I meant to be a better mother, I really did. The reason I wanted to stay home was so that I could provide all of these fun and educational opportunities for my son. Day trips, crafts, games, etc.
But the reality is that babies and toddlers don't do that well with this type of structured activity. That, and, even on the two nap a day schedule, I often feel like I'm swimming upstream just to keep the house clean, prepare nutritious meals, and keep my little one safe and entertained.
This mommy-guilt hit me the other day as I was addressing the store-bought valentines I got for the other kids in Benjamin's music class. The teacher sent an e-mail giving the children's names, should we wish to bring valentines but assuring us we were under no obligation to do so. Honestly, the only reason they got the card stock boxed cards is that I was at the grocery store on the day after Valentine's Day and there was a rack of half-priced cards that jogged my memory. So I perused the picked over candy, decided it was all inappropriate for a class of babies and toddlers, and held up the boxes of Winnie the Pooh and Snoopy valentines and bought the one that B grabbed (Winnie the Pooh). I addressed, assembled, and remembered to take them to class. All big accomplishments for me! I did scold myself, though, because I fully intended to be the kind of mom who made homemade valentines.
So I was feeling a little guilty, but also exhausted as usual. I started mentally railing against all of those blogger moms who spend their days not only doing adorable crafts, but then taking pictures and posting instructions for the rest of us. Who has time for that? I convinced myself that their children were being neglected by their craftiness. There is nothing like the blogosphere to induce mommy-guilt.
Then we went to class yesterday, and all of the other children brought valentines. Some were homemade. All contained a treat (except ours. Just a pathetic little piece of paper and "a sticker for you!") I did console myself that most of the treats were choking hazards (so, consoled myself by eating my son's candy. Hey, it's all about safety). Some parents were on top of things enough to get little bags of goldfish and teddy grahams. Things they no longer had on the day after the holiday when I finally managed to remember to get something.
I'm going to get it together, I swear. I am going to rock Easter. You just wait for the photos and step-by-step instructions! B will be almost 16 months by then, totally old enough to dye eggs, mix candy, and ice cupcakes, right?
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