One of those Mom Moments...

I was forced to take a step back this week.  I had no choice, considering I was going back and forth between fevers and chills, and one wicked sinus issue.  This meant that laundry was not kept up, house cleaning went out the door, and I ordered LUNCH.  Lunch.  I never.  Ever.  Order lunch.  I honestly felt that I was going to collapse at that moment if I had to stand for another minute and cook something.

I felt horrible.  I mean as a mom and wife, I expect myself to do EVERYTHING.  I do breakfast, lunch, and dinner almost every day, laundry, schooling, exercising for myself, the kids, and taking the dog for runs.  Grocery shopping and cleaning are on my list.  And honestly, it is the least I can do considering I live with my in-laws who expect nothing from us, and my husband works his tail off for 40 hours (or more) per week.  I have beaten myself up mentally at least twice a week about not working, but hello!  I am!  

Being forced to take a step back made me realize that I work just as hard as anyone else, even if I do not have a paycheck from some company to prove it.  For years people have been telling me this, but I am just finally realizing it.  I was so completely overwhelmed yesterday morning; there were 3 loads of laundry to be folded and put away, there was no school work printed for this upcoming week, the house was beyond a mess (well, for me it was.  I am VERY type A when it comes to the house), you could not see the floor in the boys bedroom, and we had a party to be at for 1 pm.  I was still sick, insanely cranky, and not in the mood for the boys to keep acting out and not listening.  Without my even asking, Dan folded all the laundry AND put it away, entertained the boys after he was up with them all night, and even put them down for a nap.

There was my other realization - I do not give enough credit to my husband.  He really is a fantastic guy.  He is very empathetic, funny, charming, sweet, handsome, intelligent, and everything I could ask for as a husband and a father.  Do we always see eye to eye?  No.  Do any couples see eye to eye every day?  No. Yes, I may confide in my girlfriends about how much he may irritate me every now and then, but he is my love.  And I need to cut him a lot more slack and say thank you way more often.   So, Dan, thank you for EVERYTHING you have done, sacrificed, and accomplished.  Everything means a lot to me, and I will start saying it more often.  I absolutely promise you that.

So I know that this was not my typical post, but I guess what I am trying to get at is that us moms need to step back and applaud ourselves every now and then.  Applaud our husbands or significant others.  It is amazing what we all accomplish each day, and it is evident through our amazing children that look at us and act just the way we do.  Carter found dirt on the floor today, so he opened the basement door, grabbed the broom, and started sweeping.  Pierce wraps his arms around me at the end of the day and tells me I am his best friend.  They are learning from example.  They are learning through living.  So lets all take a few moments to applaud ourselves.  We are amazing, and we need to remember that.