If you think they're so cute, feel free to take them home with you!

Well, that title sounds really bitter and not-so-loving, right? I agree, but in my defense, I was just having one of those days where your children's seemingly-unending poor behavior, combined with the 3rd night in a row of almost no sleep, makes you look longingly back at the time before you had any little ones. Ahhh, I remember that era well... Friday and Saturday nights when I could stay up as late as I wanted with my hubby, because I wouldn't be woken up at 5:45am by my little boys coming in to "snuggle" (translation: wiggle, whisper loudly, wiggle some more, accidentally kick me in the ribs, start to giggle uncontrollably, whisper loudly again, whine about being hungry, and then launch a massive tickle fight which always results in someone banging heads with someone else and bursting into full-volume crying...). Days when I could stay in my pajamas until noon and choose to do nothing but watch trashy daytime TV without feeling guilty and needing to "get fresh air" or "get healthy exercise" or "eat some vegetables" or "stimulate the brain." And, most importantly, days where I didn't have to say any of the following: "Don't hit your brother." "This is your warning, sweetie. If you do that again, I'll have to put you in time out." "Go to time out!" "No." "Stop that." "Don't put that in your mouth." "Time out!" "Please get off your brother's head -- he can't breathe." "I said, no." "Take your finger out of the dog's ear!" "Because I said so." "Because I said so." "I said, because I said so." "I'm not going to argue with you about it anymore." "Take that out of your mouth!" "Go to time out!" SIGH. (By the way, I do love my rambunctious little boys with an intensity that still shocks and amazes me, and I wouldn't go back to the days before they came into my life for a gazillion dollars. The good FAR outweighs the bad, and there's nothing like the moment when one of my little guys wraps his arms around my neck, gives me a big, sloppy kiss, and says, "I love you more than anybody else in the world!" I'm just engaging in a little healthy venting here...) But, coming back to the title of this blog, why is it that well-meaning people (usually sweet little old ladies or naive, clueless young women who clearly have no children - and have the tight little bodies and wrinkle-free skin to prove it) always seem to comment on how "adorable" and "well-behaved" and "precious" your kids are during the brief moment when they are actually not hitting, poking, grabbing, arguing, or otherwise driving each other (and me) completely crazy?!!! I know, with 100% certainty, that on those days when my two little guys are pushing every single one of my buttons, and I have no choice but to venture out to the store with them (because I am down to feeding my family nothing but oatmeal or peanut butter and jelly - on crackers, 'cuz there's no bread), that someone will comment on their cuteness. And, one of these days, I'm afraid I'm going to crack, hand my precious little guys over to one of these well-meaning women, and say, "Here ya go. Take them home with you for the rest of the day. I'm going to go take a nap!"