Just Let Me Lie Down

Calling their bluff: The first reaction I have toward moms who claim that they run five miles a day, hold down a full time job, clean and organize their house themselves, go to church, volunteer, use coupons, cook an organic roast every night, and sew their kids clothes. If I hear the term "Who says a mom can't have it all?!?!" I begin to itch and slowly question each moment of their day for verification.

Mom, it's not your fault: The list of things I admittedly cannot do at age 31, but my mom seemed to be born to do. I don't know how to replace a button loose enough to actually use the button ever again. I've never made a turkey and won't until forced to host Thanksgiving. Wrapping gifts is a nightmare for me, so I will always opt to use gift bags. I've never made a loaf of bread.

One outta three ain't bad: For the first year of motherhood I was lucky if I wore make up, ironed my pants, and dried my hair for work. I always made sure one of these was accomplished so not to be totally worthless.

Sweet relief: When you get on the train on your way to work, take a deep breath, and realize you have 30 minutes of private, personal silence ahead of you. These are the only moments of the day that are just for me and I usually spend half of it trying to figure out if I should spend the time checking my email, returning a phone call, or reading a book.

This post was inspired by Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom, which I received complimentary as a part of Chicago Moms Blog (Silicon Valley Moms Group) Book Club.