Dear Kid,

I love my children.

I love them even when they borrow my shoes without asking and then hoard said shoes in their room. (At least I know where to look for footwear.)

I love them even when they ask me to find a pair of red sneakers somewhere in the laundryroom—and then it turns out the sneakers are mostly white with the barest hint of red trim and are at the bottom of a pile of papers in the back of the closet in their room.

I love them even when they ask me to find a pair of red sneakers somewhere in the laundryroom—and then it turns out the sneakers are mostly white with the barest hint of red trim and are at the bottom of a pile of papers in the back of the closet in their room. DearKidLoveMom.com

I love them when they call at 4am to say they’ve locked the keys in the car and could I please do a rescue run—before 5am.

I love them even when they leave dishes and glasses scattered all over the house—despite having learned from an early age how to rinse plates and put them in the dishwasher.

I love them when they forget to tell me that important deadlines are fast approaching—as in NOW!

I love them even when I have to say “No.” Although that is becoming less frequent as they get older.

I love them when—even though they sufficient drawer space—they seem utterly incapable of putting away clean laundry.

You want me to carry my glass AND my plate all the way to the sink? But Mom, I have to meet my friends in like an hour! And I'm going to need the car and some money. DearKidLoveMom.comI love them when I ask them to do a simple chore and the huffing and eye-rolling is Oscar-worthy because they are in the middle of watching reruns of Friends.

I love them when—despite having perfect hearing when it comes to being waited on hand and foot—they are utterly deaf to pleas to help bring in groceries from the car.

Yes, I would like them to figure out how to put away clothes and clear dishes and bring in groceries. But the good news is I watch them being kind, considerate, intelligent, and helpful with other people. And I figure if these are the biggest problems in my world, I’ve got a pretty good life.

But don’t tell my kids.

Love, Mom