The Van Wart Family: Moms

I want to be locked up
Away from everything,
Free from all the craziness
A mother's day can bring.No planning, shopping, cooking
Three healthy meals a day,
Served up with love to finicky kids
Who throw most of it away.No constant interruptions,
Dirty laundry on the floor,
Driving everyone every place,
Sibling rivalry (It’s war!)No one asking me to do things,
Getting mad if I forget,
Me giving up my very self—
I’m the family marionette.Prison sometimes looks appealing
(Or maybe the looney bin),
I get free time and three square meals;
With nothing to do, I win!I want to be locked up
For freedom, time and such,
There’s just one obstacle for me:
I love my kids too much!By Joanna Fuchs

So, I found this poem on the Internet and thought it was funny and appropriate.

Found the mud = Trouble

I love being a mom. It is more extraordinary than I could have ever imagined. It is also the hardest job I have ever been entrusted with. (hence the poem) I think as Moms, we are constantly trying to be the best and do the best for our children. Sometimes we have great days. Sometimes we mess up and feel guilty. We read books about parenting, and how to deal with our strong-willed children. Please tell me it's not just me. We go through trial and error with discipline. We try to instill values that we want to help shape our children as they grow. The list goes on and on and on. Is there a right or wrong way to be a mom? I don't think so. Just like every child is unique, I think every mom is unique and different in her own way. This is a good thing!

*Sidenote: I do not want to offend anyone by this post. It's just something I've thought a lot about and is a good reminder for me.
I recently decided that I am going to stay home with Bella and Jack. It is something I have thought about for a long time, and with the help of him, it has become a reality. This is a perfect change for our family, and it was something that I knew was right for me. I have had the pleasure of experiencing life as a working mom (during the school year) and life as a stay at home mom (during the summer). Both are hard. Am I right?

Working moms rise before the sun, get themselves ready, get their children up and into the car, drop them off, go to work, work a full day, pick kids up, get home and cook dinner, have "quality" time with their children, do baths and bed, get everything prepared for the next day, and then fall into bed exhausted. I'm still not sure when we clean and do laundry. (Mark does our laundry. He's awesome like that.)

Stay at home moms, often rise before the sun to have "me" time, and then hit the ground running from the moment the first child wakes up. All meals must be provided, play dates, cleaning time, nap time, do laundry while the kids are down, dinner time, more clean up, more play time, baths and bed, clean up some more, and then fall into bed exhausted. You may be wondering what my point is. My point is be careful. Be careful how you view others, how you judge others, what you say to others. Being a working mom, and now a soon-to-be stay at home mom, I have experienced encouraging and hurtful comments towards each of these decisions. Everyone has an opinion, but that's what it is. An opinion. Be sensitive to moms of all walks of life. I know as mothers, that we are all trying to do what's best for our children. We want to provide their every emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual need. And we do that in the best way we know how. We do it in a way that's right for us. So, working moms, give stay at home moms a break. They work really hard. And stay at home moms, give working moms a break. They work really hard too.

WE (moms) are all in this together. We love our children more than our own lives and would do anything for them. As moms, let us encourage one another. Have compassion for each other. Lend a hand. Pray for one another. And love each other.

This is dedicated to ALL moms everywhere in all walks of life.
You. Are. Awesome.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed!" (Proverbs 31:28)

Btw, Happy (almost) Mother's Day!