guffey love: Scattered and Smothered

Thursday morning Josephine slept in, so I thought I'd take advantage of the shifted naptime and let her play in a play group at Chamblee's school while I took my wild man on a breakfast date. Just the 2 of us.

I took him for his first smothered and covered at Waffle House.

We were loving it. Watching KSU buses and Mighty Machines go by the window, (always construction over there now) telling him about how mommy and daddy went to school across the street. Watching him. Just watching his little eyelashes bat over and over again makes my day.

And then it happened.

This older woman sitting behind us started the conversation.

I get it, we were probably asking for it. Snuggling over in the booth and giggling and being all loud.

Having fun.

"Is he your one and only?"

-everyone's smiling-

"He's not! He's one of three. Right in between two girls."

-i'm smiling, she's not-

"Oh. You will be so glad when they are grown and gone."

-wait, what?-

"Actually, I am so glad right. now."

"Right. But they are so much fun when they are older."

-here we go-

"Interesting, I think they are so much fun right. now. Every day."

Crickets. A sarcastic smile stare off. Head tilt.

"Well you don't look old enough to have three kids."

...and I guess she wins? I don't know.

Ok, Ok.

In hindsight:: I probably should have handled this way differently.

So many things I want to go back and say to this woman.

But mostly, I want to send her to her room without supper for talking that way in front of my son.

"You'll be so glad when they are grown and gone"

I do not understand.

I don't understand why you would say that to me, because the Lord and my husband know that it is not true. I want them to live with me forever and ever amen.

That aside, does she think it is encouraging and uplifting for him to hear that about himself?

"Your mom will be so happy when you (and your sisters) are gone."
Why do people think that it is ok to say these kinds of things?

It's just untrue. And it's mean. And it's potentially damaging. Also, It's. RUDE.

I might be overreacting, but I'm not.

I don't think that I am the only mom who gets these horrible, rude comments.

I write about them often, because honestly, they happen to me. A lot.

And that is so. weird. But alright. Whatever.

And, more often than not, it's a quantity comment.

About how I have so many kids. And my hands are so full. And are they all mine?

See also: Elevator to Chamblee's ballet class this week. All the comments. Trapped. #LetMeOut

But a quality comment? Never.
I cannot wrap my head around this woman's words.
What a sad lady. Her poor children.

I know I'm not the only mom who gets this garbage, and I don't think it's because I have 3. awesome. little. lovelies. on the bottom, middle and top of the buggy.
3 kids is really not a lot of kids.

It's probably just because I have more than one.

And it's probably because I look pretty happy about it.

Because I am.