I love scrolling down my Facebook page and seeing all the beautiful, smiling faces of my friends' children. I truly enjoy hearing about their accomplishments, successes and special moments. I browse through the enviable family vacation snapshots, birthday parties and celebrated milestones. Such joy. Such happiness. Such fun.
Such a complete disconnect from what’s really going on in my own family. Maybe it’s just everyone putting their best feet forward or maybe they are truly experiencing parenthood as bliss. I don’t know. But I do know that if I’m telling the truth, most of my days are not chock full o’ bliss with my children. For example, after my daughter chucked her bagel at me in the garage this morning because it did not have the precise amount of toasting she wanted, I wasn’t feeling all warm and fuzzy. No bliss today. Yesterday, when I stepped on the same Lego I had asked my son to put away for a week, it felt completely blissless. And really, I don’t have high hopes for happy happy tomorrow considering it’s my son’s first orthodontist appointment.
So here are my updated statuses, if you will. My truth for the moment.
My daughter is in a major tantrum phase. They are everyday and can last for up to two hours. She has been known to hit, bite and on many occassions tell me she would like to go live at her grandmother’s house.
My son has been in speech therapy, eye therapy and educational therapy. Sometimes it’s overwhelming.
My daughter won’t wear anything but leggings.
My son pukes when he is over-tired.
My daughter still has potty accidents.
My son is not great at sports but is a super star at trash talkin’.
I yell too much.
My son has a fruit roll-up everyday.
My daughter survives on pizza.
My son can’t read Harry Potter. It’s way too advanced for him.
My daughter knows all the words to Katy Perry’s, “ California Gurls.”
My son still struggles with tying his shoes.
My daughter comes in our bed almost every single night and we’re too tired to deal with it.
My son would watch TV all day, everyday if we allowed it.
I dread washing my daughter’s long hair.
My son has never met an item for sale he didn’t want.
My daughter hates dance class. No tu-tus. No tights. No recitals.
My daughter and son fight incessantly.
I hate making lunches.
This is the truth. The truth is also that in between all the tantrums, whining, homework, activities and fighting, there are glimpses of bliss, of love and of all the everyday highs and very lows being worthwhile. Still, we’ve never taken a family photo with everyone looking the same direction, let alone looking good and certainly not while on a fabulous vacation where everyone got along. So, don’t ever expect that picture to pop up on my profile.
Author's note: It's been a bad few weeks but the best thing about parenthood is that it's always dynamic. I know this too shall pass.
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