Things Aren't Always As They Appear

Camille's last first day of preschool was last week and like all the other mama's who have kids going back to school, I somehow remembered to take a few snapshots of the girls in their matching back-to-school (unicorn) shirts that Camille picked out.

Because when you are a four-year-old female your entire world is unicorns.

How I even remembered to pull these shirts out of their closets is beyond me.

Anyways, Clara goes to school year round, thus I try to mark her school years and milestones as well by following Camille's school calendar.

Back to that morning last week.

Please reference the pictures below. The girls look cute! They are smiling! It looks as though we are having a grand old time on the first morning back-to-school in our adorable matching tees and front-of-the-door photos.

Can this just serve as a friendly reminder that things aren't always as they appear?

That morning last week was literally bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. (Who's now singing Gwen Stefani?)

And it was all my fault.

And I was being a grouch of a mom (even though it was all my fault).

I got up late and then sat on the couch for far too long. It all went downhill from there (because I, the person in charge, started the whole morning routine late). Insert bickering with Camille about her skirt choice and reluctance to wear her hair down. Insert more bickering when said child was taking too long to do anything and everything I asked.

After skirt battle 2018, I looked down and the clock read 8:00am and I realized Clara was still asleep (we need to leave no later than 8:20am - again, my fault). Insert more rushing and griping and annoyance and then guilt that I am sending them off to school in all the ways the parenting books and professional child development people tell you not to.

There were no cuddles or affirmations or morning prayers over funny face pancakes.

So yeah, things aren't always as they appear.

I know we know this. I know this. I don't think for a second that Instagram shows the whole story or that anyone's life is perfect and I know, full well, that we are looking at the best moments of Sally's day when she posts a selfie while peacefully working in her flourishing garden with her kids smiling on the swing set behind her. I get it. Sally doesn't Instastory when said children are freaking out about sharing the coveted green swing and thus she accidentally says a curse word so loud the neighbors hear over the fence.

But really, how cute are they???

I don't even know where I'm going with this other than the encouragement to not put too much pressure on yourself to get it right all the time.

Even mamas of kiddos with special needs have moments of utter frustration and loss of control. (I say this because sometimes the constant messaging to us special moms is that we are saints or superheroes or walking Mother Tereseas all day everyday and well, I hate to break it to you, but we are just regular humans with regular brains and regular tempers that flare up from time to time.)

Things aren't always as they appear on the first day of Pre-K, no doubt.

But the good news?

There is a second day of Pre-K followed by a third and a fourth and a fifth.

And many, many more days after that to wake up (on time!), greet your children with a hug and a smile, and try again.