A mommy was out walking with her 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. The cautious Mom took the item away from her and asked her not to do that. "Why?" her daughter asked. "Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty and probably has germs" Her daughter looked up at her Mom with total admiration and asked, "Mommy, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart." The Mom quickly replied: "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." They walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, and the little girl seemed deep in thought. "OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the daddy." "Exactly" the mommy replied back with a big smile on my face. Actually, there is no test to become a Mom, but even brief rundown of some of the job descriptions of a Mom are overwhelming: Dentist, Taxi driver, Doctor/Surgeon (stuffed animals), Lawyer, Policewoman, Coroner- (for pets), Coach, Teacher, Cook (apple jacks)/Chef (macaroni and cheese), Laundress, Dishwasher, Maid, Nurse - until we get our MD which happens after kid #2, Personal dresser, Personal shopper, Personal assistant, Secretary, Rocking chair, Singer, Artist, Diaper changer, Seamstress, Groomer, Cheerleader, Plumber, Counselor, Tissue (Mom's clothes work better) Food taster, Tickler and Pudding lid licker. With all these responsibilities, is it any wonder that Mom's mess up from time to time? Sometimes Mom's flunk the Mommy Test! Lydia and I were in Archie last year playing golf at Blackberry Trails. We were on the fourth hole when we get a frantic call from our fifth child, Lindsey. She was headed out to the garage to go shopping with our 8th grandchild, Laila. Laila was just seven months old. She had her in her seat that snaps into the pedestal in the car. She forgot to get something, so she sets the seat on the counter top, and goes up to her bedroom. She hears a horrid sounding "crash" and Laila lets out this blood-curdling scream. She runs downstairs to see Laila lying face down on their hard tile flor, with the baby-seat on top of her. She picks her up and sees a huge bruise and knot forming on her forehead. When Lydia got the call, she was frantic as well. She immediately left and met Lindsey at the hospital. Lindsey had one of those Mommy Mess-Up moments. She just didn't think that a seven month old could wiggle and kick that much. Lindsey had her first experience with "mommy guilt', but praise God, Laila was fine. It seems that God designed little babies with "mess-up's" in mind. Their little head bones are still forming and can take an accidental fall very well.  An important aspect of being a Mom is learning how to deal with "Mommy Mess-up's! Ali Landry is an actress, model, ABC's Superstars celebrity participant, and founder of children's clothing line Belle Parish, and became mom to Estela in 2007. "As a mom, I almost always feel guilty. I think it's just part of being a mom, never feeling like you have enough time for the kids, your husband, yourself! It's a daily struggle to be the best wife, mother, daughter etc. I can be. There just aren't enough hours in the day." Now that my daughter's a little older (2-1/2), I'm no longer so germ phobic. I no longer feel like I need to clean off everything that falls on the ground before she sticks it back in her mouth. A few germs are good for kids!" If a few germs are good for kid's are "mess-ups good for Mom's? Wiktionary defines "mess up" as:  To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss. "The afternoon breeze messed up my hair."  To cause a problem with; to introduce an error or mistake in; to make muddled or confused; spoil; ruin. "The change messed something up, and it's not working anymore."  To botch, bungle; to perform poorly on. "Well, I messed up my solo, but otherwise it was a good concert."  To make a mistake; to do something incorrectly; to perform poorly. "He has a hard time getting started because he's afraid he'll mess up."  To cause (another person) to make unwanted mistakes in a given task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior. "Stop bumping me! You keep messing me up!"  To damage; injure. "He messed up his elbow at the track meet."  To discombobulate, utterly confuse, or confound psychologically; to throw into a state of mental disarray. "That girl totally messed me up, man. I'm not sure who I am anymore." Mom's learn that messes are a fact of Motherhood: The morning starts off with spilled milk and sticky crumbs on the kitchen floor, progresses to tomato juice dumped on the carpet, includes a stopped-up sink and a visit to the emergency room, and finishes up with the dog meeting a skunk. Throw in a call from your husband telling you he's bringing company home for dinner -- "just something casual, hon." As one mom wrote: Sometimes we really mess up