Become a subscriber and receive my “Mealtime Magic – Biblically Based Conversation Cards” FREE!
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Happy Home Fairy

Helping Moms Build Happy Homes

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Crafts
  • Freebies
    • FREE Printables
    • Giveaways
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Soups/Salads
    • Appetizers/Snacks
    • Treats
  • Celebrate
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Teacher Appreciation
    • Mother’s Day
    • End of School Year
    • Summer
    • Father’s Day
    • 4th of July
    • Back to School
    • Fall
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Birthdays
  • Faith
    • Comforting in Crisis
    • Fairy Thoughts
    • Motherhood
    • Marriage
    • Parenting
    • NICU Mommies

To Make You Feel Better About Your Life?

Like It? Share It!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Print

Messy Motherhood. =)We didn’t have any toilet paper in the house.  And the boys needed haircuts.  So I attempted to do both of these things during the lunch hour without thinking to pack snacks and drinks.

I might as well have said, “Hey boys, how can I help you fail today?”

They did awesome at the haircut place.  So awesome, in fact, that I even preached a sermon on the drive to Target about how I was sure the Lord used their obedience and happy hearts to show barber Paul the love of God.  What a good witness for Christ!

Then we headed into Target.

Happy Baby immediately announced he was thirsty.  Happy Buddy wanted to visit the toy section.  And mama got distracted in the dollar bins.

45 minutes later we were finally heading out of the store with 200 other things on top of the toilet paper (because TARGET).  We had never made it to the water fountains, but I had let the boys each have one of those fruit squeeze packs.  Problem solved.

As we were walking to the checkout counter my eyes landed on an item that I knew Happy Baby would LOVE.  I had seen the item a long time ago, but then it had been out of stock for so long I figured it was never coming back.  But there it was and there was only one.

It would make a great Christmas gift.

I had a brilliant idea!  Happy Buddy could buy it and give it to his brother for Christmas!  How sweet and loving!

But my mother’s instinct whispered, “Don’t do this right now.  Wait and come back.”

I pushed that thought aside, though, thinking the item would be gone by our next Target visit.

So I told Happy Buddy the plan for Operation Get Brother His Christmas Gift.  I told him to sneak back, grab the toy and hide it behind his back.  Yay for brothers serving brothers and doing nice things for each other!

At this point my mother’s instinct was yelling, “ABORT MISSION!!  THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK!  THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE MAGICAL!”

But brotherly love!!!

I pushed the cart with Happy Baby inside to the front of the store and we waited for Happy Buddy to meet us.  The checkout lines were really long, so we had some time for Happy Baby to remember that he was thirsty.

This happened right around the same time that Happy Buddy returned and revealed to me how little he understood about how to hide a toy behind his back.

Happy Baby caught a glimpse of the toy and immediately starting crying out for it.  I tried to block his view but to no avail.  The damage had been done.  He began to wail for the toy and things escalated quickly to DEFCON 1.

At this point, Happy Buddy realized that he had failed his super secret mission and my little perfectionist dissolved into tears alongside his brother.  Happy Buddy wanted me to hold all 50 pounds of him and Happy Baby wanted the toy and the water and I wanted a Xanax.

I sent Happy Buddy away to return the toy (which obviously THRILLED Happy Baby) and I hurriedly tried to unload our items on the conveyor belt – only to discover that Happy Baby had accidentally squeezed his squeeze fruit pack all over several items in the cart.  Good grief.

Everyone was crying, crying, crying, and my calm, peaceful, smile and attempts at conversation with the cashier was waning.

There was a young, single woman behind us in the checkout line witnessing the events unfolding around me and I could not help but wonder if this young, single woman was getting a glimpse of motherhood that was quite possibly affirming her calling to become a nun.

Why don’t they tell you about these scenarios in all the parenting books?!  I needed wisdom!

I do not even know how we got out of the store alive.

The boys were repentant the instant they got in the car.

But mama was upset.

I was embarrassed by their behavior and mad at myself for not planning the outing better.

And I was struggling with the feeling I always have when my kids publicly melt – the feeling that I am FAILING somehow as a mom.  I mean, I had just written a post about Raising Grateful Kids and now mine had just completely lost his lid over a thing.  Who am I to write anything on parenting?

I also could not stop thinking about that woman behind me at the store who had witnessed such a catastrophic display of… life with kids.  Of motherhood.

Of a hot mess in need of a Savior.

When we got home, I got Happy Baby ready for his nap, laid down next to him in his bed and Happy Buddy crawled in next to us.

We held each other and apologized and made things right.  We prayed together and asked for forgiveness and grace and growth (especially me!).

The tensions dissolved as we hugged and snuggled and kissed and felt the joy of being restored.

Y’all – THIS IS MOTHERHOOD.

It’s messy.  Imperfect.  Hard.  And sometimes embarrassing.

It’s humbling.  Sanctifying.  And often makes me want to take a nap.

But it’s beautiful and redemptive and filled with tender messages of the Gospel.  It keeps me ever on my knees pursuing Jesus and how I can better serve my children and love them as He does.  It breaks me, but strengthens me.  It humbles me, but draws me to Christ.

Barber Paul saw the put together stuff and the woman at Target saw the stuff that would make good material for a Jimmy Fallon sketch.

Thanks be to God that He holds all this roller coaster of raising kids together.

I have no doubt that He is Lord over every moment and sovereign and good and my kids are not going to grow up to be criminals.

When I shared this story with a friend recently she said, “Julie, it’s like your life is one big giant blog post.”

YES.  Perhaps the Lord allows these things in my life so that I can share them to either make you feel better about your life and kids (ha!) or perhaps I am prone to these moments of weakness and brokenness so that I cannot boast in myself, but rather in my great God whose grace is more than enough to give me (and you) strength to rise up tomorrow and do it all over again.

Except maybe this time I will bring snacks and a water bottle and JUST GET THE TOILET PAPER.

– Julie 🙂

Fairy Thoughts
Mommy Encouragement, Mommy Meltdowns, Parenting, Tantrums, Toddlers
9 Comments

About Happy Home Fairy

Julie Brasington is a Preschool Director, wife of a South Florida Worship Pastor and mom of 3 boys. She writes at Happy Home Fairy where you can find easy craft ideas, FREE printables, simple recipes, holiday fun, thoughts on raising kids, and encouragement for moms.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Like It? Share It!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Print

You May Also Like These Posts

Secrets to Successful Breastfeeding3 Phrases That Will Change Your MarriageMerry Christmas!Best New Books Out for Fall – GIVEAWAY!

Did you enjoy this post? Never miss another!
Encouragement and fun ideas delivered to your inbox.

Prev Post Thanksgiving Scripture Cards – FREE Printable
Next Post Best Toys for Preschoolers

Reader Interactions

9 Comments

  1. KimC

    November 22, 2015 at 9:35 am

    This made my morning! 🙂

    to KimC" aria-label='reply to this comment to KimC'>reply to this comment
    • Happy Home Fairy

      November 22, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Kim! I am so glad. 🙂 I think you are awesome!

      to Happy Home Fairy" aria-label='reply to this comment to Happy Home Fairy'>reply to this comment
  2. Momofone

    November 22, 2015 at 11:30 am

    Love your blog! May I ask where you got the adorable turkey on your door? Did you make it?

    to Momofone" aria-label='reply to this comment to Momofone'>reply to this comment
    • Happy Home Fairy

      November 22, 2015 at 3:55 pm

      Hey there! Isn’t that turkey adorable?! My mother in law found it at a Kirkland’s Outlet store. 🙂

      to Happy Home Fairy" aria-label='reply to this comment to Happy Home Fairy'>reply to this comment
  3. Debbie

    November 22, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    Your comment that you go through these things to share with others is what I believe. It is so brave and humble of you to share these things and your (our) frailties. God bless you!

    to Debbie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Debbie'>reply to this comment
  4. Becky

    November 22, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    I love this so much! You are so wonderful and I’m so grateful you have followed the prompting a of the spirit to continue and grow your blog. You bless so many with your humility and humour. Thanks for the reminder that we mommies are all in this together!!

    to Becky" aria-label='reply to this comment to Becky'>reply to this comment
  5. Melissa

    November 22, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    Are you sure you aren’t writing about my life ? I would say many of us love you because you write about the messy part of motherhood that most blogs try to hide. You make us all feel NORMAL,

    to Melissa" aria-label='reply to this comment to Melissa'>reply to this comment
  6. Cici

    November 23, 2015 at 8:34 am

    Julie-
    Thank you…like a billion times. This.IS.my.life! However chaotic it may be I am so thankful for your reminders that His grace is enough. I am so appreciative for friends like you who keep it real!

    to Cici" aria-label='reply to this comment to Cici'>reply to this comment
  7. Barb Ingram

    November 23, 2015 at 11:16 am

    These words (possibly Elisabeth Elliot, but couldn’t confirm that) speak to me, and go right along with this beautiful/awful, very real blog post:

    “The pathway to holiness is located right where you are. In those circumstances, in those relationships, in that tiredness, in that challenge. The grace of God to make you holy is right there.”

    Thanks for this clear illustration of that truth, Julie!

    to Barb Ingram" aria-label='reply to this comment to Barb Ingram'>reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Loving God Loving Others and Having Fun

Hey there! My name is Julie, the Happy Home Fairy. I am married to a Worship Pastor, we have 3 boys, and I am a Preschool Director. I love sharing easy, fun ideas to help moms build a happy home! Here you will find simple crafts, FREE Printables, yummy recipes, stories about my journey to trust Jesus with my family, and encouragement for your mama's heart. You can read more about me HERE!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

My eBook!
AVAILABLE NOW!

book-sidebarThe Kindness Antennae is my brand new eBook packed full of uplifting stories, fun ideas, printables, and truths to help you (and your kids!) live a life that makes a difference – one act of kindness at a time.

BUY NOW

Subscribe Now and Get a FREE Gift!

Preschool Crafts and Ideas

Preschool Classroom Reveal

Creation Book – FREE Printable!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Handprint Project

Preschool Morning Meeting Ideas

More Preschool Ideas

Popular Categories

  • Printables
  • Winter
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall
  • Recipes
  • Preschool
  • Encouragement

Footer

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON
Facebook

SEE WHAT I’M PINNING ON
Pinterest

PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES ON
INSTAGRAM

  • Things I am grateful for today... ✨Baby Z laughing and chasing me around the house with a giant oven mitt on his hand. ✨Having a plan for dinners this week. ✨The book I can’t put down. ✨Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies before bed. ✨A church that observes Lent and desires to honor God with this season. ✨Clean sheets. ✨A backyard covered in sports balls. ✨This cute top from @roolee! #roolee #rooleeambassador #yesroolee #modestfashion #gratitude
    by happyhomefairy 2 weeks ago
    Things I am grateful for today... ✨Baby Z laughing and chasing me around the house with a giant oven mitt on his hand. ✨Having a plan for dinners this week. ✨The book I can’t put down. ✨Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies before bed. ✨A church that observes Lent and desires to honor God with this season. ✨Clean sheets. ✨A backyard covered in sports balls. ✨This cute top from  @roolee !  #roolee   #rooleeambassador   #yesroolee   #modestfashion   #gratitude 
  • I saw this fun idea by my friend @melindaagriswold - can you guess who’s who? Comment below! Person 1 Love Language - Quality Time Pizza Forever Most Embarrassing Moment - Accidentally left a pair of their underwear on a cubby in 3rd grade and members of the opposite sex made fun. Adamantly denied ownership and abandoned that pair of underpants. Starbucks Order - Pike Place with cream, no sugar Person 2 Love Language - Words of Affirmation French Fries are life Most Embarrassing Moment - Once had a video published on YouTube and fly was down the whole time. Had
    by happyhomefairy 2 weeks ago
    I saw this fun idea by my friend  @melindaagriswold  - can you guess who’s who? Comment below! Person 1 Love Language - Quality Time Pizza Forever Most Embarrassing Moment - Accidentally left a pair of their underwear on a cubby in 3rd grade and members of the opposite sex made fun. Adamantly denied ownership and abandoned that pair of underpants. Starbucks Order - Pike Place with cream, no sugar Person 2 Love Language - Words of Affirmation French Fries are life Most Embarrassing Moment - Once had a video published on YouTube and fly was down the whole time. Had
  • I find myself spending more time looking at the world and the problems instead of looking at these 4 heroes right here. This is what needs our attention. This is where change begins. Spend time praying for them instead of scrolling vanity. Spend time memorizing God’s Truths instead of dwelling on flawed opinion. Spend time laughing and playing and breathing deep the smell of their necks. Spend time teaching and training and living in the ✨light✨. This is the future. God has great things coming.
    by happyhomefairy 2 weeks ago
    I find myself spending more time looking at the world and the problems instead of looking at these 4 heroes right here. This is what needs our attention. This is where change begins. Spend time praying for them instead of scrolling vanity. Spend time memorizing God’s Truths instead of dwelling on flawed opinion. Spend time laughing and playing and breathing deep the smell of their necks. Spend time teaching and training and living in the ✨light✨. This is the future. God has great things coming.
  • Life Updates >> Ryan - This weekend I broke the garbage disposal for the 14th time in our 17 years of marriage and he has not yet given up on me and my lack of understanding of what NOT to put down there. Love always hopes! Noah - Playing on the school basketball team and totally killing it this year! I have no idea what is happening on the court most of the time, but I know enough when the ball swishes through the hoop! Jethro - Creative, funny Jethro. He loves to make people laugh. And he loves to
    by happyhomefairy 3 weeks ago
    Life Updates >> Ryan - This weekend I broke the garbage disposal for the 14th time in our 17 years of marriage and he has not yet given up on me and my lack of understanding of what NOT to put down there. Love always hopes! Noah - Playing on the school basketball team and totally killing it this year! I have no idea what is happening on the court most of the time, but I know enough when the ball swishes through the hoop! Jethro - Creative, funny Jethro. He loves to make people laugh. And he loves to
  • Baby Zion is now officially acting like a toddler! We have mastered the words “No” “Mine” and how to go boneless when you don’t want mom to pick you up. Gearing up for this season of parenting with some truths >> ✨It is kindness that leads us to repentance.✨ It is love that covers over a multitude of sins.✨ It’s funny how doing this the third time isn’t as angering as it was with the first 2! Either I am more tired and not caring as much OR God is helping me to share His beautiful grace more as I
    by happyhomefairy 1 month ago
    Baby Zion is now officially acting like a toddler! We have mastered the words “No” “Mine” and how to go boneless when you don’t want mom to pick you up. Gearing up for this season of parenting with some truths >> ✨It is kindness that leads us to repentance.✨ It is love that covers over a multitude of sins.✨ It’s funny how doing this the third time isn’t as angering as it was with the first 2! Either I am more tired and not caring as much OR God is helping me to share His beautiful grace more as I
  • I got to wear a crown and a tutu ✨ and eat sweet potato fries for lunch AND dinner. ‍♀️ So far, 38 is pretty great.
    by happyhomefairy 1 month ago
    I got to wear a crown and a tutu ✨ and eat sweet potato fries for lunch AND dinner. ‍♀️ So far, 38 is pretty great.
  • I went to church today. It was so good and so needed. I haven’t been in weeks. It’s funny how I let myself get comfortable with that. I tell myself it’s easier to just watch church at home online. Which is not true because basically every time I do that the children start a wrestling match in the living room while I am trying to listen to the sermon. Or the baby poops during the opening song. Or someone is inevitably injured. But I tell myself how nice it was to not wake up early. How lovely to stay in
    by happyhomefairy 1 month ago
    I went to church today. It was so good and so needed. I haven’t been in weeks. It’s funny how I let myself get comfortable with that. I tell myself it’s easier to just watch church at home online. Which is not true because basically every time I do that the children start a wrestling match in the living room while I am trying to listen to the sermon. Or the baby poops during the opening song. Or someone is inevitably injured. But I tell myself how nice it was to not wake up early. How lovely to stay in
  • We got fancy last night for our neighbor’s wedding. ‍♂️The wedding was about an hour drive away, so we had lots of time for car conversations without kids. This usually means that I vomit all the stuff I have been trying to process on my own and Ryan swoops in with a few ultra wise one-liners that talk me off the ledge. Things I learned on the drive... 1. Stop watching the news. Our souls were not made for so much information. 2. Never stop dreaming. Even if your circumstances are hard and you feel all your creativity and hopes
    by happyhomefairy 1 month ago
    We got fancy last night for our neighbor’s wedding. ‍♂️The wedding was about an hour drive away, so we had lots of time for car conversations without kids. This usually means that I vomit all the stuff I have been trying to process on my own and Ryan swoops in with a few ultra wise one-liners that talk me off the ledge. Things I learned on the drive... 1. Stop watching the news. Our souls were not made for so much information. 2. Never stop dreaming. Even if your circumstances are hard and you feel all your creativity and hopes
  • When I had covid, this precious mama of mine called me every day. She dropped groceries on our doorstep (and even decorated them with Christmas lights ). She had food delivered to our house. She wore silly Christmas glasses and FaceTimed me to make me smile. She watched every single one of My ABC Truth Tree videos and liked them. She texted me every day to make sure I was taking medicine and drinking enough water. She prayed for me and reminded me that it would all be okay when I called her in tears on Christmas Eve worried that
    by happyhomefairy 2 months ago
    When I had covid, this precious mama of mine called me every day. She dropped groceries on our doorstep (and even decorated them with Christmas lights ). She had food delivered to our house. She wore silly Christmas glasses and FaceTimed me to make me smile. She watched every single one of My ABC Truth Tree videos and liked them. She texted me every day to make sure I was taking medicine and drinking enough water. She prayed for me and reminded me that it would all be okay when I called her in tears on Christmas Eve worried that
Instagram

Copyright Happy Home Fairy © 2021  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs

Privacy & Cookies: This site may use cookies to customize your experience. Learn more by reading our Privacy Policy.