It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Supermom? (Nope, just me)

I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam. (Yams are loaded with vitamin C you know).

I remember the days leading up to the birth of my first child, Lindsey. I was nesting with a vengeance. I had not only cleaned the house top to bottom, I had sewn coordinating bedding and window treatments for Lindsey's room, ironed and organized by color the cloth napkins, lovingly stained a rocking chair for her room (OK- Ricky might have done that one)and purchased every parenting/baby advice manual book written in the English language.

I can be a bit of an overachiever and usually excel in those things that interest me. As far as I was concerned, I was getting ready to begin AP Parenting, and had every intention of acing it WITH extra credit. I had graduated from NW Nannies Institute and been a professional child care provider for several years... this was going to be my crowning achievement.

Fast forward to the 8 months later when she stuck her hand in the baseboard heater which I hadn't thought to baby proof. Then to the time I spaced the Valentine party at our Mommy n Me preschool, or the time I forgot to send a pillow with her to the overnight at Girl Scout Camp. Suffice it to say, she is 11 1/2 now, and between her and Trey and Logan, I have plenty of red circles and X's written all over my AP Parenting exam. We eat way too many meals at places that serve french fries as the main side dish, watch too much TV and don't always pick up our dirty socks... but I am far from failing.

I don't believe that I have lowered my standards, but rather reorganized my priorities. I am great at some things (My kids have rocking' birthday parties)and not so great at others (do potato chips count as a vegetable?). Our house could be cleaner and our car could be newer, BUT, we pray every night, we eat dinner together every night, we laugh like crazy together and my kids are amazing people that do well in school and excel in things I never had the chance to do when I was their age. They know without a doubt that I have their back and still snuggle with me...(nirvana).

While I joke around about the state of our house or yard or other elements of our three ring circus, it is not out of shame and embarrassment. It is out of the confidence that I have come to feel in myself as a great parent regardless of what the Jones are doing. I no longer feel the need to have extra credit in every area.

When a mom at school asked me how I do it all (work on a gillion committees and take care of the kids etc) I quickly told her, "Easy, I don't do it all... I have a pile of dirty dishes and another of dirty laundry!" I volunteer a lot at school, church and with organizations my kids are involved in... so to the casual observer, it could look like I have it way more together than I do and although it's tempting to let people believe that, I have seen first hand how our era of mommies can feel the need to compete and I hate it and don't want to be a catalyst for that. I'd rather be honest. This Super mom's cape is plenty full of holes and in need of a good washing.

Looking back on my childhood, I recall a home that was perfectly picked up at all times. I also remember that my mother never played with or read to me or took me to the playground. I remember feeling like an imposition. My goal is that when my kids are grown they will look back on their childhoods with fondness, remembering that their Tooth Fairy, Santa and Easter Bunny kicked a**,tickle fights, magical birthdays, hugs, and that their mother prized them above all things.

So yes, I yam what I yam... I am an imperfect lady who doesn't always get the dishes done and sometimes (often) sticks her foot in her mouth, but loves her kids to the moon and back and is definitely getting an "A" if for nothing else than for effort.