Back to School Ready… Ha!

Back to School Ready…

Why do I keep saying, “oh yea, just getting in the back to school groove,” when people ask how I’m doing lately.

I’m full-out lying.

It’s a crazy mess here since school started and I’m going to admit it.

Back to school groove? Ha!

Yup, this is a grainy photo of the moment where I saw Sarah getting party muffins for Evan, who yes, is standing on that Instant Pot that I have yet to open. At least it’s been helpful for something.

I promised myself this summer that this year would be different. That we would all wake up earlier, that the kids would have a healthy breakfast in the morning, that we would plan every outfit the night before and that I’d be a much calmer mama.

Yup, nope. I’m for sure not there yet.

I obviously posted my photos on Facebook from the first day of school just like every mom did. Except my kids weren’t holding up some fancy Etsy or Pinterest sign. Ha… I failed before school even started!

That’s social media for you; people share their highlight reel and you can easily instantly feel pangs of inadequacy or jealousy, and why my counselor says her business has exploded due to social media… remind yourself every day that someone’s social media posts are absolutely not their real life.

So let’s be real and honest here for a minute.

Each morning I’m basically dragging Sarah out of bed. I’m not exaggerating when I say dragging… I’m literally lifting her body out of the bed. She’s like me: not a morning person. (Adam has to basically coerce me out of bed, too).

Our first day of school picks would for sure look different if I had taken them 30 minutes earlier. 😉

It would likely be better if we got to sleep earlier but by the time school, and dance, and now religious school, and homework, and dinner, and showers and baths, and reading and a much-needed minute to wind down happen, it’s so late. Again.

The morning routine for sure involves me saying, “put your shoes on,” no less than 37 times. I hear our behavioral therapist saying, only say it once, and I even say aloud, “please listen the first time, and happily”… if only it were that easy. Actually, today it was and I swear the simple of act of your child getting themselves dressed and ready for the day is pretty epic. I compliment her like a maniac in the hopes it will encourage similar behavior the next day.

And, lordy… thank goodness for breakfast bars! I somehow thought we’d magically be whipping up egg frittatas or something warm each morning, by 7:15 am. I’m kind of laughing at my naive summertime self. Nope, breakfast bars, mini muffins, bananas and re-heated pancakes (hey, they’re warm!) are our jam. Please note this is typically eaten in the car.

The afternoon routine is equally as entertaining, running from school or after care, to whatever we have on the schedule.

Growing up, I don’t remember doing much of anything after school except playing outside with my friends, riding my bike and doing homework. Today, we’re expected to shuttle our kids around like professional Uber drivers who for sure deserve a 5-star rating for the endless supply of snacks and hospitality our cars provide. Some of you even have cool minivans with TVs and doors that open on their own. That’s baller mom style!

By the way, when am I supposed to fill out all these forms, review countless sheets of paper, order books on Scholastic and help sell 74 coupon books?!

Oh yea, this year will be so different I innocently thought.

And then the early alarm clock went off and all those dreams evaporated.

The thing is, it’s OK.

I’m a great mom. My kids are loved and safe and fed and happy.

And, every evening before bed I’m reminded about the magic of motherhood.

Evan doesn’t stop moving during the day but bedtime… reading to him, having him snuggle close as I breathe in his clean hair and rub his arm, is everything. I hear how his little vocabulary has exploded as he tells me about school or what he did with our sitter Lexi (it takes a village!), how much he wants to go on another cruise and sleep in a bunk bed but this time he wants the top bunk, and how I should call him Optimus Prime from Transformers.

Sarah and I are reading our third book together in this series called Teddy Mars where we each take turns reading, stopping occasionally to talk about her day, friends, farts (yup, farts!), what challenged her and how much she loves acro dance. We stop occasionally so she can show off her moves with a shine in her eyes as she sees her mom’s eyes 100 percent glued to her (not on a screen, a sibling, my work, just her).

Every day with our kiddos it should be quality time over quantity.

It’s this precious, fleeting time with my sweet babies that I’m reminded exactly why I chose this journey with Adam, and why I’m ready to brave the crazy beautiful mess again tomorrow.

So if you have mom guilt, squash it. Your kids won’t remember the egg frittata anyway.

They’ll only remember how much you loved them.

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