Identity Crisis?

I have to share a happy moment.

But first, let me back track.

I tend to get lots of comments (well, it feels like lots but I think I hyperfocus on them) about my kids. Not good ones either! Things like:

Why in the world would you have so many kids so close together?

My, my, doesn't someone have lots of kids close in age?

Twins? Better you than me!

You know my favorite, You sure have your hands full!

Another doozy: You must be done. Really?! Thanks for giving me your opinion on my reproductive organs.

I feel like I'm constantly being judged for overpopulating the world. For the record, Mads and Max were surprise twins and are nearly three years younger than Claire (not that any of that should matter to those nosey meanies).

AND YES!!! I do want one more. So sue me!

I could go on, but my blood pressure might rise a little too much.

Ok, but on to my happy moment. I swear, it's in here somewhere!

I was leaving the gym this week and I had the 'we must test our new-found independence' Mads and Max with me. They no longer want to hold my hand! Since our car was parked right in front of the gym and they wouldn't have to walk through the parking lot, I let them go ahead of me as I held the door for another person. And at that moment, Max darted to the street. He stopped before his feet hit the parking lot but I wasn't taking any chances, I scooped him up in a football hold and grabbed Madeline's hand as we walked the rest of the way to my swagger wagon...errr....van.

Phew. Crisis averted. I started buckling them in their carseats when a car pulled up behind me. The window rolled down and a 'cranky' man shouted, "How does it feel?"

Now, a million thoughts ran through my head. Ruh-roh, he must have seen my parenting fail as I grabbed Max from his near-dash-across-the-parking-lot-attempt....and , Oh great, what did I do now? Have one too many kids out in public? Or, was he going to chastise me for being a bad mom and taking my kids to the gym daycare instead of staying home all day singing cumbayah? Yes, all these negative-nelly thoughts ran through my head while I stammered, "Uhhhh, how does what feel?"

Then he turned to his wife and they both smiled big. He replied, "Those are twins, right? I want to know: how does it feel to be a hero? You are a hero of a mom!"

Say it with me now: Awwwwwwwww!!!! That melted my heart. I sometimes have a hard time accepting a compliment. And I really don't think I'm a hero. I'm just a mom. But I appreciated him going out of his way to say something so genuinely kind. One of my friends said she too was sick of hearing the dreaded: "You must have your hands full" comment about her three kids. The one time someone said something nice SHE was the one who said, "Yeah, but my hands are full!" D'oh!!!! So, I caught myself as I started to say, "Well, they are a lot of work (*forehead slap*) BUT they are such a joy. And you know, God doesn't ever give you what you can't handle." The man responded, "Yes, that is true and you are handling them just fine."

And then, MY hero and his wife drove away. I was cheesing it big time. As I looked back in my rear view mirror I told the twins, "That's right. Your mommy is a hero". I adjusted my imaginary cape and then proceeded to back out. Only I wasn't in reverse. So I jumped the curb. Double, D'oh!

Oh, that's right, he said hero, not SUPER hero.



But just in case...I have a cape handy at all times....