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Things can get heavy really quickly in motherhood. Really heavy. The pressure of having to get everything done along with dealing with little personalities that are changing every day can get overwhelming in no time. But sometimes, just when you least expect it, stuff’s just funny y’all!

Stuff's Just Funny Y'all

With three daughters, I laugh out loud, almost pee in my pants, daily. These kids are hysterical. The problem is that sometimes, I am so busy being ‘mom’ that I don’t allow myself to experience that instant joy.

For instance, last night, at the dinner table, my 4 year old was in rare form. She was refusing to eat in lieu of dancing around and being… well… 4.  But I needed her to eat! We still had homework and our evening walk on the agenda. She needed to stay on schedule!

So I was being stern. ‘Megan, if you don’t eat, no cookie for dessert!’ ‘Megan, if you don’t stop it NOW and eat, you will be grounded from tumbling tomorrow.’ On and on I went to deaf ears.

As my frustration grew, my other two daughters were starting to egg Megan on. I was losing control fast. I could see the end result of Megan not eating at all and then saying she was hungry at bedtime.

I suppose my seven year old saw me start to get a little angry so she got out of her chair and told Megan that she needed to sit down and eat. Despite her patience and sweet voice to her sister, Megan ignored her as well, called her a booty head and went about her dancing and singing like a ballerina.

I had had it! This child was going to have some manners and sit and eat with the rest of the family!

I went to stand with authority and grab her to plant her on her wiggling little butt. But my toe caught in the chair, I fell forward, landed on the table and knocked my tea over, causing a gushing mess that covered the table, dripped onto the chairs and onto the floor.

Laughter erupted around me. Three little girls, laughing so hard that they could not catch their breath. The sound was….

heavenly.

I looked up, shirt wet from tea, toe smarting from the stubbing, and saw three little faces, eyes squinted together in hearty laughter looking at me. And I started laughing too.

It was absolute perfection.

Sure, Megan never ate her dinner. And she did ask for a snack at bedtime. But instead of it frustrating me, I just chuckled a little. Because despite the fact that she did get away with breaking the rules and not doing as she was told, the end result was a memory and an aching belly from having the best laugh of the day with my girls.

When I cleaned the table, the chairs and the floor, I was chuckling again. Sometimes, in this world of ‘I have to raise them right!’ , I forget that that includes letting them be. Megan wanted to be a ballerina instead of eating dinner. What did it hurt to let her be for just one night?

In fact, the entire experience might have actually benefited them more.

It sure did me.

Have a story of motherhood that you want to share? Email me at lomargie@gmail.com with ideas and more!

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