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That’s what friends are for

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Joshua woke up before 6:00 this morning. Which means I was up at 6:00. Then Emma was up at 7:00.

There was much coffee and swinging and playing of Angry Birds while Mama gained some sanity. And once I was sufficiently caffeinated we went for a play date with some of our very favorite people.

Joshua was so excited to go see his friends and I was so excited to go and have adult conversation. He kept saying “Is that their house?” the whole way there.

The kids played tag. The moms nursed babies. And then Joshua decided he didn’t want to share a toy that didn’t even belong to him and I threw down the “if you don’t share we will go home” hammer.

“NO! I DON WANNA SHARE!” And he threw the toy.

It was a great play date. Until it wasn’t great anymore.

I handed Emma to the six year old and proceeded to wrestle Joshua in and out of his shoes while he hit and kicked and screamed at me and snotted all over God and everybody and looked like something out of The Exorcist, I’m sure.

Jennifer buckled Emma into her car seat while I dragged Joshua out to the car and buckled him in to his. I said a hasty goodbye and hopped behind the wheel while Joshua asked to play Angry Birds and screamed three times when I said “No.”

“Unpleasant” is kind of an understatement.

By the time we got to Wendy’s (because y’all, I had such a hot flash getting him into the car I was afraid I’d spontaneously combust and needed a beverage) he was fine and asking for a juice box and chicken nuggets.

Then he said “I eat my apple swices and my chicken nuggets and my juice box and I watch Jack and the Beanstalk Super Why and I go nap time.”

He was tired and hungry and his behavior at her house was a result of that. I beat myself up a bit for not recognizing that he was tired and hungry and going home sooner.

But here’s the thing–I wasn’t at all mortified by the fact that another mother witnessed me in what was undoubtedly not my finest hour. And it certainly was not Joshua’s.

I was so incredibly thankful in that moment that I was with a friend.  With someone I trust. With someone I know doesn’t judge me or my child.

We all need friends like that. Women in our corners who don’t look at us with an air of smug superiority thinking “My child would NEVER…” and scoff and click their tongues while we wage our wars with Tiny Terrorists.

That’s what friends are for, y’all.

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Jenn@Fox in the City

Wednesday 27th of June 2012

Friends like that are oh so necessary . . . they make this whole parenting thing possible some days!

Jenn

Wednesday 20th of June 2012

You're some of our very favorite people, too. <3

Julia

Tuesday 19th of June 2012

You know you are good friends when you don't judge your friends kids the way you totally judge stranger's children in public It is always humbling to be reminded that you are always a step away from a toddler meltdown.

Krista

Tuesday 19th of June 2012

This is dead on. A couple of years ago, my friend left my house abruptly after her two year old hit her. She called to apologize later, which was totally unnecessary and turned into us commiserating over toddlers. A few months ago, the same thing happened in reverse. Chessa hit me while we were playing at my friends house & we left, quickly. When I called her to chat later we laughed about how only moms - and good friends - could understand this!

Miranda

Tuesday 19th of June 2012

It's so good to have those people in our lives who just GET it when our kids are crazy.

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