Follow-up to Mary's Post

Again, this is the reason that I started this blog. It is for ALL mothers, to help us make it through another day. The problem is, LDS mothers are so hard on themselves as we try to live up to ridiculous expectations. I was "blog-stalking" last night trying to get a glimpse into some other mom's days that are not LDS. I was shocked at what I found. We are all so much more alike than we like to admit. We are WAY too hard on ourselves. Here is an excerpt from a blog, I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing it.

Its 8:30pm and all the kids are in bed. Ahhhhh...
What a day! Here's a running total of what my day consisted of.
WARNING - Some parts may, well, OK, gross you out. I apologize in advance.
Now, where to start?

Slept in 20 extra minutes. Felt guilty for about 2 seconds.
Saw the husband off, and after realizing it was my fifth day cooped up in the house (with three bored kids) felt really jealous HE was going to work.
Wondered if his boss might recognize me in Sam's work attire.
First words out of kids mouths were "Moooooommm, we're hungry!"
Had to change the baby right away since our beloved (blasted) cloth diapers we've used since birth do NOT keep him dry overnight and he wakes up SOAKED each morning (still love em' but this sorely annoys me).
Walked in the kitchen, surveyed the dishes stacked up from all the extra cooking I've been doing this week (kids can only eat "soft" things like eggs, beans, soup, all things which require using every pot and pan in the house, of course) and having serious imaginations of whether or not Mary Poppins is real and how I can get her to magically appear at any moment.
(POOF! Dishes Gone!)
Decided to make pancakes - and use up another pan for me to clean later...gggrrrrrr....
Kids able to somehow choke down - (they were begging! Just how long CAN you go without any real GOOD food?)
Watched Justice annihilate his share and when he was through announce it by pummeling the remainder at our heads.
Changed Justice again.
Still had a nasty diaper rash so I let him run naked to air dry it.
BAD BAD BAD decision.
Run a bath for kids.
Come around the corner to find Justice playing with something I do not recognize. That is brown. And his pudgy little fingers are squishing. Yuck.
It's emergency bath time for Justice.
Next we have the "Moooooommmm, we're boooooored!!!!".
I have the next 12 hours to find entertaining, stimulating things for my blessed little ducklings to do with their time.
That they've already exhausted days ago.
Help.
We do a project that consists of them writing down what they are thankful for this year to be read at Thanksgiving.
Thank God my name is on it.
Oh yeah.
Clean up Justice's naked accident.
Try not to gag.
And yes- in that order.
That's what kind of day it's been.
I break up fights. Many fights. Yes, they still fight even after a surgery.
I know, I was hoping.
Bath time for girls.
Nap time for Justice.
Work out time for me.
If you can call it that.
Get interrupted halfway through by some halfway dry girls who decide to crash my exercise party.
But I tried and did get to sweat, I guess...a little...
Lunch time. More soup.
We're out of eggs. Thank God.
Put on the movie "Cars".
Girls and I seriously rock out to the song "Life Is A Highway".
I do laundry and somehow begin the process of three days worth of dishes.
You know it's bad when you have to use the word "process!"
Oh, it's 4:00pm and I'm still unshowered and in my pajamas.
REALLY hoping no one to decides to just "drop by".
Play one round of "Sorry", 6 or 7 rounds of "Guess Who", and play Hangman and Tic Tac Toe til' my eyes are blurry.
Feel guilty that Justice is spending more time than usual in the swing these days.
Bad mother. Very bad mother.
Give him another round of crackers -while he giggles at Bear In The Big Blue House - Potty Training Edition.
Hoping it sinks in.
Finish "process" of dishes.
Put Justice down for second nap.
Take my first shower for the day.
Wondering what the point is since it's already almost over.
Realize I use this excuse too often.
Reluctantly take the shower.
Thinking about what to make for dinner that is soft.
Decide on spaghetti - (will later make eggs for girls when hubby "surprises me" with more).
Still in my towel when somebody does surprise to "drop by" bearing gifts and cards for the girls.
Uh-oh.
Thank God its my neighbor, who's a mom and a woman, and sadly, this is not the first time she has seen me answer the door like this.
Face - very, very red.
Before husband comes home, I slow dance with my son to one of my favorite songs off one of my Christmas CD's.
I watch him intensely as he runs throughout the house with a huge smile sprawled across his face so proud of himself. Just learned to climb the coffee table and the couch. Naked. (I know - I'm brave).
He's growing up so fast.
Misty eyed mom.
I peer into the living room where my girls are playing quietly together singing to an old VBS CD about Jesus looking so sweet and small.
Misty eyed again.
I do a final straightening up of the house, light some candles, primp before "the man" gets home.
Hoping he thinks we all looked like this the whole day.
I make dinner and have it ready by the time he walks in the door.
We eat dinner, watch a movie all snuggled up on the couch together, eat too much Halloween candy, put kids to bed.
Now getting ready for "our" time together for the evening.
And I realize:
There is nothing else I would have rather done today in the entire world.

**she finishes with sweet pics of her beautiful children.