She flew into town courtesy of an umbrella. She pulled an entire room’s worth of decorations and useful items from her carpet bag, and she danced with abandon on the precarious rooftops of London- complete with self-induced soot tarnished cheeks. As a lifetime fan of Mary Poppins, I am anxiously awaiting the new movie on December 19th. The more I think about it, I have decided Mary Poppins is my new role model – and not for the obvious reasons. Here’s what I have:
She doesn’t leave the house without a coat of crimson lipstick
I don’t care how frazzled, disheveled, and sweatpants-clad you may be, if you throw on a little lipstick, you just look like you had time to get ready. As a full time working teacher and mom of two, life is certainly busy. Yet I’ve had people comment that I always look so put together, and I always reply, “It’s just the lipstick, man. Don’t look too close.”
The genius of “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”
Sometimes we just need that extra cookie to get through an afternoon of bristle blocks with a toddler. Or some days wine. I won’t judge.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em
Think about it, you KNOW Mary Poppins wanted to jump in the painting as much as the kids did, but she blamed it on Bert with a “(sigh) if you must” attitude. The tea party on the ceiling was the same situation. Such a great reminder to us moms in the daily grind- it’s ok to take a ride on the chalk horses and fly a kite from time to time.
When we’re talking about kids- make it a game
Life is already intense enough. It seems that more and more is asked of our kids at younger and younger ages. Let’s let them play. And be kids. How about a giggling contest at dinner, a car wash in the bathtub, and teeth tickles while brushing our teeth? I know I don’t always have the energy, but I also want my kids to remember those moments when they think back on their childhood.
Keep it simple
At one point in the movie, Mary Poppins turns to Bert and exclaims, exasperatedly, “Why do you complicate things that are really quite simple?” Ah, simplicity. In this season, in this stage- I crave simplicity. There’s no better reminder of simplistic beauty than hanging out with a three-year-old. The other night my son and I drove through the neighborhood in the dark. We passed a house with the popular projected lights that move around. It was silent until my son shouted, “Look, Mama…Christmas fireflies!!” Mary Poppins was right in so many ways, but I’m holding onto the idea of making things simple and enjoying those Christmas fireflies.
Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way.
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Susan (Susie) Wangen is a Minnesota native and a fourth-grade teacher in the southwest suburbs. Her students tease her that every book is her “favorite” book, and she loves teaching kids how to write. She lives with her husband, Scott, and her two darlings; Charly (2009)-through the miracle of infertility treatments and Auggie (2015)- through the miracle of adoption. During the summer you might find her reading the latest children’s books or freelance writing and blogging. She also loves to cook, run, and attempt to capture and bottle contentment. You can follow her on her blog at www.throughthetreetops.wordpress.com
