Grateful to be a Mom by Pamela Kobierecki

So, it’s May and I’m thinking about Mother’s Day. I have three kids: a seven year old girl, a two year old boy and a 4 month old baby. At home we have our normal noise and chaos, but venturing out beyond these four walls is a real challenge not to be taken lightly!

You all can identify with a short grocery store trip. First, I have to prepare. I gather up my menu for the week, list, money, diaper bag, car keys, and quarters for the gum ball machine. Usually, both my guys in diapers choose to poop right before we step out the door, so I put down all my stuff, change two diapers, and then finally get them into the car.

Once we get to the store, we have to pick one of those giant carts that holds more than one child plus groceries. Usually we pick "the car cart." You know the one - looks like a car kids can drive, but it takes twice as much muscle power for me to push it. The wheels don’t turn correctly, so I have to use all my strength and my lamaze breathing techniques to go around every corner. I never remember to bring one of those nifty, quilted, cart covers to keep my infant free from grocery germs. (but I do see a lot of babies in those while I’m shopping-usually their moms’ only have one kid.)

Then the usual stuff that everybody goes through happens: kids begging for goofy stuff we’ll never use, like wine bottle stoppers and avocado holders!? Oh, wait, then the seven year old needs to use the bathroom – and "it IS an emergency, Mommy!" So, I park the car cart outside the grocery store lavatory, put my foot in the door to hold it open (cause I don’t want to take the boys out of the cart, but I don’t want her alone in the restroom) try to reach across to the toilet paper holder and weave her a hygienic seat cover out of one-ply generic toilet tissue…and the adventures go on.

It’s so funny, because people always make the same comment when we’re out, "looks like you’ve got your hands full!" I always respond the same way, " I had my hands empty for a lot of years, so now I’m happy to have them full!" I promise you all, that no matter how crazy the grocery store trips get – that statement is always true. Maybe waiting for my darlings made me appreciate them all the more.

Around Mother’s Day I get very grateful. Grateful for the noise, grateful for the chaos, grateful that God called me to this wonderful ministry of being a Mom.