3: Ch-Ch-Changes (Time may change me, but I can't trace time)

NJHUGV78G9J2 Here's something that's hard to admit -- the more I think about it, the more new parents seem like people who've just found religion and can't wait to tell everyone about it.  We're bursting to tell everyone about how amazing it is, share all of our stories about how cute our kids are as drool, put the dog's tail in their mouth and force us to sprint across the floor when we catch them gumming the lamp cord.  (By the way, even with all that, it is amazing.  Sorry.)

Kids are the equivalent of your co-worker's fantasy football team.  We suffer through them talking about their great trade or how they missed out on the playoffs by one stupid field goal, only because it gives us an excuse to eventually talk about our crappy teams, which are much more interesting to us.  It's the same with kids.  "What, little Debbie gets the cutest look on her face when she poops?  Well, let me tell you what my cute little thing my kids do."  I can't even begin to apologize for forcing those without kids to suffer through our stories.  They don't even get to inflict their pain on us as compensation.  Although telling me about that Duck Dynasty show comes close.

Which is a round about way to get to today's topic, being "judgy".  Simply put, the things that I thought about people with kids before I had kids were wrong.  To all of you who came before, I'm sorry.  And since I'm now going to talk about my fantasy football team (kids), I'll apologize again.

I think the first time I realized it was shortly after the twins were born.  We had someone kind enough to offer to watch the kids so, we could take our sleep-deprived and semi-coherent selves to Qdoba just to feel like we had left the house.  Not wanting to be greedy with the babysitter, we brought our son with us so it was a little more manageable.

We pulled into the parking lot, grabbed our stuff and started walking into the restaurant.  It wasn't until we were about half-way across the parking lot that we realized we'd left our son in the car. (Please note: Sarah and I differ on how far away from the car we were.  She thinks it was only a few steps.  Regardless, we left our infant child in a locked car.  Hardly our finest parenting moment.)  

Now, if I'd heard that story before we'd had kids, I'd be judging those parents up and down and asking how a parent could leave their kid in the car.  Luckily it was a harmless slip for us, although for others it sometimes ends tragically.  And, true, there are just some crappy parents out there.  The real point is, I saw how easily it could happen, if it could happen to us (if only briefly.)  There but for the grace of God go I, right?

I took a little lesson away to try to be a little less judgmental of others, and other parents in particular.  Because it's hard, and they didn't come with an owner's manual.   Not even one of those bad Ikea ones that always show more parts than you seem to have. And, if those parents are anything like us, they're just trying to keep the kids alive another day and hopefully teach them a thing or two along the way.

As for the kids forcing us to sprint across the room to keep them safe? Let's just say those kid leashes are starting to seem like a really good idea.  And don't you dare judge me.