Maverick Mama Bear

I am not your average, mainstream mama bear. That didn’t happen by choice. And, although my journey into motherhood started out pretty ordinary, it has evolved into something quite unusual. As a mother of four, I have been blessed to experience raising both boys and girls. And, what a whirlwind it has been. Our life has been so far from what’s typical, I sometimes feel like I am part of some research project where the variables are altered daily just to see how I’ll react. Or am I unknowingly participating in some kind of situational comedy where an audience sits down each week to see how I’ll muddle through the next challenge?

My experiences as a mother have led to an almost unbelievable résumé. To begin with, I am a twin mom, and my twins arrived with separate rare genetic disorders. As such, I am also a mother who has spent time in the trenches of both NICUs (neonatal intensive care unit) and PICUs (pediatric intensive care unit). I am a special needs mom which means I have dealt with feeding tubes, surgeries, injections, orthotics and different types of therapies. I have been a working mom and a stay-at-home mom. I have experienced sending my children to public school and private school. I am the mom school personnel love to see; I am also the one who scares them a little. I spent years as a homeschooling mom. I am a mom of academically gifted children and of a child who struggles greatly with school. I have dealt with a child who refused food for three years and one that spent several years wanting to be a dog. I have dealt with chronic bed wetting and barking (see previous statement). I am the mom armed with antihistamine and epinephrine. I have cheered loud and cursed officials with the best of them as a travel ball mom, football, basketball and wrestling mom. Along with my children, I learned dances, cheers and Tang Soo Do forms. I am a mom whose children have peed their pants literally everywhere from school classrooms to festivals to the batter’s box at home plate. And the list goes on. Simply put, in the dressing room of motherhood, I have been squeezed into a lot of dresses.

When others hear of my experiences, they either ask me how I pissed off the higher power or they tell me I should write. It occurred to me I might have something to say that someone might want or need to hear. So, here it comes from a mom who’s been in this dressing room too long to sugarcoat. Don’t expect one of those cutesy blogs with pretty pastels and inspirational words written in delicate fonts. I have been in corridors of motherhood that few walk through. I did, after all, give birth to four of the most unpredictable, unconventional, truly authentic, mavericks this world has ever seen. And I’ll be damned if that isn’t my favorite thing about them. So, take this caveat to heart, what I have to say will likely be more cautionary tale than inspiration. Whether it makes you laugh or cry or just thank the good lord you’re not in my shoes, it will be time well spent for both of us, I hope.