You know that mom who sits next to her children each night as they do their homework? The one who helps them pick out their clothes and perhaps even irons when necessary? It’s the same mom who makes her children’s breakfast for them and packs their lunches each morning.
Yeah… that’s not me.
I start off the morning around 7:45 (unless I forget), by marching up the stairs to my children’s bedrooms, singing this rabble-rousing song:
Rise and shine and give God the glory! Rise and shine and give God the glory! RISE! AND! SHINE! AND! GIVE GOD THE GLORY! GLORY! CHILDREN! OF THE! LORD!
It starts off nice and easy, but the kids know if they don’t holler, “I’m up!” before I get to the chorus, it’s gonna get ugly (and loud) in a hurry.
I am the mom who has forgotten to take first day of school pictures ever since my oldest graduated from first grade. This year was no exception.
Saul and I were driving to Columbus for my doctor appointments when I groaned, “Ugh. I forgot to take First Day of School pictures AGAIN!”
He didn’t seem to think of this as a parenting failure. His response was, “Please… who even does that anymore?”
So, I hopped on Facebook. And as he drove, I listed them… Debbie, Jan, Liz, Heidi, another Liz, Deirdre, Cathy, RaeAnna, Shelly, Erin, MaryBeth, Danne, Crystal, Tracy, Nicolle, and yet another Liz. I could go on, but I think you get the point. So did Saul.
He countered with, “My mom never took First Day of School pictures.”
Okay, I know my mother-in-law and I know she took First Day of School pictures.
So we called her. Not wanting to stir the pot, she played the neutral role of Switzerland and said, “I’m sure there were probably a few years I forgot…” Yeah, right.
So, I’m not the mom who takes First Day of School pictures. Instead I’m the mom who takes Second Day of School Pictures! 
I may not be “that mom” but I know I’m a good mom. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m a great mom. I found that out last night when I saw the drawing my 9 year old son did on his first day of school… instead of declaring green as his favorite color for the 4th year in a row, this year he drew a big smiley faced picture of himself and proudly wrote “Green/Pink.” 
See, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And when life gives you cancer, you teach your kids to love pink.
