Mom makes Mistakes

Written: November 2011. Somehow this post slipped through the cracks and never got posted.

The smooth sailing days in my life far out number the crazy ones, but these types of days,  a Saturday in this case, need to be recorded as well. I guess I was trying to be super woman for a moment and I failed mightily and my mad multitasking skills let me down royally.

Our day started at YW choir practice 10-11:30 a.m.(more about that here.) I then rushed home to get Lydia ready for her friends birthday party at 1:00 p.m. Her friend lives 8 miles away and close to a few people that I needed to drop off some thank you cookies for. So I figured I'd start to bake a batch of Lemon Crackles, my new favorite cookie recipe. Found here.

While I was up to wrists in flour and lemon zest, Lydia needed to go potty, she raced in there only to struggle with her pants and missed the toilet by about a foot. I threw her into the tub, cleaned the big mess and meanwhile realized I hadn’t  bought a birthday present yet. Ooops, a quick stop to to the store shouldn't be a problem, so I thought, I still had an hour.

Lydia was acting cranky as can be. Oh my, I was too busy running around I forgot to feed her lunch. I quickly made up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 1/2 the batch of cookies was cooling, the other still baking, so I figured this would be a great time to get Rapunzel looking party ready. I started to curl those cute pig tails under while she was eating her lunch (in the bathroom….gross…I know.) and without realizing it I burned her poor little ear. SO BAD!!!! She screamed!!!!! I felt HORRIBLE!

I tried ice, she couldn't stand that, I ran up to my neighbor to see if I could have a slice of his Aloe vera plant and he wasn't home. I then called the party Mom to tell her we weren't going to make it. Lydia was even more upset now. How could I not let her go to the party when it was my fault for burning her. She was now over tired, hungry and in great pain at this point.

First day & about a week later. It blistered up HUGE before it scabbed over.

Our house was huge mess and the kitchen a major disaster. After I wrestled her down with some Neosporin I  gave her a cookie, turned on Brady Bunch and we cuddled. It took a long time to calm her down. She was in a lot of pain. I wanted to keep her home, (it was nap time by now) but I knew she was looking forward to this for 2 weeks. I luckily remembered I had some gifts stashed away. We climbed in the car and were off.

I usually try to stay on top of life, buying presents in advance, feeding my child lunch...you know the basics. I hate being in those frazzle dazzle moments, I really do. I look back now and shake my head.

Cookies can wait and they did, hair can go to a party without being curled and it did, potty accidents happen and it only makes it worse when I get upset about it. I realized that doing things one at a time doesn't make me less of a Mom either, in fact it would have saved a lot of trouble.

I’ve done a good job at teaching Lydia that Mom’s make mistakes, lots of them but then I teach her through example how to apologize when they hurt people and I try not to do them again. She has since re-gained my trust when it comes to curling hair but it took a good while.

I’m pleased to report that Princess Rapunzel enjoyed her afternoon at Belle’s party and did not want to leave!

L: Maggie E, Hannah J, Lauren C (birthday girl), Shannan Hinckley, Kinley P & Lydia G.