Reasons Mama is Crying

If you aren't familiar with the Tumblr account "Reasons My Son Is Crying", you are not living. Or maybe you are actually living because you're not behind a computer screen or staring at your smart phone, but that's neither here nor there. No judging...this is a safe place. I just happen to be in the stage of life where looking at different pictures of the same toddler crying for the most ridiculous reasons is highly entertaining. That could be almost any toddler in America because they're all absolutely insane. I see it, first hand, every day in the confines of my own asylum... I meant home.

While laughing at the picture "I wouldn't let him drown in this pond", my cousin and I came up with an excellent partner to the Tumblr account. I truly feel I could gain a large following with "Reasons Mama is Crying". Let's face it, as moms, we sometimes end up crying more in a day than our little crumb crunchers. Some crying fits might stem from something as traumatic as poop smeared on the wall (a moment of silence, please, for my good friend who is all too familiar with this scenario). More minor-seeming tears could just be the last straw in a day filled with little annoyances. Oh the little annoyances are the worst! There are so many things a toddler can do to annoy their mama and the annoyances can be combined and doubled...similar to coupons.

To get the ball rolling on "Reasons Mama is Crying", I thought back through the past couple of days and came up with some real zingers.

*I told Barrett I loved him. He said "no thank you".

*Right before leaving for a quick 24 hours away with my sister, he refused to eat his eggs and swiped them deftly to the floor. I yelled. Cue mom-guilt during my "relaxing getaway". Upon returning, I found Barrett and his dad playing in the back yard. I ran to hug him and he ran away screaming and crying. Cue mom-rage. (OK, so that was a lengthy one but it sure felt good to get it off my chest.)

*Barrett wanted a chip. He picked one chip off the floor from the entire bag that he dumped and then walked away saying "no thank you". (He's got that one down.)

*He literally took the cookie out of my hand.

*Grant asked Barrett what animal says "moo". Barrett replied "Mama".

*Barrett pooped in the tub. He wanted to play tug of war with it.

I look back at these moments of weeping and can, even now, see the humor in it all. (Well, maybe not the tub poo. I'm suffering from some minor PTSD over that one. Shiver...) Our toddlers may very well be insane, but what does that say about us mamas? We're the ones who have committed to spend every day loving them unconditionally, even if it (often) brings us to tears. There's no way around it. Some days there may be laughter and others will see fetus-position type meltdowns. It's the great dance of the Mother & Toddler. Someone always seems to be crying. But when these kids of ours are grown and doing the same dance with their own "loin spawn", we'll have the last laugh, ladies.