My neighbor is one of those people who always complain, who is always sicker than you, who's kids always have something worse than your kids have, who never understands that you have been right where she is now, who never takes your advice but asks all the time... you know, one of those. She has 2 girls, ages 5 and 3. Her husband is NEVER home (he is actually home more than mine), she does EVERYTHING (because she lets him get away with doing nothing), she NEVER gets out (yea right)... She is always broke, always stressed and always so busy. BUT she means well. That is just who she is and we can choose to let it drive us nuts or take it in stride. I have finally learned to take her as she is, in small doses, and to not get too deep in all of her "troubles".

There is a constant flow of kids in my house... all the time. Mostly I don't mind especially now that they are pretty self-sufficient. But a few years ago, when I had to watch them, feed them, take them to the potty, I told her I was done. I remember saying I felt like a daycare worker. She was all about how fun it was, how she loved watching kids, how she would play Duck, duck, goose and how she wanted to open a daycare. I told her she was nuts. And I love kids... babies, toddlers... hand 'em over, but not in quantity. Bravo to those who can not only take care of their kids, but others too. For a short time, I watched other kids. It just got too much. I started to dread them coming over. I was happy for her that she loved it so much, but she could not understand why I felt the way I did. Until now...

Today she called and was telling me that she is sick of having kids over all the time. That she is happy when her kids go to a friends house. That she can't be the one who entertains all the time. That she can finally understand what I have been talking about. WHAT? YOU WHAT? DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT? OH.MY.GOD! So she does hear me. She just needs to figure it out on her own. Too bad, I could have saved her a lot of juice boxes and fishy crackers.