Success

My son walked into school today with one shoe untied, the wrong sweatpants on and I'm fairly certain his WHITE gym shirt had at least one stain on it (despite CRAPLOADS of bleaching!).

When I picked my daughter up at daycare she was wearing a pair of hand me down boys' jeans and a t-shirt that I was SURE I had put into the rag pile.

I had very high hopes for myself as a mom.  I had thought I was going to the mom whose kids were always dressed in clothes without stains. 

Whose kids were on time or even early for school and activities. 

Whose kids always had perfectly made sandwiches and never stayed home from school unless they were ridiculously sick.

HAH!

I can't tell you how many mornings I'm yelling at my 6 year old because he won't brush his teeth and he's too busy playing his DS to find his sneakers.  Or how many times we've had to turn around in the morning because we left a lunch bag or a bookbag at home. 

Or the number of times I've fed my children McDonald's for dinner....or lunch.

Go ahead, crucify me.

But right now, my children are completely packed for our trip to Disney on Thursday.

Right now, the lunches for them to bring to school tomorrow are packed and in the fridge ready to go.

Right now, the assignment that my son had due on Wednesday is ready to go in tomorrow.

Right now, my kids are asleep and have been since 6:50pm tonight.

Sometimes I'm on a roll.  Sometimes I feel like everything is gelling and we're moving together smoothly and sleekly. 

Sometimes I feel like I've got my shit in line so well that I deserve mother of the year.

And then, well, I don't.

And 5 years ago, 4 years ago, hell, 3 years ago, that would have sent me spiraling.  I would have been so upset and would have felt like I was doing such a huge disservice to my children.

I would have felt like I was a failure as a woman, a wife and most especially a mom.

But my daughter says please and thank you without being prompted.

My son cleans up after himself at dinner time.

My daughter dances her heart out like no one is watching and stops to give hugs and kisses to anyone in her family.

My son makes his bed each day and puts his dirty clothes where they belong at the end of the day.

I may not always get my kids to school on time or remember to cut the crusts off their sandwiches or get them in the bath every night but my kids are really great kids.  They are smart and funny and kind (not always to one another).  They are polite and friendly and compassionate.

Most of all they are happy.

And I'm pretty sure that makes me a success as a mom.  So far.