The Rolling Stones Were Right...

You can't always get what you want.  


This is especially true for mothers.
When our babies are born we want nothing more than to hear them cry.  Then we spend the next several years hoping they'll never do it again.
We complain that we never get any time to ourselves.  When we finally do, we spend the majority of it thinking about our kids.
We desperately want our husbands' help.  But as soon as we get it we're frustrated by the fact that they don't do things exactly as we do.

We can't wait for our children to develop a sense of independence and quit clutching our legs.  And yet we're heartbroken once they've overcome stranger anxiety and end up wanting to hug every other mother in sight.
Those of us who chose to go back to work often wish we were home with our kids.  On the flip side, there are many moments where us SAHMs would give anything to be back at our desks.


But if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.


No one ever said that motherhood would be easy, or that it would prove to be something out of a fairy tale. There's no pixie dust.  No leaping unicorns or endless rainbows. Hell, sometimes there isn't even a hot shower or a nice meal.  
But I'll tell you what... 
Every time I hear my daughter cry I'm reminded that it's my job to fix her.  And there's nothing in the world more powerful than that. 
When I do have some free time, all alone, without laundry or dishes or diapers, I can't help but think about Mackenzie and how much she makes me smile.  And I actually enjoy thinking about her when we're apart.  I end up appreciating her even more.  
And while Doug will never make a bed as neatly as I do or put the groceries away properly (there's a science to it, I swear), the fact is that he's there helping me along this bumpy road called parenthood.  And there's no way I could ever do it without him. 
Yes, it pains me to see Mackenzie walk up to a total stranger and give her a hug or reach for her hand.  Sort of like, "Hi, remember me? Your mother? Who carried you for nearly ten treacherous months? I'm right here if you need me.  Otherwise have a nice life with the lady with the pretty hair."  But deep down inside, a big part of me is proud of her for being such a nice kid.  I'm proud that she's friendly and personable and can make others smile.  It also helps to know that despite the allure of others, she always returns to her mother.  
And regardless of what path we've chosen as moms, we all have one thing in common... 
We adore our kids like nothing else in the world.  And whether we're with them on evenings and weekends or whether we're attached to them 24/7, one thing is for sure: there aren't enough hours in the day for all the love we have to give them.