It's Not All Bon-bons and Soap Operas...

As I sit here tonight exhausted from another draining day of being Mommy, I ponder this...what happened to the days of June Cleaver and Donna Reed? I remember as a child watching these shows and taking it all in. June and Donna were always "dressed to the nines", their houses were spotless, and there were wonderful meals they cooked everynight {including wearing a frilly apron}...and let's not leave out the fact that the kids were always on their best behavior and they {the moms} always had a smile on their face.
Even Carol Brady had it together...with 6 kids none-the-less! I'm starting to think all of that was some ploy for us young and impressionable girls to believe that "mommy life" was nothing but bon-bons and soap operas...you get married, you have kids, your husband works, the house is miraculously neat and tidy, the kids are pretty perfect, and life is just g.r.a.n.d.
Well, no wonder those shows were all cancelled because they're NOT true!!! Granted I think my mama was some June Cleaver clone, but something has happened over the years and life is nothing like the Cleavers, Reeds, and Bradys.
I don't know about you but there are days when I just want to run to my room and hide under my bed. The constant whining, fighting, and arguing...not to mention the instant gratification mode that seems to be engrained in these kids. It seems like it's always something: the shoe strings don't lie down "perfectly", the shirt's too itchy, the collar's touching the neck {which it is not}, the food is touching the fruit...oh not to mention they only want to eat "snacks" and no real meals. And heaven forbid me have a conversation with my husband in their presence. Seriously?!
I guess it's the fact that everything is right there for them at pretty much the blink of an eye and we didn't have it that way. Now don't get me wrong, I love DVR, but sometimes I curse it.
And, there are times that my kids really think that I'm Samantha Stephens and can suddenly wiggle my nose and whatever they need, want, or are looking for will plop right in front of them. Well, I don't have to wiggle my nose {even though that would be a cool super power} I usually somehow know where everything is. Don't ask me how...maybe it's God's way of helping keep my sanity.
And my house...don't even get me started. Toys lurke in every room...ev.er.y room. The floors are dirty, there's dust, and the bathrooms could use a serious scrubbing, but there's no time for that stuff. We do have nice dinners most nights and my husband does work {very hard} to support our family, but all-in-all there is no time for soap operas because let's face it, we all live one. And Bon-bons, what exactly are those? I could think of many other better chocolate things to snack on...Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for one.

BUT...

 When I see these beautiful and peacefully sleeping faces, my heart melts and the troubles of the day dimish. I will take the whining, arguing, not perfect fitting shoes, dirty hands, dirty/sticky floors, and nasty bathrooms. I will feel defeated every day for these two.  No matter how batty they drive me some days they are my angels and I will do anything for them. I will wear grease stains from making dinner, and put out as many fires as I need to. I may not always have a smile on my face, but my heart is always smiling with them because there is nothing like them wrapping their arms around my neck and saying, "I love you".  So go ahead Donna Reed and June Cleaver you can have your soap opera and Bon-bons!