WINNER-Confessions MOM
By Sian on Jul 27, 2009 with Comments 53
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED, BUT VOTING IS OPEN UNTIL AUG 31/09. WINNER DECLARED SEPT 01/09.
CLICK HERE TO SEE FINALISTS AND VOTE, THANKS!
We all know that being a mom isn’t always easy. In fact, we think it’s one of the hardest, most unappreciated (and definitely lowest-paying) jobs in the world! But we do it anyway and we do it with love. Sometimes the only reward we get for changing diapers, cleaning spit-up, calming down a tantrum and the endless loads of laundry is…more laundry, more tantrums, more spit and more diapers! We all know it’s well worth the effort, ’cause the little darlings really do love us (and won’t they really appreciate us when they have their own kids!).
But some days, well, we really are lucky to survive the day. Some days, everything seems to go sideways…
When my son was just a few months old, I had one of those days (actually, I had many of those days but this one stands out in my mind). My son was on the change table and he’d been crying a lot that morning. He wasn’t a crier (unlike my poor colicked first-born), so I knew he probably wasn’t feeling well. Right when I pulled off his diaper my three year old daughter came in, chasing the cat. At that exact moment, the cause of my son’s crying became apparent when there was an explosion of epic proportions. I’m talking about a huge geyser of the foulest-smelling liquid poo ever. It shot out of my son’s tiny bum straight across change table covering me, the rug, and everything else in a six foot radius. The pressure was so intense that the spray of poo actually hit the far wall.
It happened so fast that my daughter (the above-mentioned colic queen) slipped in it. Down she went, coating her whole back side and I swear she was screaming even before she fell on the cat. Our poor cat, wild at being trapped in the small room with screaming humans, had turned tail to get out but he wasn’t fast enough and he got squished like a poopy pancake under my daughter. The two of them were a flailing pile of the yuckiest arms, legs and whiskers you’ve ever seen. The poor cat wouldn’t go near any of us for over a week. My eldest still carries a grudge against her little brother years later.
Yup, I don’t know who cried louder – my son, my daughter, the cat, or me.
Boy, those were the days…
Now my kids are older. My eldest is a tween and now we’re dealing with wild hormones and moodiness. And those are just my emotions, never mind the kids. They’re in a league of their own.
So if you are a mom who has recently had an incident of craziness, zaniness or just plain unluckiness, we want you to know that the GGS girls feel your pain. We’re with you, girlfriend, we’ve been there too! We do have one small piece of advice: if you can only hold onto one thing to get you through days like these, let it be your sense of humor. Your sense of humor is what will help you make it through the tough times, and come out the other side as a STRONG MOM. These hard days will pass. We promise!
In the meantime grab a glass of wine, summon your sense of humor and sit down and share your story with the rest of us. We’ve put together a groovy prize pack worth $400 from our generous award sponsors. The story you share will enter you to win our GGS STRONG MOM Award. Or, you can nominate a mom you know who deserves it by sharing her story. (See full instructions below).
Here’s what we’re giving away on behalf of our wonderful sponsors in our Girlgetstrong STRONG MOM Award Prize Pack:
- A $100.00 gift card from Smallfri.com
- An engraved silver heart necklace from SimaG Jewelry
- A $50 Starbucks gift card from Scrapbooker’s Delight
- A Dispose-a-Diaper Bag from mod momME
- Decorative cel phone dangle by New York Designer Kathie Stamou
- The White Noise Variety 3-CD Pack from Pure White Noise
- Mary Kay Skincare line valued at $78 from Michelle Pacello
- Turquoise-dyed jade and cobalt blue sea glass necklace by Designs by Kari
You’ll find all the prize details and links to the GGS STRONG MOM AWARD sponsors below. Be sure to visit the award sponsors’ websites and let them know you appreciate their prizes!
It’s easy to enter, here’s how you do it:
HOW TO ENTER:
In the comment section of this post:
- Tell us who you nominate (yourself or another mother) to be awarded the GGS STRONG MOM prize.
- In the same comment on this post, share with us your humorous mom story (or the story of the mom you nominate). You have until Sunday August 23rd, 2009 for nominations. One entry per person.
After August 23,09:
- After the nomination period closes, we’re going to narrow the entries down to a group of six semi-finalists that we’ll announce on our site and on our Facebook page on August 26/09.
- Then you, our wonderful and wise Girlgetstrong readers will be able to vote for YOUR choice of the winner of the GGS STRONG MOM award here on our site. The final award winner, as voted by our readers, will be announced on September 1/09.
- Stay updated and post your opinions about the nomination stories by visiting our Girlgetstrong Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/girlgetstrong. Become a fan of our page so you don’t miss an update or contest – GGS also runs contests that are exlusive to our Girlgetstrong Facebook page that you won’t find on our site!
GGS STRONG MOM Award prize info:
$100 gift card – Smallfri.com
Smallfri Announcements offers hundreds of stationery products for many of life’s most special occasions.
Our new collection is full of hip and stylish photo birth announcements, baby shower invitations, birthday invitations and custom designed stationery that adds a touch of elegance to your event. We pride ourselves on bringing Mom the most up-to-date colors and trends from the fashion world, right to your birth announcement or invitation.
With our “always on” RUSH service, most orders ship within 1-3 business days of proof approval. And if you are not completely satisfied with your order, return if for a full refund.
We’re so excited to award the GGS STRONG MOM a $100 gift card to our site!
Engraved Sterling Silver Heart Necklace – SimaG Jewelry
♥ My Heart is FOR YOU my dear ♥
My Heart is FOR YOU my dear – necklace wit your name, or your loved one’s name engraved on it.
Hand crafted with love for the GGS STRONG MOM award winner, by SimaG.
Dispose a Diaper Bag – mod momME
These adorable bags are my own creation and are exclusively at mod 
momME. As a mother of little ones still in diapers this bag is a must-have accessory. Dispose a Diaper Bag © key chains are very practical, convenient, and stylish too.
Each Dispose a Diaper Bag © key chain:
~ are approximately 4 1/2″ x 3 3/4″
~ are virtually weightless at ¼ oz empty and 5/8 oz loaded with bags
~ have a small split key ring making it easy to attach to your keys, diaper bag, or anywhere else you can attach keys to.
~ hold up to 15 plastic disposable diaper bags (I recommend purchasing the bags from Dollar Tree as you can get 100 for $1, they are environmentally friendly, and you can even order online!)
Phone Charm Dangle – New York Designer Kathie Stamou
New York designer Kathie Stamou collects eclectic materials from all over the world to incorporate into her inspired accessories. She is known for her innovative use of materials and inventive style. Her phone pulls are just one example of her creativity and skill. Longer and stronger than your typical charm, it allows you to dangle it out of your bag and give it a tug when you need it. Made from metal, it also acts as a counter weight for tucking into your waistband, boot or cleavage! It comes in a little organza bag with a cute poem. Loads of colours and style variations available. A great accessory for the GGS STRONG Mom Award winner!
When you hear that tuneful tone
This will help you find your phone
Attach this bauble to your mobile
Searching is not longer futile
Out your purse or pocket dangle
You’ll no longer need to wrangle
White Noise Variety 3 CD Pack – Pure White Noise
White Noise Variety 3 CD Pack – featuring three of its most popular white noise sounds, this set enables you and your child to benefit from soothing white noise for sleep, relaxation, stress reduction, meditation and blocking out noises. White noise, a gentle hiss or ‘shhhh’ sound like a whispering wind, waterfall, ocean wave or radio static, is nature’s soothing antidote to the disruptive, noisy and stressful world we live in.Play each 73-minute single track CD on your favorite stereo or mp3 player to immediately soothe your senses anywhere, any time, with the peaceful sounds of white noise to create a remarkably tranquil mood. Babies, even the fussiest ones with colic, amazingly stop crying and relax to white noise, too! Includes the gold standard of white noise Pure White Noise®, the all-natural true rainfall sound in Restful Rain, and the comforting steady hum of a running Calming Electric Fan.
Mary Kay Skincare line valued at $78
Michelle Pacello, Independent Beauty Consultant, 585-506-2282
At Mary Kay Cosmetics we have a one of a kind skincare line that is rivaled by none other. I’m a live-every-day-to-the-fullest mother of 2 1/2 year old twins myself and I live for helping women see their inner beauty while putting their best face forward. It’s an overwhelming feeling to see women fall in love with their skin and I’m contributing $78 worth of skincare products to the GGS STRONG MOM Award winner, including 3 sets:
- Tropical Pineapple Gift Set
- Satin Hands Set
- Satin Lips Set
Turquoise-dyed jade and cobalt blue sea glass necklace by Designs by Kari
Measuring 18″ long, this necklace has 12mm of turquoise dyed Jade and 6mm Cobalt Blue Sea Glass. A bright silver chain and simple toggle clasp finish this handcrafted piece.$50 Starbucks gift card from Scrapbooker’s Delight
Scrapbooker’s Delight has a great selection of the cutest scrapbooking supplies on earth. We have everything from digital progamming to simple handcrafted card making supplies. Scrapbooker’s Delight is pleased to give the GGS STRONG MOM award winner a $50 gift card for Starbucks.
Well I am nominating my 31 yeear old daughter- She now works from home after being injured in the line of duty 4 years ago in Iraq, and is divorced after a very abusive marriage that she had the courage to get out of. She is raising 2 daughters (6 & 5) on her own. Her oldest has been in remission for 2 years from pediatric cancer and her youngest is adhd/autistic yet somehow my daughter is always calm and inspiring to everyone. She has now taken on the role of PTA President as the girls prepare for there first day of school. She has organized several fundraisers and school cleanups because she truly believes children come first no matter if there hers or not. If anyone embodies a strong mom I would say it is my little girl HANDS DOWN!
I nominate my Mom.
Mom is a real life Wonder Woman! Her cape is hidden and those bullet stopping bracelets only come out occasionally but she has many super powers! She can fix a toaster, bandage a knee, and mend a teenager’s broken heart.
I’m convinced my mom can do anything. In her 40’s she was raising 3 children, taking care of a very sick husband, looking after 2 elderly boarders, managing a farm with over 200 animals often by herself, and did a day’s work that would exhaust any 3 men combined.
There is an item in mom’s kitchen that has a place of honour in our family. It is a single large yellow mixing bowl the kind that’s early Corningware and very breakable. Mom got it when she was first married in 1954 and she always told us as kids, “If that yellow bowl ever breaks I am giving up baking forever!” No crown jewels, no expensive piece of the finest china has ever been washed and dried as carefully as my sister and I washed that yellow mixing bowl. The bowl is still around and Mom is still baking.
She loves her cat Harley, playing Parcheesi, adores the colour red, and watching Dr. Phil. A few years ago when Dr. Phil’s favourite saying was, “What the hell were you thinking?” and he was letting the occasional other swear word on television out Mom had had enough. She decided tough love was in order and she would send Dr. Phil “an internet” her words for email, saying how much she loved his show, and that he gave a lot of wise advice, but it was important not to swear as he was setting an example for others and young people might be watching.”
Mom will soon be 83. She’s faced injury and illness and the inevitable slowing down with time. Now she may only have the stamina of any 2 men combined. She has days where back pain forces her to lie down most of the day and others where she will climb up a ladder and clean out an eaves trough or repair a clothes line.
She has faced the death of a daughter and a husband and her faith in God remains strong as a rock. There are 6 words that I have heard her say so many times that to me defines who she is. She says these 6 words to friends, family, in prayer to God, and to strangers. Those 6 words are what can I do for you?
Mom is a woman who lives her faith. Someday she will be in heaven and the world will be a much lesser place. When she was asked what was the first thing she would do when she got to heaven was, my nephew piped up with, “Oh she’s going to clean it.” But I think she’s going to be kneeling at the feet of God and saying, “What can I do for you?”
my daughter celeste is the strongest mom i know.she is 22 and will be in the marines till aug28.i dont see how she gets up at 3 for pt ,takes a shower,goes home to grab baby and do it all over again.plus cleaning the whole house is so nest,her husband dont help at all,they ususally work till 7 or 8 at night if not later.aiden is so well adjusted he just has one flow he is attracted to ladies the prettier the better,and if get close enough his hand at 16 months goes down the shirt.but my funny story is granny was checing out at walmats with aiden and all of a sudden i hear water lots of it,the little tike had learnes had to move in his seat so it would go straight on the floor,about 1 gallon.the walmart clerk said did he throw up,i said yea and took off out of there so fast it was not funny.called his mom on cell and told her to meet us out side.
I consider myself a very strong Mother. I raised my daughter all by myself after leaving a very bad relationship. It wasn’t until I became pregnant with her, that the man I was with changed. I left after taking months of verbal abusive, cheating, lying, and stealing. You name it, he did it. My daughter is now 4 and I also have a 6 month old baby boy with a man whom I love with all my heart.
I am a strong mother because I endure what every mother does, and I stay true to myself. I will not say I am stronger than other mothers, because I believe all woman who raise children are strong. It is alot harder than some people think.
I would like to nominate my neighbor. She is a wonderful mother raising her 3 kids and doing a wonderful job. i didn’t know her before her husband died in 9/11 because she moved next door to me after but I know he would have been proud of her. The kids are such beautiful kids and to see her so involved with them is an unbelievable experience. She plays ball with the boys and i know that she wishes dad was there to do it. i think the hardest thing I had to witness was when a week or 2 ago when his birthday had pass. Her daughter was sad and was talking to her about it and then her daughter said to her. I love you mommy and hugged her. She loves those kids more than anything in this world. She is one special woman.
I nominate myself for the Strong Mom Award. When I was 14, I met my first boyfriend. I was with this guy for 11 years. When I was 24, two kids later, I realized that it was time to leave this man that had slowly become an alcoholic and had always been possessive. I decided that If I was going to leave, I needed to leave the state in which I had grown up. Being a small town girl, it was definetely a scary thought-but this is what I knew I had to do in order to provide my children with a healthy and stable upbringing. The only option that crossed my mind was to join the military. At age 24 I knew I’d be much older than the other recruits, but I was willing to get passed that. My biggest challenge was “could I leave my children to go to bootcamp and then reestablish a household for them?” I prayed about it hoping that God would give me a direct answer. That answer came to me one day when I was at work (I worked a the local bank) and I turned to someone that I respected as a Woman and as a spirtual mentor.. she told me..”Angel, If its meant to be.. u will know.. just pray about it”..So after many nights of deliberation, crying to no end and praying I decided that it was the ONLY way.. for once I had a clear choice with no reservations other than the anxiety of leaving my children. I left for bootcamp.. left everyone and everything that I have ever known…I did, and I made past bootcamp, made it to my first duty station..and soon I had a custody battle on my hands! My childrens father claimed that by leaving I had “abandoned” them… I was not going down without a fight.. I worked a second job at L3 Communications, got a car, moved out of the barracks and rented my own apartment. I drove down from California to Washington state 2 days before Christmas..I went to court and after $4000 worth of lawyer fees I brought my childre HOME to live with me…This sacrifice was not about MY happiness..it was a sacrifice that I made for my children. As parents this is what we do! I am now happily married to a wonderful guy that I met while deployed overseas. He is also active duty. So even now there are times when I find myself being mommy, daddy, working full time AND a full time student … I AM STRONG AND I PROOF THAT AS HARD AS LIFE CAN BE AT TIMES, THERE IS A WAY..AND THIS GIRL WILL ALWAYS FIND HER WAY!
Jessica Tarbet. I am a new mother of a beautiful 4 month old baby girl. I am lucky to have a job where I work graves so I get to be home with her all day and we have become inseperable. Well, her dad likes to startle me. The other day she was playing in her exersaucer and I had to get something in the other room when I came back he jumped out of the hall way and scared me. When she saw that I was scared she started screaming hysterically. My husband picked her up and tried to calm her but she wasn’t having it. As soon as I went over to her and told her it was all right and I was fine she calmed right down. It is nice to know that I have someone in the house that will stand up for me. Even though she is only 4 months.
Oh, I know so many great moms that are working hard at being a mommy! I think I will nominate myself though! I work full time as a consultant (basically computer programmer), then I am also in the Air Force Reserves, which I struggle with all the time needed to be apart of it. The first comment everyone says is “oh, it’s only one weekend a month”, but if only they knew! It’s a huge commitment of not only one weekend a month (which always falls on a wedding, baby shower, birthday party for one of my nephews, or any other exciting event I have to miss out on), but they also ask for at least 15 other days in the year or more. This year has been the hardest. Not to mention having to be deployed or going TDY. I’ve missed out on holidays, my daughter’s first day of kindergarten and so many other things. In the end I know it’s a good thing to do and I’ve been in for 12.5 years, so I only have less than 8 to go until retirement, but one day I will be the parent who can dedicate time to my children’s events on the weekend and not have other parents pick up my slack!
There are a few great things that come from it. My oldest daughter is very proud of me working on airplanes and brags to all the other kids in her class. I think all the little boys are excited to ask me a million questions. My favorite thing a little boy said so far that I had no idea of even how to reply was “You are an army man! You know you are going to go to war and die!” The innocence in how he said it was so cute and funny. I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded my head and smiled.
In the end I know it’s a way I can repay my country, so I am proud to me in the Air Force Reserves.
that is a really nice gift,everything to spoil us women, i know every one of us like to special now and again. this gift would do just that. thanks
I nominate my daughterinlaw who is a working mom and is raising 4 boys:)with the help of my son of course:) She works ,does laundry, cooks, cleans etc. She is an excellant mom and makes sure her kids needs are met and that they are clean and neat:)
I am a single mom of 3 boys (13, 11, and 7), and they definitely keep me on my toes! Last year, the oldest was being verbally harassed by another kid at his school. For weeks, the other boy was calling him names and was often waiting for him after school to “start trouble” with him. I was always there to pick up my son so that nothing would happen, but then one day I parked further away than normal since there were other cars in the way. The “bully” didn’t know I was there. When my son was walking to the car, he yelled at him, “I’m gonna kick your a__!” So, my son got angry and ran toward this boy. I jumped out of the car and ran toward them both yelling, “Noooo!” They collided and fell to the ground. I was so upset, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt…including myself! I guess what I did next came to me because of my kids’ experience in karate when they were younger. My son is bigger than me, and the other boy was about my size also. So, I put my thumbs on the kids’ eyes to hold him down! I told my son to let go of him and go to the car, and I held him down for a minute until my son was safely inside. I’m sure that kid was really embarrassed that another kid’s mom held him down, but I was relieved that no one got hurt. Now, when my kids are misbehaving, I will say, “Don’t make me use these!” and hold up my thumbs, and we all get a good laugh out of it. Sometimes being strong means making smart choices at critical moments, and I think I did that in this case.
i am strong, very strong, but the bad side of being strong is we sometimes have a tendency to forget about ourselves,which i did, but now being strong means to be good and kind to myself,laugh alot,forgive fast and enjoy being strong with no attitude, which i had before. so yes i am happy strong now. i love yoga it keeps me balanced so i can give more. thanks.
I am a strong mom. During my 7th month of pregnancy, my husband’s employer told him he would be laid off. We had just bought a house, and I was now off work for my mat leave. My husband could only find work in California, (we live in Vancouver), and as I was already pregnant, we would have to wait to have the baby in Canada as his medical would not cover the delivery costs. Our daughter was nine days late…we had her checked by specialists, and then we had to load up a car, and drive a 5 day old 3 days South to California. After 9 months, we were able to get a job back in Canada!
should i tell the same story, over and over i do not know. thanks
I am a strong mom!
Today I came downstairs to feed my 8 month old breakfast, only to find a trail of ants from wall to wall to wall. I was horrified! I hate bugs, so I told my husband that when he gets home from work “we” will have to do something about this. However, after my little guy’s morning nap we decided to play on the carpet in the living room… as my son was showing me his wonderful toys, my eyes blur from his cute little face and focus in on a HUGE ant pulling away a piece of cookie that had fallen from my son’s pants. THAT WAS IT! I waited till Ethan (my son) went down for his second nap in the afternoon, and then… IT WAS WAR! Cleaned everything top to bottom, only to find where the ant trail origin was… I brought out the good stuff (spider killer) and hosed down the hole they were sneaking through, then I looked outside and found MILLIONS of Ants dying @ the site of entry on the outside of the house too… I felt like a real Commander and Chief! I had won the war. They were defeated! I AM SO STRONG!