I'll have some sugar on my quinoa, please.

Just like most moms/wives, I spend about 73% of my time thinking of what I am making for the next meal. Whether it be boxed cereal or mac and cheese, I try my best to make 2/3 of the meal somewhat healthy to achieve well, you know, 'balance'.  Balance is such a funny word. It is thrown in every walk of life as the ultimate goal: a healthy balanced diet; a work-life balance; a social life balance.

Being a boy mom, I have also realized balance is just as important in my expectations of their reactions. 

Tonight as I was driving the boys home from daycare, we had the usual "what's for supper?" conversation. They ask this almost immediately upon entering the vehicle. If I have something that I have worked really hard on I have learned to minimize it. I call pretty much everything "hotdish" even if it is grilled salmon on rice. I used to tell them my immaculate plans only to hear the polite disappointment in their voices when it wasn't one of the 3 following items... pizza, hot dogs, or spaghetti.  Now we RARELY have spaghetti. This is purely selfish on my part because I hate the mess it makes and the stains it leaves. But every once in awhile when I'm feeling ambitious, I have the privilege of announcing that it is "SGETTI NIGHT!" And tonight was that night.  I could hear the genuine excitement in my boys reactions while I tried to hide my discontent with the inevitable aftermath. (Not to mention that one rogue hardened noodle that I am bound to step on two days later that feels like a mini knife in the ball of my foot). It takes about 7 minutes to drive home from daycare, about 30 seconds from the driveway, I hear my eldest say "That's good mom; {long pause} that's good  that you didn't make chicken again"; as he stared contently out the window. Did I mention he is 3 years old? I couldn't help but laugh out loud and ask him to repeat it, again in the most calm and understated way he gave me kudos on making spaghetti of all things. But really he showed me that balancing the healthy grilled chicken with a carb-filled plate of spaghetti wasn't something to dread but something to be proud of because it brought joy to my boys.

Now part of this next example is very much because all 3 of boys are so young still and not necessarily a part of the boy mom repertoire but still applicable. A few months before each of the boys birthdays I begin my birthday party planning.  I dream of the menu, decor, and gifts. I try to establish a common theme by spending countless hours on Pinterest, searching anything starting with "boy..." Turns out most of the cute birthday party ideas I am drawn to are for girls so hence the filter. But over time, I have realized they don't really care about the theme, in fact no one really cares about the theme except for me. I've learned little boys simply like fun things, happy people, and sugar.

This doesn't mean I am going to stop planning or Pinteresting  (or cooking chicken more than spaghetti) because it something that brings ME joy. I sprinkle in what brings THEM joy and we call it, you guessed it....'balance'. I am still going to arrange the fruit tray like Captain America's shield even if  I've never watched a full episode of The Avengers. I am still going to buy coordinating "garbage silverware" as the boys call it. It might be in Hulk green but oh well!


They have taught me it is OK to bend a little more than I am used to outside of comfort zone in a effort to find the ever so coveted balance and I'm so thankful for that.