- As in, when I dropped my kid at preschool his teacher took one look at him and said in a panic, “but…..today is picture day!” To which I calmly responded – “Yes, I know. I also realize that Jackson is wearing the exact same outfit as yesterday – but it was the motorcycle shirt again or nothing. And that’s not a picture that either of us want to see.
- As in, when browsing the aisles at the grocery store with both small boys in tow, a darling elderly lady approached me to compliment the cuteness of my sons. She immediately followed up with, “I don’t know if you realize this, but your boy is dipping his fingers in the water from the flower buckets and drinking it!” Glancing down at Jackson and shifting Micah to the other arm I smile and calmly respond, “Yes, I do. But I figure, if it doesn’t hurt ’em…..And I promise that if he starts to actually eat the flowers I will definitely intervene.”
- As in, when it rains I let my boys go dance up a storm out there in nothing but there undies.
- As in, I OK’d Jackson wearing one of his daddy’s belts wrapped three times around his tiny waist over his sweatshirt because it makes him feel brave.
- As in, I endorse the boys’ use of the phrase, “Oh yea, baby!” as taught to them by my brothers. Although, I was recently informed by Jackson that, “we don’t say that at school, mama!”
- As in, I am inclined to sneak my boys behind a large bush and let them go the way of all lucky dogs when we are out on a walk rather than rush home to civilization and the bathroom.
- As in, I totally believe that summer time + potty training = kids spending quality time in their birthday suits in our backyard (admittedly, this can be more awkward when our aunt’s backyard is right on a golf course and the boy in question loves to wave at all who putt putt by!)
- As in, it seems completely normal to me for the boys to be running around in 90 degree weather wearing Spiderman underoos and winter boots.
- As in, when we have breakfast at Bob Evans, I wink at them when my boys dole out high fives up and down the aisles.
- As in, I am no longer phased when my boys’ prayers include profound and grateful thanks for certain parts of their anatomy.
Yup, I’m so that kind of mama – and loving every minute of it!
Tell me, what kind of mama are you?
I am so that kinda mama because I grew up with all boys so nothing my 3 boys do, surprises me.
As in – calling split pea soup, poop soup.
As in – running around the house in their underwear even when it’s not summer – apparently clothing is overrated around here (for them!)
As in – they wear their rubber boots, a winter coat and shorts around the neighborhood.
As in – they play up and down our street with the neighbor kids and even play in the road (we moved to a teeny tiny town with no traffic for that reason)
As in – I too let them use the bushes or a tree if they need to.
As in – I even laugh at their gross potty jokes sometimes. Because sometimes, they are funny!
Blessings,
Mel
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
This made me grin ear-to-ear and I tried not to laugh out loud with hubby sound asleep next to me…
You are one fun mama! I!m working on being more that way :)
My baby isn’t old enough for some of those things…. But I can’t wait until she is!! We live in the country, thankfully, and after potty training my little brother I know that clothing will be optional in this neck of the woods. It gives me warm feelings reading your blog because now I see that I’m not alone.
Thanks!
I loved reading about the kind of mother you are to your boys. I could visualize two little boys doing the cutest things and it made me smile. What a good Mom you are,
My children are all grown now and have children of thier own. As a Mom to adult children I do not give my opinion unless asked and I let them know each chance that I get that I love them and that as long as I’m here I will be there for them. As a grandmother…….I spoil my grandchildren. :)
Mary
I am learning that I am not a good mama! My wife is in nursing school so I am mr. mom and mr. dad all in one! I have been at it now for 9 months and I have realized all that mamma’s do! You guys are amazing and unbelievable how you keep up with it all! Kuddos to all the mamma’s out there! your husbands truly have no idea.
LOVE the kind of mama you are. In my own way and day, I was also ‘that’ kind of mama:
as in encouraging my daughters (2 of them before 1 boy) to choose their own outfit for each day, beginning at about age 2 – which made for some VERY interesting fashion statements;
as in purchasing ‘costume pajamas’ at Sears each Halloween and letting them wear those things anytime and anywhere they wanted;
as in cutting their hair myself and keeping it short and sassy, no maintenance and NO curls (but perhaps a few too many question marks on faces as to gender, especially given the personal clothing choices often made by my girls);
as in encouraging science projects (from about grade 3 until high school) that we all could participate in – from experiment to display – and spreading that stuff everywhere in our house;
as in deciding to give up the fight when it became clear I had only ONE out of three who actually enjoyed sleep and managed to get there by 8:00 each night (the other two were crazy night owls and that’s just the way it was…);
as in staring back really, really hard when getting the stink eye in public places because I was hugely pregnant with #3 and had 2 under 3 toddling around me (this was in the early 70’s, when having children at all was questionable and having more than two was highly suspect, even downright unpatriotic — yes, it’s true – there was a ton of rampant fear about over-population in those days)
And you know what? They all survived and so did I. Mother your children the best way you know how – being true to yourself and trying to help your kids discover how to do exactly the same thing.
and these are all reasons you are the amazing mama you are. and i love you all the more for it.
(this post had me smiling from start to finish.)
Ek moet se, jy het plaaskinders!! It all sounds normal to me… :)
Lots of love van die Boesmansvleiplaas~
xoxoxxx
I’m the kind that lets my daughter blow bubbles in the house. . . except the day after I mop.
I’m the kind that lets her choose her fashion statements. . . except on Sunday.
I’m the kind that lets her eat a chocolate-frosted biscuit at tea time. . . unless she’s wearing a white shirt.
I’m the kind that lets her hold her baby sister and kiss her all over her face. . . until the baby cries.
I’m the kind that lets her tell the whole bus about Jesus. . . at the top of her lungs!
You are a treasure!
I am the kind of Mama who: despite the Thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow’s weather will bravely sport rain coats, boots and cupcakes so that her little girl can have a birthday wish to eat cupcakes at the Zoo. It might be a short visit, but an adventure worth pursuing.
Two thumbs up on this post:)
I am that kind of mama too! I let my daughter eat her food with her hands, even if its gravy! I let her run round naked, just cos she can and wants to! I let her be the person she wants to be and dont put restrictions on her personality at all! I too am that kind of mama and it makes me proud to know that I am not the only “that kind of mama”
To all of us different mamas I salute you all!!!!
As in, I OK’d Jackson wearing one of his daddy’s belts wrapped three times around his tiny waist over his sweatshirt because it makes him feel brave. – love it :)
you rock, Lisa-Jo :) and i definitely wanna be “that kind of mama” when i will be a mama :)
As in, I let John (2 1/2) wear his red socks in blue sandals tonight to church, though the sandals are actually too small and it was raining out. But he’d gotten all ready by himself and was so proud…
(I’ll whisk away the too-small sandals another day)
I also let John wear a cardboard crown made of a cereal box to the grocery store and Chloe wears a tutu almost every day. Some days, you just have to go with it. And they are little for such a short period; they may as well enjoy it and there are enough things in life to worry about, why waste your worry on the little things? :)
I am the kind of mama who…
~ just laughs when her three sons come home covered in dust and mud from playing in our “forest”
~lets her boys camp out in sleeping bags in her room when Dad is out of town
~has been told by neighbors “Oh you’re the mom who lets her sons play in the empty lot” as if letting boys explore and get dirty is dangerous?
I recognize that our young sons need room to be “wild at heart”. Yes, they are the ones who, on a Scout campout, treed a raccoon, made a spear, chased it through the treetops until they could knock it down, killed it, skinned it, and were preparing to cook it because they didn’t think their patrol leader had brought enough food. Thankfully the Scoutmaster intervened at that point. They did bring the hide home to tan. I am glad I didn’t know about it until it was all over.
OH MY WORD! “intervened at that point”? How is it possible that the boys had hunted, killed *and* skinned the critter before the hapless Scoutmaster noticed? This one had me rolling!! Can NOT believe it. :)
ah! i love it! i can only hope to be able to be a mama like that someday =)
though in the meantime….i’m the kind of children’s director who…
leaves the fort the kids made out of bean bags and blankets up for a week.
lets the brownie pieces that dropped stay on the carpet
laughs when the puppie chow falls on the floor and leaves a nice white mark
dances with girls during worship as they sing to “stronger”
plays ninjas with the boys even when other adults are looking at me a bit odd…
smiles when the ball hit the ceiling tiles and knock them out of place and leaves them like that for weeks
Lisa, our boys should meet!! I love this post. And I wrote a similar one here – http://iamstephanieblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-am-that-mom.html
:) I totally appreciate the high fives up and down the aisles at Bob Evans! That is absolutely something my boys would do.
I think you’re reading my blog ; )
I wrote the same post yesterday.
http://curiousgeorgi.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-that-mom.html
That’s cleared my thoughts. Thanks for cotnrbutiing.
cydiAN xngjubhjuabz
You know you totally rock as a mom, don’t you? You so do!
Oh yes…I am right there with you! There is something about being a mama of boys that makes you just..go with flow or else you will go crazy.
~after coming home from camping, Joe wanted to set up the tent in his bedroom, and it stayed there for several months
~when being potty trained, his most complete sentence was “mommy pee-pee ow-side?” …and so we did.
~one of his favorite outfits was frog boots, red sweatpants, and a tie-dye shirt. His comment was, “i wan color”…. o. k.
~making mud patterns on the kitchen floor because they look cool…
So yes… mud, dirt…all of that “boy stuff” that could be frustrating, has indeed caused me to pause and just watch in wonder at the fun of it all. (And I wonder if Jesus had fun like this? Something tells me, yes!) :)
Oh how I love this. Makes me feel like I’m not alone in my “flexibility” as a mom. I am that kind of mama too as in I don’t make my 3 year old eat breakfast because she’s not into it and I’m tired of the battle. She eats a good lunch and dinner and I figure if she was truly hungry, she’d let me know. Thanks for sharing your adventurous mother heart!
Well then they have one fanastic momma! :) I have a far way to go but slowly and surely I’m accepting more of the mess and not freaking out everytime a new one is made. This was so very encouraging.
You are AWESOME and inspiring! With Joy, Carey
I’m the same kind of mama, and happy to be! I can finally say with confidence, too.
As in, I let my 4year old drink most of my caffeine heavy Java Chip because he loves sharing with me… and he giggles for about an hour afterward.
Hey, naked-ness is the easiest way to potty train! I’m all for it! (And for “going by way of all the lucky dogs”, that also makes potty training easier! Such motivation as “you get to pee-pee outside!” is priceless!) For awhile, Dear Son would run outside to do his business until we discussed with him that he could use the potty…I won’t tell you which he prefers, to this day!
I remember letting Dear Daughter dress up in a Christopher Robin-esque outfit so she could catch a skunk (don’t you know the rain gear was to “stop the stinky from touching” her). And, calling my mom and dad to describe the hunt while I watched from the safety of inside the house! :)
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I asked my 5 year old son, “What kind of mama am I?” His response? “A beautiful and brilliant mama!” Thanks, my son! You made my day.
I admire mamas like you. :) I’m trying to be more flexible and open, but I tend to get stressed out about things and care too much about what people think. I think part of that is because I’m such a young mom (24 with a 2.5-year-old and another on the way), and part of it is because I’m still on my first… and part is just my personality! Praying to be a more fun and flexible mama…
I’m a Grandma, and it all sounds perfectly wonderful to me. I know those little boys are lovin’ it too.
I needed this post bc just yesterday my son peed out the opposite side of the van while I was buckling his sister in at the OB’s office. LOL!
Thanks so much for posting this…I loved it, though I had to stifle my laughter because I JUST got the fussy Miss Isabella to sleep and she is peacin’ out in my lap…we don’t want to mess that up.
What a brilliant post! I love the kind of Mama you are. So free.
My own mums was like that too, and I can tell you as a child who grew up this way, it was awesome, and really gave me my own identity, and freedom to be myself.
I am not a Mama yet, but I am trusting and believing God will change that and I hope soon! And, I want to be the kinda mama you outline.
Thank you for this.
Nx
You’re the kind of mama I like. Great post!
I feel like I’m split between the-mom-I-want-to-be an the-mom-I-allow-myself-to-be.
Both are truly me.
One I like.
One I don’t.
One pleases Him.
The other doesn’t.
Just posted this morning about how close I want to word-wounding the nice I.R.S. Lady who was unfortunate enough to receive my call.
That’s the one I want to do away with.
Oh–please God–take that mom far far away.
You are a *good* mama.
I’m that Mama who lets her 3 {4, 5, 6…} year old daughter wear full princess get-up including gown and tiara to the grocery store.
I’m that Mama who encourages indoor Nerf gun battles. And participates in them!
You are a beautiful Mama, LJ. Beautiful!
Tonight I realized what kind of Grandmother I am after picking up my oldest and grandson to ride to pick up my Mom and then drop grandson and youngest {4 yr old} daughter to my Dad so that Mom, oldest daughter and I could head to see friend’s daughter in PICU.
Grandson attempted to pick out his own clothes at 17 months old. He had part of his Elmo “leash” thingy that I once upon a time would’ve sneered and turned up my nose at on another child, on Elmo sock on one foot, one Elmo flip flop on the other and a belt wrapped around his waist a couple of times. Nice.
I scooped him up proudly and carried him to the “Poppy”.
I just found your blog through (in)courage. Really like this post. Thanks for sharing with us.
Oh yeah… I’m the kind of mom that includes ice cream in the main part of a meal (it’s dairy, right? That has to be good for you), eats carrots right out of the garden without washing them (a swipe on the jeans is enough… it’s only a little dirt…) and actually enjoys the surprise critters my children bring home.
You’re a *free* Mama! I envy that…and pray I’ll receive such Grace for myself. You touched me deeply…!
My daughter is 12 weeks old today…and I’ve already taught her the fun of sticking out her tongue! Hopefully I’ll have the patience to let her do other fun things as she grows up. :)
Oh, you are just hilarious! A delicious treat for our momma hearts! :)
As in…awkward comments about mommy’s {private} bodily hair, made in public, simply make you smile and move onto the frozen foods aisle.
I think it must be amazing to live at your house. Loved this!
I am not phased in the least by any of this. LOL
I am that kind of Mommy…
As in …we say poop often and even at the dinner table where lots of great potty talk happens. (And I have mostly girls, lol.)
As in…I don’t know what my girls will look like at church until DH shows up with them – they never match and their hair is never brushed and I’m cool with that.
As in…my 9 yo daughter is the grossest hog you’ve ever known and I think she is frickin hilarious.
As in…I recently stayed up until 4:30 am allowing several little girls to pogo stick in the kitchen and I was the official bounce counter.
As in…I often change my mind when tears are involved…and that’s ok.
As in…I no longer care if they eat their veggies.
As in…my girls laugh about my boobies and “bras” and “bottom parts” and I’m finally over it.
As in…I think it is ROFL funny when they put underwear on their head…those were the days.
As in…I want to be like the Duggars with a gajillion more kids because it is too boring around here with “only” 4.
As in…all kids in this house LOVE coffee.
As in…when cutting my oldest child’s curly hair I take a handful, chop, another handful, chop….nobody can tell. (That doesn’t happen anymore because a friend saw me do it and couldn’t stand it – plus daughter is a teen and when friend was laughing so much teen decided that I was doing something wrong :)
As in…when shopping we often grab some drinks and a snack and pay at check out.
As in….Man I’m having fun with this, there are tons more, just can’t think right now.
What fun :) You are a great Mommy! Relaxing and enjoying life are so important.