I've Been Touched...Er, Tagged
I keep getting tagged. I try to run faster, but I was no good in track. So sue me.
Actually, this one sounded very cool. What are some truths about real moms? Thanks, Girl con Queso!
Real Mom Truths
1. Real Moms have forgotten what it’s like to have an uninterrupted conversation.
Whether it’s a baby demanding a bottle; a toddler that’s suddenly too quiet; an enraged pygmy storming in for toy arbitration; or a teenager requesting free chaperone service and can I spend the night at Ben’s house and I need ten dollars for that school thing and can we go to the mall and get new shoes and…
When I was young and unkidded, never did I dream that I would take nearly an hour to have a ten minute talk with a friend, studded with I don’t care who started it, I’ll finish it and Stop chewing on your shirt and Don’t just let it sit there, clean it up!
2. Real Moms look forward to empty nest syndrome.
I adore my little darlings. I worked hard for them. I worked hard having them. I was head over heels in love with them even while stuck with two in diapers, and wondering if they, and I, would ever move past that stage. In the craft-making, cookie-baking supermommy years, I could only shake my head in disbelief that I had actually birthed these two astonishing beings. Between Scouts and church and riding bikes and Mom, I’m not a baby anymore, and the general buzz and busyness of the elementary years, came the realization that my kids were my life, my purpose, and my heart. And I was tired.
Now as they enter the teenage years, I find I am eager for some things. My daughter is so smart, y’all. She is able to converse with me on a level I never dreamed we could. This, I see, is how my child will turn into my friend when she’s grown. Seeing my son’s childish love for animals morph into a genuine passion for wildlife conservation is so beautiful I’m crying as I type this. God, I love these kids. And I’m still tired.
Is it wrong to admit that I’m really, really, really looking forward to the day when I’m alone in my house and not looking at the clock, not centering my life around other people’s schedules, taking time for that extra cup of coffee that I don’t have to put in a To Go mug because oh-crap-they’re-out-of-school-in-five-minutes? Is it wrong to want to sit back and enjoy the rewards of those hard working years?
Actually, I don’t think so.
3. Real Moms are scared s**tless.
As awesome as the teen years are so far, I am worried. Now, my kids are great. Honestly, they are. And my main goal now is to keep a lid on myself, so when they come to me with something I won’t blow, lock them in their rooms and cut off all lines of communication. So I’ve been very, brutally honest about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.
They have responded well. They’ve shown me so far that I can trust them. And I expect that there will be Why, no, Mom. Nothing happened! moments, and that’s okay too. It’s part of growing up and gaining the necessary independence.
But see, here’s the thing. I was a teenager once. (Yes, I know, a loooong time ago.) Seeing my kids with scraped knees and not being picked for the team was hard enough. It’s the scraped heart I don’t know how to deal with. Can I control myself when the little hussy wearing a doily for a shirt comes batting her eyes at my son? When my beautiful girl comes home having had to deal with a guy who wanted his, right then, right there? I better not ever, ever, ever keep guns in the house. Whether it is dates, friends, teachers, or whoever, it seems as if teenhood is strewn with possibilities for a broken heart.
I know they’ll be okay. I just don’t know if I will.
Tag! I’d really like to see Real Mom Truths from: my partner Missie, December Quinn, and the MamaDrama ladies. You’re it.
Actually, this one sounded very cool. What are some truths about real moms? Thanks, Girl con Queso!
Real Mom Truths
1. Real Moms have forgotten what it’s like to have an uninterrupted conversation.
Whether it’s a baby demanding a bottle; a toddler that’s suddenly too quiet; an enraged pygmy storming in for toy arbitration; or a teenager requesting free chaperone service and can I spend the night at Ben’s house and I need ten dollars for that school thing and can we go to the mall and get new shoes and…
When I was young and unkidded, never did I dream that I would take nearly an hour to have a ten minute talk with a friend, studded with I don’t care who started it, I’ll finish it and Stop chewing on your shirt and Don’t just let it sit there, clean it up!
2. Real Moms look forward to empty nest syndrome.
I adore my little darlings. I worked hard for them. I worked hard having them. I was head over heels in love with them even while stuck with two in diapers, and wondering if they, and I, would ever move past that stage. In the craft-making, cookie-baking supermommy years, I could only shake my head in disbelief that I had actually birthed these two astonishing beings. Between Scouts and church and riding bikes and Mom, I’m not a baby anymore, and the general buzz and busyness of the elementary years, came the realization that my kids were my life, my purpose, and my heart. And I was tired.
Now as they enter the teenage years, I find I am eager for some things. My daughter is so smart, y’all. She is able to converse with me on a level I never dreamed we could. This, I see, is how my child will turn into my friend when she’s grown. Seeing my son’s childish love for animals morph into a genuine passion for wildlife conservation is so beautiful I’m crying as I type this. God, I love these kids. And I’m still tired.
Is it wrong to admit that I’m really, really, really looking forward to the day when I’m alone in my house and not looking at the clock, not centering my life around other people’s schedules, taking time for that extra cup of coffee that I don’t have to put in a To Go mug because oh-crap-they’re-out-of-school-in-five-minutes? Is it wrong to want to sit back and enjoy the rewards of those hard working years?
Actually, I don’t think so.
3. Real Moms are scared s**tless.
As awesome as the teen years are so far, I am worried. Now, my kids are great. Honestly, they are. And my main goal now is to keep a lid on myself, so when they come to me with something I won’t blow, lock them in their rooms and cut off all lines of communication. So I’ve been very, brutally honest about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.
They have responded well. They’ve shown me so far that I can trust them. And I expect that there will be Why, no, Mom. Nothing happened! moments, and that’s okay too. It’s part of growing up and gaining the necessary independence.
But see, here’s the thing. I was a teenager once. (Yes, I know, a loooong time ago.) Seeing my kids with scraped knees and not being picked for the team was hard enough. It’s the scraped heart I don’t know how to deal with. Can I control myself when the little hussy wearing a doily for a shirt comes batting her eyes at my son? When my beautiful girl comes home having had to deal with a guy who wanted his, right then, right there? I better not ever, ever, ever keep guns in the house. Whether it is dates, friends, teachers, or whoever, it seems as if teenhood is strewn with possibilities for a broken heart.
I know they’ll be okay. I just don’t know if I will.
Tag! I’d really like to see Real Mom Truths from: my partner Missie, December Quinn, and the MamaDrama ladies. You’re it.
posted by Robyn | 3:21 PM
10 Comments:
Why couldn't I be blog partners with someone who so totally sucked at this writing thing that any drivel I put up here would look brilliant by comparison? Hmmm? But could that happen? No. I had to be partners with the witty, pithy, wonderful Robyn so now my posts look like drivel.
So, thanks. Thanks alot. You steal all my mom truths, and wrote them better than I ever would. Waah.
I will post my truths here in a couple days....if I can still think of any.
And I too am tired.
Those are lovely. Mine will probably be much more, uh...mean and awful. :-)
Probably because my kids are so young still.
And yeah, that whole dating thing is so terrifying. I'm already worried about it.
My post disappeared. No loss.
You are in a constant state of Condition Yellow -even when asleep - for over 20 years.
Yours were fabulous, DQ.
Condition Yellow- gosh, yes. Even though I'm fully aware that mine are teenagers, a young one yelling MOM! in a store will cause me stop and see what's wrong.
Once a mom, always a mom. It changes you irrevocably for the better. :)
"Real Mom's Are NOT perfect....or Martha Stewart (minus the jail sentence)...or always "together"."
I really have to remember that one. I think I'm supposed to bake cookies, and be crafty and all that stuff.
I'm not. I'm me. There are as many types of mommies as there are mommies.
"Real Mommies Need A Break"
THAT one is the one that I wish would get through to the rest of the non mommy world.
I was reading about Britney Spears in the February issue of People mag and I felt AWFUL for her. It was clear that she was suffering, overwhelmed and scared long before she shaved her head and drank herself into oblivion.
What amazed me was the amount of people who slammed her for being a "bad mom". Harassed and pushed around, Britney had a breakdown. I don't even like the queen of pop, but I could sympathize with her circumstances.
Love it, love it, love it.
I'm still working on mine. Harder than it looks, you know?
Done! ;)
That's true, Michelle. You're never the same.
There are as many types of mommies as there are mommies. EXACTLY.
Off to read yours, Jenny! And congrats on selling your house!
Thanks for taggin' me, Chica!!
And OH am I so about the scared sh*tless part.
You are awesome. And an awesome mom!
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