What are we thinking?!

After you read this (sorry it's so long) take note of the "motivation for Mom's" under my kids pictures. Very appropriate.

Our church has a huge lobby. Well, it's a huge church. We added on a few years ago and it seats well over 1,000. I don't remember the #.... but it's a lot. Our lobby is big. There are 2 areas with couches and tv's. The tv's are for watching the service, not the football game. :) (I don't know if this is important to the story or not - just trying to set the stage) Most Sunday's the lobby is where Mother's congregate with their young children. Ya know, the children that won't stay in their class, ya know, my children. Right now there are a few little girls that are the same age as Hannah. They are all within 6 weeks of each other. This is dangerous. Mostly for the Mom's, not the kiddos. I felt like that little circle of Mom's (most of which are 1st timers) were comparing one to the next in everything. "Julie knows all of her animal sounds!" "Lisa follows directions like 'throw this in the trash". "Allison will repeat anything you say. She talks a lot" I admit, I did get sucked in to the conversation for a moment. It didn't sit well with me at all though and I returned to simply chasing Hannah in the hall. That was another comparison too. My little girl was the only one running away. Repeatedly. All of the others were there with the little group that had formed, and stayed there. Happily drinking water from a sippy cup and eating organic cereal. I forgot Hannah's cup. She will only drink Propel water, we're out. At $7 a box for organic... pass the pesticides please. All of my ranting leads to this.

Mom's, your children will all talk. They will all learn animal sounds. They will all walk, potty train, read.... in their own time. While one is working on verbal another may be working on co-ordination. In high school no one will look at your children and think, hmmm? I bet SHE was a late walker/talker... Let's stop comparing them and just enjoy them. I don't want to feel guilty that Hannah doesn't know her animal sounds. *gasp* no, she doesn't know them. I'm sure she will. She's having fun right now chasing her brothers around the house. I"m ok with that.

Though I might sound angry, really I'm not. Annoyed yes, angry no. I think I'm annoyed just as much with myself. I allow myself to get pulled in to situations like this. I allow comparisons to be made. I MAKE THEM. I can't stand it. No child is better than the other simply because they know their ABC's first. No Mother is better than the other because their child can follow simple instructions at an early age. Give that same Mama another kiddo and things might very well be different. Hand over a spirited 2 year old and lets see how much is accomplished. Now who's throwing things away? ARRRRGHHHHH

Ok. I'm over it. Really. I'm better now.

Time to put the kids down for a nap. Have I mentioned that little S (little one I babysit) goes straight to bed? She marches herself up the stairs and puts herself to bed! She will lay there quietly until she falls asleep and stay there even after she wakes up. Why can't my kids to that? ;)


*names were changed. I know NO little ones by those names. If that is your little ones name, I didn't mean you. :) *

*thought I better also add that not all 1st time Mom's are comparison freaks, um, prone. Just pointing out that this particular group was made up of mostly 1st timer's*