Which One Are You?

 Today is a good day to "De-Lurk"... I have seen this comment on many a blog in my blog reading days and have always thought it was funny. I would think to myself... who cares who is reading your blog?? Why do you need to know... I obviously didn't understand the importance of knowing this info. Nor did I understand how happy it makes people knowing that someone - ANYONE- reads what you write (thank you Andrea for you comments!!)! So today... is the day I would like anyone reading my blog to let me know, and I thought I would make it easy to do so by          
1) allowing people that don't have a google account to be allowed to comment
and 2) asking a question that you can answer so as not to feel like you have to write something ridiculous... just answer the question!
and 3) by telling you all to de-lurk. So thank you.

This one's for you Rim (thinking of your play group moms!!) - I want to know which Park Mom you think you are, or if you aren't a mom, what kind you think you will be one day or which one you would like to be!!
This was written by the fabulous writer/blogger Kelle Hampton. You can check out her blog here

This is what she says...

"Our park is where it happens at 4:00 in the afternoon. They come trailing in--moms of all sorts--when the sun sits high and the playground mulch is dry and scorching in the afternoon sun. They come pushing strollers, dragging pony-tailed toddlers, wearing blue-eyed boys that peek out from slings that are snugly pressed against their chests. The proverbial park mom. She smiles and smoothes the ponytail sprouting from her perfectly placed baseball cap. She evenly dodges her glance from slide to swings to see-saw to keep careful and equal attention on all three of her kids and if, God forbid, one of them say, falls off a swing, she's there in a New York minute to spray some antiseptic spray (conveniently stored in an easy access pocket in her diaper bag next to a stash of fruit snacks--organic, of course--and wipes) and kiss a boo-boo. She is completely put together, this Park Mom, and when it's time to pack up and leave, she gives a little whistle and all three kids line up obediently, like she's Captain Von Trapp, and follow her to a freshly-washed SUV.

Then there's another kind of park mom...and, I have to admit, this is why I come to the park. I relate to these ones--these "other kind" of moms--and watching them entertains me in a way none other can. These park moms arrive "in style", as I like to call it, dragging garage sale wagons full of happy kids with messy clothes. They look "lived in," shall we say, slightly unkempt but suggestive of a day's worth of fun. Paint stains. Peanut butter residue. Skipped-a-shower braids. These moms pretend to search diaper bags for fruit snacks to look put together when, really, they know damn well they'll only find crumbs. They forget their wipes and use their sleeves. They keep an eye on Jimmy while losing track of Little Bobby. And my favorite? Oh the entertainment of watching them leave the park. Round up the kids. Call it quits. They start with a plastered smile as they call up, "Time to go! We have to make dinner! Daddy's coming home!" as if the smile somehow tricks the kids into thinking leaving the park to go make dinner is actually fun. But then it gets better. After two fake-happy round-ups, it starts to get ugly. Like, "I'm not kidding. We're leaving. No more slide." and the smile gradually fades. Of course, Jimmy and Bobby know this is all part of the game because, they've been here before, and they know all too well they have like 5 free passes before she really gets mad. So, they slide. They swing. They ignore. Until Other-Kind-of-Park-Mom completely loses her cool and everyone in the park watches as she drags her garage sale wagon, stomps her feet and embarrassingly screams out, "That' it. Get over here now. I'm not gunna ask you again" followed by that stupid ploy we've all done at one point or other in our parenting...the fake "I'm leaving" and the exaggerated stomp out. As if we're actually going to leave our kids. Of course, by this time, me...the innocent park by-stander is completely laughing and waiting for the big finale. The poor, frazzled mom who finally scoops up screaming grown toddlers and drags them through the blazing hot park mulch, into the parking lot and through the doors of a dirty minivan that smells like day-old Happy Meals."

I LOVE it! I laughed out loud, read it to my mom and contemplated which one I am. I like to think Mom A for the reasons of preparedness and control. But I also like to think Mom B for the fun kids and the lack of control. In reality I think I am little of A and B. I usually am prepared, maybe not with antiseptic spray or organic snacks, but with regular snacks and of course wipes - that's just good sense. But I have also been known to sport the skipped a shower braids, and certainly don't drive a fresh from the car-wash SUV. My mom thinks I may be a vision of Mom A right NOW, with only one child to control, but that will quickly change if child number two ever comes along. Good to know what she thinks of me! I think?? its a compliment...
So let me know which you are!! And also maybe if you agree with which one I think I am!