Since I Can't Remember Much Else Right Now

OK, so I haven't posted anything in almost two months. But there's lots of things I think about posting about. Most recently? Mommy issues (are we surprised?). So Thursday night and Friday morning were a little intense with the girls (seriously, three toddlers, you think so?). I had a friend coming over to visit Friday morning, she brought another almost three year old, then my neighbor came out to talk with us also with her four year old. That means we have three two year olds, a three year old, and a four year old out in the yard while we were standing in the driveway talking, trying to keep all of them under control. The twins had gone over to the front porch, and we were in between them and the other three trying to go around the back of the other house. Well, some well-meaning person pulled into our driveway and rolled down her window, then, greatly restraining herself, informed me that she almost had a heart attack seeing two little girls so close to the road. I said, OK, thank you, then as she left, I just cried. I had been up since 5:30 am, was not able to eat breakfast until after 9am, and could not believe how difficult it was just to feed three little girls without them screaming at me, or change their diapers without someone breaking something or getting hurt. I had the heater guys coming to check on our heater at 7:30 that morning and was trying to make sure I could converse with them as well. So between being tired and feeling like simple things were impossible, it was just a bit much. I don't know why so many strangers love to point out how negligent I am. I would love someone else to try keeping three fearless little people completely safe all the time. Now, just to clarify, they were not dangerously close to the road, but from the angle of where the driver was coming from, you couldn't see there were actually parents there. Anyway, it can be a bit overwhelming when you already feel very inadequate and strangers at times are lining up to point that out.

So on the flip side of that, the heater guys had to leave and come back later that afternoon. They'd been to our house a few times over the almost three years we've been here just for inspections and other minor problems. When they came in the first thing they said to me was, "we were talking about this when we left here this morning, you've done an amazing job with your girls. They're growing up beautifully and are just wonderful." I profusely thanked them, and then said a thank you prayer later. I wish the words of strangers were not always so powerful, but sometimes when you don't see as many adults as you used to, it's all you get. Either way, it sure felt like that was God's way of saying - don't listen to that lady, you're doing awesome.