Super-Mom Julia Badgley

My name’s Julia and I met Taylor a couple weeks ago when she bought a cupcake card through my etsy site, http://www.etsy.com/shop/CardsbyJeweleighaB . It’s pink and sparkly and at her request reads, “Have the best day ever!” As you all know, she’s chatty and friendly and I was intrigued to read her blog and marvel about how she keeps everything together with five kids and her career. Then SHE asked ME to be Supermom of the month. I’m a pretty good mom, but I think like most mothers, I struggle with guilt. Am I doing enough housework? (This is an area where I don’t want to overdo it!) Am I spending too much time crafting? (I justify it by saying that it’s for my sanity.) Are my boys getting enough quality time? I have to remind myself that the kids are happy and affectionate, as well as fairly clean (haha!) so I must be doing okay.

My two little boys are two and a half, and 11 months old. My husband and I were so enraptured by our easy-going firstborn, that we decided to have another one soon after, and it turns out that now he’s the easy baby while our two year old is a very busy boy; this has consequently turned me into a very busy mama who is outnumbered 3 to 1 in terms of gender. In a house of boys, it’s nice to be appreciated for my non-boyish qualities. The other day, Zach was admiring my skirt and said I was a ‘laly’ (lady). I felt pleased to be recognized as such, until he told me that was ‘funny’. That brought me down a notch or two. But really, trying to get used to a house of boys is something else. They roughhouse, throw balls at the wall, and seem to revel in inappropriate noises. And I need to get used to it because they are not me. Right?

As a mom I’ve really been trying to focus on enjoying the moments with my boys. It’s easy to get caught up in what needs to be done around the house, or the craft I want to do next, but I’ve been trying to stay present and enjoy the simple things- Zach taking my hand as we walk through the mall, Patrick’s big grin and love of music, Zach asking to read his Jesus book, and their dependence on me. These are the things that matter in the long run.