Today was the magical unicorn mom day I really, really needed

Somehow, today was one of those magical unicorn mom days where everything seemed to line up nicely—everyone was in happy moods, there was lots of cooperation, people listened, plans worked, the weather was perfect, etc.

It was a magical unicorn mom kind of day. ?✨

“What do you mean?” you may ask. Here—let me explain.

1. My kids slept in and I enjoyed quiet time.

Somehow I got two solid hours of work done before my girls woke up this morning. Most mornings either one of my kiddos are up bright and early, ready to take on the day(!) or I hit the snooze button one too many times before I actually move…

Today, I somehow got up on the first alarm. And no one else was up yet. And didn’t feel hit-by-a-bus tired. So I felt pretty accomplished by 8 a.m.

Cue the unicorns. ???

2. I showered in peace.

It’s not every day I get the luxury of enjoying the basic levels of cleanliness that I provide for my children without thinking twice about. They bathe every night. I shower every…well, not every night, that’s for sure. So, with my extra half hour of their lazy morning, I enjoyed a peaceful shower. It was divine.

Cue the unicorns. ???

3. There were no breakdowns before breakfast.

By me or by either of my girls. In fact, when my girls woke up, they were happy! I sang my usual good morning song with no eye rolling (that starts at a very early age these days.)They then ate a good breakfast right away, without me begging or making any deals. And I was feeling like a pretty good mom before 9 a.m.

Cue the unicorns. ???

4. We successfully got sunscreen on.

Before leaving the house even! And without any fights! And without any screaming! They just stuck their arms and legs out for me and closed their eyes when I had to put sunscreen on their face—all while acting as if I were lathering them in gold. It was amazing.

Cue the unicorns. ???

5. My children successfully got their own shoes on.

I quite literally usually have to ask my three-year-old at least eight times to get her shoes on before she even decides to look at them. Today, she just listened on the first request—she ran to get them and put them on. When I put my 18-month-old’s shoes on, she didn’t rip them off immediately. THIS IS WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.

Cue the unicorns. ???

6. For the first time in our lives, we were out the door ON TIME.

I can’t remember another time this has happened in our lives. We always attempt to be on time. We start preparing much earlier than what our departure time is…but somehow, someone always has a crisis that needs attention. Today was different. Because of the unicorns. And the magic.

Today, we got everything ready for the beach with relative ease—I’m talkin’ snacks and drinks and pails and shovels and extra clothes and towels and sunscreen and sunglasses and hats and diapers and wipes—and was out the door right on the dot. I felt organized and “with it” and basically, like I was a really responsible adult.

Cue the unicorns. ???

7. We had fun together.

And at the beach no less! We enjoyed three hours of non-stressful beach time with one another. We made friends, got along, ate delicious snacks, enjoyed the beautiful weather (because even the weather was cooperating today!)—it was perfect. I felt like I must be doing something right.

Cue the unicorns. ???

8. Our nighttime routine was just as smooth.

After my kids napped on the way home from the beach, we played outside when we got home, I made a nice dinner, my husband got home on time, we ate together as a family, there was no arguing during bath time, there were no negotiations during bedtime, the house wasn’t in total shambles after our kiddos were fast asleep, and my husband and I got to hang out and watch TV together before we called it a night.

Cue the unicorns. ???

Now, I don’t say this to be like, #humblebragging or anything. I don’t really roll like that.

I say this because I’ve had a string of feeling like “crummy mom” days lately and it’s been emotionally draining. Those beat myself up, cry to my husband, feel super exhausted, wonder if I’m doing anything right type of days.

But then, this magical-unicorn-mom day happened.

And here I am—back in the “OK, I can do this motherhood thing” mode. It has restored my faith in myself. And whether it was just great luck or the stars aligning or someone just cutting me some slack—it doesn’t matter, because it happened. It was a great day. It showed me that yep, I can actually mom pretty hardcore, if I do say so myself.

And I just wanted to share more about our “great day” today, to let any mom out there know that no matter whether today was a really bad day or a really great day—it’s cool. The bad days are going to happen, but the great ones will, too. And they’ll happen out of nowhere—when you least expect it, and when you need it most.

So stay strong, mamas. ?

Because one great magical unicorn mom day is all it takes.