If I Am Being Brutally Honest

I love being a mom but I don't always love being a mom. This is a thankless job that is exhausting (and the pay stinks).

An obvious one that I am sure every mom can relate to is that I love when my kids come up to me, hug me and kiss me (I love that they are so affectionate) and tell me, "I love you so much, Mom." I do not love when they stomp around, hit their brother or sister because they really want to hit me and yell, "I hate you!"

I love being a mom when I come home from being gone for a short time and my kids act like I have been gone forever and they have missed me so much. I do not love it when I am trying to get out of the house and they are all making it very difficult and I end up being late to where I am going.

I love being a mom when Nico plays catcher and throws a guy out at second, Tommy scores a winning basket or Isabella is out on that mat giving her all at her cheerleading competition. I do not love being a mom when Nico is kicking the dirt with his head hung low and throws his helmet after striking out for the second time in a row, Tommy is sobbing on the basketball court because the last five baskets haven't gone in or when I have to have someone in the room with me when I am combing Belle's hair before a competition so that if DCFS is called, they can attest that I wasn't beating her, I was just getting her ready for cheerleading.

I love being a mom when the kids want to cuddle while watching a movie. I do not love being a mom when everyone is fighting over bedspace while watching the movie.

I loved when Gia would wake up in the middle of the night and I'd feed her and she'd fall asleep on my chest (LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this). I do not love when she wakes up now at 2:00 in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed wanting to play and having no interest in sleeping on my chest.

I love being a mom when my kids say, "Mom, I have to talk to you" and they ask for my advice. I do not love being a mom when they say, "Mom, I have to puke."

I love being a mom when I am at conferences and the teacher says, "Your child is a joy to have and I wish I had a whole classroom full of them." I do not love it when the teacher says, "He's doing great but would be doing even better if we could just get him to listen and follow directions." (Newsflash...if we could just get him to do that, my life would be a lot less chaotic at home.)

I love being a mom when we go to church as a family (when I was younger and we were forced to go to church, it was looking at all the families and wondering what mine would be like when I was older that got me through the boring hour). I do not love it when Isabella, at 2 years old, yells to the priest, "YOU ARE TAKING TOO LONG! STOP TALKING SO I CAN HAVE MY FRUIT LOOPS."

There are many more that I can think of but I'll stop now and save the rest for later.