I’ve always done my best to keep this blog open and honest so in the spirit of transparency, I decided to share some pictures in here instead of my other social media, so I could share the full stories behind them. A reminder to everyone out there that you shouldn’t compare yourself to what you see on social media because there is often more than meets the eye. So, without further ado, my recent cute pictures and the truth you can’t see.
Photo 1: Arts and Crafts
What you may think: “Oh my gosh! I should do more arts and crafts with my kids! I feel so bad”
The truth behind the photo: When I took this picture I’d recently become unemployed and the kids hadn’t started school yet. I bough these cute ceramics at Walmart and pulled out the poster paint because they were driving me insane and I needed them to leave me alone for a little bit so I could get some things done and have a moment to myself. Also, The Hun is painting hers like a Zombie because within minutes of me giving it to her she tripped and it broke. She was heartbroken and cried so I did my best to hot glue it while I felt (irrationally) guilty because “I should have carried it to the table for her.” After she calmed down we were able to joke and she settled on a Zombie motif. Now it’s one of my favorite Halloween decorations. Can’t get much better than a Unicorn Zombie right?
Photo 2: Date Night
What you may think: “Oh my gosh that’s so cute! We never go out on dates anymore. We must be a no-fun, terrible couple.”
The truth behind the photo: First, we have an amazing support system that makes monthly date nights possible. When we first started doing monthly date nights sometimes it was just trying out a new flavor of chocolate and renting a movie on Prime after the kids went to sleep. It’s about the intent and not the activity. Second, This was legitimately and awesome night with friends and family but it was 100% not planned. I wanted to stay in bed and hide from the world because I was feeling depressed. A taste testing video on YouTube made me hungry and The Hubs remembered that our friend’s band was playing at a restaurant that we liked. On our way there he suggested I text one of our friends and her husband to come out. They joined us along with my parents who mentioned that they were nearby after I texted them a picture of my yummy food. It ended up being exactly what I needed even though it wasn’t what I originally wanted.
Photo 3: Fireworks on The 4th of July
What you may think: “Oh my gosh look how cute!”
The truth behind the photo: This almost didn’t happen because I was being a party pooper and didn’t want to do fireworks. In fact, I very nearly stayed inside while The Hubs and the kids played. The Hubs ultimately won out (thankfully) and we all had fun. They lasted maybe 30 minutes and then we went inside. It was great.
Photo 4: Cute Lunches
What you may think: “My kids wouldn’t eat those veggies.” “I wish I had time to make cute lunches for my kids/myself!” “Those are so cute! Should I be doing something fancier for my kids?”
The truth behind the photo: I love packing their lunches because it gives me an opportunity to be creative with a task that I already have to do. I started packing my kids lunches to save money because I’m not bringing in a regular income right now. I also have time to do this because I’m not working much. If I was still working my last job there’s no way I’d pack them lunch let alone a pretty one. One kid frequently complains about her lunch because she wants to eat cafeteria food like her friends. My parents were kind enough to supply us with goldfish and juice boxes to help me save money and give the girls things they like.
Photo 5: Perfectly Curated Shelves
What you may think: “I really need to organize my shelves, they look so bad.”
The truth behind the photo: It has taken six months of me staring at these shelves and complaining about how ugly and unorganized they looked for me to finally take the time to do this. Not only that, it took me almost an entire day of dusting, throwing out crap that we’d accumulated, and stressing over each random item’s placement to finish this shelf and it’s partner. Mind you, the kids and Hubs left me alone so it was even quiet in the house, I’m just weird about my shelves and my trinkets (much like a dragon or a crow).
Photo 6: Birthday Party
What you may think: “How cute! They went to a birthday party!” Or “Man I hate going to kid parties because I have anxiety!”
The truth behind the photo: I had to tell my kids about this party as soon as they got invited so I wouldn’t be able to back out. I have social anxiety and am terrible at making Mom friends. I knew my kids would have a blast, but I was scared to go and so nervous that I stressed about it the whole way there. I’m so glad I sucked it up and went though, because we had a fantastic time and I did make Mom friends who are awesome and welcoming. (Go me!!) Even more exciting, the girls got to meet other kids that are in their class at school so they were less nervous on their first day of school. I nearly cried after we left because I was so grateful for the experience and to the Mom who thought to invite us even though she barely knew us. It has made this school year so much easier on me and the girls and I’ve got Mom friends now!
In conclusion:
No one is perfect, especially not me or my family. I love social media and magazines and things along those lines but perspective is so important when we look at them. What we see is rarely the whole truth. Too much looking at what could be can often lead us to not see what we have to be thankful for. We all struggle, we all have failures, and self doubt. We all have things we wish we could change. It’s okay to want a better life, but make sure you treat yourself with kindness along the way.
I love you all!
Mom Van Confessions 