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Ramblings of a Mother

First a Favor, Then Some Real Life Mom Hacks, Tips & Fables

Before we get to my new Mom Ramblings post, I have a HUGE favor to ask of you, friends!

Can you click this link: http://community.today.com/user/kristin-gambaccini and “Vote Up” on all of my posts (there is a speech bubble with “Vote Up” above each post)? And also this separate post HERE – it will take just a few seconds!

I am a Today Show Parents Contributor and would greatly appreciate your support!

FYI: You don’t have to read each post as they are carried over from this blog. I just need you to vote on each one. The more votes, the more I will be seen on the Today Show FB page and the higher in rank I am on the Today Show Parents platform. This is a HUGE dream of mine and every one of you here are part of my “tribe”. I would NOT be here without you and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Now, to my latest Mom Ramblings with some Real Life Mom Hacks, Tips & Fables…

I spent my afternoon yesterday delivering “New Baby Meals” to a couple of my dear friends that were recently blessed with beautiful additions to their families.

What is it exactly about a brand spankin’ new baby that is so good for the heart and soul?

It’s like these teeny tiny people are an adorable package of hope, peace and possibility. The realization that miracles are absolutely possible and that there will always be light in darkness (okay, I’m starting to sound like Dumbledore, but you catch my drift.)

As I was driving home from my visits, I found myself reflecting on my own motherhood experiences. Although these particular “new” mommies aren’t “first-timers”, nearly every mama I know is on the lookout for new tips and tricks to survive motherhood. I personally love a good hack or a busted mommy myth.

So, I’ve compiled a short list of Real Life Mom Hacks, Tips & Fables for your education and pleasure.

Grab a glass of cheap wine and enjoy!

* The Mysterious Stain

That mysterious spot you find on the couch, your clothes, the carpet or the curtain?

It’s probably poop. There’s a slight chance it may be snot, juice or milk, but always assume it’s poop. Just wash it.

* Broken People

Although not scientifically proven (yet), in the average household, the mother’s back is, in fact, the only back that actually bends. Which completely explains the age old question of “Why can’t my husband pick up his dirty socks?”

*That Mysterious Smell

That smelly smell you smell every time you walk past a certain space or room in your house?

It’s probably poop. Always assume it’s poop. Start your frantic search for the source of offending smell immediately…

*Mediocrity Killed the Cat

False news, friends. Being a mediocre mom is awesome. No overly high Pinterest-y expectations, but people don’t think you’re a total loser either. You’re just an ‘OK-ish’ Mom and it’s truly glorious to be stuck in the middle.

*The Mysterious Taste

You know that time you find the cereal bar on the kitchen counter that looks as though it’s been barely eaten so you figure, what the heck, no need for good food to go to waste (plus you realize you yourself haven’t eaten in over 8 hours)?! You pop it in your mouth and notice that not-quite-right taste? Yeeaaaahhhh. Just don’t eat it. #itsprobablypoop

*The Rule of 3

Have a house full of boys that wrestle? A home full of girls that cat fight? Maybe a mix of boys and girls that all to attack each other like feral, wild animals? And no matter how many times you tell them to “STOP” or try to intercede they just can’t seem to keep their hands (feet, arms, legs, ankles, elbows, chins, shoulders, etc) off of each other?! Then it’s time to just go with the Mother’s Golden Rule of 3: Broken, Bleeding or Dying. As in: “Unless you’re broken, bleeding or dying, don’t come crying to me!”

*Alcohol Impairs Your Judgement

Fact. Yes, yes it absolutely-oodely does and this is why we fellow mothers love it (need it?) after a long, exhausting day. It’s also been known in ‘certain circles’ to be the culprit for the “additions” to a family (just sayin’).

To sum it all up; to me motherhood is a full circle of never-ending cleaning, poop and refereeing while holding a liquid cup of sanity (coffee or wine – depending on the day) all intertwined with a whole lot of love and fun in between.

Seriously though, Mommyhood is truly an amazing journey that I have learned to adore for all of its craziness and expertly duck all of the curveballs it throws at me.

Oh, and as an “added bonus” (as if it couldn’t get any better), I have gained the superpower of identifying smells faster than a dog in search of bacon. So, there’s that…

Ramblings of a Mother

Winning at Losing.

My second oldest son recently finished his first year running cross country for his Middle School team. It was a season full of hard work, commitment and grief. Lots of grief.

This isn’t an “I’m so proud of my kid because he’s a #1 winner” post.

This is an “I’m so proud of my kid because he’s a #1 loser” post.

You read that right. He lost. A lot. So much that I thought my heart would break. But, he never knew I felt that way. I would slap on my mom smile and scream “you’re doing great buddy!” as he struggled to finish his race. There were times he crossed that finish line and I held back tears that were equally sad and proud. He never cried – although I am sure he wanted to. And let’s be real, it had to be embarrassing – it had to be really hard to start a race knowing beforehand that you were most likely going to be last. Could you do that? I am not sure I could. In the beginning of the season he tried to come up with plenty of excuses to get out of practice, but we wouldn’t let him. We wanted him to understand that he was part of a team and his team depended on him. He eventually stopped trying to skip-out and accepted that he was going regardless of his desire to not go.

Let me backtrack ~

As his mother I can honestly say that he has never been a star athlete. He trips over his own feet. Literally. But when Edward and I found out that a handful of his friends were joining the team, we forcibly encouraged him to join too.

The conversation went something like this: Me-“Hey, I think you should run cross country this year.” Kid-“No thanks.” Me-“I really think you should. You might enjoy it.” Kid-“That’s okay. Running’s not my thing.” Me-“Well it could be your thing if you tried it.” Kid-“I’d really rather not.” Me-“Okay, I am going to sign you up. All of your friends are doing it!” Kid-this is the part where he didn’t say anything and just stared at me. I am pretty sure what he was thinking was “Did you not just hear what I said mom?!”

Listen. Middle School is hard. We felt like the more opportunity he had to spend with kids outside of school, the better. Not to mention being a part of a team can broaden a child’s comfort levels and encourage them to become friends with kids they may have never met before, he’d be spending time outside away from electronics, nothing but fresh air, blah, blah, blah. He didn’t want to do it. He expressed he didn’t want to do it. I signed him up anyway. Maybe that’s why my mom guilt was at an all-time high – it was all my doing.

Now, to be clear, Edward and I have since solemnly pinky swore to him that unless he chooses to do so, we will NEVER, EVER, EVER again make him partake in a school sport. EVER. And we are okay with that agreement. All along we thought we were teaching our child about perseverance and teamwork. And while I do think those lessons were learned, he taught Edward and I so much more. There was a moment during one of his final races that he managed to finish before 2 other kids. As soon as his feet crossed the finish line, this amazing child of mine turned around to cheer on the 2 boys behind him. This was the moment. This was when I realized my kid was winning. He is winning at being good, kind and humble. Life is about learning how to pick yourself up and keep running no matter how often you lose the race. And this kid is winning.

He may not be an amazing athlete, but he is the kind of guy I would want on my team. He will give it his all and lose like a winner. Over and over.

Lesson Learned.

Ramblings of a Mother

The beginning.

When I married Edward, my life changed for the absolute best. We agreed to jump into this marriage thing head on and take on life together for better for worse, for richer for poorer.
I am pretty sure we thought we would have a few kids and be so much “cooler” than our parents. But, like so many young newlyweds, were we so wrong!
We had no idea what God had in store.
Here we are, 13 years later, blessed with 8 healthy, amazing kids and a parental style that deeply resembles the ideals and principals we were both raised with.
In honor of that day, and every blessed day since, I am starting this chronicle of our life. I want to share our love, our laughs, our struggles and our failures. I want to leave behind a legacy of faith and hope for our children. I want them to know that mom was more than just the taxi driver or dinner maker. I want them to know how my every day was filled with deeds, thoughts and prayers to keep their hearts happy, keep their bellies full, to keep their home warm and welcoming and keep smiles on their beautiful faces. I want them to understand that dad worked tirelessly to provide us with what we needed because he loved us more than words can express. I want them to see there is so much to love about life and so many reasons to be happy.
Most importantly, I want them to remember our family motto: “We are not quitters.” Because some days I’m killing it, and some days are killing me. But tomorrow, I get to try again. And by remembering our faith and love of the Lord, we will get through this crazy train together.

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