THAT kid

            Do any of ya'all have THAT kid? The one that all the parents look at and think "OMG, that poor mom!" The one that is laying underneath the shopping cart in the store or crying because he doesn't want to go to school? Yep; I have THAT kid. But the thing those people don't know about THAT kid, is that everything that he does is done with such feeling, such passion; that it just couldn't be any other way. He feels so deeply, so intensely, that he doesn't know what to do with those excess feelings. He is the sweetest, most loving child when he's in that mood. He can play with his brother and sisters for hours.... Yes, I am the mom of THAT kid, and I love him more than words can say. I wouldn't have it any other way. If the rest of ya'all could only experience one day of what it's like to live with this whirlwind, you would realize how rewarding it truly is. Things that are broken can be replaced, but time with your children is precious and so fleeting.... I would much rather spend time loving my kids than worrying about the "stuff" that they might have broken.
           THAT kid is one of the treasures in my life, whether I always feel that way or not. There are some days that I get so frustrated; but I have to go on. There is no other alternative, above all, I am a mommy. I rarely get to go to the bathroom by myself or sleep a whole night in bed without at least one child in it, but that's the life I chose; and I wouldn't change it for anything.  I'm happy to live with THAT kid, and, if I do my job right, he may grow up to be one of THOSE kids who go out and make a name for themselves in this world. THAT kid is a shining hope for the future in a world filled with chaos, and I am going to do my best to mold him into a fine young man one day. But for now, I am content with allowing him to be THAT child, because innocence only lasts a short time. And who could do without kisses on my hands and "love you mama" as I leave him at preschool? Not this mama.