Motherhood is not for sissies!

Today was yet another day that started with the tragedy of mom making children clean their room. They were awakened early enough to get the job done AND still have time to get ready for school. Of course the "cleaning time" was dawdled away and the "getting ready" time was fast disappearing.

A few "Life ruining" punishments were dished out and things still weren't done... that's when the daddy came up with a solution. He came to me first (bless his heart) to ask if I could handle the punishment. (Side note: it's really hard when the daddy dishes out a punishment and then goes to work... leaving mommy with the fun job of following through with whatever he has decreed. Arg! So I really appreciated my man thinking ahead on this one).

He asked me to let them go to school in their PJ's because they had used all their "getting ready time." I was horrified. First, because I knew how awful my girls would feel and the possible teasing they would get. And second, I was envisioning the things that teachers would think of ME as the mother. (Because, like it or not, it seems to reflect on the mother... not the father, when kids show up at school looking frumpy).

It took me a moment of agony to agree to his request. My only request: "Would you take them to school?" (Because I KNEW that my six-year-old would melt into a puddle of tears the minute she arrived at school and was forced to get out of the car in her pajamas. That would make me turn into mush and either the whole "punishment" would go down the drain or I would not be able to drive home because I would be in tears too).

Being a mean/good mom is so HARD!!! We all want our children to be happy and enjoy all of the delightful things life offers. But we are also responsible for these strong minded, determined, leaders of tomorrow... we have the privileged and trial of raising them to be good, kind, responsible people. The responsibility often rests heavy upon our shoulders as we try our best to set their feet on the paths of righteousness. So yes, its is true: Motherhood is not for sissies!

Oh, and you might like to know that the girls were able to get ready in an amazing record time of about ninety seconds. They went to school looking darling, I dropped them off feeling proud of them, AND their room is clean. Sigh... if only I knew for sure that this scene wouldn't be repeated later this week!