gotta know when to hold ‘em…

We mamas need a theme song…right? Something we can roll down the windows of the minivan and bellow out like no one can hear us. Something that states our cunning parenting prowess, how we are slick and confident and multi-faceted. Well, look no further! I have found it…[drum roll please]…it is the 1978 Billboard #1 hit…Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler! Perfect, right? I know you are singing it right now, but if you need a refresher, the chorus goes a little something like this:

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Perfection! Us mamas, we’re all in, gotta know when to pick our battles, how to bluff, and when we are being bluffed! We have to know when to run to our kiddo’s defense and when to run the other way and let them figure it out on their own. And no, we aren’t going to sit and brag about our all-knowing-mama-super powers and brilliant kiddo to the other mamas…our job is never done…there’ll be time enough for that when the dealin’s done! So thank you, Kenny, and let’s talk about this gambling journey we call mamahood!

over the course of a wee one's first year, mama will lose approximately 740 hours of sleep