The 6 Best Things About Being A Mom

That "OMG" moment
(when I realized I was a Mom of two!)

1) I finally have something in common with my Mom. I don't know about your relationship with your Mom but for me and mine... Let's put it this way, we've had our differences. Since I've had kids there has always been something we connect on. She loves to give me advice and I love to ignore it. But I know her heart is in the right place, and I love her for it.


2) I can blame most stains and my lax housekeeping on the progeny.  Martha does not live here. So when people come to visit the toys, laundry and mysterious wetness can easily be explained by the little cherubs being underfoot. As far at the coffee stains on my jacket, well I will take partial blame for that.

3) There are at least 2 people in the world who think it's 1/2 normal to dance and sing whenever one is stuck at a red light. I know I have my eccentricities and car dancing is one of them. However as far as K-dog, and Princess-A know, I am perfectly normal. I'm sure I'll embarrass them one day but until then, "Pump up the Jams".

Mom's (I mean the kids') sandbox

4) I almost always have crayons & Clif bars in my purse. I'm not known for being the most organized person in the world, but I've had to get it together a bit for my little ones. The thing is, I love art supplies, and who doesn't need a snack form time to time. Being a Mom means having the magic purse that seems to always produce a wipey, granola, or distraction when needed. Even if I'm the one who needs it.

5)  I get to design  sandboxes. I love learning to use my creativity in new ways. I mean, I never knew how many pop song could be turned into potty training ditties. My children stretch my imagination every day.  The sandbox was just the first, I'm wishing for a fairy fort and hopefully they'll let me sit in with the garage band from time to time.

6) My kids! Pardon me for saying so, but I have the best little ones that anyone could hope for. Mysterious wetness, the mommy wars and sleep deprivation aside they bring enormous joy to my life. I wouldn't be who I am without them.

Finland's Baby Box

I saw this and it brought tears to my eyes. In Finland every baby gets just a few essentials from the government. And while I know that I probably wouldn't have needed it, I received 35 green bodysuits at my baby shower from enthusiastic family and friends, the idea of a country and and a culture that starts out every life with a gift is something special. There is much debate about an the American welfare state on one hand, and even if a woman should be able to have an abortion. I can't settle this debate here, but reading about this made me cry.  What if every child entered this life know that everyone was looking out for him or her, and wanted to make sure that their first few months were at least warm and safe?  Even the box it comes in can double as a bassinet.  Its just the basic hospitality that we  could give a new life.  Most of us have friends or families that do that, or at least the wealth the buy the odd blanket or diaper.

I feel like the Finnish people fully expect each infant recipient of this grant to become and law abiding productive member of society, and imagine that there is the belief that it is the child parents that are held most responsible for this. But why not start off with a well thought out gift that says, "Hey, this is what you might need to get started; we're pulling for your success."  I got a letter stating that my insurance company was charged $2,000 for an anesthesiologist that I never saw.  I felt that our system, and my culture were saying, "Congratulations, you had a baby, now its easier for us to scam you.  Now back to work."  I think we can do that a bit better, and make stronger families and healthier happier children in the end. Its not really about being the "nanny state", it's about investing in the lives of one another.

This is what you'd find in the what's called the Maternity Package can be found here.  What did you get from you're society when you had a baby?

Wordless Wednesday: Me

{Photo Credit: Dear Husband Gregory}