm sure she is just a mess, just like you. She probably just hid it a little better that day. Fake it till you make it, right?😋

Also, please note that this does not mean I will stop watching those reality shows, reading those books nor those magazines. Let me have those small guilty pleasures in my life. 😏