Around the World in 80 Clicks

or

What I Love About Being A Mother

I done got tagged, by Nee-cole over at deliajude. And since this one is part of a larger project to see how many places we bloggers can go in 80 clicks, I'm playing along. I got a kick out of reading the post by the originator of Around the World in 80 Clicks; her story about not so much loving the trappings and institution of motherhood (but of course, loving her own children) made me smile.

Because it can be trite to say "Don't you just love being a mom?" I do love being a mom, but not the way I love, say, eating paella or listening to the Beatles. Those things are enjoyment and only enjoyment. I do love being a mom, but I've heard women ask other women that same question, and it always makes me cringe; I imagine that what they really want to say is "Criky, this sucks and why didn't anyone ever tell me how hard this would be?" Loving being a mother is the truest kind of love: messy, difficult, rewarding, expanding, and always surprising.

That said, here are the five things I love about being a mom:

1. I love the sense of absolute power I have over my kids. I am she-who-must-be-obeyed. I love having this much power over other human beings so much that sometimes I make them do things just because I can. "Go stand out in the pouring rain and sing the Brazilian national anthem!" Stuff like that.

2. I love never sleeping. It keeps me on my toes, and helps balance that powerful feeling from #1 with a humbling I'm-falling-apart-and-won't-ever-go-back-together feeling. Standing on the precipice of disaster, where one lives with not enough sleep, is exhilarating.

3. I love repeating myself. My kids give me endless chances to hear the sound of my own mellifluous voice, since they kindly do not do my bidding until I've asked them three or four times, getting louder each time. They are so thoughtful.

4. I love cooking for ingrates. More ingredients for humble pie. Enough said.

5. I love changing diapers, cleaning up vomit, wiping noses, applying ointment to poison oak, being spit upon, cleaning jelly off of the walls, mopping up mud, digging french fries out of the car's upholstery and generally being the one to handle messes of all kinds. It builds my character, and I need all the character building I can get.

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OH WAIT! There are five other things I love even more about being a mother! Can I go again? I think I can; although the word "things" does not really apply. Here goes:

1. Samuel. Kind, sensitive, with a passion for Shakespeare, Calvin and Hobbes, music, baseball, soccer (especially Ronaldinho), and his friends. Knows more stats about international soccer players than seems reasonable or possible. He is loyal through and through. He will teach me to be patient.

2. Vincenzo. Hilarious, artistic, thoughtful, a capacity for being peaceful, and a curiousity about how things work. Loves spaghetti with a crazy kind of love. He is the quiet one who is watching everything, everywhere, all the time. He will teach me to pay attention to my own curiosity.

3. Lola. Lovely from the inside out, goofy, funny, sweet, "mother-ish" with her sisters, gleeful with a soccer ball at her feet. I'd put money on her being the one to care for us in our old age. She will teach me to be faithful.

4. Elizabeth. Extroverted in the extreme, zesty, a bit of the wild-child about her, a sweet streak a mile wide, a spirit of great generosity. She'll opt for asking for forgiveness instead of asking for permission. I'd put money on her being the one to come home with tattoes and body piercings. She will teach me to be hopeful.

5. Tallulah. The baby. Stubborn, mean, a terrorist basically. But so adorable! And musical (she sings a lot). And fearless. Free with the "I love yous" and her hugs and kisses. A nightly cuddler, which I am supposed to cure her of but which I secretly love. She will teach me to be brave.

And now, to keep the momentum going, I will tag five more people.

First, bloggers I know of:
A Proud Mom To Many
Diagnosis: Urine
Momo-Fali
Fat Gold Watch

and in a random search for a blogger not from the United States, I came across JFromIreland -- so I'm taggin' her.

How wide will the circle go?

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