Often, when my friends and I fail to do something we meant to do, or feed the children cereal for dinner, or run so late to carpool that the child being retrieved is the last pitiful little figure, sitting on the steps with the principal, we comment that we suppose we're no longer in the running for mother of the year. We stop looking for the people in the van to pull up the driveway with flowers and a tiara and one of those giant checks.
Lately, I've been pretty sure I've been disqualified from the entire competition. I feel as scattered, smothered, and burnt as a plate of Waffle House hashbrowns. I think I'm keeping up, but just barely... I hit the ground running in the morning and collapse into bed well after midnight, feeling there's something I've forgotten.
Today, I was spending a quiet morning at home with my Small One, for a change, and quite enjoying it. Nothing was "on fire" in my life, nothing requiring my immediate and total attention, just a mellow time. We were about to play a game, and I had an art project in mind for later. Small sat on the bed and said, in a friendly conversational tone,
"Daddy is a GREAT father."
I agreed. I felt warm and fuzzy about this. Yes, I thought, we're doing a fine job with this little person, she has a really fun and secure life, with two loving parents. Go us!
Then she made her follow-up statement.
"You're not a great mother, but I still like you."
Sigh.
4 comments:
You know, I have often thought that that sentiment means that I really AM being a good mother. Daddy gets to do all the fun stuff...while we have to do errands. The daily muck. And more often than not, the discipline. To a child, daddy will always be the good one :-)
Bingo! I feel that way with the munchi and she can't even talk yet -- but I'm the one that does most of the stuff she doesn't like -- making her wear diapers and clothes, getting in her car seat, ect. I'm the bad guy.
But it makes me a GREAT Mommy cause I take good care of her.
LOL my kid tells me that from time to time. usually when she is in trouble. mommy"lorelai that was not good. your going to have to go in time out" Kid response" YOU a Bad mommy! i no bad lorelai!!!! you bad!"
but aperently dads okay because he likes the color red. *sigh* kids are all fickle and what not.
Aw, y'all make me feel better! LOL!
One of Small One's favorite ways of citing authority is to end her statement with "My DADDY tole me dat." Sort of like her conversational bibliography. ;o)
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