Mom of the year? Notsomuch.

As I ponder how I am trying to simplify my life...and as a result, hopefully do the same within the lives of my family...I realize I actually began this journey last year! While I still work occasionally in the studio and take the odd vocal coaching job, I left the really time sucking portion of my music career in the dust months ago. Thus preparing myself...and the rest of my brood...for my simplicity atom bomb. I gave up my artist management firm. The music business is not nearly as glamorous as one would think. Everyone remarks how awesome and amazing and fabulous it must be! And at times...yes. Yes it was. But the amount of time I spent away from home, dealing with artists, booking gigs, speaking to venues or running PR marathons....caused my family to seriously consider looking on Craigslist for a new wife and mom. I was A.B.S.E.N.T. Even when I was home...I really wasn't. So, I let it go. And I immediately rejoiced in my decision. As did my husband and our kiddos. They had ME back! In light of that...you would think I would have a divine and glowing perspective of how to be a better parent. Yeah...not really. I still fubar things up so badly that if I could pay someone to make me the Neuralizer from Men in Black and use it on my family...I SO would.

Someone should have taken my mommy card from me this morning and beat me with it. My son...Jax...is 9. He is quite possibly the most incredibly bodacious and audacious boy ever born. Ever. He is beyond amazing....and more like me than I care to admit. Jax has a boppy. Now boppy is a blanket that I had growing up. Its not quite as old as dirt...but it could qualify as a historical artifact. He LOVES this blanket. Actually, Jax loves 3 things in life more than all others...Daddy, Boppy and Georgia (our chocolate lab). Now I would never in a million years use dad or the dog as collateral in our do-as-i-say wars. But boppy...that's a whole other thing.

This morning as we were rushing to get ready for school, I asked him to do two things. One: brush teeth. Two: get dressed. I made this request as I was also trying to get myself ready to walk out the door and speed three kids to three different schools on opposite sides of the county. Rushed? Stressed? Naaaaahhh.

As his sisters and I were ready to book it, what was my dear sweet blessing of a son doing? Watching Karate Kid with dirty breakfast teeth in chocolate milk stained pj's. I. Lost. My. Mind. I grabbed boppy and essentially yelled how I would be holding him (i say "him" because boppy is a living breathing thing in our home) hostage until he did precisely as he had been asked. When he argued, I took boppy away and said how he would be lucky if boppy was still around when he got home from school. He was equal parts devastated and ready to smother me with his butt. But...he did as he was told. He didn't speak to me for the entire car ride to school. But he did as he was told.

I had plans to have my car detailed, take a bubble bath and attempt to ascend Mt. Laundry today. Alas...instead I shall be baking his favorite cookies, washing boppy by hand and preparing an appropriate apology sure to melt the icey heart of my handsome little man.

Crazy-over-reactive-mom: 1. Simplicity: 0.