Then, we headed out to the brunch.
We even got a cute picture of all of us there, which I was VERY thankful for because I had taken the time and effort to get us ALL in matching outfits and wanted to capture that on film so we could look and remember our fun time together.
Kellah was being a stinker and wouldn't open her eyes, but hey, we still got a picture together, with everyone at least FACING the camera and NO ONE crying or screaming or picking their nose.
From all appearances, you would think we are happy, excited, calm, cool, collected, and enjoying our morning together. If so, I am a Master Magician and pulled off the best trick of the year. I should star on America's Got Talent - Mommy Episode.
What you DIDN'T see was Kellah crying because Lawrence didn't pour any blueberry cereal in her bowl earlier that morning.
What you DIDN'T see was Kellah than balling because Lawrence didn't get her any juice (really it's keifer but we call it juice). Or once Lawrence DID get her the mango keifer that she dropped her FULL cup and it spilled ALL over the kitchen floor. Which of course caused Kellah to WEEP even more. I had to keep myself from laughing when she cried out through the sobs and tears, "Daddy's a boy!!!" As if his being a male was the root of the problem and the reason why the juice had spilled.
While my husband cleaned up THAT mess, I was taking care of the baby and trying to fry the bacon for the egg casserole, whisk the eggs, and put together the batter for the pumpkin muffins. You DIDN'T see any of that craziness either.
You also DIDN'T see the baby smearing banana all over her hands and face and belly and hair.
You DIDN'T see me throwing all the long-sleeved onesies and fall clothes I could find in the 3-6 month tub out into the middle of Kyiah's bedroom floor, hoping to find something cute and in matching pink that she could wear to the brunch.
Furthermore, you DIDN'T see me have to wake up Coralyn at 9 am so that she could get up and ready for the brunch so we could leave on time and get there before the whole thing was over. You DIDN'T see her whining that she had to get up "so early" and that she was still tired. You DIDN'T see me searching frantically for a long-sleeve shirt for Kellah to wear under her dress. You DIDN'T see me crawl into the attic storage area looking for the tub of clothes, where the long-sleeve shirts must be hiding. You DIDN'T see me jump when I heard a noise or me sigh a breath of relief when I realized it was just a bird, not a mouse. You DIDN'T see me sort through one container only to find NOTHING for the fall season. You DIDN'T see me grab the next container, groan when I saw the 3T label, and just hope we would find at least ONE SHIRT that my nearly 3-year-old little girl who still fits comfortably into 18 months clothes could wear that morning without swimming in it. You DIDN'T see the baby crying at the closet door this whole time. You DIDN'T see me jump for joy when I finally found a pink shirt that would suffice. You DIDN'T see me rush back to the girls' bedroom and try to hold and soothe the crying baby while dressing the toddler who was crying AGAIN because this shirt was supposedly her sister's. You DIDN'T see Coralyn demanding that I button her dress up and fix her hair. You DIDN'T see the older girls arguing over who would get to wear a certain headband. You didn't see that special headband BREAK when Kellah wouldn't hand it to me while I was nursing Kyiah. I had told Kellah to let me hold the headband (one of my favorites) so she could get her shoes, but she INSISTED on pulling it out of my hands and thus snapping it in half. You, of course, DIDN'T see the tears that ensued.
You DIDN'T see me hurrying to load the hot egg casserole and pumpkin muffins in the car while the girls were supposed to be getting their shoes on. You DIDN'T see me sigh when Coralyn chose princess tennis shoes to go with her beautiful white dress with pink flowers. You certainly DIDN'T see me roll my eyes when Kellah decided her pink rain boots were the best option to round out her outfit. You DIDN'T see me smile when Coralyn handed me a pair of socks for Kyiah, only to realize they didn't match. So then, you DIDN'T see me dash upstairs to find a pair of matching socks.
You couldn't have seen us climb into the car, the girls almost smashing both the casserole and muffins several times as they made their way to their seats. You DIDN'T see Coralyn whine because she couldn't get her car seat buckled because her dress was in the way. You DIDN'T see Kellah screaming because her boot had fallen to the floor (on top of the covered egg casserole and muffins). You DIDN'T see the baby pulling her hair and crying because she was tired and beyond ready for a nap at this point.
You DIDN'T see me have to stop the car in the middle of the road and run back to the house to move the scooter out of the way so the garage door could close.
You DIDN'T see us stop at every single red light along the way.
You DIDN'T see my children running around like crazy in the room while we waited for all the other mothers and daughters to arrive. You DIDN'T see them begging to eat every 2 seconds or going up to the table, laden with delicious foods, and trying to touch every single thing as they pointed out what they wanted to eat when the time came. You DIDN'T see them "playing quietly" in the corner while one of the mothers shared a beautiful message of some things God had laid on her heart. You DIDN'T see the baby eating the crayons while the older girls were supposed to be coloring a pretty picture but were instead playing tag on the church chairs.
You DIDN'T see any of that.
Why not?
Because that's not cute or glamorous.
That's not what kodak moments are made of.
That's not what happens to a mom who has it all together.
BUT, it IS what goes on EVERY SINGLE DAY in MOST homes.
That IS what takes place in MY house most every day, multiple times over.
So, I may not be the Mom of the Year.
I may not have it all together.
I may not be calm, cool, and collected all the time.
I can put on a good show, though, can't I?
Can't we ALL?
At least we try...
After all, how could we possibly admit we are't perfect. That our house doesn't look like those pictures we find on Pinterest. That our children don't always smile and obey the first time. That we don't casually sip our coffee in the morning, read our Bible, pray for 30 minutes, and greet our happy children as they bounce down the stairs and rush to give us a hug while telling us, "Mommy, I love you and think you're the best ever and I'm so excited about the time we're going to spend together today!"
We can dream, right?
But, in our dreaming, let's also not forget to be REAL and HONEST with each other.
Let's not be such good magicians that we trick ourselves into believing we have to have it all together. Let's not fall for those lies...
And so, let me be the first to throw in the towel and acknowledge defeat.
Let me assure you I DON'T deserve any awards.
I could use a hug or knowing smile, letting me know you've been there too. That you're there NOW.
I could probably use a word of encouragement too. A prayer, perhaps.
Maybe we both could?!
If your house looks anything like mine does this morning after my fun, relaxing, tasty, delightful Girls' Night, then I KNOW you could...
Yeah, that's what you DIDN'T see yesterday evening. All I did was post on Facebook about our scrumptious chocolate peanut butter brownies, pumpkin cheesecake, and very berry smoothies! :)
But now you know the TRUTH...
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