The Mommy Brigade

Many eons ago, I used to work in retail. I worked the early morning stock shift for most of my time and like clock work every day at 9am the store would open. And every day at 8:45am, the cars started to appear outside. One by one they came and as soon as the doors opened at 9am, they stormed in. Moms with strollers and kids...lots of them. I can't even tell you how many times I rolled my eyes and said "oh geez here comes the mommy brigade." I just couldn't understand why these parents with their kids couldn't wait to get into the store the minute it opened.

Fast forward a few years and here I am, waiting outside of the museum for it to open. I look around me and see other families doing the same...I understand their secret now. It's a small thing (or maybe a big thing) that you are blissfully unaware of until you have kids. The thing of it is is most kids I know are at their peak from the hours of 8:30am-11:30am. That's right, a 3 hour window where all of your dreams (and errands) come true. A magical time when you haven't hit the bitter hunger of lunch or the evil crabbiness of nap time. Don't get me wrong, to survive an outing you will need  a morning snack and a lovie but it can be done.

More than just a magical time for families to get out of the house, it is a time for unspoken motherly bonding. That's right, all moms know about these few precious hours and they all take advantage of them. That's why every early trip to the store or every outing to the latest play place is full of other parents and their kids. This is when you realize you're not alone and take comfort in the company of others going through the exact same thing. Case in point, we went to visit the aquarium a while back and there they were...other kids demanding snacks and toddlers falling mercilessly to the ground. The place was chalk full of families and there seemed to be an abundance of tantruming toddlers. Every few feet there was another screaming explosion and subsequent crumble to the floor. It was like a minefield with shards of crackers and fruit snacks framing the destructive path. But it was music to my ears! It was the undeniable affirmation that I am not alone in all of this. The rest of the army does come out to do battle in public places. We don't even need to look each other in the eye to know we are all on the same team. It's like an invisible force field of understanding and I love it.

So there you have it, the tale of the mommy brigade. Mystery solved. It's just one of the many small parts of motherhood that you can't know about until you are a part of it. Still have more burning questions and other parenting mysteries you need to solve? We will be out there. Don't be afraid to approach us, just look for us by dawns early light.