This weekend we had the privilege of keeping our friend’s little girl. She is only 8 months older than Elizabeth, and they totally love each other. It was Elizabeth’s first sleep over.
Even though they love each other, and get super excited to see each other, they had their moments… And so did I. We already knew it was going to be too cold to do anything fun outside, so we planned to take the girls to Monkey Joes, which is a jump around place with lots of bounce houses and things.
Both girls are mostly potty-trained, Elizabeth a little less than the other. I remembered about 3 minutes after we got in the car that I forgot to remind Elizabeth to potty before we left, so we pulled over so I could put a diaper on her for the ride, just in case. It was too late. She peed in her car seat. I stripped her down and changed her clothes. And as a frazzled mom, without thinking, I put her right back in her wet seat.
The rest of the ride I felt like such a bad mama. Who forgets that they’re “potty training” their daughter. And then, she started walking towards the door, and I realized what I did, as the back of her pants were wet. Thankfully, there is a dollar store right beside Monkey Joes. Andrew ran in and grabbed an outfit and I got us all paid and ready to jump.
And then it happened. I went to the bathroom with the girls, to change Elizabeth’s clothes (again) and let them potty. As I was telling them how much fun we were going to have, and still secretly trying to calm my own mind, another mother in the handicap stall was yelling at her toddler son. He was whiny, and I don’t know the circumstances, I don’t know what happened before they got to the bathroom, but I do know she kept telling him to “shut up”… At least 4 or 5 times, in the time it took me to wash the girls hands, she told her innocent child who wasn’t even talking yet to “just shut up… or we will go home”.
You can imagine the look I shot her as she emerged from the stall. And I probably would have kept giving them to her, had she ever looked up from her phone while her child happily played with mine. I so wanted to ask, “so is that how your parent’s talked to you”, but it’s not my business.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel like a bad mama. There were many other mamas that reassured me that day, that I am in fact not a bad mama after all.
For two days, I’ve been thinking that maybe I just don’t get out enough. I cannot imagine ever speaking to my daughter that way, even when she is defiant and fussy. But this morning, in my 5:00 bootcamp class, I took all that bad energy, and came home refreshed to knew thinking.
We are too hard on ourselves sometimes. Sure, there are obviously some mama’s who could take some lessons (which makes me soooo sad, especially for that particular little boy), but it isn’t our job to judge them, either…
So it’s a new week, and a new chance to be the best mommy’s we can be… Here’s to that, it’s Monday, refreshed mindset, new chances. Give yourself a break, Mama. You are great! The days seem so long, but we know the weeks go by so fast…
But now you get it and are starting to say, “amen”. It is so sweet watching you clasp your hands together, not that Mommy peeks during the prayer 
