Parenting.. what a TRIP!

Everyone has them. Those moments of instant embarrassment, annoyance, disappointment, shock.... purely wondering if you really know what you are doing as a parent.  Or wondering why despite the consequences and punishments that you set in place, your child insists on defying you.  

These embarrassing moments never really happened with Harlee.  She was an extremely good baby and toddler.  Jaxon on the other hand.. Jaxon has peed in public, right in the middle of speaking with a [pet] adoption counselor outside in the kennel area in front of about 10 other customers.  I mean, pants down, right there on the sidewalk.  He has peed at the beach right next to a little girl building a sandcastle (talk about humiliating).  He has ran around a movie theater, eating candy off the floor, asked to go to the bathroom 5 times, and laughing at the top of his lungs to parts that were.. well... not funny. Don't get me started on Jaxon's imaginary "brother."  His "brother" gets him in to a lot of trouble.  We were at the grocery store a few weeks ago and I was trying to put Jaxon in the seat of the "buggy" and he completely spread eagled on me.  Legs stretched as far as they could go, screaming to the top of his lungs.  I was red with embarrassment and then this little old woman walks up and says, " you have to listen to your mommy and be a good boy and sit down in that buggy."  Jaxon responds with yelling, "I can't!!! My brother is sitting there!"  Oh geez.. everyone thinks I am crazy now.  I seriously could go on.  

But then, there are those moments where they have done something that they were not supposed to do... but you just can't be mad.  As part of our excellent parenting, my husband and I slept in last weekend.  Truly, we NEVER sleep in.. but my brother in law, Victor (who is 7, by the way) was spending the night.  He came in and asked if he and Jaxon could play wii and we agreed.  They were getting along, all baby gates were up to keep my curious 3 year old out of areas he shouldn't be in, so we enjoyed about a half hour more of wonderful SLEEP.  Well we were awoken by Jaxon coming into our bathroom saying that he needed to wash his hands.  I asked why and he said he had "something" on his hands.  I jump up, felt around for my glasses and look up to see this:

My  guess is that Victor went into the kitchen and left the gate open.  Oh yeah moment.. Chris' grandparent bought a cake over for the Carolina game the night before and when I went to see how much he had.. the entire half a cake that was left over from the night before... 

Oh well.  I just turn on the next episode of Teen Mom and realize, "I'm a pretty damn good Mom, afterall!"