Will the REAL Mommy please stand up?

May I have your attention please?
Will the REAL Mommy please stand up?

Coz' I'm you're Mama, yes I'm the real Mama.
All you other mean mamas are just imitating.
So won't the nice Mommy, please stand up
Please stand up, please stand up?


Okay, okay. Back to reality. So I'm no rapper. And I should probably never attempt to rap (you can ask Bryan!). I don't listen to Eminem, nor have I ever, really. I have eaten M&M's before--does that count? But can anyone else out there relate to my remix of Slim Shady?

Let's be real here for a moment. To all the parents out there--did anyone ever tell you how hard it is to be a parent? Now, don't get me wrong and don't misunderstand--we would never trade our babies for anything in the world! But the truth is that its hard to be a parent.

As Josiah turned 3 back in October, our already talkative boy began asking even more probative questions and making more observations about life. Some of these in-depth thought patterns have been, quite frankly, refreshing! To see his heart unfold before our eyes has truly been one of the greatest joys as a parent. Those seasoned parents out there know what's coming next. There is always a flip-side. ALWAYS. Along with Josiah's increasing ability to clearly communicate his thoughts and feelings comes his ability to point out when Mommy is not living up to the standard I adhere to for him.

Let's have a go at a reenactment.

Mommy roles out of bed, tired and grumpy. (This is pretty accurate. For those who know me best, I am definitely NOT a morning person).

Entering the scene is a grumpy toddler, who like his mommy is not a morning person. (Don't you love how the Lord will give us children just like us in so many ways to truly refine our character! YIKES!)

Sesame street. Breakfast. Coffee. All must haves.

Baby #2 down for nap. Toddler #1 full speed energy.

Now here's where things can go awry.

Mommy thinking about how much nicer it would be to be in a cozy bed.
Toddler wants full attention.
Mommy thinking about how she needs a break, all the while being short and impatient.
Toddler becomes increasingly demanding.
Mommy begins acting on her flawed thinking, starts lecturing toddler about who knows what, and then...

"Mommy, please be nice to me!"

OUCH.

Yeah, it hurts to have our flaws pointed out to us. Especially by our own children. But Josiah was so right. On that particular morning, I had become so inward focused and in the flesh, that I couldn't even see beyond myself. I was no longer walking by the fruit of the Spirit, but I was being ruled by selfishness and rudeness.

Isn't it often easy to sit back and judge what you would do in a situation, until you are actually living it? Because let me tell you, I've definitely had my moments. I've had my days where I've continued to decide to do the wrong thing, where I've utterly failed as a parent.

But in that moment, I had a decision to make. I could decide to continue being rude and impatient with my son, or let the "real mommy, please stand up." The Mommy that God has called me to be: one who walks in the grace of God and who daily depends on the Holy Spirit--the Mommy that isn't afraid to admit to being wrong in front of my children or to say I'm sorry. Not a Mommy who is just striving for perfection or striving to make my behavior acceptable and my actions bound by rules, but a Mommy who is humble enough to admit that I am often wrong, that I too sin, that I need Jesus just as much as my children do to change my heart. And isn't that really a greater gift for Josiah in the end? For Josiah to see that we ALL fall short, even Mommy and Daddy. And it's just another opportunity to tangibly teach Josiah about the Gospel--that Jesus is REAL and only He has the power to save and change me.

Did I give birth to one of the Incredibles?

Yesterday seemed like a normal Tuesday. Tuesday's are generally long days for us, as Bryan works long hours. Since being promoted in our church, he now participates in a weekly Tuesday staff meeting with the other pastors on staff (which lasts most of the day), and leads a Columbia small group at night that usually lasts until 1030. So Tuesdays are usually my go-it-alone days. (Though we do get Daddy around dinner and bedtime for the kids.)

So back to yesterday. It was our usual routine. Bryan leaves in the morning, I put Abigail down for her 1st nap, and Josiah plays in the living room by himself. Upon returning from the kids bedroom (a.k.a. our bedroom with a wall--hey, this is NYC living!), I could hear the faint muttering of Abby talking to herself in the crib, via our baby monitor. Odd since she usually falls asleep right away during her morning nap. Ignoring her, I continued playing with Josiah, until I heard yet another strange noise coming from the monitor.

SCRATCH. SCRATCH. RUSTLE. RUSTLE.

"Hmm, I wonder what's going on in there." I thought to myself. I guess I've got a nap-protestor on my hands today.

SCRAPE. SCRAPE. RUSTLE. More noise.

Then, silence.

Not the silence of, "oh, she's finally fallen asleep.". No, the silence of "oh NO, why is the baby monitor not working anymore!"

So as fast as I could, I began running to her room. Visions began floating in my head--could she possibly have unplugged the monitor? Is that even possible?

Cue camera to Elastigirl.


Yup. There she is. That's my daughter. Meet Elastigirl. She's the character from The Incredibles, that can stretch and reshape her limbs. So there I am, entering the kid's room. Pulling back the curtain that helps to visually separate Abigail's crib from Josiah's bed. And who greets me but Elastigirl, proudly holding in her hand the baby monitor. Not only was she proudly holding it, she squealed with delight when she saw me and that I had found out her little devious plan. Then, like a thief being caught red-handed, she began frantically trying to crawl/run away from me!

Thankfully she had NOT unplugged the monitor from the wall, but had just removed the adapter from the monitor base. How did she reach this, you might ask? Oh Becca, you must have put it within her reach. You must not have baby-proofed her crib well enough. Indeed, I DID NOT! It was well OUT of reach. Not only that, but the monitor base would be extremely difficult to fit through the crib slats--meaning that Abigail must have reached it from below through the crib slats and THEN pulled it OVER the TOP of the crib (which the top of her head is just level with!). Now you see why I am convinced I gave birth to one of the Incredibles.

DISCLOSURE: no children were harmed in the making of this blog entry. please rest assured that the said monitor has been moved, since the said child is able to transform herself into a superhero during napping periods.

On a side note, here are some pictures I took today of Josiah in our park.