What Men Say

Now that we have been blessed with three kids, old men seem to be prompted to speak to me more often than they used to.  And they generally say one of three things:
1.)  "You know what causes those, right?  Heh, heh, heh."
2.)  "You know how to stop having them, don't you?  Heh, heh, heh."
3.)  "You sure have your hands full.  Heh, heh, heh."
I could spend some time here sharing the snarky responses I've come up with (always a few minutes too late, though.)  But, since many other, more talented writers have already spent plenty of space doing that, I'll leave it to them.  And I'll just say that yes, I do have my hands full...full of good things!

Anyway, the other morning, I had walked Jonathan to school with his younger siblings and was on the way home with them.  An older man that I sometimes see walking in the neighborhood approached me and said, "I need to tell you something."  I braced myself for one of the three formula remarks above.  Insead, though, he said, "You're a good little mama."  What?!  He proceeded to tell me that he sees me taking my kids to and from school all the time, pushing them in the stroller, taking care of them, and that I'm doing a good job with my kids.  And said it again, "You're a good little mama."  In that context, I really didn't mind being called a little mama at all.  I thanked him profusely, and was so thankful that God had sent him my way on a morning that I really needed some encouragement.

And now school is almost out, I'm so looking forward to having everyone home, have made grand plans for scheduling fun and meaningful activities with my kids, and I'm really sick.  And almost out of toilet paper, among other things.  So much for grand plans.  I guess I'll try tomorrow to be a Good Little Mama.  If I feel better.

Oh, and I should mention that, that very same afternoon, when I had all three kids with me, my neighbor who was washing his truck said, "You sure have your hands full.  Heh, heh, heh."