I love you, but you're annoying me.

If you ever feel like a bad mom, call my friend Maren. She will quickly tell you that you are completely normal. Mom guilt follows me around all day. I lay my head down at night and feel guilt for yelling, being lazy, forgetting to bring snack to preschool, letting the boys cry too long, letting Maddie eat her 4835097309th grilled cheese for the week, etc. I believe that I am the only shitty mom in the world. Enter: Maren.

Driving away from a Target trip the other day, I called Maren & before saying hello, I blurted out, "You know how you always love your kids, but some days you just can't stand them? Well, they are annoying the hell out of me." Without missing a beat, she says, "Totally. That was yesterday." I laugh because, I heard many times growing up, "I love you, but I don't like you right now." Am I scarred by that? No, because, really, teenagers are the living worst. What I didn't realize is that 4-year-olds can be just as snarky (although, part of me is proud for teaching this kid wit & sarcasm at such a young age), sassy & condescending as a teenager.

Maren's mom wisdom is always so apropos. While I sat in my car, worrying that I was going to burn for disliking my child, she quickly reassured me that I was, in fact, normal. We all go through it. Can you think of one person, including yourself, who you like every.single.day? No. Kids are humans. Humans can be annoying. Hell, I know I'm annoying, so why wouldn't my offspring be annoying every once in a while?

So, if you are sitting here today, believing you are the only crappy mom in the world, rest assured, I am crappy as well. Kids are tough. Add in the "mommy, mama, mom, look, mommy, mom, look at me mama" from the back seat, dirty dishes, whining, burning dinner, running out of toilet paper, and all of the irritating things that happen during your day, it's honestly amazing that more of us haven't walked out the front door in our uggs and no bra, and just quietly closed the door behind us. We are warriors, ladies. Chin up. Call Maren. She'll make you feel better.