Thoughts on being a great Mom.....

   This has been on my heart and mind for a few days now.  As moms we often beat ourselves up because of our mistakes but we often overlook all of the things that we are getting right.  Here's my own personal list of things that make a great Mom.  These are in no particular order and all of these do not apply to me personally.  Feel free to add to this list in the comments. 


     Being a great Mom doesn't mean I never yell.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I don't have bad days.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to be a stay at home Mom.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to work outside of my home.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to homeschool.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to send my kids to private school.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to send my kids to public school.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to take my kids to Disney World.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean I have to have my kids in every after school activity.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean my daughter has to wear a bow every day.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean my boys will always have shoes on when they go outside.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean my house is always, or even occasionally clean.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean my laundry is folded.  Being a great Mom doesn't mean any of these things, so what does it mean?

     Being a great Mom means that I put my children's needs first.  Being a great Mom means that I show my boys how to find a great wife by modeling what that is.  Being a great Mom means showing my daughter how to be a great wife and Mom.  Being a great Mom means that I show my children love daily.  Being a great Mom means that I show my husband love daily.  Being a great Mom means I will take care of my kids.  Being a great Mom means I will protect them.  Being a great Mom means I will shelter them a bit.

     Being a great Mom means that I may not be beautifully dressed, but I'm happy being with my family.  Being a great Mom means that I've learned to accept yoga pants as both pajamas and day clothes because some days I won't have time to get dressed at all.  Being a great Mom means that I probably can't tell you for certain when I last washed my hair but I know the bathroom floor gets mopped daily with a towel after I've bathed the kids.  Being a great Mom means my kids do have socks, they just have to mate them themselves.  Being a great Mom means that I will smell my kids jeans to see if they can wear them again when I haven't washed clothes in a day or so.  Being a great Mom means I will teach my kids to make a peanut butter sandwich on their own at a young age. 

     Being a great Mom means I read to my kids.  Being a great Mom means I pray with my kids.  Being a great Mom means I play with my kids.  Being a great Mom means I kiss bo-bos.  Being a great Mom means I can laugh through the chaos.  Being a great Mom means that I will join in the silliness at times.  Being a great Mom means that I will also create silliness too.  Being a great Mom means I will pick up the hallway for the 4th time today.  Being a great Mom means I will step on a Lego and yell, "Lego" very loudly so someone will come get it to put it away.  Being a great Mom means I will yell, "Lego" again when I find the same Lego on the post at the stairs because someone didn't want to put it away. 

     Being a great Mom means I will share my icecream.  Being a great Mom means I will sometimes wait until after the kids go to bed to have a bowl of ice cream because I don't want to share.  Being a great Mom means I know that an Icee makes everything better.  Being a great Mom means that driving thru the carwash becomes an awesome game of Space Invadors.  Being a great Mom means that sometimes it's okay to have pie for lunch.  Being a great Mom means that boxed cake mixes make great homemade cupcakes. 

     Being a great Mom means I will cut blue jeans off into shorts when they get holes in the knees.  Being a great Mom means I will let them wear those new shorts to play in the mud.  Being a great Mom means I won't think about the water bill while they make the mud.  Being a great Mom means I will join in with playing in the water.  Being a great Mom means I will also join in with playing in the mud.  Being a great Mom means I will have a race with my kids.  Being a great Mom means I will let them win.  Being a great Mom means I will sometimes win to teach them that it's still fun even if you don't win.  Being a great Mom means I could come up with a million more things to add to this list.

     Most importantly, being a great Mom means that I am honest, hardworking, loving, forgiving and caring.  I am loved by those that matter the most, my kids and husband!  I love being their Mom and I love being my husband's wife!    I couldn't have asked for a better life than the one I live daily.