a letter to that well-meaning lady at the grocery store....

Dear sweet lady at the grocery store,
You looked at me this morning as I juggled my two youngest children, you smiled sweetly and told me this age is the most fun. I just want to apologize to you, because I could not even find enough decency inside me to acknowledge what you said... not with words or even with a smile. I think if I would have tried,  I would have just cried, so the best thing I could do was stare at you blankly then turn and walk away. Because this is the thing - I am tired. So, so stinkin' tired. I don't know if you happened to get a good look at my youngest... the little one always trying to walk away from me because she is so curious about everything around her, the one with eyes so deep and brown they will swallow you whole if you look too long, the one that looks sweeter than anybody you've ever met. Truth is, she IS the sweetest thing! There's not much NOT to love about that little booger!! But she doesn't like to sleep. And, unfortunately, she apparently doesn't need much sleep to function properly. She only takes one short nap every day, and for the last two week, she's decided that night time is a perfect time for a couple more short-ish naps. So, she's been getting by on approximately 5 hours of sleep every night... the other hours are spent screaming. SCREAMING.  Cry-it-out doesn't work in our family. Never has. 3 kids and none of them have ever cried themselves to sleep. They just cry. While I've never let them go longer than 1 hour, I can only assume it would continue, and I can't handle that. So, I have been giving in in the middle of the night and just holding her so that, if for no other reason, the rest of the family stays asleep. But last night, I was sooooo over it and I performed my own 'night-time training' with the 15 month old. Which means I slept approximately 3 hours. Which means I am emotional. And that's why you got nothing from me - to save you (and me) from the tears. And I'm sorry. Because, you know what, you are right... these are awesome ages! I can't confirm whether or not they are the best ages - I only have 6 years experience and so far each stage has honestly been the best stage ever. I love being a mom! But, I'm making an educated guess based on your appearance and assuming it's been quite awhile since you've raised your own little ones. I would even go so far as to assume that your grandkids are now raising their own children! So, I'm going to politely remind you that these 'best years' are so emotionally and physically exhausting. And I know I need to savor these moments, these days, these years. And I'm trying. But I have days like I've had the last 2 weeks and honestly sometimes it's really hard. I've had tough times before as a mom, so I know that this, too, shall pass, and even though it seems like an unending black abyss that I'm in right now, I will look back on it and it will seem like it was over in a heartbeat. It just doesn't feel that way today.
So, thanks for telling me my daughters are beautiful and fun. I'm sorry I didn't take the opportunity when I had it to thank you and agree with you. Keep encouraging moms when you see them. Just don't judge them if they don't respond how you think they should. Because you just never know where they are right now in their parenting journey, and they just might not have the energy to respond to you in a socially acceptable way!
Sincerely,
Your fellow early morning grocery shopper