Growing up, I was the youngest of 4 children. I had an extremely happy childhood. I played outdoors year round with my friends and siblings, went on family road trip vacations each year and drank fresh squeezed orange juice from the orchard in our yard. I lived in San Diego where the sun was always shining as was our family and life. If asked what I’d like to be when I grew up, I’d say, “a teacher.” I did want to be a teacher. But really, deep down, I knew I also wanted to be a mom, the type of mom that would provide the same joyful childhood to my own children that my mom provided for me.
As hoped, I became a teacher right out of college. At 25 I moved from San Diego to NYC. I wanted to see what living in the big apple was about. Here, I taught elementary school in Rye, NY. While living in the city, I met my husband. We married in 2009 and have since had 3 beautiful children and moved to Stamford. I enjoy various Mom Groups and Playgroups I’ve joined, I’m involved in my children’s pre-school and am ready to start running miles again! I’m a frequent traveler with my children to both San Diego and Michigan to visit both sides of the family. Our life seems very hectic at times, but to us it is just perfect! It’s everything we have always wanted. I enjoy the good and bad days of motherhood, the great mom friends I have met, life in the suburbs and of course, family fun.
I’d like to say that most of my days are pretty normal, but I have three kids under five, so “normal” doesn’t happen anymore. In fact, one recent morning started early at 5:20am with cries from my 7 week old and as I groggily opened my eyes, I also heard my 2 year old playing Barbies (Garbies as she calls them) in her bedroom. I didn’t mind the early wake up. In fact, I almost enjoyed this morning, it was rainy and I knew for once we had no where to be by 9am. After feeding the baby, putting him back to sleep and then brushing my teeth, I snuck into my daughter’s room and saw the huge grin spread across her face as she asked me to bring her downstairs. We were soon joined by my 4 year old.
The baby woke and the next few hours were a blur. I changed a few diapers, cleaned up 3 potty training accidents. Listened to my children shriek with glee at the new game they came up with, “fork fight” which left me with countless bits of scrambled eggs to clean up off the floor, watched my family room couch go from neat and clean to a fort with multiple entrances. I started and completed 2 loads of laundry, found and put away piles of clothes on my daughters floor as her new favorite thing to do is surprise me by getting dressed (this morning she happened to put on a long sleeved Rudolph shirt with polka dot leggings), made 3 beds, wiped down the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher. But by 9:30am we were all dressed and outside. To the neighbors it must have looked effortless, only I knew that it took us 4 chaotic hours.
While outside, my son was playing a game where he tossed his ball up the neighbors driveway with his lacrosse stick and then would try to field it as it rolled back down (which he’d often miss and I’d lunge with a foot trying to stop the ball from going into the gutter, while jostling the baby awake with each lunge since I was wearing the baby in the Bjorn). Meanwhile my fearless daughter was careening down the street on her 3 wheeler, although only two wheels were touching the ground at once, screaming with delight. Each time I’d smile and laugh but also have a minor heart attack as I worried she’d go flying off the bike.
To some people my morning sounds like a chaotic nightmare, messy and tiring, but to me it’s perfect. This is what I have always wanted.
Can you relate? I’d love to hear what you think!