I wasn’t prepared for it. Really, no one is truly prepared for this kind of earth shattering realization.

I stood at the back door, poised to yell at my children who were engaged in a fake scuffle. The voice that called out to my kids wasn’t my own. No friends, this voice was much, much different. It was…. It was my mother’s voice.

My hands flew to my mouth to cover the sounds that escaped, but alas it was too late. The only way I could be sure that those shrill yells were my own and not that of my mother is because my mom would sooner die than ever yell at her precious grandbabies.

So I’ve officially become my mother, voice and all. Honestly, that’s a really great place to be; after all, when it comes to the mom lottery, I am the big Powerball Mega-millions winner. The woman is amazing and I adore her. Not only does she move mountains for me, is my kids’ favorite person in the world, and a fierce cook, she is absolutely adorable. It gives me hope that when I am her age, I won’t morph into the hunchback of Notre Dame.

And like any great mom, her mom-wisdom is given often, usually ignored at first, but over time, is proven true again and again like “everything happens for a reason,” or it’s just really practical yet imperative like “eyebrows: two of them, with an arch.”

Here are a few of my favorite gems from my dear, sweet mom

1.Practice Your Spirit Hands- If there was a pile of cheerleaders creating a pyramid for team Amanda, my mom would be at the top. At every turn in my life she’s been my personal cheer squad. The day I birthed my bambinos, I gained the title of “Mamma” and “Personal Cheerleader” too. So for the good, the bad, the hard, the easy, the big, and the small, NO ONE will bust out those pompoms, cheer louder and stand stronger in their corner than me. Just like my mom, I’m going to be their cheerleader as long as I’m around. That means when they’re grown and married I will say “Hey husband/wife, who better NEVER move my kids hundreds of miles away from me, here’s a pompom, let’s get our cheer on.” BOOM Dynamite!

2.Don’t be a jerk—My mom is kind and gracious and wanted to make sure she sent good people out into the world, not jerks. And for my own kids, I want the same. If they’re struggling in school, I’ll get them a tutor. Need help fixing something? I help them, or at least, I’ll pay for someone to fix it because, who are we kidding, I’m not that handy. But, if my kids are jerks, I can’t help them. I want them to keep and protect their kind hearts.

I’m confident I’m not raising jerks because of little daily reminders like when my kids get a snack or a treat, they always ask for one for their sibling. It doesn’t matter if it’s a handful of Goldfish crackers at home, a lollipop at the hair salon, or a balloon at a birthday party, both kids always ask for one for their sibling—always. *Drops mic* *Walks off stage* My job is done here, folks.

3.Get really good at juggling- My mom is a master juggler, not like a circus juggler but the kind of juggler that could balance everything life, her over-scheduled kids, and her own career could throw at her. Just like my mom, my juggling act isn’t always pretty. You might think at any moment I’m going to drop everything I have up in the air, but I’m a Mom and I’ll find a way to add another ball into the mix. But every good juggler knows which balls to never pick up. For me it’s finding more budge in the budget and getting a cleaning lady because honestly, I’m awful at housekeeping. The poor housekeeping skill is also genetic. Thanks, Mom

4.Instill the right amount of unhealthy attachment- My kids are always willing to dive head first into an inflatable jumpy house or ball pit as soon as they lay eyes on it, but they always, always look back to make sure I’m there. My mom taught me to be fiercely independent and brave but just make sure you check back in with mom… a lot. For my kiddos, I want the same. Take on the world (or the giant jumpy house) head first but for Boo boos—they need me. A snuggle on the couch—me. Waking up in the middle of the night and need to vomit on someone-- always me.

5.The Most Important Lesson EVER- No one and I mean NO ONE will ever love you like your mom. And that, my friends is a beautiful thing. So go call your Mamma because you’re the reason she has stretch marks and pees herself when she runs up the stairs.