Ten Cool Things About Motherhood

Ask any honest woman whether motherhood is easy, and she'll tell you, "Heck no!" (or words to that effect).
I've written my fair share of "motherhood woes" posts, and on any given day you'll find me wanting to tear my hair out at some point, but today I want to focus on the the things that make me grateful to be a mum. The aspects of motherhood that make me smile, snigger, snort. "Awww shucks!" moments and warm fuzzies; "Try-to-keep-a-straight-face" incidents and the other coolness that makes it all worth it. So here are...

silly easter theme dinner

1. You're never at a loss for things to fill your weekends

I love weekends with my family.
Am I the only one who in my "single days" used to view the weekend's approach with a mixture of anticipation and dread? Would I be a loser nigel-no-mates sitting home alone or would I find people to hang with/things to do?
As a mother this is never a problem. Weekends are full to the brim with sports fixtures, birthday parties, playdates. And even if you never get to leave the house, don't worry you won't be on your own. You'll always have The Kids to hang out with. When you're a mother you're never alone.


{The Flipside - when you're a mother you're never alone}

Sleepover/Movie Night

2. You get to watch kids movies
I love watching movies with my kids.
Kids movies are so cool! Yet so many adults have never discovered Shrek, Nemo and Lightning McQueen.
My child-free friends look at me blankly when I compare the awesomeness of KungFu Panda 2  to the daftness of Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel.
Some of them haven't even heard of Woody and Buzz Lightyear - can you imagine?
I'm personally looking forward to "Dolphin's Tale" these school holidays. It looks much preferable to the other option - Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked. Really???


{The Flipside: some kids movie makers don't know when to stop... Ice Age 4???}

3. You get to be "the best mother in the world" by doing really simple stuff
I love it when my kids say I'm the best mum in the world. It doesn't take much.
You decide to let the kids sleepover in one room; you tell them they can have a "movie night". You say "I'll pop you some popcorn and make you icecream sodas..."
Suddenly you are the best mother in the world.
When you walk in with the tray, they can't stop telling you how awesome you are.


{The Flipside: You can just as easily become the meanest mother in the world by doing equally simple stuff like saying "no"}

super diaper baby - a classic children's book

4. You get to enjoy children's literature all over again
I love childrens books. I love the colourful illustrations, the clever rhymes, the humorous life lessons.
Childhood favourites like Where the Wild Things Are and Hairy McLary are now joined by new classics like The Gruffalo and Fancy Nancy. Perfect for reading out loud. Perfect for snuggling up with. And as your babies grow you can introduce them to your old favourites Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, CS Lewis. While they introduce you to Captain Underpants and Super Diaper Baby. Nothing is better on a rainy night than snuggling in between your kids with a book to share.

{The Flipside: There is no Flipside - just Books and Smiles all the way}

Dust Bunny - scary no longer

5. Disgusting stuff no longer freaks you out
I love that my kids make me braver than I used to be.
So what if I'm scared of creepy crawlies and flying things in the house? As a mother, you learn to show no fear and get good at being the bug-catcher/dead-bird disposer.
Head Lice. Ugh. Don't worry, after a few infestations you'll be very matter-of fact as you chat to your friend while killing nits with your nit-zapper.
Vomitous bedding, pooey undies, bloody gashes will all lose their horror.
This is the legacy of motherhood - an iron-clad stomach and bravery of Oscar-winning proportions.


{The Flipside: You will be dealing with bugs, birds, gashes, vomit, poo and nits on a regular basis. It just comes with the territory}

6. You have a never-ending supply of hugs and kisses
I love snuggles and kisses from my kids.
When I need a hug there's a ready supply of soft squirmy bodies to snuggle and sweet velvet cheeks to kiss. Its surprising how even big nine-year-old boys still love to cuddle their mummies {as long as nobody's looking}. There's nothing quite as calming as a cuddle and when you're a mother you get cuddles for life.


{The Flipside: You will usually find those same little bodies that love to hug you squirming into your bed in the wee small hours of the morning for a snuggle. You'll never find a bed big enough for everyone}

7. Your days are coloured by a steady stream of hilarious anecdotes
I love the daft things my kids say and do. Man, they're funny.
Kids are a fantastic source of amusement aren't they? Don't they say the darndest things?  Do the strangest things? Make you want to pee yourself laughing while you try desperately to keep a straight-and-serious face? I mean, you really could write a bestselling comedy series, if only you could remember all of their witty sayings and hilarious conversations.


{The Flipside: You'll never remember them word-for-word, even if you try to write it all down. Blame it on Nappy Brain, or the mysterious lack of pens, whatever. Plus, the book's already been written.}

8. You learn a lot
I love all the funny stuff I've learnt from my kids.
Its surprising how much I don't actually know. And how much my kids know more than me.
For instance, did you know that tropical fruit bubblegum is healthy for you? Yes, it is. It has "fruit" in it, you see. So it can count for one of your 5+ a Day.
Oh and did you also know that Germany makes the fastest cars in the world, not Italy.
Yes indeed. Ethan next door said so.
What about this one I heard from my daughter, it was so funny. She said it just yesterday... what was it again...? Oh darn I forgot, but it was really good, honest.
You learn a lot of stuff from your kids. Stuff you never knew you didn't know.


{The Flipside: You learn a lot. From your kids.}

9. You lose your self-consciousness
I love that my kids push me out of my comfort zone.
This process begins with pregnancy and childbirth and continues on indefinitely. I was so shy as a girl that I had perfected the art of getting into my pj's without showing my sisters any skin, a skill I took with me into adulthood. But by the time my first baby was two weeks old, I was standing out on my mum's front porch pumping milk out of my boob, completely unselfconscious. It's just a boob, right?

My kids always push me to try new things, to break out of my shell and play.  
"Come on mum!" they encourage me, eager for me to join them splashing in the water or whizzing down the hill on a luge.
Where once I might have been too worried about the way my body looks in a swimsuit, for my kids sake I'll  don my bikini long-sleeved rash top 'n' shorts and join them in the water. Ignore how far my butt sticks out when seated on a bike and just go for a ride. 


{The Flipside: You never get a chance to be self-conscious. As a mother "privacy" is a distant dream. Sitting on the toilet is an open invitation for a deep and meaningful. Eventually this improves...}

10. You learn a lot
What? Have I already said that one? Well let me say it again. You learn A LOT. 
About yourself, about life, about human nature, about God, and about what really matters and what really doesn't.


Every day you learn something whether you like it or not.
You learn that you actually are like your mother, after all.
You learn that your own mother did a helluva lot more for you than you realised. (The fact that you can walk around on two feet and take yourself to the loo is thanks to her, for starters)
You learn about unconditional love
You discover how a kid can make you SO MAD you want to scream - but at the same time you love them SO MUCH that if a rabid dog appeared right at that moment, you would wrestle it to the ground to protect that child you are so mad at.


You learn that you never knew what tiredness was until you were a mother.
You never knew what "busy" was until you were a mother.
You never realised how self-centred you were until you had a little bundle that demanded 24-7 care, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year - no days off. 
You never understood that when you have a child, your heart begins to bleed for all the sad neglected little people in the world. You realise why your mum cried when she watched Home Alone.

When you are a mother the learning never stops.
A wise man once said "We think we are there to help our kids grow up; actually they are there to help us grow up."

I love that I get to be mother to three precious human beings.
Who knows what they could be, who they could become?
Who knows how many lives might be touched, helped, blessed through them.
Motherhood is intense. It's tiring. It's often thankless, sometimes sleepless, rarely glamorous.
But its also the only job in the world that nobody else can do.
I am irreplaceable.
I am the only mother my three children will ever have. 
How's that for job security?
♥


{The Flipside: No Days Off. Sigh.}