Not Super Mom

Today?


Today I was not Super Mom.


I'm sure we all have days like this.  It wasn't a terribly bad day.  I've had plenty of those days.  Days where nothing goes right and crying is the only solution and you think you'll move to Australia.


Today was just one of those days where I could not do it all.


I'll blame myself for even attempting to wear the cape today.  It started with an ill-fated trip to the nail salon, where my little sister (who is getting married this weekend) and her bridal party were enjoying the morning getting their nails done. Since I am in the bridal party, I wanted to go. I wanted to support my littlest sister, and who doesn't love spiffed-up nails?


My mistake was thinking it would be a good idea to bring the kiddos.



Looking back, I laugh at the thought that this could have been, in any universe, a good idea.  Chica is a flower girl, and being almost 4, loves getting her nails done. She is luckily at an age where she can generally listen 33% of the time, and I felt the odds were good. But Bug is 16 months old.  Sitting still is not in her vocabulary. 


Well, nothing is really in her vocabulary. She says about 5 words, which all suspiciously sound the same. 


But you know what I mean.  


Bug is just not one of those toddlers who will happily sit strapped into a stroller while life happens around her. She is life, she must live life, she must be life. I guess I figured that since a bunch of us were there, including my mom, that I could just play with Bug while everyone got their nails done and then switched off with someone. But today, the nail salon wanted us all to go at the same time.


"Bring the girl!" they said.


"She can sit in your lap!" they exclaimed.


They now are kicking themselves in the shins for that one.


Yes, we survived.  But not without squirming, crying, screeching, and the decimation of several muffins and bagels. I wasn't mad at the girls.  What kids like sitting in a boring nail salon?  I felt bad for all the other patrons who came to have a relaxing salon service done. I completely ruined that for them.  I felt bad for the bridal party who ended up helping me wrangle my kids.  I felt so helpless while I watched others run after my kids as my hands were in the clutches of the nail file.


No, today I was not Super Mom.


The rest of the day included the poor decision to eat lunch at a cafe with the kids, a long ride home where in Bug fell asleep, arriving home and putting Bug down for her nap, trying to get Chica to rest, listening to Bug not nap, finding Bug to have a poopy diaper, Bug finally falling asleep after 2 hours of resisting, Chica's tiredness presenting as complete zaniness, patience wearing thin, a messy dinner, a potty accident (not mine), several meltdowns, and Hubby coming home late because of a project at work so I had to put the kids to bed myself.


No. Today, I was not Super Mom.


Today, I wanted to do it all. I waned to have the freedom to get my nails done, to eat lunch out, to get my kids to nap, to prepare dinner, to complete work projects, and to grab some


 much needed grocery items.
And those thing didn't happen.  Well, not successfully, anyway.  


Instead I lost my patience, I raised my voice, I embarrassed myself in two public places, I almost ran a red light, and I tried to plug through work projects instead of enjoying time with Chica.


Today, I was not Super Mom. 


Today I did not do it all. 


Today I made poor choices.


And who suffers because of that?


The kids.


So tomorrow, I will choose more wisely. I will laugh when things get rough.  I will be flexible and accept the things I cannot accomplish.


And maybe tomorrow, just maybe, I'll earn my cape.






To all the Wannabe Super Moms.