We got home at dinnertime from a Mother’s Day lunch at my in-laws’ house in New Orleans. I forfeited all the leftovers in the fridge to divvy up between the kids in the chaos that is we-just-got-back-from-a-full-day-event-requiring-a-long-car-ride-and-no-naps-for-anyone-and-OMG-what-do-we-eat-for-dinner-and-why-do-I-always-let-a-meal-we-eat-EVERY-SINGLE-DAY-creep-up-on-me?!
I’m not sure what Michael ate for dinner. I didn’t eat dinner, as I was trying to change out of my stained clothes from the day, feed the kids, put the kids to bed, and throw some refresher curls in my hair for my mom’s night out to see Mom’s Night Out.
Despite my good husband’s assistance all evening, I was a little fried and a lot ready to escape by the time I hopped in the Odyssey to head to the theater.
I LOVED the movie. I laughed so hard that I literally had tears streaming down my face. I may have cried a little, too. Please go see this movie, especially if you’re a mother or father (especially of small-ish children), have friends who are parents, want to be a parent one day, or just need a good laugh that’s clean and maybe a little good for you. None of the (surprisingly) God-centered encouragement and inspiration in the movie is new to me, but somehow hearing it from a movie that GETS this crazy motherhood gig so well was really moving.
My friend Katie told me earlier this week that seeing this movie was “like looking in a mirror,” and I’d say that was pretty spot on for me too, tonight. I think the movie had me from the opening sequence in which we meet the main character, Ally, a stay-at-home mom (and aspiring mommy blogger) who is the frazzled, kind-of-disenchanted mother of three small children. There is a scene early on in which Ally just incoherently mumbles and sobs into her husband’s chest after a Really Bad Day. It’s supposed to be funny, but it was hard to laugh when it was all I could do not to boohoo-cry in front of the entire theater, because honey, I’ve been there, far too recently than I want to admit. Obviously, I know that I’m probably the exact target audience of this movie, but I think that a much wider range of people will be able to laugh in this movie and learn a little something from it too. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, except for a few times when it does take itself seriously in a remarkably graceful way.
Happy Mother’s Day for the next hour at least to all of you mothers reading this post. If you are grieving or struggling in any way today, know that I am saying a special prayer just for you tonight before I even press Publish. Also, remember that there is more than one way to be a mother! I am thankful for all of the women in my life who have mothered me in some way over the years. We are all made to be mothers to someone, and so many of us fill a motherly role in someone’s life, big or small, and we don’t even realize it.
Just before I started typing this, I polished off a few crumbs of leftover, stale-ish brownies I found on the counter. A surprisingly satisfying way to top off the delicious McDonald’s cheeseburger I cheerfully inhaled on the way home from the movie. I won’t tell you how far away that particular McDonald’s location is from my house, because that could be embarrassing. Sometimes you just gotta give yourself permission to grab a cheeseburger at 10 o’clock at night on the way home, you know? Mom’s Night Out sort of reminded me to let that be okay sometimes.
I hope you enjoy this little clip I found:)
Hi Erin! I just stumbled across your blog and am enjoying it so far. Funnily enough, my husband's name is also Michael and my son (who is 9 months) is named Gabriel. 🙂 I hope you had a Happy Mother's Day!
I would love to see it… I am concerned that it makes dads out to be idiots who don't know how to parent without their wives. If that's the case it would further contribute to David's pet peeve… which means I can't go with him to see it. Does this movie do that?
The main character's husband (sean astin) is great. One of the other characters' husbands is one of the funniest people in the movie, and he is more of that classic, scared-of-the-kids but trying kind of stereotype. Trust me, I think ya'll would like it. Michael went to see it with me last night, and he really enjoyed it.:)
I need to see that movie!