Will All of the Alpha Moms Please Stand Up

::::sits patiently on the couch::::

Aaahhh, the Alpha Mom. She sails through her day with the greatest of ease. The children look immaculate, she looks immaculate; the house is clean, the car is clean; a delightful dinner is cooked and lunches are packed for the next day; hubby is happy and the dog is walked, fed, and perfectly groomed. And, of course, the children have been to all 87 of their extracurricular activities.

Here's a brief snapshot of my day: Wake up 15 minutes late and stagger into the shower. Slap some clothes and makeup on and dry my hair. Dig $2 in quarters out of the change jar so Brit can buy lunch. She, by the way, is trying to escape to the bus wearing some ridiculous outfit because I forgot to throw laundry in. As I run out the door, I throw a a bag of baby carrots, a loaf of bread, a cheese stick, and crackers into a bag, as this will serve as my breakfast and lunch. Jason is responsible for making sure Ryan gets ready and to where she needs to go in the morning because I cannot possibly handle one more responsibility. Jump in the VW that is covered in dog fur, Kid's Meal toys, pencils, pen, crayons, papers, goody bag toys and empty Dunkin Donut latte cups. Arrive at work 8 minutes late, barely manage to make it through my work day, then head back home. I meal plan, but it usually ends up that we order take out, because who has the time or energy to cook? Ryan throws every block, crayon, and piece of chalk all over the floor, and Molly tries to eat it. Brit complains about homework, school, chores, life, and whatever else she can come up with or try to get out of. I try to pick up the chalk, blocks, and crayons before the dog eats anymore of them while trying to pacify the tween. I throw in some laundry and do the dishes, all while Ryan throws blocks, crayons and chalk all over the place. Wash, rinse, repeat.


Well, Alpha Mom I am not. Beta Mom would be a more appropriate term to describe me. Organization is thrown by the wayside with all hell breaking loose (on some days.) Most important, my girls are happy, well-rounded kids. Does it really matter that all of the laundry is perfectly folded and put away, that there's not a dish in the sink, or a dust bunny behind the couch? Absolutely not. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you and your family are happy. No one will ever remember the disorganization. Unless, of course, you end up as a prime candidate to be on A&E's Hoarders, but that's another entry for annother day.

What Greek mom are you?