Once upon a time, I did stuff. Doesn’t sound like much of a fairy tale, but it is compared to what I do now. I mean, I do stuff now, but not like STUFF stuff. Re-painting the deck, cleaning the gutters, Pinterest-ifying my garage – or anything else for that matter – these are just things that I can’t do with small kids at home. Most days I stay in my pajamas until 15 minutes before my husband gets home, at which point I throw on some clothes so he won’t know I’ve been in my pajamas all day long, struggling just to keep myself and 4 other tiny people alive. Sometimes we just have to celebrate whatever wins we can get, even the very, very small ones… like these:
- Getting out of bed before the children come get you/cry for breakfast/jump on your face. Bonus points if your teeth get brushed too!
- Peeing alone! Don’t even try getting away with #2 though – you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
- Getting winked at while you’re pumping gas into your minivan while wearing sweats, a low ponytail, and no makeup. That dude may be a creeper, but yeah, you still got it!
- Actually wearing makeup and real clothes to Target and running into someone you know! Bonus points if it’s someone you knew before kids!
- Going to Walmart (it’s always Walmart, isn’t it?) wearing your usual everyday uniform of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt and running into another mom friend wearing the same. Solidarity, sister!
- Seeing another mom in need and having supplies – wipes, band-aids, bribery suckers – to help a sister out!
- Making a meal that everyone in the family eats! Bonus if it’s not pizza!
- Getting out the door for an appointment so early that you have time to swing through the Starbucks drive thru!
- Having both shoes in the same place at the same time when you need to go somewhere!
- Buying an outfit for your pre-teen daughter without her present, and she loves it and doesn’t think you’re lame! (Well, she doesn’t think that outfit choice was lame. You’re gonna be lame until she’s in college and needs help with her laundry.)
- Walking into Chick-fil-A during the lunch rush and finding a table right next to the playground! One zillion bonus points if you’re the 100th customer and get your meal free!
- Making up a game to occupy your kids at the post office, and it works!
- Drinking your coffee while it’s still hot! Alternatively, when your coffee gets cold, throwing in some ice cubes and enjoying it chilled!
- Showering 3 days in a row! Bonus if you washed your hair too!
- Shaving… ever!
- Finding a match for every single sock in a load of laundry!
- Finding the last of your favorite candy in your kids’ Halloween stash!
- Correctly locating and employing all the right pieces for your kid’s Lego Millennium Falcon!
- Cleaning up all the dadgum Legos without stepping on any!
There are so many ways life has changed since becoming a mom, and we shouldn’t get lost in the mundane but momentous wins that come our way. As our KMB contributor Meghan often says, “life is big in the little.” So let’s enjoy the little, my friend. You rock!
What are the little things that make your days brighter?
Share your “mom wins” in the comments!
