Keep Calm and Carry On

Today I took Abby to Chik-fil-a for breakfast and to play since it was really chilly and I thought it would be great for her to run some energy off somewhere other than our house.  Well, let's just say that the experience was a little less than optimal.  It all started when I spilled scalding-hot coffee on my hand and burned it from thumb to wrist.  Then, after I cleaned that up and started eating, I realized a little too late that Abby had stuffed a lot of the biscuit I gave her in her mouth because as I reached to help her take some of said biscuit out, she preempted my action by vomiting it out instead...all over her shirt, highchair and ground.  :-/

Stinkerdoodle eating hummus out of a bowl

Luckily, Chik-fil-a has these little Purell had wipes so I was able to give her, the highchair and the ground a mini-sterilization (with about 15 wipes...).  It is at this point that I realize that the change of clothes that I ALWAYS have with me, and that I ALWAYS congratulate myself for being so wise for carrying, is not in my diaper bag.  Nope.  I had taken it out to switch out the outfit (for a more warm version) and had failed to replace it.  So now I have to run errands with a vomit-scented toddler!

Then I go to take her into the play area and she inexplicably does not want to even ENTER the play area.  She kept shaking her head "no" and looking up in the air.  I finally looked to see what she was afraid of and they had a car in the air as part of the play area and for some reason it was frightening her enough that she didn't want to go in...nevermind that we went to breakfast and played at this very same Chik-fil-a last week and the car never even crossed her mind.

But you know what?  Despite things being a little less than stellar, I still got some good laughs in because Abby was being very Abby G-ish.  She danced a little, flirted a little and when we went to Walmart to run some errands after breakfast, she screamed "HIIIIIII!" at the display of Valentine's Day stuffed animals and made a lot of people smile!

I just recently bought a new mug from a local store here in NC that has the quote "Keep Calm and Carry On" on it.  I love the mug and the saying because to me it is how I view motherhood.  Some days things work out just like planned and everyone has a great attitude and there is no whining and it is just great...and other days, not so much.  But you just have to take deep breaths and carry on through it all because all of it is worth it!  Living and experiencing the good, the bad and the ugly together is what life is all about.  I love how being Abby's mommy has helped remind me of that!