Mother of the Year Nomination

You know, just when I start thinking I've got my act together, God is so faithful to remind me of what a numb skull I really am...... For example:

I was just remembering an incident a long, long time ago, like in the '80's ..... before I had developed the endless patience I now demonstrate with my children. Stop laughing.

On this particular day, the kids had found my last nerve and were subsequently camping there all afternoon. Jumping up and down on that last nerve like it was a Moon Walk. You know those days.

Those kids had me on the ropes, and I was frazzled! So I called my sweet hubby and asked him if we could meet him for dinner at our favorite pizza place. He agreed, and a time was set.

Something happened between our house and the pizza joint. All accounts point to the likelihood that mommy's last nerve snapped. Plain and simple.

The kids and I were literally pulling into the restaurant parking lot when my son unbuckled his seat belt, hopped up and stood between the captain chairs in the back of our Suburban and yelled, "HEY, look at me! I'm SURFING!"

Now any other day, I might have chuckled and found this amusing. But today ...... well, you know, it is well documented that my last nerve was shot.

Looking in my rear view mirror, I made a split second decision then and there to teach him a lesson about unbuckling his seat belt before the car was stopped. (can I insert here that he had been told repeatedly to stay buckled....)

So I did what I believe any other normal, rational mother would do. I ever-so-lightly tapped the brakes ..... never dreaming that as a direct result, his little body would become an instant, how shall I say ...... projectile.

Come to think of it, we practically got a science lesson thrown in there too. SCIENCE FAIR DAY, KIDS!

Unfortunately for Evan, he was lined up perfectly to land straight ahead into our vehicle's wooden TV/VCR cabinet. It all happened in s-l-o-w motion, and while he hung in mid-air for approximately 38 seconds, I had plenty of time to wallow in immediate regret. There was much resulting trauma and a humdinger of a bloody nose to deal with. He was okay, but I felt SOOOOO bad.

To this day, we can't pull into that parking lot without ONE (or all in unison) of my kids instantly recounting that story.

So we had a hands-on lesson about seatbelt safety and rocket science; but mommy got the biggest lesson of all that night ..... to not overreact in anger.

I did ask for his forgiveness, and then we prayed together. Not my proudest moment as a mommy, but I learned from it and continue on doing the best I can with these little ones God has entrusted to me.