We all have ways of defining ourselves. For me, it’s often Mompreneur, Momma of Many, Overqualified Momma (10 years post-secondary study, three degrees, yet somehow spend most of my time wiping bums and cleaning up vomit).
We also have a way of defining how we spend our time. As Mommas, it usually involves managing everything, being exhausted, yet somehow staying awake at night worrying about how little Johnny is doing at school, little Janey is getting along with her friends and if the baby will ever finish teething or go more than a week without an infectious disease.The weight of our little worlds weighs heavily on our shoulders. We’ve all enviously listened to Daddy-O snore away beside us as we are solving our world’s problems and in our spare time conquering the problems of the whole world. How do they sleep so soundly??

Last Tuesday I realized I had another title. By way of background, Tuesday is crazy day in our house because it involves an outrageous number of extra-curricular activities. Every Tuesday is like an Olympic sport around here. If everyone ends up where they are supposed to be, with the correct equipment and at the right time, I award gold medals all round.
Because of sheer numbers of kiddies in our house, we have had to breed some independent little people. One example is that everyone has to carry their own stuff – whether it be sports equipment or school bags. Even my babies have been seen dragging their diaper bags behind them.
I had a weak moment last Tuesday. As the Olympic event was finishing, we pulled the over-worked mini-van into the driveway. Kids were pooped, so I told them to just run in the house, find their pj’s and I’d bring in all the gear.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the front glass door. There I was carrying two backpacks, two violins, a bag of music books, a dance bag full of tap and ballet shoes, and two skating bags.
It was quite a vision. I had now elevated myself to a new status and self-definition:
BEAST OF BURDEN. Yep, I came to terms with the fact that I am now a donkey.

At the Mabel office, camp season is upon us. Kim Burke runs our Camp Program and has been hitting all the camp conferences and liaising with all the Camp Directors. Her mission: getting Mabel material to camp offices and stuffed into those camper welcome packs. In case you have not heard, camps are big business and we love nothing better than doing business with folks whose goals include educating kids and providing lasting memories. It’s as though being fun and cool are job requirements. Career change anyone?

I may have already mentioned that while I’m not yet ready to send my little peeps off to sleep-away camp just yet, I did have my son participate in a fantastic hockey camp that is near to our cottage. This allowed him to stay with us, but also to participate in some camp activity while getting summer ice time. For this Momma, it was the best of both worlds.

At hockey camp I had my first Memorable Mabel Moments (MMM) with one of my children. My then five-year-old daughter and I observed the players get off the ice and spread their equipment out in a grass field beside the arena. I assumed it was an attempt to make the smell less offensive. As my daughter and I looked upon a sea of shin pads, elbow guards and helmets, she noticed that many of them were covered with Mabel’s Labels.

She turned to me and said “oh Momma, you are SO nice to give all these campers Mabel’s Labels so they don’t get their stuff all mixed up and lost”.

I accepted my compliment, and saved the hard facts about life in business until she hit the ripe old age of six!

I’ve decided to embrace Spring. The huge pile of snow is gone and we need to live in hope.

Last night the snowsuits and winter boots got packed into the depths of the basement. Good riddance. Last weekend was chock-a-block full of trips to the park, kite flying, roller blading, skateboarding, bike riding and all that other good stuff that usually puts my kids in plaster. Daddy-O dismantled the backyard ice-rink and although we flooded a few neighbourhood gardens, it allowed us to look longingly at the pool with a glimmer of hope that it will one day be in use once again.

It has been a long hard winter for us all. For me, the icing on the cake was when I looked back at the month of March and realized that between March Break, Easter holidays, and the several snow days, my kids went to school eight times in the entire month.

Now that spring is here (fingers firmly crossed) I can reflect on some of the funny winter happenings that took place in our happy home during the frosty season. On the most recent snow day I was getting the kids suited up to play in the snow. I got the three biggie kiddos geared up and sent them out to start shovelling the driveway. When I finished dressing the two little ones, we went outside to find the older siblings tobogganing……from the top of my mini-van. Yep, they were climbing on the roof and sliding right on down. They even managed to knock the licence plate off the front of the vehicle.

I contained my rage. I calmly explained about good choices and bad choices and how both have consequences. They seemed to think that the response “but it was SOOO much fun” was a suitable excuse.

With no licence plate, we were all pulled over by the police the next day. I got flustered and ended up explaining how it happened. Now the cop was looking at me like I was a law breaking citizen AND a crappy Momma!

After the officer left, I explained that the next time they toboggan off the mini-van roof, they’d all be going to jail. Winter had finally won. I had transformed into one grumpy and humourless Momma.

Bring on Spring!

I used to think they were guilt pangs. I used to think it was stress. But yesterday I decided what happens is I am occasionally overcome with a fit of motherhood! It’s the deluxe combo including: hives, stress ulcer, hugging, crying, over-planning and strange looks from husband.

I’m talking about what happens to me when I get too buy and feel I’m starting to compromise my life-balance I claim to have. For the past 2 weekends, I’ve had Mabel related activities to attend to. My CMG (cuddly/crazy monkey girl) has spent more time in daycare than usual. Yesterday, I found out I need to pick up and head out of town again this weekend! CMG is going to spend anther Friday in daycare. I turned into a crazy person! Overcome with guilt, I broke out in hives. My mind raced with FUN things we could do to make up for this. I tried to convince my husband to take Friday off from work so she could have funday with her pops. I made plans to yank her out of daycare this afternoon for a FUN date of lunch, shopping and manicures (she’s 3, so I need to readjust this plan). I think my head was actually spinning around (my neck is killing me today!).

A friend needed to remind me that millions of kids go to daycare five days a week. My husband needed to remind me that she actually LOVES daycare. I need to remind myself that I am more present than a lot of Moms, when I can be. UGH.. It was an out-of-body experience. I have girlfriend plans next weekend, which isn’t helping. I can’t bail, so I think CMG might be coming cross-border shopping with the ‘girls from da ‘hood’ if I am still feeling this way.

ah.. working mothers. I’m sure my husband is wondering when the overwhelming fit of wifedome will hit.. or housework, or cooking.. . I can only freak out about one thing at a time!