Then I became a mom...

I used to wonder if parents didn't realize that wet spot on their child's pants and why they didn't immediately rush to change their diaper when they were at the store...then I became a mom and realized sometimes you just need to grab one last thing so you can get home or you forgot that extra pair of pants.

I used to wonder why moms didn't take 5 minutes to clean up their mom-mobile to keep it from getting so out of control...then I became a mom and realized some days there literally isn't an extra 5 minutes in the day.

I used to wonder why parents didn't keep socks and shoes on their children's feet...then I became a mom and realized the children DO leave with socks and shoes on, but are immediately taken off when they get in their car seat.

I used to wonder why moms felt the need to have "play groups" or get together with their kids at Chick-fil-a...then I became a mom and realized you look forward to that day each week that you are going to be around other moms just to get a morale boost to make it through the rest of the week.

I used to wonder why parents would spend all that money on snacks and were constantly handing them to their kids while they were out...then I became a mom and realized that full mouths are quiet mouths and full tummies are happy tummies.

I used to wonder why moms always said they were tired, even when they had a full night of sleep the night before...then I became a mom and realized there is no way you could catch up on enough sleep to make you feel rested unless you slept for at least a week straight uninterrupted.

I used to wonder why there were always 15,000 pacifiers all over the place...then I became a mom and realized you can never find a dang paci when you need it most.

I used to swear I wouldn't default to putting my hair in a ponytail more than once a week...then I became a mom and realized that ponytails aren't really that bad.

I used to pass judgment on moms based on what I observed in 5 minutes...then I became a mom and realized we all do things differently, not wrong, just differently, but we all love our children and that is what guides our decisions.