Birds of a Feather

Is it a bird?....A plane? No! It's SUPERMOM. Correction, it actually is just a bird.

Part of the reason I chose to ignite these changes in my life is due, in part, to the pressure to be a SuperMom. "Do such creatures actually exist?" you ask. In fact, they live among us, posing as average moms, but can typically be identified by their tiny bottles of hand sanitizer, hidden but handy first aid kit and regular supply of tasty AND nutritious, organic snacks...lucky for me, they usually bring enough to share. Is the pressure to be the SuperMom realistic or simply just more pressure?

Perhaps it depends on the sun, moon and stars all coming into alignment....maybe everything has to be just right before one can really get a handle on everything. Maybe you can't have everything and we should actually start shaving those activities that take any time away from prepping to be the best SuperMom on the planet. Maybe the SuperMom is a mythic creature concocted by the editors of "Family Fun," "Family Circle," and "Parenting," so that we are constantly in search of the panegyric, the cure-all, for all of the stresses of mother-wife-work-woman-hood.

It is my experience, that a healthy dose of motivation can propel me to be better, do better and ultimately have a better experience. Yet, too much of anything is bad, and too much pressure can be the worst. Thus, to combat my propensity to put my self-worth in a vice, pressing until it explodes, I have developed yet another plan. I think of it as a week by week, even day by day, challenge. I may not be the best at everything all the time, but even I have my moments. These moments deserve a little more attention, even celebration where warranted, than they would ordinarily receive. These little assessments really help me make sense of the bigger picture....basically not focusing on every little thing I didn't do, but a few items I did well.

This week was all in all pretty successful. I made several meals in advance, which really did save a TON of time. We ate at home every night with the exception of "date night". I made it to The Gym 4 out of 5 days, so far, which rekindled my desire to be healthy and fit....though I did see more Spandex than I thought necessary. I also was able to locate the bottom of a seemingly endless laundry pit. I was able to give necessary attention to all three Awesome Kids, including homework, extra curricular activities, even a couple of bedtime stories and several impromptu meaningful conversations. We even made it to the playground this week!!! I heard the funny stuff my kids told me because I wasn't preoccupied with whatever chore, duty, errand was up next. This is a good week.

Was everything perfect? Nope. I still felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off at times. I am still doing things for my children that, at least the older two...and maybe a husband, can do for themselves. Part of the reason for so much scheduling is to make better use of my time that I have to work, since I still have to do that. I didn't feel like I entered this week with an effective plan for work...definitely something to improve upon. Doing things ahead like laying clothes out and making coffee....ha!!!!! I did manage to do the coffee thing 3 days, but didn't lay clothes out for anyone except my child who wears a uniform. That was sorta pointless since everything matches and she can do that herself. I also dressed like an eggplant, figuratively of course, after running out of time to chose a decent outfit. Fortunately, it was cold so I wore my coat all day....but I still looked ridiculous.

So, while there is definitely room for improvement, I enjoyed this week. I noticed I was excited about what the day had in store because I was prepared for almost anything. I have learned that just because you hold a bottle of Purell in one hand and have a bootstrap band-aid dispenser, you may not be a SuperMom. A SuperMom is the one who, though she is prepared for everything....makes time for anything.