Dear Mom Next To Me- I See You

Dear Mom next to me in the car wash, with your kids fighting in the back seat, trying to kill each other while you were just trying to vacuum the car- I see you.

My smile and wave, was because I have been you- just trying to get stuff done, while my darling angels were in the back seat of the car screaming, and trying my ever living last nerve. Every part of my mom self feels for you.

Yes. I’ve had my darling children act out, try to kill each other, and throw massive temper tantrums in the middle of every store, airport, and restaurant you can possibly imagine.

I’m that mom who has had her kid get sick all over the restaurant, and dropped a pile of bills on the table and run out like my hair was on fire.

I’m that mom whose kid who has had the hiney booger fit in the middle of the grocery store.

When my youngest daughter was in first grade, my husband was left slack jawed when my daughter’s teacher told him how amazing, and well behaved she was in school. When he asked her about it, she told him “Daddy, I save ALL my bad behavior for you”.

We were so proud. And believe me, 15 years later, we STILL remember that moment at the dinner table.

I’m the mom of the kid who went swinging from the chandelier in the dining room. And that same kid teamed up with her older sister to pull the chain on the ceiling fan in the master bedroom, jumping up off the end of the bed to grab that chain while her sister manned the switch on the wall.

They came into the kitchen, and later casually announced the “funny” smell in the bedroom. That funny smell was the ceiling fan shorting out. Luckily, we didn’t end up with a house fire on our hands.

Another time, my three oldest were super young, and I had gotten home from work. They were fighting like cats and dogs. Screaming, screeching, and I told them to sit down at the dinner table and wait for me to cook dinner. More screaming, as they sit down. I hollered at them to shut up, and sit down, and be quiet. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Finally I banged my kitchen knife on the counter, and told them to be quite once and for all. I hear a thump, and more crying. I told them to BE QUIET, and STOP FIGHTING.