You can expect this: Me. Showing up.
But I probably won’t be perfect. In fact, I am going to tell you I’m not perfect. I’m sure you haven’t seen all the memes about lunches at the beginning of the year versus the end of the year, but I’m going to tell you this – it’s already happening. In fact, this morning, I thought it was great that you had cheese balls in your lunch box and I might have falsely checked off dairy. All kidding aside, I’m trying. So please don’t grumble about the lunches. The creativity vanished in February and I’m riding on fumes just coming up with something to put in that lunch box.
Listen the end of the school year is plain and simple hard for us moms.
I know you get it. In fact, one of you texted me today saying, “I’m just not feeling school today. Could I come home?” Man, if I could convince the nurse that was a valid reason – you’d be home. But, me being the mom, texted back saying, “not a reason. You have to tough it out.”
Us moms, the moms that show up for everything for you? We are the example of toughing it out.
Because the end of the school year is ROUGH for us too. All those projects that you put off? Well, it’s not just you staying up until midnight – it’s us too. Trying to learn about why Japanese Honeysuckle is an invasive species and desperately trying to help you make a powerpoint to present. Never mind that you had ten days and it’s the night before. We’ll be there. Helping you. Reading nature journals and warnings from environmental groups. Don’t worry, I can spot it on the highway now.
And the concerts and field trips and extra cool fun days that we’re supposed to remember? We try. Just today, one of my kids had a ticket for “soda at lunch” (let’s not get into that debate) and did I remember the soda? Nope. And just for a moment I thought to myself, “what happens if you race to the grocery store and buy a can of Sprite and race back to the school.” I really was going to try, but alas, I still had to work.
You need to expect this from us moms at the end of the school year: realness. Not perfection. Because just like you, we are also tired. But unlike you, our wake-up happens WAY earlier. And we spend our exhausted morning selves trying to convince you to get out of bed. Just so you know, my kids have been eating breakfast in the van on the WAY to school. Point given for breakfast. And studying for the American History test that you were supposed to be learning all year? You know what? Maybe it’s okay that we use Alexa and Google. In fact, I think those items are God’s gift to parents. Especially with Algebra. Oh man, thank goodness.
You know how your math teacher says you’ll use the math someday? Well you’ll use it when you become a parent trying to teach your kids. So try to pay attention, because by that time – I’m out.
We all want that last day to happen.
Can we just agree on that? Until about week three when you’re bored, but until them, the wool is over our eyes and we are coveting the big red circle on the end of the calendar that states LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.
So have patience with us. Don’t complain about the sub-par lunches. And if you do, there’s always hot lunch. Love that we try with homework. Try to find the library books that you lost so we don’t have to pay the school $23 for a beat up book on dinosaurs. Remember the field trip forms and please please hand in the money. Go to bed well.
And love us for showing up. Love us for the lunches, homework help, exhaustion, and all of the above.
We’re not perfect.
But we sure do try.
Yoga pants on in the morning. Or in some cases, like my morning, yoga pants on and an inside out teeshirt that I didn’t realize was inside out until I was in the grocery store buying Sprite so that on Monday, the soda drink ticket could be used.
~Rachel
ps. wine was invented for moms for the month of May.
