Mommy Needs a Xanax

By now you know enough about me to know that I absolutely love being a mom. My kids mean the world to me, and I love them with all of my heart. And as a "full time mom" they are, as literally as you can get with something like that, my whole world.

And by now you also know that my kids are, generally speaking, quite awesome. They are smart, and sweet, and loving, and kind, and make me proud every day that I am their mom. But then there are those times that I'm forced to remember that even the best kids aren't always angels, and that even the best moms aren't always perfect.

The only thing I wanted today was a nice family dinner. With my husband's work schedule it isn't often that all four of us are together in the evenings, so when we are I do my best to make something that we can all enjoy so that we can all sit together and relax, and enjoy each other's company. Usually it goes well.

But tonight, one of them didn't like the fish (even though she loved it last time we had it) and one of them didn't like the rice (even though he loved it last time we had it.) And you would have thought it was the end of the world that I made fresh strawberries for dessert instead of something more exciting like ice cream. (Can you believe my gall?)

Needless to say, dinner wasn't at all what I had envisioned (what with the crying and the fit-throwing, and the Angry Mommy.) But we did eventually pull ourselves together and get through it. After the wiping of the tears and the taking of many deep breaths, both kids (having reconsidered their stance on things) thanked me several times for making such a nice dinner, and apologized profusely for bringing out the aforementioned Angry Mommy.

Do I feel bad for getting angry with the kids? Of course. Will it happen again? ... Unfortunately I'm sure this wasn't the last time. Will I be a little more prepared for it next time and control my temper better? I certainly hope so. Because I have no doubt that the kids genuinely felt bad for how they acted tonight. But I am equally sure that it won't be their last mistake.

Life is a process. And hopefully for all of us it is a process of learning and growing, and never-ending positive changes. Sometimes we need reminders, and sometimes those reminders are less-than-pleasant. If you're a parent, I'd bet good money that you've had moments like this of your own. And if you haven't yet, you will. Just try not to let them get you down, and remember that none of us are perfect, and even great kids have their monster moments.