Mother Of The Year

You've had these days. We all have. Okay, for me, maybe they are coming all too regularly lately. Actually up until a year or so ago, I was a rather stoic kinda girl. I didn't cry toooo much and could be a tough cookie. Well, I am in a new phase. I cry way more, but it's probably because there is way more to deal with at our house.

Moving on, yesterday was a banner day. Paige has been struggling socially and at these times I doubt my parenting WAY more than usual. The usuals ...."why can't I help her?" or "what am I doing wrong?" Well, as luck would have it I received a phone call from a woman whom I am SURE considers herself Mother Of The Year. Apparently she thinks I parent my daughter WAY wrong. Yep. And apparently she has deemed herself the one to tell me exactly what my daughters faults are and how I should be changing them. I guess I should consider myself lucky. And, of course, she has no idea of what a typical day for Paige would mean.

This "mother" rambled on for a good twenty mintues of my life. What a waste. When she hungup, I lost it. I sobbed. Then I spoke briefly with Paige. Then my daughter sobbed. Then I do what I usually do.....I called my friend Trish.

Now, let me tell you a little about my friend Trish. We really haven't known each other that long, but I loved her almost immediately. In many ways we can be separate poles. We can have very different ideas. But you know what? That is one of the things I love the most about her. Another thing I love, is that her heart is HUGE and she acts with her heart first. Now, some may not like that but I find it to be lovely and greatly missing in society today. She genuinely cares about good. Everything good. And she appreciates life. Even the tough parts. And she always has your back. Loyal, loyal, loyal. Have I gushed enough yet? Back to my story......

So...I call Trish. I think when she answered I blurted out "Can I cry to you for five minutes and then I will stop?" (Okay, one more quick thing I love about Trish. This girl could be walking out of the house with all three kids in tow, six bags of groceries, 25 kits, a Cricut and her keys dangling in her mouth and if I needed her she would drop it all. A rare FIND, I tell ya! )
Trish talked me through my hysteria in a matter of minutes. This is what I took from the conversation.

1) The lady was a nut job and I should file harassment charges against her. (heheheheh)
2) Junior High stinks and can possibly be another form of child abuse.
3) You can be OVER involved in your kids lives.
4) I will survive this situation.
5) I have a wonderful friend.
6) I am no Mother Of The Year.....BUT.....
7) I am Mother Of The Year to three remarkable kids. Yep. My kids (all three) have come in packages that have bumps and bruises. They make their share of mistakes. But I genuinely love the quirks and personalities of all three. I wouldn't change a hair on their heads. They are mine and I love them.

I have no idea how to parent many days. I probably make more mistakes than these kids I am attempting to raise.

But in my house, all five of us love each other...A LOT! We understand how hard it is to be "us" somedays. My kids are very defensive of eachother. We know we have difficult things to deal with at times, but they are FAR out-weighed by our blessings. And you know what? No amount of parenting that lady could do, could teach my children that. That came from God, their hearts and the unending love of their parents.

So....nope....No Mother Of The Year here! But I'm okay with that.

(P.S. I do have one great Friend Of The Year, though!)