Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

I am out of the running for that coveted “Mother of the Year Award” again this year. It was one of several ‘yelly’ days where I finally have enough sense to just put myself in time out instead of my daughter. After my time out I sat at the dining room table between my girls as they ate lunch. I was overwhelmed and frustrated with my week and with myself.

This is what the house looked like:

 

Annnd it looked like this:

 

IF you got past the front door, this is your welcoming entrance:

 


I’m not super clean, but I am generally neat. I’m not doing baseboards or tubs, people. Unless someone has a code brown during a bath. Especially if I am in there with them. Not that THAT ever happened. More. Than. Once. Otherwise my precious Hero of a Husband does those. I’m fine with toilets, just hate doing the tub and shower. Who can explain it? So when it all slides for a few days and gets messy like this in every room, I get a little bonkers. And that was just the first floor level too.

 

And of course the kids were acting like THIS.

I had a beautiful pad of paper and one of my favorite pens in front of me. I was  going to write out what kind of Mama I wanted to be, distill it and find a way to check in daily to see how I was doing.

I knew I wanted to educate my girls. I want to do crafts with them. I want to make them helpless with laughter every day. I want a tidy house with simple contents so keeping it tidy isn’t a big chore. I want to enjoy providing good food for my family…etc. etc.

I looked at my eldest who is almost three and realized what I should do really is ask her.

I said “Portia, Darlin’, what kind of Mama do you want me to be?” She looked at me with a puzzled pout. I tried again,”What kind of Mommy do YOU want?” She looks very seriously at me and says “I want a Purple Mommy!”

I laughed very big and very loud, probably scaring the baby. Here I was getting all philosophically self-centered and twisted up angst-ing over Motherhood when all my daughter wants is a Purple Mommy. Not a Perfect Mommy, but PURPLE. Portia smiled at me and I realized that although she didn’t understand what I meant, she did know better what I should be. A Purple Mommy. Unobtainable. Funny. Creative and Happy. Memorable and Colorful and Unique.

Yes. YES! I will be a Purple Mommy. I even think I will make a painted sign accordingly. A sign to enjoy daily and to remind myself that no one gets “Mother of The Year”, but every woman’s “Purple Mommy” is laughing and ready anytime.

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Tags: chores