A Social Media Dare- Challenge Accepted!

With her permission, I would like to share a post from my dear friend Melissa and her blog Bumblebee Grace.  Melissa is another one of those friends I have never actually met, but she has been with me since our twins were born- a few weeks shy of 3 years now for both of us.  She is one of the most grounded, centered, wholesome, and truly inspirational people I know.  When our twins were young, she kept me calm during my most anxious new mother moments and she has always reminded me to follow my heart- so long as my heart is pointed upwards towards God.  Now that she has a beautiful little boy in addition to her three year old twins and she and her hysterical husband Derek are in permanent zone defense mode, we don't get to chat as much as we used to...  but I want her to know that she is on my mind often and in my heart always.  So please read this amazing post of hers- about how us mommies often fall into the trap of using social media as a measuring stick of our worth and how such measurements are always going to make us feel like we fall short.  I have accepted her challenge, so after you're done reading, you can check out my own list of shortcomings...  some comical, some personal...  but all honest!

A Social Media Dare- Bumblebee Grace    http://bumblebeegrace.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-social-media-dare.html


I too am guilty of sharing mostly our best.  I work hard to be a great mother and I am proud of that.  Our boys have experienced and accomplished quite a lot in their short little lives, and I am proud of that too.  But like Melissa, and she can attest to this, I have more doubt than I do pride.  So here are my weaknesses, my doubts.  The things I lose sleep over, the things I cry about.  The things I fear make me the worst mother in the world.  The things I fear are going to cost me thousands in therapy when the boys get older.  Here is...  me.

• I drink too much coffee.  And when my cardiologist asks about it, I fudge the truth.
• I mix up my own children multiple times a day.  And sometimes I don't even feel bad about it.
• I rarely empty the trash, but just wait for Jon to do it.
• I still panic when the boys don't eat enough.
• I gave up on our first attempt at potty training before Caleb gave up- because it was hard.  For me. 
• I throw away a lot of good food beacuse of my fear of food poisoning.
• I am addicted to taking pictures and having my friend Meredith take pictures of the boys.  I am desperately attempting to freeze time and I will never stop trying to do so.
• I judge parents who give their kids bottles full of juice.  And fruit snacks.  And McDonalds.
• I don't answer my phone half of the time.  Even when I see who is calling.
• I get angry when people mess up our schedule and I am left to deal with the consequences.
• I put brown sugar on the boys' oatmeal.
• I leave most every load of laundry in the washer for too long.  And then in the dryer for days.
• I annoy my friends with Facebook contests because I like winning things for our family that I can't afford to buy.
• I organize obsessively and often get angry with the boys for undoing my cleaning.
• I feel like naptime is my right as a mother- not just something kids need.
• I don't work out enough, barely at all.
• If the boys are playing quietly, I check my email.
• I dust about 4 times a year.  And I don't care about the cobwebs unless someone really important is coming over.
• I secretly wish we could get the boys IQ tested, mostly for my own selfish curiosity.
• I watch Hollywood Heights.  And I love it.
• I want to move to the east coast, even though it means taking the boys away from all of their family.
• I am absolutely terrified to go back to work someday.  I don't think I am good enough at being a social worker anymore.  I don't even know it I want to be a social worker anymore.
• I shave my legs about once every 6 weeks.
• I am so proud of the acting and modeling the boys have done and so thankful for the life experiences it has opened up to them.  But I'm embarassed to admit it because I feel like everyone judges us for it.
• My mini-van is a total mess.  An absolute disaster. 
• I fear that becoming a good mother has made me "less good" at doing everything else in life.

Go ahead.  Its your turn now...  accept the dare!!