I've been a mother for a decade now. Seriously, a decade. I have learnt many things in the last 10 years of this job. Mainly, I learned that there is no mastering the art of mothering. It's a job that changes so rapidly that it is impossible to do it well. No other job in the world requires a totally overhaul of your skill set every few months and yet no training is provided....at all. I have had the same job for ten years and I don't know if I ever went to bed patting myself on the back for a perfect day.
Perfection doesn't exist in the real world and it needs to be far away from the mothering world.
The other thing I have learned is that plans never, ever go as planned. Never. Make plans, then have eight million plan b's then know deep down in your heart that plan c will ultimately play out. Let go of the dream, you aren't in charge. You can plan a schedule of events at Disneyland and need to understand that you might just spend the day waiting in line to ride just the teacups. Plan as many magical moments as you want to but you will learn that the magic only happens when you aren't planning.
All plans will go out the window....own that.
Best example of this was my Mother's day this year. My baby Daddy/boyfriend/husband had planned a wonderful day, including a lunch at Craft Beer Market for my Mother's day. I was awakened after a nice sleep in, given an omelet and bacon in bed and lots of brag worthy gifts. Then I was given as much alone time as I wanted to get ready for a lunch with us and the spawn.
It was all going according to plan until we got to Craft Beer Market.
Now, hubby knows the rules of the Celiac road and had called ahead to discuss my issues. He was told that there would be a great deal of gluten free options for breakfast and lunch and they could always make me something from the regular menu.
When we got to the restaurant though, the hostess didn't seem to know what I could or could not have on the buffet, she went to check with the manager and I was beckoned to go and have a chat with the Executive Chef. Really nice guy, very knowledgeable but not many GF options. There were several tables set up with breakfast and lunch options but out of it all, I could have bacon and an omelet. Seeing how it was 1:30 in the afternoon, and I had already had my breakfast, I didn't want an omelet or bacon. I couldn't even have anything on the fruit and cheese table because there were crackers mixed all in it all. I was very sad when he said that there was no way I could eat off the regular menu. So, despite the fact that I love Craft Beer Market, we could no longer have it as our plan for the day.
So we went to plan B. Anjeo, another one of my faves for Gluten Free food. We gave them a call, and whipped down there for a fantastic lunch. I love all their dishes but really, just the chicken corn tacos are amazing. Add in some gorgeous salsa, fresh guacamole and two double margaritas and you have one happy mommy on your hands. Fantastic service, gorgeous gluten free food and the spawn using a napkin without prompting for once, what more could I ask for?
Life is better without planning.
I tend to not tell people how to run their lives, but if you are looking for some solid mommy tools to roll with the parental punches, please read the only advise I can give you:
Make sure you always have;
Kleenexes in your purse for wiping faces, bums, noses and shoes. Add a pen for coloring.
A Tupperware container in the car for magical sticks or flowers found at the park, holding a happy meal, digging something or (of course) vomit.
A towel for said vomit, the kid that fell in the fountain, river, peed it's pants or covered itself in ice cream. This towel can be used as a diaper or a cape or a crazy hat on crazy hat day when you forget, because, you will forget.
Other than that, stop planning. Stop, just stop.
The only thing I know as a mother for sure is the less I plan, the happier everyone is.
Stop planning because they aren't going to work out anyway. Go to plan B, plan C, plan D and at the end of it all... have a margarita.
I hope you had a great Mother's Day...I certainly did.
