File this one under, "The Flotsam and Jetsam In My Head."
Sometimes, random thoughts on this incredible journey as the mommy of the house invade my head. It happens to the best of us. So, again, to let you in on the craziness that is the inside of my head, and perhaps to make you wonder why you read this blog in the first place, I'll share.
1. Sometimes, when you're a mom, it's ok to hear your dad's voice coming out of your mouth, instead of your own mother's. For instance, it's perfectly fine to sing, "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain," while rocking your toddler to sleep. Also, the following phrases are acceptable to use when admonishing your preschooler:
"Don't yell across the house like some little redneck. Come in here if you've got something to say." "Quit dragging your feet. Pick 'em up and walk."
And, the one I heard most frequently as a child, "Watch where you're going before you break your neck!"
2. The Harry Potter series teaches many valuable lessons about friendship, love, and doing the right thing. But, we often overlook the lessons we learn from the series about being a mom. I know you're thinking about Lily, and how she died for her son because she loved him so much. Or, perhaps you have Narcissa Malfoy in mind, given that she did risk her life by lying to You-Know-Who in order to protect her child. And, yes, those are important mom moments. I can't imagine a mom who wouldn't do the same thing.
But, there are other, more subtle references to a great mom. Yeah, she defeated Bellatrix Lestrange with just a flick of the wand to save her only daughter, but long before that, Molly Weasley was a truly awesome mama. Why do you think all her kids turned out so great? Having seven fabulous children is not an accident. (Yes, seven. All. Percy came around and fought the good fight, didn't he?) I'm reminded of Harry's thought on the Burrow - and honestly, you can say what you want about me, but this has helped me chill out about my momming skills more than any other testimony I've heard or read. After growing up in the stark, spotless, loveless environment of the Dursley's, Harry muses that, and I'm paraphrasing, he feels home at the Burrow when he sees the Wellington boots on the stairs and the dishes in the sink, because it reminds him that a real family lives there and that they love each other.
So, yeah. I have dishes in my sink and my house currently smells like the chicken chili in the crock pot, because I love my family enough to feed them without worrying about keeping an immaculate kitchen. There are toys all over my living room floor because my babies like to play in here.
Oh, and there are some rain boots by the stairs. I keep them there as a reminder of why there are dishes in the sink and toys on the floor - and that's OK.
3. Gender-based double standards are stupid. No need to elaborate. It's just a fact.
And, that's what's floating around between my ears, folks.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
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