As usual I picked Rowan up from school and I realized once again that I was OVERWHELMED by the thought of having to make my boys lunch. If you know my mom I am sure it doesn't shock you to hear that. Yep, I inherited the "Panic it's time to eat" gene. So instead of stressing myself out I opted for one of our favorites, Panera. You can bring your loud mouth kids to a place like that and not feel flustered by their run-on sentences about nothing, or even the discovery of their voices hitting loud pitches. So there I was with my 2 children as I casually run in to an acquaintance (we said a brief hello and quickly went separate ways to get inside the restaurant). I noticed how she swiftly maneuvered her stroller through the door while one of her FOUR lovely children held it open. Then there was me begging Rowan to hurry in as I tried to keep the door from whacking him as it closed. We went about our business ordering, finding a place to sit and so-on. I was filling up my glass with soda while determined little Rowan was forcing a lemon into his small glass of water that I was teetering in my hand, in which is holding Brinley, when who walks over but my acquaintance... we engage in small talk about our childrens' ages when she looks at me very politely and gently says "Do you need help? You look like your hands are full." I bashfully look away and then in an instant set my gaze back on her and splurt "DO I NEED HELP???" she paused and thought I was taking offense until I burst into laughter and continued "there is something VERY wrong with the fact that a mother of FOUR is asking me (with my 2 kids) if I need help, but sadly yes, yes I do...."
we both chuckled to ourselves at what had just happened and then I thought, "Am I really that bad of a wreck?" "No wonder people always lend me a hand, I am a public disaster!"
Lesson learned: No matter what it is always polite to ask another mom if she needs your help, because sometimes it is just the thoughtful gesture that may make her re-evaluate her frustrations or even just give her the laugh that she needs in that moment! Oh, also apparently the more kids you have the better mom you are.
I am ok with being a wrecking ball as long as these 2 kids are barreling through life with me:)
