Truth?
I DON’T.
There, I said it.
Blogging is a special world all on it’s own. A world of beautifully decorated rooms, delicious looking meals and treats, and well groomed, happy children.
See?
Trust me when I say this – my bedroom has not looked like this since last spring.
Don’t these pancakes look delicious? They were a nice departure from the pre-made, frozen pancakes I usually serve.
photo credit: Lorrie Prothero Photography
Isn’t this photo of my kids just as sweet as can be? You can really see how much they love each other, can’t you?
Well, let me break it down for you: the photographer told them to look at each other, and my son proceeded to knock my daughter in the head. Hard. And then she cried.
Looks can be deceiving, especially on blogs. We love to post beautiful photos and we love to look at beautiful photos. After all, who wants to see pictures of birthday party crap strewn all over my living room two weeks after the party? Or the sink full of dishes that never seems to be empty? Or the loads of clean laundry sitting on the counter in the laundry room, waiting to be folded, or the cat hair in the hallway waiting to be vacuumed?
Not me. And I live in it!
Don’t get me wrong, I think moms in general have one of the toughest jobs in the world, and I am grateful every day for my kids and the way they came into my life. But I don’t have it all together, not even a little bit, I don’t do it all.
I forget to pay bills. At least once a week I have to run back home because we’ve forgotten the school library book, or the lunch, or the nap sheets. I serve chicken nuggets at least once, if not twice a week. And sometimes I forget to go to the grocery store and we’re out of bread, and milk, and cereal, and we have cheese quesadillas for breakfast. (sidenote – blogger does not like my spelling of quesadilla. Apparently blogger does not speak Spanish).
Like I was saying…unpaid bills, forgotten lunches, chicken nuggets. That’s our life on most days. I blog because I love it, I create projects because it’s fun, and I share recipes that are simple and easy to make because I really enjoy cooking. But often times it’s at the expense of having a clean house, or a full eight hours of sleep, and I’m ok with that.
I’m not a supermom, though I’d like to be, and sometimes, being a single mom sucks.
My kids are a handful, I’m exhausted, and my house is a mess.
Hopefully that means I’m just like you!
Hopefully that means I’m just like you!
(Please know that this post is kind of tongue in cheek, not meant to evoke that I think I’m a bad mom. I’m a GREAT mom! I’m just not SUPERMOM! LOL)
Kristin I think you do an amazing job! I think you are going through what a lot of moms experience. I can totally relate to the chicken nuggets for dinner and not everything looking as I would like it to be. Real life does certainly go on between blog posts, and it is always nice to be reminded of that. 🙂 Enjoy your weekend. PS- Quesadillas for breakfast sounds good to me. 🙂
This just makes me love you more – enough that I’m posting on your actual blog and not texting you. That’s saying something!
Oh, sweetie, you are dong a great job, as evidenced by those beautiful children! OK, so boys will be boys, there will be tears, and forgotten books, or lunches, there will be times when there are dirty dishes, unfolded laundry, and cat hair. That is life. You write a blog, you do not LIVE IN a blog!!!! And trust me, years from now, your children will not remember the forgotten book, or the cat hair. They will remember that there was laughter, and love, and a mommy who sometimes made homemade pancakes, and even let them have quesadillas for breakfast!!(Quesadillas are a perfect breakfast, better than cereal!)
HA HA 🙂 It’s about the same around here but I have husband and I still can’t do it all. You are an amazing woman, don’t you ever forget that!
XO
Kristin
Oh…and enchiladas left over from my favorite mexican restuarant is my favorite all time breakfast, now I”m hungry 🙂
I don’t have little kids and yet I cannot keep up with my house. That’s because I love to blog and visit with other bloggers. You are doing a great job Kristin.
Beautifully said! Here’s hoping you have a wonderful weekend.
I am just like you…all while reading this I’m thinking “this mus be me she’s describing”.
I blog too because I love it, I also have 2 school aged children and work full time outside of the home – half of the time I don’t know why I continue to blog when other things around the house don’t get done. But blogging puts a smile on my face. I love to craft and I love sharing my craft & DIY obsession with all of you. Sandra is exactly right! Do what you love – a happy Mom is better than a clean house!!
Great post Kristin! I don’t comment regularly, but I am a regular reader and today I had to comment. You are just like me! My hardwood floors getting a good scrubbing maybe once a year. I always have dishes in the sink, which is lovely because it’s the first thing people see when they walk in my house. And I usually have a load of laundry that’s sitting in the washing machine, wet for days and needs to be rewashed before I can dry it. But we laugh everyday and live a good life. That’s what counts and I try to not get caught up with the little things.
Have a great weekend! =)
~ Catie
I just love that you are real! That makes you super in my eyes.
You are hysterical Kristin, seriously! I don’t think I’ve seen that side of you. I sat here at my desk reading your post (after being tortured to death by customers all day & working with my son), and I was just laughing out loud! Again, I never knew you could be that funny. I feel SO much the same way as you do about the blog world. The perfect every thing’s. You know, I’m not a fan of perfect, so again “thank you” for pointing out real life with kids and family!!
Take care,
Sue
I live in the same kind of house! A single mom with a son, a dog, a full-time job, unfinished laundry, a yard to be mowed, et cetera, et cetera. But, life would be boring without a little mess, right?
Thanks for the good ‘out loud’ laugh! I just had a reader, who has five kids, ask me if everything in my house was perfect. Nope, just the stuff I focus the camera on! It’s a struggle for me to keep the house and yard going as a single woman and I don’t have kids to take care of. You’re doing just fine! ~ Maureen
ps – Still laughing over him bonking his sister on the head!
Thanks for keepin’ it real! 🙂
You are awesome! Love this post!
Whew!!! That is totally my sigh of relief that I am not a failure. I don’t blog but I do read MANY every day. I have always been amazed that y’all are do perfect and I’m nowhere near that. Makes me feel better knowing that you are NORMAL just like me!!! You’re awesome…don’t ever forget that!
You do more activities and adventures with your kids than I ever did. THAT is what counts. I always say, when I am gone someday, I want my kids to remember when I rubbed their back or read to them. I don’t want them to say “well my mom had a clean house”. Not the legacy you want to be remembered by.
Also, I read somewhere that it’s not what you serve for dinner, it’s the fact that you all eat together. I think you are an amazing mom and create so many memories for your kiddos.
Loved your post! Sometimes blogging does give off that side of perfection but I don’t fall into it because I’m the same way even with my children all grown! That’s why I only take pics of the right side of my bedroom because the other side is a mess that never seems to get fixed:)
Your funny and your kids are so cute!
Kristin,
Thank you, thank you. I am a single mom, of two teenage daughters and I recently started working full time. I am amazed when I can fix anything for dinner, besides cereal. I don’t know how single moms of small children do it. I am still adjusting and now I feel better. Thank you and bless your heart (for real) for sharing.
Clara
Redeemed junk and stuff
I loved your post! I was a single mom for several years and it is a tough job. Wouldn’t life be wonderful if it was always like in the blogs? Ha! I usually have to push crap out of the way so I can get glamorous pictures for my blog. Hang in there what you are experiencing is called reality. 😉
Yes, you are just like me!
Hi, yes all those photos and perfect life posts are undermining women. We need to tell each other the truth. Have you seen the book Sh*tty Moms? I saw the authors (who are producers at The Today Show) and they are about pulling back the curtain and showing other women what is really going on.
Susan
I am so happy to read this…blogland can be a little intimidating sometimes!
You are a supermom in my book!!
Excellent post Kristin! Blogidom is all smoke and mirrors and we are masters of it, but as you know like I do, there is always fire and soot behind the smoke. 😉
I cannot tell you how happy this made me to read. Since becoming a new mommy in January, I have not found time to blog as much. I dont feel like my home is “styled” enough to take pictures and blog about seasonal decor changes ect. This was such a relieving read. Made me feel better. So thanks for that. I may let someone come over soon thanks to you! 😉
LOL! I totally know how this works, you have one perfect picture to show. I love the inspirations, but struggle at the same time with the show off. I decided to write about good, the bad and the ugly.
Oh dear, is there something wrong with quesadillas for breakfast? Sometimes I jazz it up with scrambled eggs for a roll up instead.
I love how you are so honest. You encourage me;)