newsflash

I'm not SuperMom. I'm not Martha Stewart. I'm definitely not Julia Child (although I do enjoy butter as much as she did!).

I've had a lot of lovely comments here on the blog, on Facebook, and through email asking how I manage to do it all. The answer: I don't! Come to my house, look at my yard (notice that I NEVER talk about a garden...there's a reason!). Look at the cobwebs that I just noticed above my kitchen window. Look at the baseboards that seriously need touching up, the laundry room that has become a dumping ground. Really, I don't do it all.

I do what I love!

If you knew me pre-marriage and even pre-kids, you are probably wondering what in the hell happened to me. The answer: necessity. Joel and I made a choice that one of us should stay home with the kids. Initially, it was going to be him, as he made less than I did and frankly, he was more into the whole parenting thing than I was. Well, we all know what happened when they handed me my red faced, screaming first born: I melted and found my inner homemaker. We had to cut back A LOT in order to make it work. Sold a car (which to this day, Joel still pines for), cut everything we could out of the budget, and I started cooking from scratch.

Now, I don't pretend that I'm perfect. As I said before - I'm not. OK, sometimes, I do things exceptionally well. As I've honed my mothering and homemaking skills, I've just learned what works for me. I recently told a girlfriend that I'm a lipstick crunchy mama. I strongly believe in nursing for at least a year. I'm not opposed to a bottle of formula here or there so that I can get a break. I don't believe in crying it out. If you've met my two year old, you know that binkies are a part of my life. I wear my babies. I can't bring myself to cloth diaper. I wear cute jeans and jewelry and make up to park play dates. I made my own baby food, but kept jars on hand for emergencies (read: laziness). I'm semi-green but I have a black thumb when it comes to plants. And also too much shade to have my own organic raised vegetable garden. I have completely romanticized that idea of having chickens, but I like my sleep too much. I bake my own bread, make my own jam, and feed my kids fruit snacks and goldfish crackers. I let them watch TV (even non-PBS!). I'm homeschooling not because of allergies or religion, but because I believe that I am the best first teacher that my children can have.

I have a husband who does ALL night feedings and other wake up calls. So, I get more sleep than your average mama. I don't need naps most days...those are the days that I bake. I search the internet constantly for craft ideas for the kids. I meal plan because it really does save time and money (hey, my mother was actually right about something!).

I don't stay at home all day - we have several playgroups outside of MOMS Club and we stay involved with all of them. Socialization is important for the kiddos and also for the mamas. I've been known to leave a screaming newborn who doesn't want anyone but me to touch her in the arms of my husband so that I could go meet the girls for a glass or three of wine. Hey, Daddy loves her. And it's not like I wasn't going to come back and nurse her into oblivion. After I pumped and dumped, of course.

So there. SuperMom does not live here. If she stopped by for a visit, she'd probably find a million things wrong with me. And I'm completely OK with that!

Staying at home is a hard job. It's definitely not for everyone. There are days (weeks!) that I dream of running away or (eek!) going back to work. But for the most part, I am fulfilled by playing play doh with Ava, teaching Emily how to pedal her trike, and putting a healthy dinner on the table for my husband.

So sue me if that healthy dinner is sometimes a frozen pizza. And nothing else.