Good Enough but not Better

In comparison to every other mother I know I sometimes really wonder what my life looks like. Do they all wake up ready to shoot laser beams at whatever or whoever is forcing them to wake up regardless of what time it is? Does the sound of their child's voice asking the same question for the 20th time make them grind their teeth to keep from running out the door screaming " I QUIT"? But most importantly do they find themselves thinking "What is the point in all of this??". The daily expectation of a stay at home parent, or even the part time working parent seems unattainable. Nobody can do it to the successful standard of the world, and if you tell me you do I will call you a liar. The tiniest inconvenience or deviance to a preset plan can set the whole day on fire. I subscribe to Better Homes and Gardens (because my little sister was selling it for a fundraiser) and I have to tell you it all looks nice but what we REALLY  need is a "Normal Homes and Yards". Something to look through that makes you realize your cruddy, messy house that has been taken over by your children is average. It's normal, its expected, and quite frankly it makes the rest of us take a big sigh of relief when we walk in. Every day I wake up and lay around for maybe an hour dreading all of tasks that "have" to be done. The dishes, the laundry, the dusting, the vacuuming, paying the bills, preparing a dinner, clean the litter boxes, take out the dog, try to keep the toys somewhat organized so they dont all get lost and broken. That list goes on, mutating and multiplying by the day. The point is where is the part where I play with my kids, teach them things, show them what life SHOULD be about? Well to be honest its not there, at least not enough of it. I keep them alive, feed them, teach them the basics that I can fit in and make sure they dont kill each other. But really... where is the happy medium? Because I dont live in better homes and gardens. Despite the endless list of things I do and need to do my house, garden,  children, meal plan and general life will never be perfect. And neither will yours. I think the answer lies within. Something about leaving behind the jealousy and accepting your own standard of happiness. As of now I haven't found that peace of mind but I suppose it's something to work towards.