HOLD THAT BABY !

The other day someone said to me "Did you have really good kids and so this is your test?" in a conversation about a rather hard dilemma I am having lately in my life. I responded with "Well yes, I did have really good kids."
Later I was sitting at my desk thinking about the fact that I did have a fairly easy time raising my kids. This still goes back to my theory - Children come the way they are.. (This will be up for discussion in another blog at another time Sharlee) :) I would also like to state that my kids are now 22 and 26 years old. I began babysitting when I was 10 1/2 years old. I have two children,some nieces and nephews that love me and 20+ years of working with children and youth in my church. I have A LOT of experience with children. I am simply stating this because I am not an expert but I am pretty good with kids and I am not a Fool.
I was in the store shopping last night and this woman with three small children walked in and stuffed her baby in the cart. The kid was already upset when she plopped him in there and for the ENTIRE 20 minutes I was in the store that baby cried RELENTLESSLY..oh my hell!!! It was not the cry of a spoiled brat, which by the way is still another issue, it was a cry of hungry or tired or doesn't feel well. He looked ragged and worn out and she looked just STUPID to me. I don't know if it is because my kids are older and the time went by so fast and I realize how very sad even small things like this are.
Your children love you unconditionally. LOVE THEM BACK. Don't have them if they are too much work for you. Don't have MORE children if you can not HANDLE the ones you have and certainly don't go telling people how your kids drive you nuts. I hate to tell you-your children didn't make you NUTS you are NUTS..
I made a lot of mistakes and still do as a mother and some of them I will carry for the rest of my life and probably on past.The one thing I WAS given was the knowledge that these two souls were something incredible. I was given a gift from Heavenly Father. He entrusted them to me. I was to love them. I didn't have to be told to love them. I freaking loved them so much. It is unreal to me.. I still do. Sometimes I still mess up, but seriously neither one of them would be able to tell you that they were not loved.
So to that woman in the store yesterday and the ones I have seen in the past and actually I have told a few .. Don't shove them.Don't scream really loud at them so everyone looks at you both in horror. Don't drag them around the store when they are really sick or really tired. Don't ignore them when they are crying.

Love them..A LOT!!! Pick up and HOLD That Baby NOW Dammit!