Don't EVER Challenge the Mama Bear

I realized something today, that I've sort of always known. I will go at any lengths to protect my kids.

Without going into ALL the details...mostly because I am ashamed...I had a lady at Target today accuse my child of throwing a Hershey Kiss at her..."your child just THREW this at me and it hit my foot!!" She said in a I-can't-believe-your-child-could-DO-that-I'm-appauled sort of tone."

I had all the kids with me. I'm not exactly sure which one of them she was accusing. They didn't throw it. Elijah found it on the floor and asked if he could have it. I said "no," and put it on top of the clothing rack so it wouldn't get stepped on or eaten by another kid. None of the kids could reach it...it was up high.

Not long after that, I assume it fell off, and rolled to her foot. She then proceeded to hand it to me, said what she said (from above pragraph,) then glare, roll her eyes, and storm off in disgust at my un-ruly children.

Well, that lit me up like the fourth of July. Don't EVER accuse my kids of doing something that I KNOW for a fact they did NOT do. And if you're not adult enough to handle the situation, then DON'T even bring it up. I tried to explain to her (before she stormed off) that I had set it up high, and that it just fell off the rack. They couldn't have possibly thrown it....well, all that fell short.... She wouldn't listen to me...she just rolled her eyes and walked away.

So, after explaining to the kids that I KNOW they didn't throw it, she was just having a bad day, and decided to take it out on us...we proceeded on. I was LIVID. My blood and adrenaline were BOILING!

So, guess what? I saw her again....this time, I went for it. I'm not proud of what I said to her...it wasn't Godly. It wasn't anything with four letters, but it may as well have been. It was quite the scene. I'm sure people were expecting a fist fight to break out. She said hurtful things too, mostly about my kids. I was the mama bear, and my cubs were attacked. I was protecting them, and yes, getting some vengenace out that I felt I deserved. (I shouldn't have done it.) For those of you who know I "confront" things head on....this by far surpassed them all. It wasn't obscene. It was PG. The kids were there, like I said, and they were upset that she lied about THEM.

It sounds so stupid. It sounds like such a petty thing. But, I can honestly say, I become an entirely different person when my kids are attacked or threatened, or even accused when innocent. She obviously was not a mom...any other mom knows how crazy even a quick trip to the store becomes with three children...we should all extend a little grace, and I'm positive we "moms" do! Why is it that people want to tell us how to parent? Why do THEY think when our kids are in a middle of a meltdown that their advice, or ill-reaction for that matter, HELP!? To those people, I say, bring it on. I dare you...go ahead and tell me how to parent. I guarantee, I'll tell YOU exactly what I think.

I'm not saying this because I'm proud of what I did...or how I reacted. But, I'm simply saying, I REACT! I'm a re-actor! Instead of blowing it off as "she had a bad day"....I let it eat me, and I attacked back. I need forgiveness, and I need to pray for her....I KNOW that in my heart. But, I'm not ready to do that today, not right now. I think I will at some point, but today, this afternoon, I just need to cry and love on my babies.....