I'm Sorry

This has been something I've been thinking about recently. Whenever us moms see a particularly thin mom (that is, someone thinner than us) we have a tendency to just go nuts. However well behaved and well spoken we were before, amongst ourselves we unleash a torrent of "Oh my gosh, that's so not fair! Do you see how skinny she is! She's had three kids and she looks like a model! That's just not right!" etc., etc. and so on and so forth. And sometimes we say to the thin moms themselves "You're so skinny! Look at you!"
Why do we do this? Its not like these gals cut in line ahead of us at the metabolism counter. Did they mess with our DNA in a lab somewhere? Have they done anything to us personally to make us bigger than they? I've come to the conclusion that I've merely been acting out of jealousy and that's just stupid. Besides which, we ladies put up with enough image issues from our culture, we don't need to pile it on each other. As the mom of five kids, I've gotten a lot of comments myself (Are they all yours? Don't you know what causes that? You must have you hands full!) and I wonder why people say these things. The comments are not really critical of me but they're not particularly helpful or edifying either. I can imagine its the same for the thin moms. How does it help her that I voice my jealousy to her or even worse, behind her back?
So, to any mom I've might have said this about or to, I now humbly apologise and will endeavor not to do this again. The rest of you can help me be accountable.

A Lesson from a Body Function

So I'm nursing my two month old baby John when he pulls back and flashes one of those smiles. All you Moms know the smile I'm talking about. The one that makes you forgive the baby of everything he's done today, tomorrow and up to when he's 18 (perhaps further if its a really big grin). "This is why I'm a stay at home mom," I say to myself (proudly, which is perhaps the problem),"Why, if I were working I'd miss this precious little smile. Its smiles like this that make it worth being a stay at home mom" Then John passes wind and fills his diaper (he's still smiling, mind you). And that little toot makes me realize that its not about me, its about what the baby needs. I shouldn't stay home with the kids so I can get these cute little moments but because its what's best for them right now.

Notes on Today

Both of these comments pertain to events today.

To the black Plymouth Neon waiting in line at 8:30 am at the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru in Central Falls, RI (you know who you are) regarding the bumper sticker on the back of your car "Any man who can render himself unconscious with a pretzel isn't smart enough to lead the free world": It's called choking! Most people do not voluntarily submit to choking or choose what they'd like to choke on! I can only hope that if by some freak chance you "render yourself unconscious" on something (perhaps it will be your foot but hopefully something more "significant" than a mere snack food), that some kind soul will look past your spitefulness and save your sorry tush.

To the kind lady at the Stop N Shop deli counter in Attleboro, MA at 11:00 am upon seeing me with three boys: My comment was "I'm concerned about when they grow up." I meant to clarify my concern was that they will eat me out of house and home. She replied, "Oh, don't worry. I've got three teenage boys and they're wonderful." She did not, I repeat, did not give me standard line number 56 "Just wait until they're teenagers!" I could have kissed her for that but that would have set off a whole other chain of events (which probably would have made for great blog fodder)

Hey! blog fodder! I've created a trendy term! First Web 2.0, now Blog Fodder!