full hands? yes, indeed.

i keep reading blog posts by people (moms) with small children who find it offensive when a stranger mentions that they "have their hands full" while out and about alone with their kids. since having eisley i can't go anywhere alone with the kids (church included) without someone making this comment to me. but i don't find it offensive. why? because i DO have my hands full. seriously, i do-literally and figuratively.

it happened to me today. i took the kids to a the grocery store just to pick up a handful of things. walking across the parking lot, i had eisley in the bjorn and tucker on my hip (that kid is not to be trusted in a parking lot) and was holding abbey's hand. a man walking in front of me saw us coming up to get a grocery cart and said "wow, you have your hands full!" and i said, "yes, indeed i do" and then he proceeded to get a cart for me. similar scenes have happened when i'm walking into the gym, at the playground alone with the kids, and dropping the kids of at church childcare. i don't take it as offensive, i don't see them as seeing my kids as burdens rather than blessings. listen, having 3 (or 2, or 1) small children is not for the faint of heart. it's not all fun, snuggles and giggles. it's exhausting. it's draining physically and mentally. yes, i love my children and i am so, so thankful God gave them to us when He did and in this timing but i will never pretend it is easy. i'm sure there are plenty of offensive, rude things yet to be said to me while out with my kids, but making the remark that my 'hands are full" is not one of them.

at least in my book.