I’m not super clean, but I am generally neat. I’m not doing baseboards or tubs, people. Unless someone has a code brown during a bath. Especially if I am in there with them. Not that THAT ever happened. More. Than. Once. Otherwise my precious Hero of a Husband does those. I’m fine with toilets, just hate doing the tub and shower. Who can explain it? So when it all slides for a few days and gets messy like this in every room, I get a little bonkers. And that was just the first floor level too.

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And of course the kids were acting like THIS.

I had a beautiful pad of paper and one of my favorite pens in front of me. I was  going to write out what kind of Mama I wanted to be, distill it and find a way to check in daily to see how I was doing.

I knew I wanted to educate my girls. I want to do crafts with them. I want to make them helpless with laughter every day. I want a tidy house with simple contents so keeping it tidy isn’t a big chore. I want to enjoy providing good food for my family…etc. etc.

I looked at my eldest who is almost three and realized what I should do really is ask her.

I said “Portia, Darlin’, what kind of Mama do you want me to be?” She looked at me with a puzzled pout. I tried again,”What kind of Mommy do YOU want?” She looks very seriously at me and says “I want a Purple Mommy!”

I laughed very big and very loud, probably scaring the baby. Here I was getting all philosophically self-centered and twisted up angst-ing over Motherhood when all my daughter wants is a Purple Mommy. Not a Perfect Mommy, but PURPLE. Portia smiled at me and I realized that although she didn’t understand what I meant, she did know better what I should be. A Purple Mommy. Unobtainable. Funny. Creative and Happy. Memorable and Colorful and Unique.

Yes. YES! I will be a Purple Mommy. I even think I will make a painted sign accordingly. A sign to enjoy daily and to remind myself that no one gets “Mother of The Year”, but every woman’s “Purple Mommy” is laughing and ready anytime.