19 October 2006

Mortifying Mommy Moments

You know the ones. When your child goes stiff as a board as you try to quickly exit Sacrament meeting. When you let a bad word slip out in the fawyer. When you walk out of the church building, get in your car, drive all the way home, and realize you've left your toddler in the nursery. When you accidentally answer the door in your robe over nothing. When the door knocks just after you've screamed at one of your children. You open it and realize you forgot you had an appointment. With a parent educator. In your home. You're still in pajamas (albeit better than semi nakedness) and the living room has been taken over by millions of playthings. When your toddler metamorphosizes into a little hellion the minute you walk through your visiting teachee's door. When his blood curdling screams can be heard throughout the aisles of Target.

There are days when we think to ourselves, I am not cut out for this. Motherhood has stripped me of my dignity! I had one slew of days not too long ago. I plopped down on the sofa after what seemed like 100 hours on my feet to feed the baby and sing unamusingly with my toddler to his favorite CD. And he ever so softly reached over and placed his chubby little hand on my arm and began to stroke it while he listened to me sing. Then I looked down at Sasha who had just moments ago been red in the face with tears and got a big toothless grin followed by a few happy raspberries. And I thought to myself, "This is where I belong. This is what I am supposed to be doing. This is my validating moment, and it does not matter that no one else is here to witness it."

17 comments:

someone else said...

Oh, don't those precious moments make up for so many really hideous ones?? All the way through reading this I could feel the frustration and then feel the engulfing gentleness. This was wonderful, Lei.

Anonymous said...

I love that! We had a rather mortifying morning. Let's just say there was blood and cursing and screaming and Costco involved.

Thanks for the reminder.

Millie said...

Awww, how sweet! This post brought tears to my eyes - how lovely! I had a bad day with my kids too - I posted it a couple hours ago - and this makes me want to squish them good now. :)

Ivey's Mom said...

Beautiful. Those days are continual around here...

Anonymous said...

Thanks Lei...I really needed this today. It's been a rough one today.

Anonymous said...

I had one of those mortifying moments yesterday at the church during aerobics when Cutie poured the contents of my water bottle over me as I was in the middle of a crunch. A bad word slipped out of my mouth. Oops.

What a sweet moment with your kids! I thought you were going to say: "And he ever so softly reached over and placed his chubby little hand...over my mouth." That's what would happen at my house. :)

sheri said...

What a wonderful post! (as usual) It brought tears to my eyes as well. Mostly because I could relate to every word you said. Thank goodness for those sweet moments.

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Oh yes. Very typical moments. And a very sweet memory.

Deannna - Younique Presenter said...

aww, thanks for sharing. Being a mom is the hardest job we'll ever love.

Anonymous said...

Oh that was what I needed. Thanks for the little reminder.

MusicalMom said...

Amen.

There's really nothing more to say--you said it beautifully.

Kathryn Thompson said...

Thanks for this. It is worth it but it's stinkin' hard sometimes. For some reason it feels better to know it's hard and worth it for other moms too.

Unknown said...

Motherhood is one wild rollercoaster ride! I'm glad I'm on it :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow thats what motherhood is all about!!LOL i hope you find some you time! Rachel

Erickson Family said...

Hey Lei!

I apologize I have not visited for quite a while. I have been rather lazy and neglectful, I hope you can forgive me! Thanks for visiting me.

I love this post. I have felt this way many times. (Especially the one about yelling just as someone knocks on the door -- happened to me and it was the BISHOP!) We all feel like this many times. I think that is why God wants us to be mothers. To learn how to be saintly........

or patient with ourselves, one of the two. :)

Anonymous said...

Amen to that post

Kristi said...

I have many of the bad moments and not enough of the good ones it seems. But we still keep on keeping on because we are mothers.