Welcome to Mommy Tsunamis

If you look in the mirror and wonder, "How did I get like this?"...you may have been hit by the Mommy Tsunamis.

If you say and do things that you swore you would never say or do as a mother...you may have been hit by the Mommy Tsunamis.

If you are still in shock over how many disgusting bodily fluids a mommy deals with on any given day...you may have been hit by the Mommy Tsunamis.

When I first became a mommy, now almost 7 years ago (Yikes! Has it been that long?? All those people at the supermarket were right! It does go fast!), it was as if I had been hit by a Tsunami. I felt like a giant wave had come crashing over me and I really didn't know which end was up. I was drowning, gasping in a sea of dirty diapers and sleepless nights and doubts about my qualifications for even being a mother. Not knowing if I would ever again see the shores of the life I used to know. A life filled with hot meals and long showers and spontaneous romantic escapades with my husband.

There were times when I would finally get to the surface and take a deep breath and think, "Alright, now it should be smooth sailing!" Only to be hit by another wave...another pregnancy (let's add a couple more tots to this three-ring circus!), a new "stage" (potty training, tantrums, pooping in the tub...I mean, seriously?), a change of location (Let's make things interesting and move across the country!), or some major mommy moment... like Kindergarten. (You totally think you're ready, and you've actually been looking forward to it for like five years, and then it hits you..."My BABY is in Kindergarten!" Followed by soft sobs)

So in the midst of these waves of babies and poop and days of ceaseless whining (Lord, Help me!!), when I thought I might actually drown...I didn't.

I was rescued.

Not by the Coast Guard or the Navy Seals, but by other mommies who were trying to stay afloat in their own Tsunamis. Mommies who would listen to my sob story, and then would smile knowingly and say, "Oh, that totally happened to me last week!" My lifelines became MOPS groups and other "Mommy" groups, telephone calls to understanding mommy friends, and blogging. And it is amazing how laughing about the poop in the tub with another mommy can keep one afloat for the rest of the day or longer!

Friendship and community are powerful, beautiful things. They definitely have helped me not only stay afloat, but also to become a better mom. I have been so deeply encouraged and totally inspired by other moms!

And so, it is this concept of "friendship and community between mothers" that inspired my sister, my sister-in-law, and myself to start a blog-community for moms. We wanted to create a place where we can share ideas, ask questions, express our creativity, and encourage one another. And we wanted to invite other mommies like yourself to join us on our journey.

So if you are sinking, feel free to grab on. And if you are floating, perhaps you could lend us your aid.

And if we stick together we just might be able to relax and enjoy the ride, as we all try to figure out how to surf the waves of motherhood...the Mommy Tsunamis.