Proof You Are A Mom

When you spend the whole afternoon crafting a 22 inch hotdog with bun, mustard and relish out of clay, measuring to make it to scale with your daughter including a last minute dash to Michael's for more Terra Cotta color to make the bun and when you are finally done, it's 7:30 and she says, "I think I'll take it to school Tuesday. I've got too much to carry tomorrow and it isn't due until Friday."  You are a mom.

When your 20 month son has a runny nose and rubs your sleeve to clean it while you're reaching for a tissue, and despite thinking and knowing you should freak, you don't, you're a mom.  

When you eat sandwiches made out of the end crusts of bread on a regular basis, you're a mom.

When you see only one shoe and that knowledge creates instant insomnia, you are a mom.

When your son fills out a card for Mother's day that notes "My mom has gray hair." and gives it to you with great delight, you are a mom.

When you check your son's emails, cell phone text messages and facebook status on a daily basis and occasionally send him a note, "If you have time to post on Youtube, you have more time to study for the SAT." You are a mom.


When you get handed half eaten lolipops with the expectation you are to finish them, because the toddler wants both hands to finish her chalk drawing, you're the Mom.

When you use the phrase "Because I said so."

When your son asks for one more story and you feel profound angst if you say anything but "yes."

When you stuff a purple dolphin into one pocket at mass and a massive hairbrush in the other because your purse is too small and both were "accidentally" taken from the car...you are the mom.

If Dinner includes two vegetables, no dessert and wasn't boiled or grilled, you're the mom.

If car rides to school include spelling quizes where the tester is calling out words from memory, you are the mom.

When you wake at 3 AM because the daughter upstairs in her room with the door shut just woke up coughing, or because someone came down and got a drink of water, or because a third who woke up to go the bathroom is now scared to go to bed because they saw a stink bug crawling on the ceiling and turned on every light in the house, you are the mom. 

When your moniker can be stretched from one "Mom" to two "Mo--om" to three  "Mo--omm--om!" sylables based on the degree of the problem, you know who you are.

When you lie down on the bed and immediately think of 17 things you need to do tonight which would make tomorrow less stressful for everyone else, guess what your name is. 

When you can gather the clothing necessary to get six different people dressed for the day in 16 minutes, including actually dressing the youngest three, but can't put together a decent outfit for yourself in 30 that doesn't include fishing through the laundry that needs to be done, you are a Mom.

When all of these happen within a single 24 hour period, you ARE the mom.

Happy Mother's Day Week! Because being a Mom is a 365 forever and always everyday job; and we deserve more than a Sunday a year.   I'm now going to go eat my chocolate bar, put my rings in the pinched clay jewlery pot and try my newly acquired scented rose soap.