Because I am a Mother

Because I am a mother,
My to-do list will never be completed
I will not be getting a solid night of sleep any time soon
There will always be socks to match and clothes to fold
My shopping cart will contain three kinds of milk, brightly colored breakfast cereal, and crackers shaped like animals
The bathroom sink will be smeared with sparkling toothpaste every morning and night
Cheerios will always be under the dining table, in the car seat, and in the diaper bag
There will be toys, books, and blankies on my couch at all times
There are safety locks on my cabinets, gates on the stairs, covers on the outlets, and nothing but indestructibles in the bottom kitchen cabinets
I will never wear skinny jeans or have six-pack abs
There are finger prints on the windows and doors

Because I am a mother,
I can change diapers in small spaces, on moving targets, in less than 30 seconds, and in the dark
I can nod in understanding instead of condemnation when I pass a toddler having a tantrum in the cereal aisle
I know the cartoon character features on the waistband of every brand of disposable diaper
I can swaddle a baby doll in a cloth napkin
I have a favorite smelling brand of baby shampoo
I know about five point harnesses, latch hooks and tether straps, locking clips, and booster seats
I sort toys boxes and Halloween candy for choking hazards and lead paint
I can mix formula in a moving vehicle, breastfeed in a crowded restaurant, and know which chains serve applesauce as a side dish
I buy tissues, vapor rub, Motrin, decongestant, and band aids in bulk quantities
I have the appointment line at the pediatrician's office on my speed dial

Because I am a mother,
I can get up at 3 in the morning to hold my daughter's hair while she gets sick or help stop a bloody nose or nurse a baby or chase away a nightmare
I can change diapers, wipe bottoms, brush teeth, wipe noses, wash faces, and bandage scrapes without getting sick, but only for my own children

Because I am a mother,
I know three ways to make chicken nuggets from scratch
I have eaten cereal for dinner
I know how to hide veggies and fruit in foods my kids like
I have made more peanut butter sandwiches than I can count
I decorate tiny cupcakes at 10PM for class parties
I can make a birthday cake for $3 look almost as good as a $30 cake from the store
I have cut Jello with cookie cutters, put food coloring in mashed potatoes, and only ever fill glasses half way
I bake cookies for someone else
Most of my kitchen tools are in the sand box, there are tiny flour hand prints on my jeans when I bake, and I never get to lick the beaters anymore

Because I am a mother,
I know what a striker does on a soccer team
I know French words for ballet poses
I can demonstrate a pike position
I have cheered for home runs, soccer goals, and cartwheels
I know the difference between phonics and whole language instruction
I can sing the days of the week to five different tunes
I have twirled like a ballerina, waltzed with Cinderella, wiggled to the chicken dance, done the hokey pokey in the living room
I know where to look for ladybugs on the playground, how to catch ants for an ant farm, and have picked up slugs, snails, and grasshoppers to put in a jar

Because I am a mother,
I can wield a light-saber or a pirate sword with a baby on my hip
I have fought aliens, pirates, monsters, and witches
I have played the part of evil stepmothers and handsome princes, robotic aliens and masked heroes
I have created batman masks and princess tiaras and holiday t-shirts with nothing but a glue gun and a sharpie
There will always be crayons, cars, lollipops, and band-aids in the bottom of my purse
I have caught and fed lizards, turtles, frogs, bugs, and fish
I know the theme song to cartoons and find myself humming them in random places
I will always narrate as I drive, even when I forget there is no one in the back seat
I read bedtime stories and board books
I know the words to countless lullabies and primary songs
I can rhyme anything

Because I am a mother,
I can say a child's name and induce comfort, fear, giggles, remorse, or attention just by changing my voice and am awed by the power of my attentions
I display vases of wilting dandelions and wear colored macaroni necklaces with pride
I have jumped for joy, cheered out loud, swelled with pride, and beamed with accomplishment along side my children
I have winced in pain, cried tears of sadness, felt the sting of disappointment, and struggled with frustration and failure with my children
I am the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, a leprechaun, and Santa Claus
I will fight school administrators, stand up to bullies, and step up to battles I would never fight for myself

Because I am a mother,
I stay up late at night worrying about the future
I make lists of how I can do better and find motivation in tiny hands and big blue eyes
I pray harder and longer and more frequently than ever before
I have listened to simple faith-filled prayers and watched tiny miracles result
My fears strong and my faith is stronger
I feel powerful and helpless, guilty and proud, accomplished and a failure, all at the same time

Because I am a mother,
I know what it is to love someone unconditionally, instantaneously, and eternally



Wordfull Wednesday- A mother's role in the family