Winning the Mom Olympics

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The XXXI Summer Olympics are upon us. The world’s greatest athletes are gathering in Rio de Janeiro to display their best and compete for the coveted gold medals. Eight weeks into summer, I feel like we have our own Olympic games taking place. The flexibility of unstructured days is enjoyed, as is the spontaneous nature. However, there are certain parts of summer that make me feel like a world class athlete in the ‘Mom Olympics.’

mom olympics

I am honored to have qualified for the following games:

SYNCHRONIZED Scheduling

Between my own marathon training, summer camps, playdates, doctor appointments, and lessons, I go into each day hopeful that it moves along swimmingly. Two different calendars are needed to keep it all in sync. While I am slightly behind on my training plan, my son has made it to all scheduled appointments and was only late to soccer camp twice. Most noteworthy,  I never once forgot to pick him up!

Mom Olympic medal awarded – Silver

SHOT-PUT it in the Laundry

As a seven-year-old active boy, my son is just now going through a clothes phase. Changes of shorts, shirts, and socks happen multiple times a day. “PUT it down the chute!” I hear myself holler repeatedly, all the while thankful for the laundry chute that feeds dirty clothes directly to the basement. Victory is mine, I claim, as I wash, dry, fold repeat. At least for a day.

Mom Olympic medal awarded – Silver

HURDLES Over the Book and Toy Piles

Lego creations migrate out of my son’s bedroom and end up all through the house, with pieces in nearly every room. Block structures take over the living room floor. With library books stacked along the stairs, in the bathroom, and on the backseat of the car, I am constantly tripping on, stepping over or moving around some pile of something.

Mom Olympic medal awarded – Bronze

WRESTLING into Bed

Truth be told, this is my favorite game of all. I love the routine of laughing about the day’s escapades, sharing ideas for tomorrow, watching his thoughtfulness as he decides between his newest Star Wars book or the current chapter book. “Mom, we had a really fun day didn’t we? I love summer,” he whispers as his eyes fight to stay open. The memories he holds, the joy he feels is the true victory. It is worth every hurdle and all the synchronization.

Mom Olympic medal awarded – Gold

Gabrielle Douglas, Olympic Gold Medalist, once said, “The hard days are the best because that’s when champions are made.” So march on, mamas, and hold that torch high! Despite where we stand on the podium, we are all champions in the Mom Olympics!

What Mom Olympic games are you competing in this summer?

1 COMMENT

  1. This is is easy stuff…..I wish I had a 3-16 year old again! Now at almost 30 the hardest event is seeing your children make choices you would not necessarily make, let them do it any way and suffer the consequences. It’s harder than anything I have ever done parenting-wise up to this point…even when I worked full time and had to find infant child dare at three months!

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