Having It All Together

Danielle and her commenters are talking today about perfection. Specifically, they're talking about how some moms appear to have it all together, to always look perfect, have perfectly clean, dressed, and well-behaved children, and keep their homes spotless while feeding their non-picky children nutritious meals containing no sugar or artificial coloring.

Hate to burst anyone's bubble here, but THAT'S NOT ME!!!!

This morning Little Brother fondly remembered Christmas morning. It's all a blur to me, since I had the Migraine From Hell on Christmas. I pulled it together enough to play at Mass and get dinner on the table. Apparently, during this time, Little Brother made most of his Christmas meals out of the "Fruit by the Foot" that Santa had left in his stocking. And all this time I thought he was so happy all day because he liked his presents.

I'll rat myself out to you all....
We like Pop-Tarts. (I highly recommend the Chocolate Caramel flavor. Great with coffee. NO, the children do not get coffee. Are you KIDDING?)
I've been ignoring some kind of spill on the foyer floor since Friday. I mopped on Thursday and just have not bothered to deal with it since then. It's not a BIG spill, and it's not slippery.
Any change I find in the washing machine or dryer is mine. It's how I finance my chocolate habit.
As for ironing, I freely admit to only ironing the parts of the school uniform shirt that show (sleeves and collars).
There are fewer "science experiments" in the fridge now that the kids are getting older and eating more. But it's not immaculate, inside or out, by any stretch of the imagination.
I try very hard not to reward temper tantrums with a good consequence. I've gotten quite good at carrying a flailing 4-year-old to his room where he can scream all he wants (with the door shut). I'm also very good at the Broken Record Approach. Children find this cruel and heartless, but it helps me keep my sanity.
I yell plenty. Ask my kids. Ask my husband. I try not to do it, but I do.
And don't tell the kids, but I hide the good chocolate. That's MINE. If you find it, Big Brother, don't automatically assume I'll share it! (You probably already know my hiding places, though.)

I will admit to trying to keep things positive here on the blog. If not positive, I try to see the humor in a situation. Sometimes I hit the jackpot and have both! This has been really helpful to me, since I tend to be very pessimistic. I also overreact. Writing about things here helps me distance myself a little, to get a little perspective, and to think before speaking (typing).

I also try to keep things positive here for another reason. TheDad and I used to watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" together. It was a funny show. But I found myself falling into what I think of as The Debra Trap. She's very prone to rolling her eyes, calling her husband an idiot, and generally showing a lack of respect for him. I don't want to be like that--and if I don't watch it, that's how I behave. Patricia Heaton is someone I admire for her prolife stance, but I don't care for the character she portrayed on that show, and I don't want to become Debra.