Never say Never....

Did you ever grow up promising yourself you were never going to be like your mother?

I did.

I had very specific ways I was never going to be like her.

Most are because I am alot more lazy than my mom is. 

For example,

I HATED rolling up the vacuum cord. It didn't make sense to me. Why go to all that work to wind it up if you are just going to unwind it the next day?

Funny thing is, Aaron had the same opinion. 

So for the first many years of our living in a house together, the cord was never wound up. It always looked messy, sloppy and in the way.

That vacuum blew up so we went in search of a new one.

I found the miracle vacuum.

#1 it was green!!!

#2 it has a button to wind up the cord BY IT SELF!!!!

Mom never bought "good" food. I promised myself my cupboards would be full of "good" food.

I remember the first time Aaron and I went grocery shopping together.

I think all we came out of the grocery store with was, pop tarts, sugar (all the really good kinds that mom never bought us. She was awesome at making us eat healthy) cereals, fruit roll-ups, candy, chips, soda and every other kind of "good" food you can imagine.

Eventually we have had to limit how much of that good stuff we buy.

But we still make sure we have a little supply of "good" food.

One thing you will always find in our cupboard,

a nice big box of sugar cereal.

Mom loves to organize.

Our dressers and closets were always perfectly in order. 

I HATED folding clothes.

Never really had a good reason. 

I just really do not like it!

My drawers were always a mess. Such a mess that sometimes you couldn't open them.

Mom would send me in to organize it.

Of course I was naughty and wouldn't do it so she would come in, take the drawer and dump it all on the floor.

I would begrudgingly organize my drawer grumbling the whole time. 

When it was done I wouldn't want her to see my satisfactory look because I really love an organized drawer.

Everything so neat and tidy. You know exactly where everything is.

Here is a picture of my kids drawers and you will see if I take after my mother.

Some traits I picked up from my mom that I like....

I remember Mom spending many a hours sorting our toys. 

But I loved it because when I wanted to play Barbies it was all there! 

She had a rule, no toys in the living room.

I never understood the rule until I became a mom who lets her kids drag out every toy.

When an unexpected guest drops by your house looks horrible!

Strangely enough, I love organizing the kid's toys.

Every night I make sure they are all sorted and we have all the pieces.

I love the feeling of going to bed with a clean room.

Brooke does too because every time I clean she gives me a great big hug and says, 

"thank you so much Mommy for cleanin my woom!"

When Mom cleaned the kitchen,

She CLEANED the kitchen.

Every nook, cranny, crack, spot, surface, hole, under, above, in & out.

It never really bothered me. 

I just didn't get it.

Until I had my own house to take care of.

When those little details are overlooked your house looks disgusting!

Our fridge was making an awful noise a while back.

So my Mom instincts took in and I pulled out the fridge, got out the vacuum and began cleaning. 

Aaron thought I was nuts but I got the noise to stop!

I remember feeling very triumphant and proud of my Mom for teaching me something that seems so insignificant.  

I may have a messy house, but my house is always clean, just like my Momma taught me.

The other day Bubba had gotten into the garbage can and got icky stuff all over the floor. 

I got so angry and started going on and on about the disgusting mess.

Aaron looked at me and started laughing.

of course that made me more angry and I asked him what was so funny.

His reply,

"Ok Mindy"

What?!!!

"I just got his flashback to when you were little, and I bet your mom freaked out at mess just like you are doing!"

yes.

I hate mess.

Mom Hates mess.

If we had a log of everytime my mom or I have said that.. 

It would make the Guiness Book of World Records. 

Mess on top of a stressful day/bad hormones/lack of coffee or chocolate 

makes for one very crabby mom.

Clean brings a happy peace. 

Maybe if I wasn't so lazy I would have more peace in my house...

Even though I have several things that I do differently from my Mom, 

I realized one day, I am still exactly like her,

but in my own way.

By watching her I learned how to take care of a house. Take care of myself. Take care of my children.

I inherited her good traits and some of her bad traits.

I gained my own ideas and opinions that when molded with what I gained from my mom,

 has brought me to the person I am today.

I wonder sometimes if the Lord gave me her bad traits so when I am really struggling, I can go to her and get help and guidance? 

Makes me smile that the Lord even considers that little detail important. 

Makes me feel even more loved that the Lord gave me an example to watch, follow, or not follow, model and learn from.

Thank you Lord for my mother and making me just like her :)

Just had to throw in a cute picture of the kids.
Oh, and I guess it shows one more difference..
I am feeding my kids hot dogs!
Ok, usually I am just like my mom and don't buy them.
But this was a desperate attempt to get them dinner before breakdowns happened!