Being "That Mom" - A story of motherhood one-upsmanship

Our power went out shortly before we went to get Tycho ready for bed. After a very short, dark bath and nursing him to sleep, Matt and I went outside to enjoy the last few moments of sunlight, and I brought out a project to work on for Teacher Appreciation Week.

While we were out, our neighbor Megan (y'all remember her from my pimping her photography!) came over to see what I was doing, and when I told her, she said, "Oh, you're that mom. You'd better mock the hell out of yourself on your blog!"

So here I am. Mocking myself. Because honestly, I kinda deserve it.

Like I mentioned, this week has been Teacher Appreciation Week. In celebration, our daycare offered a day-to-day suggestion on how to celebrate, from our teachers' favorite snacks and drinks to suggestions for a special note and a gift card. I admit that I had been lax on preparing at all, as we were getting over norovirus and getting ready for going out of town this weekend.

I decided earlier today to combine pretty much every day's suggestion into one end-of-the-week gift, and being the person I am, I couldn't just stop at getting each teacher a candy bar and a Starbucks card.

Oh, no.

I had to be that mom.

You know who I'm talking about. That mom: She sashays with her designer heels into daycare centers and school classrooms all over the country, not a single hair out of place or a stroke of makeup unapplied, with her fashionable kid and an elaborate tray of gluten-, egg-, and dairy-free cupcakes in tow. She is the envy of every child, the bane of every mom's existence, and there is always at least one in every PTA meeting.

Despite my appearances (because like hell am I wearing heels or sporting anything but a ponytail and maybe some eyeliner), I do make a sincere effort to go all out with holidays and special occasions for other people, Tycho's teachers notwithstanding. I mean, come on... I'm the mom who, after her son's first week of daycare, gave the classroom a heartfelt card and box of chocolates for putting up with my post-maternity leave neuroses.

I mean, look at this:

This is just for Teacher Appreciation Week! Those vases? Full to the brim with each teacher's favorite candy. The cards? Good for at least one caffeine-fueled Starbucks buzz. The flowers? I totally plucked them from premade arrangements and made them my own because they weren't good enough as they already were. And finally, the coup de grace: All of this is handmade. Just like a good that mom.

I'm not doing this for one-upsmanship. Like I told Matt (and he assured me that he knows this is true), I do this because I enjoy it and because it brings me happiness, a joy that I hope is shared with the recipient of each of these little gifts. It's not about showing any other mama up.

Just like when I breastfeed. Or cloth diaper (ooh, that one has become an obsession!). Or babywear, or decorate like crazy for holidays, or have yet to leave the baby with a sitter, or anything else that can label me as that (and especially that crunchy) mom.

However much I may be that mom, though, one thing is for sure: I'm also exactly the mom I wanted to be, who takes pride in the little things and tries to blow off the other things that just don't matter.

As for Teacher Appreciation Week? Just wait until next year... :)

Yeah. I totally deserve to be called That Mom. LOL


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