Look at my normal life

I have read so many articles, witty two-liners and Facebook statuses recently about the way moms are feeling when they browse Pinterest or see their friend's posts on social media. Apparently, it is easy to feel bad about yourself, your children, your home or parenting style when all you see are adorable pictures of carefully crafted bento lunch boxes and perfectly coordinated family photos.

I appreciate when friends take breaks from all this for their own sanity - I think that is healthy. I also understand why we all tend to post the good stuff and am glad we do. I don't like to wallow in a bad day and I am certainly happier to leave Facebook with a smile on my face because my friend's kids are so cute than be irritated at the person who uses their status to constantly whine about life.

Sharing pictures and little stories throughout the week help me to feel connected to friends and family that I don't get to see very often. I LOVE birth announcements and the privileged of being "in" the hospital room via photos right after that new life comes into this world. Pinterest gives me great ideas and I am ok with the fact that I will never get to half of them.

All that being said, I thought it would be fun (or at least eye-opening) to take a week or two and blog about the not so hot moments. I am not talking about just posting the picture of my less-than-perfect cupcakes-though I do have them:

or benign confessions like, "I sometimes let my 10-month-old watch movies with his sister" (though I do), I am thinking more real than that. For instance:

Yesterday I was taking a walk around a local pond with a friend and her kids. It was a nice day but a little hot and the kids were getting done. I was letting Norah ride on the front of the jogging stroller because she was also struggling with a bit of asthma yesterday. At the top of a little hill I was having trouble maneuvering the stroller. Norah sitting right on the wheel made it hard to turn. I told her to get off and walk to the car (200 yards away). She pitched a little fit and tried to climb back on as I was still walking. I knowingly and purposefully ran her over. She fell and scraped her hands. She cried. I felt bad. The end.

Does that make anyone feel better?

I don't want to share these stories to berate myself or to give each other permission to be unkind to our children, but to encourage all the moms and dads I know in this: You are doing a really good job. Your children are lovely. Your gifts are different than mine and I am SO GLAD. We all make mistakes, we are all offered grace, tomorrow might just be better than today.

So while I will still share pictures like this:

Homemade Zucchini Salsa made with some ingredients from my garden!

 I will also be sure to share this:

While I am into a project like canning I ignore my children for so long,
they start camping out on the kitchen floor for attention

 And while I am sure you all still really want to see more adorable pictures of my happy children...

You won't mind the occasional photo of our disastrous bath time that almost always end in whining, tears and frustration.

A few last thoughts:

* Sometimes I get Norah and I a chocolate chip cookie from Starbucks and I take the tastier looking half for myself.

* Joshua sometimes spits up in our bed at night and I just roll over and sleep on it. I also go a long time between washing sheets. Too long.

* Right now I am drinking water and my glass smells really funny. I'm too tired to get up and get a new one so I'll take my chances.

* The counter behind my kitchen sink is rotting. It's disgusting but we can't afford a new one right now. Such is life.

* I sometimes pretend I'm asleep at night until Jared hears the baby "first".

You're welcome ;)