I long to be one of those moms that writes things down in pretty color-coded calendars with fun stickers and pens and every family member has their own personal “snack drawer” in the fridge or pantry and a place to hang their coats and place their shoes when they come into the house. When I imagined my life with marriage and children and even teaching, I was going to be the MOST organized, MOST Pinterest-y mom on the block. 

I imagined myself becoming a teacher and then when my kids were in school, quitting that and becoming “World’s Best PTO Mom.” I was pretty sure it was going to come with a trophy and everything. Turns out, I had more kids, found out money doesn’t grow on trees, my husband coaches football (which apparently is a year round sport) and I have a bit of a shopping problem. So I’m still teaching and quickly became “world’s okayest teacher/mom” who may or may not remember to do homework with her kids and definitely doesn’t check folders every night. 

I have even tricked parts of humanity into thinking I had my life together somehow. A coworker was talking about a color-coded get together and I was like 🤔?? They explained that each person invited would get assigned a color and then you have to bring food and drinks to share in that particularly assigned color scheme. Cool cool. But it’s an immediate no. WTF would I do if I got purple? Hi guys, sorry I’m late to the party, I brought an eggplant and grape soda infused with Burnetts vodka to share!?! 🍆💜⁉️

The coworker laughed and said “you’re so Pinterest-y though! You could do it!” 

Also, no. I’m the exact replica of those Pinterest vs Reality gone wrong photos. Sign me up for orange, I’ll grab some cheese puffs and make mimosas for the crowd. 🧡

You know who doesn’t care that I’m not the perfect, organized, Pinterest mom? My kids. Lucky for them they are too young to see the book of Face where the world posts the charmingly cleaned house. They don’t have a Pinterest board titled “things I wish my mom did” (or so I hope not??) Children are the most forgiving souls in the world. I wish my heart were more like theirs. I wish when I laid down at night I thought about the things I got right as a mom and a wife and a teacher and a friend instead of all the things I failed miserably. 

I’m thankful our kids hearts are formed after God’s. He is so forgiving. He makes each day new. He tells me I am beautifully and wonderfully made exactly the way I am. Despite my failures. Despite my struggles and my pains and my fears. His love is real and it’s loud and it’s pulling at this sinners heart to share it with the world. He doesn’t care that my countertops are a disaster, or that I don’t separate my laundry, and that I do NOT sleep with a flat sheet. All He cares about is that I help build His kingdom. I hope I can do that in this space. I hope that I can share some of the very ugly and real and precious parts of life that He has blessed me with. And I hope you follow along. Or not, ya know, you do you… just don’t like tell me if you hate it or something because #yikes, that would cut as deep as my PreK student telling me I have no abs and he hates school. 😆

Go be yourself. Whether it’s put together nicely with organized pantries and labels or you’re riding next to me in the hot mess express. You are loved. And you are prayed for. 

And remember… it’s a great day to be you. 😘