The down & dirty of mommyhood

In honor of Mother's Day, thought I would share a story that really hits home for me.  To me, it's what mommyhood is all about...

So there I was, sitting on the pot trying to pass my bowels.

Oh don't act so surprised.  We've all gotta do it.

And in walks Emma, because a closed door & "privacy" are a foreign concepts to any almost three year old.  And not only does she barge in on my oh so private moment, she also likes to point out that I'm going "Poopy in the potty" and "Mommy's a big girl, Mommy wears underwear"(we're working on potty training at our house).  She then proceeds to hang around while I finish my bizniz, insisting we play a quick round of Pattycake and that I watch & cheer her on as she jumps from bathroom rug to bathroom rug like it's Hopscotch.

Now for someone who's fallen victim to several bouts of stage fright (public restrooms are the worst), it's taking quite a bit of concentration on my part to complete the task at hand.  But I persevere and move on to the paperwork.

By this point Emma has asked about 49 times if she can flush (her favorite part of potty training) and is now patiently standing next to me with her hand poised on the magic flusher.  (Talk about having to work under pressure.)  Also bare in mind our house is over a hundred years old, so the plumbing is not exactly up to snuff, even using too much TP when going #1 has been known to clog.  So, when Emma's big moment of flushing finally arrives, inevitably the toilet clogs.  To this she lets out a very dramatic "UH-OH!"

I then begin the glorious task of plunging and after a few failed attempts, things finally go down.  For my efforts, I am rewarded with a cheer, jumping & clapping, and a big ole "You did it!" from my very own little bathroom cheerleader.  Out of all the things I've done for my child, I didn't realize this would bring such joy.

Now the purpose of me sharing this slightly disgusting, a little disturbing, and definitely TMI story  is because it's Mother's Day.  And despite what all the Hallmark cards my say, sometimes motherhood can be messy, humbling, and well, awkward.  (Do I really have to drive a mini-van??)


"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories."  ~John Wilmot

Parenting is by far the most challenging and yet the most rewarding endeavor any of us will ever take on.  Who else will unconditionally love you so much that they will cheer you on as you blow up the bathroom?

This messy, humbling, and loving life is exactly what I wanted when I decided to become a mother.  I thank God for blessing me with my very own little bathroom cheerleader and look forward to the other adventures her & I will take on together.  However, God, do you think these adventures could take place somewhere beyond the privacy of our bathroom?  My bowels would be forever thankful.