I Have a Pity Party Twice a Month, and it’s Awesome

I LOVE being a mom.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that I literally wake up *most* days and think of how I can’t wait to spend the day with my girls.  Every day is a new adventure.  Should we go somewhere?  A hike?  The park?  The beach?  Should we paint or do an obstacle course?  The possibilities are endless.  I am so fortunate that I am able to stay home with them and enrich their lives and watch them grow.

I literally wake up *most* days and think of how I can’t wait to spend the day with my girls. 

But it’s hard to raise children.  You are always “on”.  I sometimes describe it to childless people as similar to being in a service position like a waiter, but every moment of every day and never getting a break.  You are always around someone, you are asked countless questions, you need to be polite and respectful.  It can be emotionally draining some days.

It can be emotionally draining some days.

Add on top of that cleaning a hundred messes a day, cooking dinner, doing the shopping and other errands, and for me, working from home.  It can definitely be overwhelming sometimes.

I can always tell when I’m starting to feel tapped out because I just wake up in a negative mood.

I can always tell when I’m starting to feel tapped out because I just wake up in a negative mood.  My adorable alarm clock wakes up at 615, as usual, in her hippo jammies, and instead of feeling excited, I wonder WHY IT’S SO EARLY.  When I do my work I notice myself grumbling about how unfair life is for moms.  We either have to leave our kids and miss out on that time with them, stay home and give up our careers, or work from home and give up every spare moment we could be cooking/cleaning/resting to work, not to mention sometimes having to tell our kids “No, I can’t read to you right now, I’m working.” 

I know no one wants to hear me complain. 

I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now.  This is why I throw MYSELF a pity party; I know no one wants to hear me complain.  My life is pretty great.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t need a mental health day every once in a while (or in my case, a couple mental health hours, because moms don’t get days off.)

I don’t clean, I don’t meal prep, I don’t work, and I don’t exercise.

So, on these negative days, I power through the morning, I do my momming, and I try to remain as positive as possible.  And then when the girls nap, it’s “me” time.  I don’t clean, I don’t meal prep, I don’t work, and I don’t exercise.  Instead, I eat doughnuts and corn nuts and I have a beer (I know, gasp!) and watch a funny movie.  Sometimes I cry too, if I need to, about how hard it is to be a mom, and how unfair life can be (#firstworldproblems)…

Sometimes I cry too, if I need to.

And when the girls wake up from their naps, I feel refreshed and engaged and am grateful for the time I get to spend with them.  And the next morning when my alarm clock wakes me up at 615 shouting “UP! UP!” I smile and make my coffee and get ready for the day.

They say you can’t pour from an empty cup.  Apparently my cup needs to be refilled with doughnuts and beer from time to time.