Kaleidoscope

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Confessions of a Mad Mom

I have set out to be the perfect mom. I see this image in my head of me dressed in one of my nice work suits driving into the driveway with my son the same time my husband gets home, you know Simpson style. We make our way into the house to be greeted by our excited and sweet dog, we prepare dinner, eat together with our son sitting in his high chair and we spend the rest of the evening playing board games or watching TV after we tuck a sleeping baby into bed.....

Ok, that is when the doorbell rings for the pizza delivery, while my son is giving me his cranky chat in his swing because he wants my attention... The dog is in the back yard barking at the neighbor who wants to spray her with a water hose, I have 7 messages to return and I have just realized that I started the wash this morning before I left for work and I never put clothes in it.... Brilliant

I really want to know how super moms do it and I want to know how I can join that club. The first few weeks after my son was born I thought things would easily fall into place. My mother-in-law stayed with us one week, my mom the next and by the time they left I was getting into a groove. We started our days with dad, we went for a walk when he went to work, I did upper body workouts while my son took his mid morning nap. I shopped with him during the early afternoons and had dinner ready by 6:00 PM..... Then I went back to work and all of that just went out the window.

My first week back at work we had take out twice, no laundry was done, no mail was sorted. My second week back at work, I got a stomach virus, watched things pile up on my dining room table and used the kitchen table as a launch pad for the day. My briefcase was laid there every evening, my son's car seat found a home on the table, along with his daily logs from school that I swore I was going to file away. My third week back, I went on my first over night trip for work, got really behind in my work because it was left at the office every day and found myself working very late the night before a big presentation. Needless to say it looked as though I was floundering.

I finally got a a clue and took inventory of a few things. The most important thing is my son and his well being. He is loved, fed well, bathed, has clean clothes, rarely lays in a wet diaper and is beginning to babble, coo, squeal and smile at me. The laundry may only be done once or twice a week, my dining room table may be my project center for now, the dog needs to be groomed, I have not mopped in a month, I have not dusted in two weeks, but I have a happy baby and I have caught up to a respectful level of being behind. Life is good and some day I will get the hang of things. For now I will take one day and one room at a time. I may not be super mom, but I am a happy mom.