Being a mom is like being an olympic gymnast.

May 5

One day, when my second son was just a baby, we were at storytime at the library. When it was time to leave, my two year old decided that he didn't want to go yet. We were six feet from the doors, and Sam decided to do the sack of potatoes maneuver which then progressed into the helicopter arms, body wiggle evasive maneuver. I had Mark, only a few months old at the time, clutched in one arm while I tried to get a hold of my flailing two-year-old. I remember bending and moving in ways that I didn't think possible for the human body as I tried to hold onto one child while grabbing the other, all while maintaining a smile (that-I-wish-I-could-just-spank-my-child-right-now-but-spanking-is-bad-so-I-would-never-do-that-at-least-not-with-so-many-witnesses smile). And I remember thinking, "This must be what it feels like to be a gymnast in the Olympics." You're pushing your body beyond physical limits all while smiling for the crowd and pretending like it's easy. The only difference is that for moms, there's no cheering crowd, no gold medal. Just as well, the gold medal would probably just end up in the bottom of the toy box with the rest of my jewelry.