Let me be real here

I went to Target this week with big sister and the baby girls. Of course as soon as we got to the back of the store, big sister needed to use the restroom. Thankfully, this Target has a large “family restroom”, and I was able to push the stroller inside with me and the girls. When we were exiting the restroom, a mom with her young daughter was waiting, and she called me “super mom”. I have been called that in the past, especially since I’ve had twins, and it makes me feel ashamed. I’m sure this is the opposite of what the speakers have intended, but this comment comes with such high expectations that I know I don’t live up to on a regular basis. I don’t want this blog to be about me or to make me look like a “super mom” because I honestly don’t deserve that title. I want to be real here. I don’t want others to feel like they don’t measure up to me because I’m not a “super mom”. I’m just like any other mom. Here are just a few areas where I fall short.

The lady at Target saw me exiting the restroom with an almost-five-year-old and twins in a stroller and assumed I “had it all together”. She didn’t see us two minutes later when big sister’s flip flop came off and she almost had a meltdown in the middle of the store because I didn’t bring myself and the stroller to a complete stop while she struggled to put it back on. I mean, how long could that really take her? She can catch up with me, right? I need to be more patient and understanding.

Some people think I’m a big runner girl. I WAS an avid runner before this last pregnancy, and I’d like to be running now, but I am just too tired. I have only run once since the twins were born. There have been days I should have gone for a run, but I got distracted by other things and then didn’t have time. We have an elliptical, and I was planning to work out on it this morning, but hubby asked me to post something on Facebook, so I got on the computer and ended up blogging instead of jogging. I DID post what we wanted to sell on Facebook, but it has taken me the entire day to finish writing this post. I need to prioritize tasks and activities and stay focused on what I say are my priorities.

I have friends who have come to my house and been amazed at my organized pantry. It’s nothing spectacular. I was nesting during my first pregnancy and bought some Tupperware containers. Then I asked my mom and my in-laws for more Tupperware for my birthday shortly after our son was born. I have a container for pretty much anything that comes in a bag or a box. With so many containers, they must be labeled or I might mix up the flour and corn starch or never find the couscous. I simply printed labels using our computer and printer and clear labels. Nothing fancy or cute, just practical. I also bought tons of stackable containers, sorted the kids’ toys, and labeled those containers as well, so they don’t have to get everything out to find what they are looking for. Of course, this doesn’t always work, and we end up re-sorting toys quite frequently.
I like order. I feel stressed when everything is in disarray (i.e. out of {my} control). Naturally, I straighten everything up before expected visitors arrive, but if you were to drop in unexpectedly, you would find the kids’ toys and things everywhere. We LIVE here after all. If you give me just a few minutes notice, I will stress and rush around picking up and ordering the kids (sometimes loudly) to put their things away. I need to find balance between needing order and wanting control.

While it is good to have order in the home, I can spend too much time organizing things and not get around to cleaning. I told my mom once that I only cleaned (dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, bathrooms) before visitors came. She was shocked, but at that time I was hosting a party, scrapbooking event, shower, relatives visiting, etc. at least twice a month, and it was only the hubs and me, so our house didn’t get that dirty or messy. (Oh, how things have changed!) We sold our house and moved into a rent house a year ago. We have been planning and building our new house for several months now. Since we knew our current residence would be temporary, we didn’t unpack the things we thought we could live without for one year, so we have had boxes stacked in our house for twelve months (see photo below). It’s driving me crazy, and I haven’t wanted to have visitors over with all the boxes. Granted, I was pregnant pretty much the first nine months in this house, and then couldn’t clean for a few weeks after my c-section, but I really need to work on cleaning house just for us. (I vacuum and sweep often, and hubby cleans the bathrooms and mops, but I haven’t dusted the whole house in weeks!) I also need to be more humble and allow people to see our house dirty instead of making sure everything is “perfect” before having guests.

There are many other areas where I could improve, but hopefully this has given you a glimpse of the real me, so you won’t think I’m something I’m not. I’m sure future blog posts will show more ways I fall short of “super mom” status.